|
UN
rapporteurs concerned over proposed citizenship law :
Some provisions seem discriminatory against women, and
sexual minorities, they say, by Anil Giri (kp
26/09/2020)
Youths
seek justice for 12-year-old girl killed after rape,
by Monica Malla (rep 26/09/2020)
Police
arrest 17 supporters of Dr KC for mocking PM Oli
(rep 26/09/2020)
For
Nepali workers abroad, wait to return home gets longer
and tiring : Nepali missions in labour destinations
struggle to send Nepalis back as price of air tickets
skyrocket due to government-imposed cap on the
frequency of international flights, by Chandan
Kumar Mandal (kp 26/09/2020), 76,967
Nepalis Returned Home (rn 26/09/2020)
Flood
victims in Surkhet await resettlement for past six
years : Only a few families have received half the
grant announced by the provincial government while the
rest have received none, by Chandani Kathayat (kp
26/09/2020)
How
controversial statements by lawmakers on sensitive
issues go unchecked : A debate has started on the need
for lawmakers to change their traditional mindsets,
rather than just amend the laws and policies, by
Binu Subedi (kp 25/09/2020)
Students
of public schools deprived of education (ht
25/09/2020)
COVID-19
pushes more children into poverty (ht 25/09/2020)
Nepali
workers stuck in no-man’s land : Migrants in the Gulf
are caught between cruel employers and a heartless
homeland (nt 25/09/2020)
Acid
attackers to face jail term of upto 20 years and fine
of Rs 1 million (rep 25/09/2020), Ordinance
moots 20-year jail term for acid attack (ht
26/09/2020) [And what about
strict control of acid selling?]
Locals
in Jajarkot still using tuin to cross river for years
(rep 25/09/2020)
Six
cops to face music, by Prabhat Kumar Jha (ht
24/09/2020)
Why
the state shows haughty contempt for a social crusader
: The way Dr Govinda KC is being treated for his
peaceful protests and campaign for the larger good of
society indicates that the government is growing
increasingly intolerant of its citizens who demand
system and good governance, analysts and observers say,
by Tika R. Pradhan and Binod Ghimire (kp 23/09/2020), The
doctor versus the state : Govinda KC remains a
headache for successive governments in Nepal for all
the right reasons (kp 24/09/2020), Dr
KC v State, Round 19 : The irony of the most powerful
government in Nepal’s democratic history working for
medical mafia is not lost on anyone (ae
25/09/2020)
Attempts
to dismiss rape exposed, ward chair chased off (ht
23/09/2020)
Ruling
NCP pressures PM Oli to fill constitutional posts
(ht 23/09/2020)
507
Inmates Contract COVID-19 At Siraha Prison (rn
23/09/2020), Govt
urged to implement apex court’s order on jailbirds
(ht 23/09/2020)
Pregnant
women and postpartum mothers hit hardest by pandemic :
Seven women died of delivery complications in Banke
within two months, by Thakur Singh Tharu (kp
22/09/2020)
Police
drag Dr KC out of ambulance, forcibly take him to
Trauma Center (rep 22/09/2020)
Women,
children highly affected by COVID pandemic (ht
21/09/2020)
Woman
thrashed on charge of witchcraft in Saptari (kh
21/09/2020)
Cases
of violence against women have gone up in Achham :
Many men who have returned home from foreign jobs due
to the pandemic have taken to drinking and hitting
their wives and children, police say, by Menuka
Dhungana (kp 21/09/2020)
Constitution
Day is like any other for city’s poor : Official
celebrations take place barely a hundred metres from
the people queuing up for free meals, by Anup Ojha
(kp 20/09/2020)
New
deterrent provisions on the cards : Punishment for
acid attack perpetrators seen as too less, by Ram
Kumar Kamat (ht 20/09/2020)
Deceased
journo Pahari’s family demands investigation (ht
20/09/2020)
Curfew
clamped in Malangawa to avoid possible Hindu-Muslim
clash, by Tanka Chhetri (rep 19/09/2020)
Our
most vulnerable need protection during the pandemic.
We can then celebrate the constitution : First thing
first, by Shreejana Pokhrel (rep 19/09/2020)
Will
your daughter look upto to the Constitution of Nepal
2015?, by Karma Tamang (rep 19/09/2020)
Ruling
party wants to gag its leaders to suppress criticism
and dissent : Nepal Communist Party has asked its
members to refrain from commenting on the party,
leadership, government and policies and warned of
action if they fail to comply, by Tika R. Pradhan
(kp 18/09/2020)
Uma
Bhujel in and out of jail : Although the war is long
over, this famous guerrilla commander is still
breaking out of jail, by Tufan Neupane (nt
18/09/2020)
High-level
commission to be established to ensure Nairobi
Summit’s commitments to women’s health and rights
(ht 18/09/2020) [Nepal's statement
at Nairobi summit in November 2019]
Upper
Dolpa Sees Food Shortage; Supply Halted Over A Year
(rn 18/09/2020)
Resettlement
plans still to be readied, landslide survivors live in
leaking tents : Not only immediate relief, survivors
also need means to start their lives anew, experts say,
by Anish Tiwari and Timothy Aryal (kp 18/09/2020), Resettle
The Disaster-Hit, by Bini Dahal (rn 18/09/2020)
Women’s
proactive role in exercising constitutional rights
stressed (ht 18/09/2020)
Policemen
who beat up civilian at Babarmahal on Thursday to be
investigated (rep 18/09/2020)
Rape
victim in Saptari commits suicide after villagers stop
her from filing a case with police (rep
16/09/2020), Teenage
rape victim in Saptari took her own life after being
forced into out-of-court settlement : The village
elders had tried to hush up the matter and
threatened the victim and her mother of
consequences if they reported the incident with
the police; The four men who raped the 17-year-old
girl are still at large, police say, by Abdhesh
Kumar Jha (kp 17/09/2020)
'Unfair
To Restrict Street Vendors From Business As They Are
Among Hit Hardest Due To Pandemic', by Mukunda
Gaire (rn), Dr
KC starts 19th hunger strike in Jumla (rep
14/09/2020)
Two
deaths in police custody within a month (ht
14/09/2020), In-custody
death of a Dalit youth in Kailali sparks protests,
by Arjun Shah (kp 15/09/2020)
Disappearance
Commission suggests relief packages for conflict
victims : There are fears Covid-19 may present an
excuse to further delay investigation into war-era
cases of rights violations, by Binod Ghimire (kp
13/09/2020)
Anti-graft
body in the spotlight as questions arise over its
independence : The constitutional body is largely
failing to function as per its mandate because
over-politicisation has meant officials often
serve their political masters, analysts say, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 13/09/2020)
Bajura’s
new mothers die young. Failure to give birth to a baby
boy often results in second marriage, by Nanda
Kumari Thapa (rep 13/09/2020)
231
prisoners infected with COVID-19, five die (kh
13/09/2020)
Returnee
migrants and their management : When they come home,
out-migrants can revive rural economic activities that
were abandoned in the conflict era, by Kul Kapri
(kp 13/09/2020)
Why
is the government ignoring SC’s verdicts on pandemic?,
by Ananta Raj Luitel (rep 13/09/2020)
In
cases involving members of Chand-led outfit, police
are violating court orders : Members of the group have
been rearrested multiple times despite courts
ordering their release citing the lack of evidence,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 12/09/2020)
Many
National Human Rights Commission recommendations go
unimplemented (ht 12/09/2020)
Despite
poor rights record, Nepal eyes another term at Human
Rights Council : Nepal government has largely failed
to uphold the promises it made in 2017 in the
lead up to the election for membership for the
2018-20 period in the UN body, by Anil Giri (kp
12/09/2020) [Nepal has never
been qualified for this task!]
