Human Rights situation has deteriorated in Nepal: US

Kathmandu, Mar 9 (UNI) The US said that human rights situaton was deteriorated in Nepal in 2005 as the government and the Maoist insurgents continued to commit serious rights violations in the Himalayan Kingdom.

''The government's poor human rights record worsened and it continued to commit many serious abuses, both during and after the state of emergency that suspended all fundamental rights except for habeas corpus,'' said 'Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in 2005', released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour under the US Department of State in Washington D.C.

The security forces and the Maoist insurgents committed numerous grave human rights abuses during the year, the report said.

''The government failed to conduct thorough and independent investigations of reports of security forces' brutality and generally did not take significant disciplinary action against those involved, '' it said.

Maoists continued their campaign of torturing, killing, bombing, conscripting children, kidnapping, extorting, forcing closures of schools and businesses, and committing other serious and gross human rights abuses during the year, the report said.

The report has listed 15 kinds of rights violations that included obstruction of citizens' right to change the government, arbitrary and unlawful lethal force including torture, vigilantism, disappearances, poor prison and detention conditions, arbitrary arrests and lengthy pre-trial detention, impunity for security forces, compromised independence of judiciary, suspension of news broadcasts, restrictions on the Tibetan community, restrictions on internal travel, discrimination against persons with disabilities and lower castes, violence against women and trafficking in women and girls, abuses of child labor and restriction of worker's rights.

Meanwhile, a senior US official has made it clear that it doesn't see Nepal from the Indian lense, and it is also going to raise Nepal's issue with China in their upcoming engagement, media rpeorts said.

The King has to reach out to the parties and the Maoists should abandon violence, said Ms Millard interacting mediapersons through video link between Kathmandu and Washington at the American Centre.

''If Maoists made it clear that they want to renounce violence effectively and initiate talks, everybody is ready to talk,'' The Kathmandu Post quoted her as saying.

She said that Nepal is important to the US because many Americans love the country and it is concerned about human rights and democracy in Nepal.

The US official also said that Nepal's strategic position between China and India also enhances its importance in global geo-politics.

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