Maoists' YCL, police violate human rights: Amnesty

Kathmandu, May 30 (UNI) Amnesty International (AI) has alleged that the Maoist youth wing in Nepal -- Young Communist League (YCL) -- and police were involved in massive human rights violations, including torture, in the state.

''Maoists' youth wing Young Communist League reportedly committed a number of human rights abuses, including abductions and ill-treatment in captivity, assaults and violent disruption of political activities,'' Amnesty International said in its 2008 global report, released on Wednesday.

It said the CPN (M) activists were also accused of abductions, torture and killings, including the killing of journalist Birendra Sah.

It also said police and security forces were involved in torture and rape.

''There were a number of reports of torture and rape by police and members of the security forces, some of whom were off-duty at the same time,'' it said, adding, ''Among those raped were women with mental illness and young girls.'' It said impunity in Nepal has continued due to inaction on the part of police and public prosecutors. ''Police and public prosecutors continued to fail in their duty to investigate and prosecute cases of human rights abuses,'' the report said.

Stating that a number of armed groups in Nepal committed human rights abuses, it said factions of Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha were allegedly responsible for unlawful killings, kidnappings and bomb attacks.

It said majority of torture victims haven't yet received any compensation. ''National laws to regulate torture fell short of international standards and were inadequately implemented,'' it said.

While launching the report in London, AI Secretary General Irene Khan said, ''The year 2007 was characterised by the impotence of western governments and the ambivalence or reluctance of emerging powers to tackle some of the world's worst human rights crises, ranging from entrenched conflicts to growing inequalities which were leaving millions of people behind.

The report showed that 60 years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN, people were still tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries, faced unfair trials in at least 54 countries and were not allowed to speak freely in at least 77 countries.

UNI XC SKB US1637