Undocumented
migrant workers to get support to return home : They
had so far been excluded from the government’s
repatriation schemes, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
12/09/2020)
Reproductive
health gains at risk as pregnant women die due to lack
of care : Maternal mortality had gone down by 76
percent and stillbirths by 56 percent in Nepal since
2000, but the Covid-19 pandemic is eroding the
achievements, by Aditi Aryal (kp 11/09/2020), The
shadow curve : Disruptions in health services due to
the pandemic could result in a secondary health crisis
(kp 11/09/2020)
Indigenous
communities: Adversaries to Nepal’s development?,
by Kushal Pokharel (ae 11/09/2020)
4
million jobs added to Nepal’s economy in past decade,
a report says : Despite great strides, not all job
seekers have access to quality jobs, especially women
(kp 11/09/2020) [This report
sounds strange at a time when hundreds of thousands,
if not millions, of labour migrants are returning,
looking in vain for jobs at home!]
Access
to formal jobs more restricted for women (ht
11/09/2020)
Implement
corrective measures for prisoners: SC (ht
11/09/2020), COVID-19
confirmed after death of four inmates of Central
Prison (kh 11/09/2020)
Case
filed against police for alleged custody death
of Dalit youth : Bijay Mahara’s father filed the
complaint with the Office of District Attorney
on Wednesday seeking investigation into his son’s
death, by Shiva Puri (kp 10/09/2020)
Nepalis
in the Middle East fear starvation as government
delays repatriation, by Rudra Khadka (rep
10/09/2020)
Covid-19
surge deprives 60 percent of malnourished kids of
treatment : Lack of public transportation and
conversion of rehab centres into quarters for
health staffers cited as reasons, by Arjun Poudel
(kp 10/09/2020)
Mental
health patients deprived of drugs and counselling
during pandemic : Doctors say remote counselling is
not accessible to patients living in small towns and
villages as regular therapy sessions and supply of
medications are obstructed by lockdowns, by Arjun
Poudel (kp 10/09/2020)
Many
elderly people in Saipal live with treatable visual
impairment for lack of medical facilities : More than
80 percent of eye patients will regain their sight if
authorities conduct an eye camp, say health workers,
by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp 10/09/2020)
Prohibitory
orders hit daily wagers hard (ht 10/09/2020)
Amid
little progress, pandemic could become an excuse to
delay justice for conflict-era victims : Five years
have passed since two commissions were formed, but not
a single investigation has been started, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 09/09/2020)
A
teenage girl held captive and gang-raped for days
after being drugged in Kanchanpur (rep 09/09/2020)
3
held in connection with 17-yr-old girl’s rape in
Baitadi (kh 09/09/2020)
Government
deadline for total literacy likely to be pushed yet
again : Since 2008-09, nearly Rs 12 billion has been
spent on several literacy campaigns, yet 24
districts are still not fully literate, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 09/09/2020)
Pandemic
makes life tougher for children with autism and Down
syndrome : The Covid-19 crisis has only exacerbated
already existing challenges for children with
development challenges—and there are no easy solutions
in sight, by Elisha Shrestha (kp 09/09/2020)
Dalits
picket DPO to file FIR (ht 09/09/2020)
12
years since their liberation, freed Haliyas in
Kanchanpur still await resettlement : Out of 21,069
freed Haliya families in Nepal, only 16,000 are listed
in government data, by Bhawani Bhatta (kp
08/07/2020)
Police
officials don’t accept complaints against their own
colleagues, activists say : The latest of such
examples is police in Garuda Municipality, Rautahat
refusing to register a first information report
against the death in custody of 19-year-old Bijaya
Mahara, by Binod Ghimire (kp 08/09/2020)
1,200
Nepali migrant workers hit the streets in Saudi Arabia
: Shout slogans against Nepali Embassy, by
Yogendra Yogi (kh 08/09/2020)
How
a pandemic law would have helped fight the virus and
strengthened federalism : Nepal has resorted to the
six-decade-old Infectious Disease Act, which does not
talk about people’s rights, but empower bureaucrats to
punish citizens, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
07/09/2020)
UNFPA
launches Phase II project to prevent gender-based
violence (kh 07/09/2020)
As
migrant workers start returning home, local levels
feel the heat to create jobs : Local governments
across country prioritise employing returnee migrant
workers mainly in agriculture and local development
sectors, with some coming up with innovative ideas,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 07/09/2020)
Relief
distribution programme in Birgunj fails to cover
vulnerable families : Around 150 women had reached the
District Police Office on Thursday to receive relief
but had to return empty-handed, by Bhusan Yadav
(kp 06/09/2020)
73
pregnant women die for lack of treatment since
lockdown (kh 06/09/2020)
Around
40 percent government staff haven’t received their
salaries yet, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp
06/09/2020)
Human
trafficking continues unabated amidst COVID pandemic
(ht 06/09/2020)
Overstay
fines become hurdle for Nepali workers waiting to
return : Many workers have been charged with hefty
fines for overstaying their visas as flights to Nepal
were suspended for months due to Covid-19 pandemic,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 05/09/2020), Repatriation
quandary persists even with funds to support migrant
workers’ airfare : While Nepali embassies in labour
destination countries struggle with the complicated
verification process, labour rights activists
question the government’s commitment to bring citizens
home, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 05/09/2020)
Pregnant
woman dies after being denied admission by Biratnagar
hospitals, by Chuman Basnet (rep 05/09/2020)
Getting
Nepal’s flawed transitional justice process back on
track : Conflict victims and human rights defenders
lighting candles at Maitighar, Kathmandu, in memory of
those ‘disappeared’ during the conflict /Amnesty
International Nepal, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae
04/09/2020)
Nepal
must reboot human rights, rule of law : The goal of
political stability does not remove the need for
active promotion of human rights, by Mohna Ansari
(nt 04/09/2020)
End
impunity, protect rights: HRW : Human Rights Watch
pushes Nepal and its donors to punish violators
(nt 04/09/2020)
Two
former lawmakers stage hunger strike over
custody death of Dalit youth : The struggle committee
has warned of stepping up protest if its demands are
not addressed, by Shiva Puri (kp 03/09/2020), SP
Khadka replaced in wake of custodial death in Rautahat
(ht 04/09/2020) [This can only
be a first step!]
