Nepal Monitor: The National Online Journal

The International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED) appeals Nepal PM to send a signal to the world by retifying International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The following is the text of the letter written to Pusha Kamal Dahal (should have been Madhav Kumar Nepal) by ICAED's coordinator Dave Hardy:

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"Nepal has a terrible legacy of grave human rights violations, including thousands of enforced disappearances. Two years after the end of a decade-long internal conflict, not one of those responsible has been brought to account. Impunity prevails"-- Dave Hardy, coordinator of the International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED)

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H.E. Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Prime Minister of Nepal
Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
Singha Durbar
P.O. Box: 23312
Kathmandu, Nepal
Date
July 1, 2009
Phone Email
+ 31 30 2349066 d.hardy@aimforhumanrights.org

Your Excellency,
The International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances - a global network of forty associations of families of disappeared persons and nongovernmental organizations – wishes to draw your attention to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

As you know, the Convention was adopted by the UN General Assembly by consensus on 20 December 2006 (A/RES/61/177) and it represents the culmination of a long effort by many families of disappeared persons, nongovernmental organizations and governments to address the continuing problem of enforced disappearance through international law.

The Convention will be an effective way to help prevent enforced disappearances, establish the truth about this crime, punish the perpetrators and provide reparations to the victims and their families. As countless persons continue to be “disappeared” throughout the world, the prompt entry into force of the Convention and its ratification and effective implementation in all countries must be a priority for the international community and particularly for countries that have a legacy of enforced disappearances, such as Nepal.

In the course of the decade-long armed conflict between the security forces and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN (M)), at least 900 people disappeared after they were detained by the security forces. The CPN (M) was also responsible for several hundreds of killings, abductions and torture of people seen as opposed to their cause. Hundreds of families still anxiously await news of their missing relatives.

Notwithstanding the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) of 21 November 2006 which ended the conflict and the election of a Constituent Assembly which promised to bring a ‘New Nepal’, the process of delivering truth, justice and reparations for violations committed during the conflict has not progressed, a climate of impunity persists and there is a real danger of Nepal's recent tragic history repeating itself.

The ratification of the Convention would constitute an unmistakable signal that your
government is committed to ensuring that enforced disappearances will not happen again in Nepal.

The Coalition therefore urges you to ensure that your government:
- sign and ratify the Convention at the earliest opportunity without any limiting reservations;
- make the declarations required under Articles 31 and 32 of the Convention, thus recognizing
the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances to consider communications
from individuals and states parties; and
- take the necessary steps effectively to implement the Convention at national level soon afterratification.

By taking action without hesitation, Nepal would be among the first 20 countries to ratify the Convention and thus instrumental to its entry into force.

I thank you for your attention to this important matter and look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,

Dave Hardy
Coordinator ICAED
http://www.icaed.org/

The International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances is a global network of organisations of families of disappeared and NGO’s working in a non-violent manner against the practice of enforced disappearances at the local, national and international level.

A PDF text is on ICAED Website is available here.

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