Restore Democracy!
Bring Back the civil and political rights of the people of Nepal !
This statement is a public appeal by the Migrant Forum in Asia to the international community to help the Nepalese People restore democracy, freedom and political rights in Nepal. MFA is in solidarity with the international community in condemning the human rights violations perpetuated against the people of Nepal.
We condemn King Gyanendra's dismissal of Prime Minister Bahadur Deuba's government and his assumption of direct power an action that denied the Nepalese people their civil and political rights. The King's action to usurp the government is a serious affront to the rights of the Nepalese.
We condemn the repression of civil and political rights, the censorship of the media, banning of the freedom of assembly and expression, the right to information and privacy, and the right to prohibition against arbitrary detention.
We condemn the censorship of the press and media which has limited the access to information and created chaos within the country. We condemn the restriction of communication within and outside Nepal, the restriction to freedom of expression and movement that resulted to misinformation and panic.
We condemn the arbitrary ongoing arrests and illegal detention of political activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers. The arrests have been ongoing in Kathmandu and other areas in Nepal. A number of prominent human rights leaders have been arrested, among them: Krishna Pahadi, Sukram Maharajan, Sindhu Nath Pyarukel and Nada Bhandari among others.
We condemn the violence perpetrated against students and activists who have signified their opposition to the King Gyanendra's abandonment of the Nepal 1990 constitution's provisions for the establishment of democracy. A number students and activists who staged protests and opposed the coup experienced violence from tear gas to the firing of bullets from the Nepalese Military.
We appeal to the International Community to undertake the following:
- Urge the Nepal Government to restore democracy and civil and political rights in Nepal;
- Pressure the Nepal Government to bring back the freedom of the press, the freedom of speech and communication, put an end to all media censorship;
- Insist on the releasing of Political detainees, human rights defenders, lawyers and students who have been arbitrarily arrested and detained;
- Urge the Nepal Government to stop the violence perpetuated against human rights defenders, lawyers and students;
- Urge nations who have been quiet to publicly condemn the Kings assumption of power and the abandonment of the 1990 constitution's provision for democracy
We hope that you will support us and the people of Nepal in our call to restore democracy and liberty in Nepal.
- Migrant Forum in Asia
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