Demonstrations
continue over custody death of Dalit youth : Family of
Bijay Kumar has refused to accept probe committee
formed by Home Ministry, by Shiva Puri(kp
01/09/2020)
Two
killers: Cities and centralism; The federal
government’s lack of support for the vulnerable is
going to add to the death toll, by Achyut Wagle
(kp 01/09/2020)
12-year-old
boy chained and caged since 2016, by Dinesh Subedi
(rep 01/09/2020)
Four
inmates die at Central Jail, one tests positive for
COVID-19 : Source claims that a few more inmates at
the jail are ill (rep 01/09/2020)
Work
or perish: The state is morally bound to safeguard its
citizens working in precarious conditions abroad
(kp 01/09/2020)
Ensure
effective contact tracing and place symptomatic
patients in hospitals, doctors say : Given the lack of
facilities at home for self-isolation for a majority
of Nepalis, encouraging them to stay home after
testing positive for Covid-19 could spell a disasters,
by Arjun Poudel (kp 31/08/2020)
An
Ultimate Guide to Prevent Social Stigma related to
Covid-19, by Bikram Thapa (kh 31/08/2020)
‘Cheap’
Nepali deaths in US war zones In Afghanistan and Iraq,
Nepalis who are injured or killed while working for
American contractors are often sent home with
only token compensation, or none at all, by Peter
Gill (kp 31/08/2020), Nepali
Afghanistan and Iraq victims seek compensation,
justiceAccording to the US Labor Department,
approximately 300 Nepalis have filed compensation
claims for deaths or injuries in the US war
zones. However, experts believe the true number
of Nepali casualties is far higher, by Peter Gill
and Janakraj Sapkota (kp 01/09/2020)
Care
for the frontliners : The government must immediately
provide risk allowances to all Covid-19 frontline
workers (kp 31/08/2020)
Migrant
Workers In Gulf Being Charged Exorbitant Fares For Air
Tickets, by Modnath Dhakal (rn 31/08/2020)
For
the families of the hundreds of disappeared, the long
wait for justice still continues : Fourteen years have
passed since civil conflict ended and five years since
the Commission of Investigation on Enforced
Disappeared Persons was formed, but not a single
family has been told what happened to its loved one,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 30/08/2020) [Not even those who claim to be
responsible for the death of 5.000 people are removed
from all offices and taken to court!], “Forgotten
and Forsaken”, by Nirajan Thapaliya (ht
30/08/2020), Various
organizations call for end to continue delays in
justice for Nepal's victims (rep 30/08/2020), CIEDP
asks govt to amend transition justice law to help
accomplish its mandated tasks (rep 30/08/2020)
How
the government is failing education : The students who
have been deprived of learning will look back to this
time to recall how the government failed education in
the name of pandemic, by Mahabir Paudyal (rep
30/08/2020)
Four
arrested for allegedly gang-raping a girl in Kailali
(rep 30/08/2020)
Livelihoods
of hundreds of fish farmers in Province 5 at stake :
As a result of travel restrictions, farmers in the
region say they are unable to transport produce to the
market or purchase feed and many of their fish are
dying, by Sanju Poudel (kp 30/08/2020)
Migrant
workers don’t have shelters to go to when they need
them the most : A Supreme Court decision in 2010 and
existing provisions allow officials to set up safe
homes which could have served workers even during the
pandemic, say labour rights activists, by Chandan
Kumar Mandal (kp 30/08/2020)
Customers
bewildered after police stop online stores from making
deliveries : Kathmandu CDO says shops are open in the
morning, delivery services could be allowed after
health protocols are in place, by Krishana Prasain
(kp 29/08/2020), Police
halt home delivery service, arrest staff : ‘First they
held our delivery boy and then they came to arrest me.
Other operators also in custody’, by Arpana Ale
Magar (ht 29/08/2020)
Police
looking for man who sold a 14-year-old Nepali girl in
India : She was trafficked last year but had been too
traumatised to speak up about the incident, by
Shuvam Dhungana (kp 28/08/2020)
‘I’m
shocked it happened to me’. Record-breaking athlete
encounters discrimination : Chandra Kala Lamgade, who
has represented Nepal in two South Asian Games and an
Asian Championship, was allegedly attacked for
standing up against caste-based discrimination, by
Parbat Portel(kp 28/08/2020)
Investigation
into Chepang youth’s death in Chitwan National Park
yet to conclude : The father of the deceased had filed
a complaint with the district police against
Nepal Army personnel a month ago, but no one has been
booked yet; Nepal Army has been accused of
fatally assaulting Raj Kumar Chepang, by Ramesh
Kumar Paudel (kp 27/08/2020)
Youth
dies in police custody in Rautahat : The family of the
deceased accuses police of ill-treatment while police
rule out allegation, by Madan Thakur (rep
27/08/2020), Locals
protest the death of youth held on murder charge : The
deceased’s family has accused police of torture while
authorities claim the detainee died due to prior
illness, by Shiva Puri (kp 28/08/2020),
Yet
another Dalit death puts spotlight on culture of
torture police custody : Family members and rights
activists demand investigation into the death of Bijay
Mahara detained over a murder case, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 29/08/2020)
Govt
urged to save lives of jailbirds amid COVID-19 (ht
27/08/2020)
Man
shot in clash over ox slaughtering dies : A clash had
ensued between the locals of Kamatoli and police on
Wednesday; police personnel had fired at the crowd,
says eyewitness, by Parbat Portel (kp 27/08/2020)
Endogamy,
hierarchy and violence : Only a free flow of ideas can
help society move its culture and traditions in sync
with the times., by Pramod Mishra (kp 27/08/2020)
Gender
inequality in education has widened during the
pandemic : With families struggling financially, girls
cannot focus on their studies. They have to help out
in household chores and do not always have access to
technology for remote learning, by Elisha Shrestha
(kp 26/08/2020)
Party
panel’s transitional justice proposal draws flak : The
recommendations are political and go against
principles of transitional justice, and Nepal’s
commitments to human rights, victims and activists say,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 26/08/2020),
Justice
as subterfuge : Make no mistake, the ruling party is
hardly interested in concluding the transitional
justice process (kp 27/08/2020)
Need
To Prevent Corona-related Stigma, by Bikram Thapa
(rn 25/08/2020)
Undocumented
migrant workers left to fend for themselves : As
officials only provide airfare for those with valid
labour permits, a large number of workers, who
overstayed or went through informal routes, remain
deprived of assistance to return, by Chandan Kumar
Mandal (kp 25/08/2020)
Landslide-displaced
people worry about their future : Many families who
were driven by the landslide in Lidi are not assured
by the government’s plan to resettle them, by
Anish Tiwari (kp 24/08/2020)
The
cost of stigma : The government must run a campaign to
counter the infodemic surrounding Covid-19 (kp
24/08/2020)
Internet
access is a human right : Affordability, accessibility
and availability must be ensured to build a digital
Nepal, by Narayan Prasad Ghimire (kp 23/08/2020)
Bajura
locals reeling under acute food shortage (ht
22/08/2020)
Grocery
shoppers scramble due to small window of time :
It is challenging to finish making deliveries by early
morning, traders say, by Krishana Prasain (kp
22/08/2020)
Villagers
in Halesi face acute water shortage due to delay in
construction of water projectWater crisis in Halesi is
so acute that some families have begun to leave the
villages, by Dambar Singh Rai (kp 22/08/2020)
Flood-displaced
families from Bhajani seek refuge in forest: More than
550 families who were displaced by the July flood have
moved to a community forest after living on the
Postal Highway for eight days, by Mohan Budhaair
(kp 21/08/2020)
The
progressive weakening of the Janajati movement in
Nepal, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae 21/08/2020)
Seven
persons charged with Dalit youth’s murder paraded
(ht 21/08/2020)
‘Provide
proper treatment to ailing pregnant woman’ (ht
21/08/2020)
Nepali
migrant workers slam ‘irresponsible’ govt decision to
halt repatriation, by Arpana Ale Magar (ht
21/08/2020)
Respect
the rights of all people: Development and humanitarian
efforts can never be traded off for increased natural
risks, by Valerie Julliand (kp 20/08/2020)
Dalit
lives matter: We do not know how many Nabarajs have to
sacrifice their lives in the name of caste if the
state fails to come up with the constructive and
meaningful strategies to address such issues, by
Mandip Lamichhane (rep 20/08/2020)
Govt’s
plan to make hotel quarantine could put many migrant
returnees into trouble (rep 20/08/2020)
SC
issues interim order to not remove PC Acting Chairman
(kh 19/08/2020)
Collateral
damage: The Sindhupalchok landslides have exposed the
government’s failure in disaster risk reduction
(kp 17/08/2020)
Don’t
let hospitals deny medical care to anyone: SC to govt
(ht 17/08/2020)
Dalit
youth murdered in Rautahat (ht 17/08/2020)
How
my teacher abused me, and how I got out of the
depression that followed (rep 17/08/2020)
Government
plan to repatriate only 500 migrant workers a day
comes under fire: There are hundreds of thousands
wanting to return home and this number is growing with
the expiry of more visas, by Chandan Kumar Mandal
(kp 16/08/2020)
‘We
had long been asking the authorities to move us to
safer locations’: Lidi villagers say they knew a
disaster was coming as the area weakened by the 2015
earthquakes was experiencing landslides since the
start of the monsoon season, by Anish Tiwari (kp
15/08/2020), 44
feared dead in Sindhupalchowk landslide (ht ht
15/08/2020)
Bharatpur
dumps waste in Narayani River banks despite having
designated land to build a landfill site: Monsoon
spells disaster for locals living in riverbank
settlements with garbage washed ashore by the
overflowing river, by Ramesh Kumar Paudel (kp
15/08/2020)
COVID-19
sharpens caste discrimination in Nepal: Dalit
returnees from India face double discrimination at
home even after recovering from coronavirus infection,
by Unnati Chaudhary (nt 14/08/2020)
The
prolonged trauma of acid attack survivors: Teenage
survivors in Nepal get together to deter future
attacks with stricter laws and ban on sale of acid,
by Laxmi Basnet (nt 14/08/2020)
COVID-19
impact on food and school in Nepali children: 20% of
children eating less, 52% not studying at all from
home (nt 14/08/2020) [see corresponding baseline
findings by UNICEF Nepal and Sharecast]
Half
of Nepal’s girls may drop out of school: Survey shows
53% of female students may not go back to schools when
they reopen, by Namrata Sharma (nt 14/08/2020)
Another
case spotlights apathy towards rights body: Ministry
of Home Affairs asks the National Human Rights
commission to review its recommendations on alleged
extra-judicial killing of Kumar Poudel, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 14/08/2020) [The
authoritarian Oli government continues to move forward
on its path of anti-democratic and unlawful action!]
Menstrual
huts: You demolish one, we’ll build another: In
Surkhet district alone, around 2,000 menstruation huts
were demolished. But with the end of the campaign,
menstruation huts are resurfacing, by Lalit
Bahadur Budha and Hiknat Bahaduur Nepali (ae 14/08/2020)
[Ram, Ram, says the PM!]
Govt
urged to rescue Nepalis stranded abroad (ht
14/08/2020)
Covid-19
leaves devastating impacts on education, jobs and
mental well-being of youths: ILO study says that the
Covid-19 has disrupted the education of more than 70
per cent of youth, leaving a disproportionate effect
on young people, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
13/08/2020)
Covid-19
taking away Nepal’s achievement in maternal health:
Report says 13,189 women delivered babies at hospital
prior to the lockdown while the number decreased to
7,165 after the outbreak (kp 13/08/2020), Institutional
childbirth reduced by more than half during lockdown
in Nepal: Study (rep 13/08/2020) [see article
by Ashish KC et al. in Lancet]
Us
and them: In Nepal, divisions created by differences
in caste, culture, gender, religion and vested
interests are aplenty, by Pramod Mishra (kp
13/08/2020)
Informal,
salaried workers hit hard by COVID-19 in Kathmandu
valley: Study (ht 12/08/2020) [see report
by Nepal Food Security Monitoring System]
Govt
decides to provide Rs 1 million each to the family of
those killed in Soti incident (rep 12/08/2020) [And what about the brutal killers?
When will a court finally punish them severely? The
compensation payments to the victims and their
families must be made by all those who committed the
crime, supported it or in any way incited it!]
Indigenous
groups feel deprived of their access to land and
natural resources: Indigenous rights activists blame
the state for its coercive approach, the latest
examples being the eviction of Chepangs in Chitwan and
plans to displace the Newars from Khokana, by
Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 10/08/2020)
Nepal
likely to face host of questions in its bid for
another UN rights council term: But officials say the
country is one of the best performers among the
present members of the council; Various rights
enshrined in the constitution have not been
implemented (kp 09/08/2020) [Nepal
was already not qualified for this task in 2018. This
disqualification has unfortunately worsened
considerably under the Oli government!]
Young
woman dies for want of treatment (ht 09/08/2020),
Girl
who died after denied admission to hospitals tests
COVID-19 positive (kh 09/08/2020)
Maintain
essential health services during COVID-19 response:
WHO (ht) 09/08/2020
‘I
and my wife go to bed hungry to keep children fed’:
Returning migrants in Sudurpaschim and Karnali face a
bleak future. Government is still unclear how to
provide help, by Arjun Shah, Basanta Pratap Singh
and Chandani Kathayat (kp 09/08/2020), Prime
Minister Employment Programme has so far proved to be
a let-down for jobless citizens: The much-talked-about
programme has yet again failed to provide a minimum
100 days of employment, by Chandan Kumar Mandal
(kp 09/08/2020)
ICJ
urges Nepal to bring law and policy reform to achieve
human rights accountability and strengthen justice
sector institutions (rep 07/08/2020) [see statement
and report
by ICJ], Government
urged to guarantee citizenship rights of minorities
(ht 08/08/2020)
Murder
accused ex-Maoist commander gets clean chit from
Supreme Court; The decision is fallacious, says a
former justice, by Binod Ghimire (kp 07/08/2020)
Licence
of child care home seized (ht 07/08/2020)
Nepal
lockdown 2.0: Who’ll suffer the most?, by Simone
Galimberti (ae 07/08/2020)
Kathmandu
starts drive to provide sanitary pads to students of
all community schools in city: A total of 14,810 girls
will benefit from the scheme, for which the city has
released Rs 14.9 million to all its wards, by Anup
Ojha (kp 07/08/2020)
30
rape cases in 4 years in Darchula (ht 06/08/2020)
When
enough is never enough: The success of an ethical
appeal requires that the moral principles of the
respondent be equally proper, by CK Lal (kp
05/08/2020)
Heinous
Crime Of Acid Attack, by Namrata Sharma (rn
05/08/2020)
Amend
laws related to children: Panel (ht 05/08/2020)
Media
urged to refrain from brewing controversy over court
verdict, order: Media criticism of verdicts erodes
faith in the judiciary (ht 03/08/2020) [??]
Fifty
youths, including passers-by, detained from Baluwatar
ahead of ‘Enough is Enough’ protest: Police claim the
youths were protesting in a restricted zone, but
protesters say the planned rally could not happen
following random arrests, by Aditi Aryal (kp
01/08/2020), Police
arrest dozens of protesters: Enough is enough campaign
(ht 02/08/2020)
Police
arrests scores of ‘Enough is Enough’ campaigners
(rep 31/07/2020), Police
arrest peaceful protesters from Baluwatar (rep
31/07/2020)
Porous
border, poor interception and changing forms continue
to enable human trafficking to flourish: Trafficking
of Nepali girls and women remains a big challenge for
the country as traffickers use the open border–not
only to traffick them to India, but also to further
smuggle them into the Persian Gulf and Southeast Asia,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 30/07/2020)
Nirmala
Pant murder case: Eight police personnel including SP
Bista accused of destroying evidence acquitted
(rep 30/07/2020), Eight
police personnel get clean chit on Nirmala rape and
murder case (kh 30/07/2020), Court
acquits eight police officers charged in connection
with Nirmala Pant rape-murder case: The officers were
charged with meting out torture and destroying
evidence, by Bhawani Bhatta (kp 31/07/2020), I
was forced to file a case. I now feel exempted of that
guilt: Durga Devi, by Anjali Subedi (rep
31/07/2020)
Lawmakers
point out flaws in Prison Bill-2020: Say it fails to
incorporate provision on counselling, deploying female
cops inside prisons (ht 30/07/2020)
No
To Gender Based Violence, by Namrata Sharma (rn
29/07/2020)
Seventh
grader raped and threatened to keep quiet, family
fears rapist may walk away scott-free, by Anjali
Subedi (rep 29/07/2020)
Govt
offices neglecting RTI (ht 29/07/2020), Police
arrest five 'Enough is Enough' campaigners (rep
29/07/2020)
Women
from Chepang community demand skill-oriented training
(ht 29/07/2020)
Rights
lawyers move Supreme Court against forceful eviction
of landless families: Petitioners have sought
government intervention into wanton eviction of
vulnerable communities and offer alternative locations
for them to live with dignity, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 28/07/2020)
More
women journalists losing their jobs due to coronavirus
pandemic (ht 28/07/2020)
SC
dissatisfied with its verdicts being questioned
(ht 28/07/2020)
Youth
activist’s fast-unto-death enters ninth day,
government indifferent (ht 27/07/2020), NHRC
concerned about youths staging hunger strike (ht
28/07/2020)
Regulate
acid sale: The chemical has become a weapon for jilted
lovers to disfigure the beloved who couldn't be theirs
(kp 27/07/2020)
Supreme
Court orders review of the decision by a bench
comprising chief justice on Ranjan Koirala case: A
three-justice bench questions the rationale behind
Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Justice Tej
Bahadur KC’s verdict to commute Koirala’s sentence
from life imprisonment to eight and a half years for
murdering his wife, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
27/07/2020)
Ending
Widows’ Woes, by Mahima Devkota (rn 27/07/2020)
Committee
Concerned About Implementation Status Of Safe
Motherhood Rights (rn 26/07/2020), Motherhood
rights stressed (ht 27/07/2020)
Survivors
face food crisis (ht 27/07/2020)
Two
years on, delayed justice disappoints Nirmala Panta’s
mother, by Ujjwal Satyal and Tekendra Deuba (ht
26/07/2020)
Sexagenarian
arrested on rape charge (rep 25/07/2020)
Implementation
of guidelines to repatriate stranded workers fraught
with challenges: Long verification processes might
further delay repatriation, fear experts, by
Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 24/07/2020)
A
22-year old woman attacked with acid in Kathmandu
(rep 24/07/2020), Two
arrested for throwing acid on 22-year-old woman in
capital (rep 24/07/2020), Spurned,
man asks staffer to throw acid on woman (ht
25/07/2020)
Children
are collateral damage in Nepal lockdown: Four months
of lockdown has killed many more children than the
disease it was supposed to control. by Sonia Awale
(nt 24/07/2020)
Murder-convict
former DIG Koirala released from jail (rep
23/07/2020) [???], Attorney
general questions Supreme Court verdict on Koirala
case: The former DIG of the Armed Police Force
convicted of murdering his wife was released Thursday
following top court’s order, by Tika R. Pradhan
(kp 24/07/2020) [Doubts about
the constitutional action of the judiciary!], Demonstration
staged against controversial SC verdict to waive jail
term of murder-convict Koirala: Impeachment sought
against justices issuing the verdict (rep
24/07/2020), A
father recounts his pain as his daughter’s killer is
allowed to walk out of jail (rep 24/07/2020), Calls
grow louder to impeach Chief Justice Rana: Verdict to
commute a wife murderer’s sentence erodes people’s
trust in judiciary, legal practitioners say, by
Tika R. Pradhan (kp 25/07/2020), Investigating
officers recall Koirala case: The former DIG would not
have been connected to his wife’s murder but for one
error he made, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 25/07/2020),
Full
Division Bench Grants Approval To Review SC's Verdict
On Releasing Ex-DIG Koirala (rn 26/07/2020), SC
excludes seven justices from list of justices hearing
govt’s review petition against verdict to release
ex-DIG Koirala (rep 26/07/2020), Supreme
Court orders review of the decision by a bench
comprising chief justice on Ranjan Koirala case: A
three-justice bench questions the rationale behind
Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Justice Tej
Bahadur KC’s verdict to commute Koirala’s sentence
from life imprisonment to eight and a half years for
murdering his wife, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
27/07/2020), Commuting
of Ranjan Koirala’s sentence likely to be reviewed,
by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 27/07/2020)
Nepal:
Authorities must stop ruthless evictions of Indigenous
peoples (Amnesty International 22/07/2020), Amnesty
International calls for halting forced eviction of
people from Chepang community in Chitwan (rep
22/07/2020), Amnesty
condemns enforced eviction of indigenous Chepang
families by Chitwan National Park authority: The
rights organisation has called on the authorities
concerned to hold the people accountable who set fire
and razed down the huts of the landless families
(kp 22/07/2020), Amnesty
International calls for halt in eviction of Chepang
peoples (kh 22/07/2020), Amnesty
International Calls For Halt In Eviction Of Indigenous
Peoples (Sancharkarmi 22/07/2020), Amnesty
International calls for halt in eviction of indigenous
peoples (Ratopati 22/07/2020), ‘Halt
forced eviction of Chepang people’ (ht
22/07/2020), Distressed
Chepangs of Kusum Khola bemoan loss of property and
await relocation: Chitwan National Park authorities on
Saturday set ablaze two huts and vandalised eight
others, asking the indigenous people to vacate Kusum
Khola, by Ramesh Kumar Paudel (kp 23/07/2020), Why
current conservation models are flawed: Top-heavy
conservation models have little regard for locals.
This has to change if conservation is to succeed,
by Amish Raj Mulmi (kp 24/07/2020), Chepang
organisation demands inquiry into Kusum Khola
incident: Nepal Chepang Sangh has submitted a
memorandum to the chief district officer of Chitwan,
demanding legal action against the guilty, by
Ramesh Kumar Paudel (kp 24/07/2020), Nepal
Army personnel blamed for death of Chepang youth:
Nepal Army has denied allegations of beating seven
youths who had entered Chitwan National Park on July
16 without permission, by Ramesh Kumar Paudel (kp
25/07/2020), Concern
raised about forced eviction (ht 25/07/2020), Body
of Chepang youth taken to Kathmandu for postmortem:
The deceased’s family has accused Nepal Army personnel
of fatally assaulting the youth last week inside
Chitwan National Park, by Ramesh Kumar Paudel (kp
27/07/2020)
‘Enough
is Enough’ campaigners begin hunger strike once again
(ht 19/07/2020), Three
youths go on a second hunger strike over pandemic
handling: Youths demand the government fulfil its
earlier commitments while government says says all
demands have been met, by Aditi Aryal (kp
22/07/2020)
Nepal
failed to implement recommendations from periodic
review, says rights group: During the next review,
members should remind Nepal it needs to do much better
in upholding civil, political, economic, and social
rights, says Human Rights Watch (kp 19/07/2020)
(see HRW
report]
‘Journalists
deprived of rights to work, pay’ (ht 18/07/2020)
Rights
situation of women, girls disappointing, says HRW
(ht 18/07/2020)
Man
beaten by police at quarantine facility in Surkhet has
a fractured hand, by Nagendra Upadhyaya (rep
18/07/2020)
Pandemic
has once again thrown light on plights of Nepali women
migrant workers: Blanket ban on women from migrating
overseas for employment has only encouraged labour
trafficking and exploitation, labour migration experts
and rights groups say, by Elisha Shrestha (kp
16/07/2020)
Blood
on the hills: Though insufficient, the parliamentary
probe committee's recommendations on the Soti killings
must be implemented to provide justice to the victims
(kp 16/07/2020)
When
it comes to portraying ethnicity, Nepali pop culture
still depends on stereotypical tropes: From using
blackface makeup to actors speaking in exaggerated
indigenous accents, why is Nepali films and television
still filled with regressive cultural stereotypes?,
by Ankit Khadgi (kp 16/07/2020)
Armed
Police Force Senior Superintendent of Police held on
rape charge (ht 16/07/2020)
Rukum
(West) murder of six youths was result of caste-based
discrimination, parliamentary probe says: Study finds
sheer lapses on the part of the local administration,
local government and police in handling the incident,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 15/07/2020)
New
public service broadcasting bill draws criticism:
Journalists, lawmakers say it envisages broadcaster
that continues to remain accountable towards the
government and not the legislature, by Tika R.
Pradhan (kp 15/07/2020)
Govt
does not have authority to illegally ban citizens from
traveling abroad: SC (rep 14/07/2020)
Kamalaris
are still not free: Government needs to ensure
livelihood, employment, education and social security
for Kamalari girls and women, by Sarita Nandmehar
(rep 14/07/2020)
21
trafficked Nepali women coming home after nine months:
Group had ended up in Manipur after falling in the
trap of traffickers planning to take them to the Gulf,
by Suresh Raj Neupane (kp 13/07/2020), Human
trafficking woes: The government must ramp up its
measures to stop the illegal trafficking of Nepali
women to the Gulf (kp 14/07/2020)
Women
rights organisations urge Human Rights Council to take
up issue of women’s equality in citizenship rights:
National Women Coalition has called for a revision in
the constitution to redress discriminatory citizenship
law, by Binod Ghimire (kp 12/07/2020), Institutionalising
discrimination: A society that treats its sons and
daughters differently will never achieve prosperity,
by Bina Jha (kp 12/07/2020)
Human
rights situation in Tarai-Madhes: There are several
examples of rights violations after the coronavirus
lockdown was declared, by Ram Dayal Rakesh (kp
12/07/2020)
When
it comes to media content, leave it to viewers’
discretion, experts say: Cable operators' move of
banning Indian news channels after insulting video
about Oli has raised a question if the state should
encourage them to control the content, by Tika R.
Pradhan (kp 12/07/2020)
Children
deprived of secondary-level education in a Madi
settlement: The nearest secondary level school is
about a two hours’ walk away, by Ramesh Kumar
Paudel (kp 12/07/2020)
Caste
and the subtle psychology behind it, by Shreya
Soni (ht 12/07/2020)
Supreme
Court says government cannot restrict anyone from
travel: Barring Lenin Bista from visiting Thailand was
unconstitutional and against International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, full text of the verdict
says, by Binod Ghimire (kp 11/07/2020)
NHRC
chief draws flak for condemning Mohna Ansari (ht
11/07/2020)
Conflict
victims lament govt’s apathy in their joint submission
(ht 11/07/2020)
Women
politicians go unheard when they speak out but are
ostracised if they oppose party narrative: The trials
of Sarita Giri illustrate just how difficult it is for
outspoken women to have a career in Nepali politics,
politicians and activists say, by Aditi Aryal (kp
10/07/2020)
Help
returning workers reintegrate socio-economically,
labour migration analysts tell government: A large
number of Nepali workers returning from Covid-19
affected countries will need employment opportunities
at home after they have lost overseas jobs and there
is no immediate hope of going back anytime soon,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 10/07/2020)
Nepal
doesn’t meet minimum standard for eliminating
trafficking, a US government report says: The report
suggests the Nepal government to investigate
allegations of official complicity in trafficking
crimes and hold perpetrators criminally accountable,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 10/07/2020) [see report
by US Department of State]
Marginalised
community commissions say they don’t have resources to
fulfill their mandate: Parliamentary committee asks
government to ensure that the constitutional bodies
get the needed budget to implement their plans, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 10/07/2020)
Achham
children deprived of education with no means to attend
online classes: Most children in rural areas spend
time roaming around villages, playing in groups or
herding their livestock unaware of the risk of
contracting or spreading the coronavirus, by
Menuka Dhungana (kp 10/07/2020)
Nepal
yet to fully implement a single recommendation on
transitional justice, says universal periodic report
by non-governmental organisations: The UN Human Rights
Council’s Universal Periodic review has been postponed
until January, but officials have little progress to
show to the international community, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 09/07/2020)
Imagining
a motherland: Gender and nationalism; The boundaries
set by the nation, state, families and societies often
do not allow a woman to become a citizen. This leads
to women not becoming the part of the nation but just
a national embodiment, by Swasti Gautam (rep
09/07/2020)
For
marginalised, access to media and information a major
challenge during pandemic: The Danuwar community in
rural Sindhuli is deprived of information regarding
Covid-19 and facts are overshadowed by rumours, by
Samiksha Baral (kp 09/07/2020)
When
floods strike, it’s the poor who suffer, by
Dipendra Gautam (ht 09/07/2020)
Failing
our migrant workers: One would have expected the
present government to be more attuned to the
challenges faced by workers in destination countries,
by Deepak Thapa (kp 09/07/2020)
Exploitation
risk for women migrant workers has increased during
pandemic, labour migration experts and rights
activists say: They have urged the government to
protect vulnerable women migrant workers and ensure
their wages and other legal rights, by Chandan
Kumar Mandal (kp 05/07/2020)
COVID-19
Magnifies Domestic Violence, by Suman Raj Tamrakar
(rn 05/07/2020)
Six
stranded Nepali women rescued from Delhi, by Manoj
Paudel (kp 05/07/2020)
Jobless
and without pay, migrant workers are returning home.
But they have no recourse for compensation: Labour
migrant experts say the concerned Nepali embassies and
the government should start recording the details of
the returning migrant workers to take the matter to
the court, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 04/07/2020)
Sexual
exploitation case filed against Ram Bahadur Bomjan in
Sarlahi: A complaint was registered against the
controversial spiritual leader earlier this year for
allegedly raping a 15-year-old, by Om Prakash
Thakur (kp 04/07/2020)
Body
of a girl found in Dhanusha’s field; rape-murder
suspected, by Brij Kumar Yadav (ht 04/07/2020)
Patriarchy
and citizenship: Conspiracy theories flowed seamlessly
from Panchayat-era scholars to politicians, by
Pramod Mishra (kp 03/07/2020)
Police
fire warning shots during demonstration by Dalit
Struggle Committee: The protest was launched demanding
justice for two Dalit youths who died in the past
month; one at an isolation centre in Dhanusha and the
other in Sabaila police custody, by Santosh Singh
(kp 03/07/2020)
EU,
UNICEF to prevent malnutrition in Nepal (ht
03/07/2020)
Suicide
by youth in police custody raises concern over mental
health of inmates: Restrictions on visits by family
members could exacerbate problems faced by those
behind bars, psychiatrists say, by Shuvam Dhungana
(kp 02/07/2020), Ensure
safer custody: Recent deaths expose cracks in Nepal's
criminal investigation and prison management system
(kp 03/07/2020)
Government
tells UN that it will incorporate conflict victims’
concerns but victims are not convinced: Victims have
called the government’s response to the concerns of
five special UN human rights rapporteurs insincere and
the entire transitional justice process flawed, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 02/07/2020)
‘Citizenship
bill not inclusive’ (ht 02/07/2020)
Govt
urged to protect rights, interests of LGBTI people
(ht 02/07/2020)
What
defines a Nepali citizen? Nepal needs to understand
the realities of the 21st century. It needs to move
forward, not backward, by Sujeev Shakya (kp
30/06/2020)
FNJ
to stage protest for journalists’ job security, rights
(ht 30/06/2020)
New
directives for rescue, repatriation endorsed (ht
30/06/2020)
MoFAGA
drafts Social Inclusion Policy-2020 (ht
28/06/2020) [It's a farce! In
upper political circles there is no willingness for
social inclusion, as you can see from the government,
parliament, political parties and laws!]
Rupandehi
District Court remands in custody three people
arrested in connection with murder of Dalit teen:
Prosecutors filed a charge sheet against the trio on
June 21 and presented them before the court on Tuesday,
by Sanju Poudel (kp 26/06/2020)
The
government has not followed most of the Supreme
Court’s 23 rulings related to the pandemic: Interim
orders related to proper management of quarantine
facilities and the repatriation of migrant workers
have all either been ignored or were belatedly
followed, by Binod Ghimire (kp 26/06/2020) [Nepal's leading politicians are
neither interested in the fundamentals of democracy
nor do they understand the aspect of the separation of
powers. As soon as they are in power, they believe to
possess absolute rights!]
District
court remands 23 accused in killings of six youths in
Rukum (West) to judicial custody: Police have so far
arrested 29 individuals in connection with the
incident, by Bhim Bahadur Singh (kp 25/06/2020)
15
lawmakers, activists arrested from Baluwatar (ht
25/06/2020)
Urgent
action needed to safeguard millions of children’s
future, says UNICEF (ht 25/06/2020)
Migrant
workers suffer as government due to delay in drafting
of workers’ repatriation guidelines: Many workers are
returning home with their own expenses while those
without money continue to languish overseas, by
Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 25/06/2020)
12
trafficking victims, including three minors, rescued
in past three months: The Anti-human Trafficking
Bureau of Nepal Police says there’s a risk of
traffickers targeting the people who have become
financially vulnerable due to the Covid-19 pandemic
and the lockdown, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp
24/06/2020)
Supply
chain and food security: Meeting the dietary needs of
all Nepalis has been a problem, with or without
Covid-19, by Roshee Lamichhane (kp 23/06/2020)
Only
12,000 Nepalis stranded abroad to be evacuated in
first phase (ht 23/06/2020)
What
on earth do we want on citizenship? There is a lot of
whining and crying, lot of ifs and buts, unleashing of
hate against political leaders, nation and nationalism
but there is no solution, by Mahabir Paudyal (rep
22/06/2020), Becoming
citizens: We need to go beyond the spatio-temporal
debate on citizenship and ask whether its ideals are
being fulfilled (kp 23/06/2020) [The
question is not how many years foreign women married
to Nepali men have tom wait to obtain Nepali
citizenhip. The problem is the continued unequal
status and treatment of Nepali women as it has been
decided by a handful of male Bahuns and some male
Chhetris for centuries!!!], Who
is a Nepali? (ae 26/06/2020)
Food
insecurity, economic slowdown loom as acute shortage
of fertilisers is going to hit paddy production: This
year, fertiliser was supplied neither from the
government’s mechanism nor from illegal traders, as
their clandestine supply lines were severed by the
Covid-19 lockdown and border restrictions, by
Sangam Prasain (kp 22/06/2020), House
panel endorses bill to amend Citizenship Act amid
objections from three parties: Opposing parties and
rights activists call seven-year rule for foreign
women married to Nepali men to get naturalised
citizenship a regressive move, by Tika R. Pradhan
(kp 22/06/2020) [Long
live male Bahunbad with its misogynistic patriarchal
thinking! Laws must apply equally to all people,
regardless of gender!]
The
novel coronavirus poses new challenges: Equality and
inclusion are critical to minimising the impact on the
poor, marginalised and vulnerable, by Karuna Onta
(kp 22/06/2020), Country
faces challenges of COVID-19, monsoon related
disasters (ht 22/06/2020), Desperate
informal sector: Those in the informal sector have
already been disproportionately harmed by the
pandemic. They are the ones the governments struggle
most to reach with targeted policies and relief,
by Suresh Pandit (rep
Build
safety nets: The government must buttress its support
system to help those rendered jobless by the pandemic
(kp 22/06/2020)
‘Enough
is Enough’ movement voices concern: Organisers condemn
caste and gender-based violence taking place in
quarantine facilities (ht 21/06/2020)
Out-of-job
domestic workers are struggling for survival even as
lockdown is relaxed: Up to 85 percent of domestic
workers lost their jobs during the lockdown—and now
there is no safety net for them, by Chandan Kumar
Mandal (kp 21/06/2020)
Seven
years since the Mahakali floods, victims await
compensation: Residents of Khalanga fear possible
floods every monsoon, as the embankments that were
damaged seven years ago are yet to be reconstructed,
by Manoj Badu (kp 21/06/2020)
NCP
decides to make foreign women married to Nepali
nationals wait for 7 years after marriage to acquire
citizenship (rep 20/06/2020) [Any
unequal treatment of women and men is a blatant
violation of the principle of equality of the
Constitution and internationally recognised human
rights. The male Tagdhari, who dominate Nepal, show
here their archaic-patriarchal way of thinking, which
denies Nepalese women a free choice of partner and
life style. Only foreign wives of Nepalese men are
entitled to naturalization, whenever, but never the
foreign husbands of Nepalese women!], All-male
party Secretariat decides on citizenship, an issue
that largely concerns women: If the ruling Nepal
Communist Party does not take steps to make its
committees more inclusive, its decisions could lose
moral authority, women leaders say, by Tika R.
Pradhan (kp 21/06/2020),
Residence
permit with economic, social and cultural rights
proposed for foreign women married to Nepali nationals
until they get citizenship cards (rep 21/06/2020)
[And Nepali women who are
married to foreigners have to leave the country? But
of course, women are not really human beings and
citizens, only men, especially male Bahuns! What
arrogance! What machismo!!]
Police
arrest in-laws over death of Hetauda woman:
Investigators, family of deceased believe she was
murdered, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 20/06/2020)
Women’s
rights groups call for safe, dignified repatriation
and reintegration of returnee female migrant workers:
They have demanded that the government allow
registration of illegally migrated women workers with
the Foreign Employment Board and ensure the rights of
returnee women migrant workers, by Chandan Kumar
Mandal (kp 19/06/2020)
As
30,000 plus swab samples pile up, patients have to
wait for up to three weeks to get results (rep
19/06/2020)
Covid-19
– A triggering factor for domestic violence, by
Niruta Timalsina and Nisha Parajuli (ht
18/06/2020)
No
justice, no peace: Young people are coming out for the
very first time to protest against injustices. These
newly minted activists may change the world profoundly,
by Pramod Mishra (kp 18/06/2020)
Dalit
killings in Rukum village spark outrage over caste
discrimination (ht 18/06/2020)
Two
years on, parties are still undecided on naturalised
citizenship: State Affairs and Good Governance
Committee has given five days to the parties to arrive
at consensus or go for a vote, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 18/06/2020), As
parties wrestle over naturalized citizenship,
thousands don't yet have the document (repn
19/06/2020)
Discharged
Covid-19 infected individuals return to their villages
only to be shunned: Returnees to their villages in
Narainapur face hunger, poverty and ostracisation in
society, by Madhu Shahi & Rupa Gahatraj (kp
18/06/2020)
Reports
suspect police negligence, political protection for
murderers in Rukum killings: They doubt a strong case
will be presented to prosecute the perpetrators,
by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 17/06/2020), Kin
of the youths killed in Soti continues protest
demanding justice: Protesters demand to scrap of the
alleged ‘falsified’ postmortem report, by Bhim
Bahadur Singh (kp 17/06/2020), Non-Dalits
are not shaken to the core; the response is hollow:
Dalit youths, by Anjali Subedi (rep 17/06/2020)
Home
Ministry urged to curb rising violence against women
(ht 17/06/2020)
Janata
Socialist Party youth leader charged with rape (ht
17/06/2020)
Food
insecurity increased to 23 percent; Karnali most
vulnerable, by Shree Ram Subedi (rep 17/06/2020)
Supreme
Court orders government to use welfare fund to
repatriate Nepali workers stranded abroad: Tens of
thousands of Nepalis willing to return home are still
stranded for a lack of money to buy air tickets and
clarity on repatriation modality, Sangam Prasain
& Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 17/06/2020), Nepali
embassies’ ill-treatment of workers continues even
during pandemic: A video gone viral on social media
shows an official at the UAE embassy cold- shoulder a
Nepali man in distress, by Chandan Kumar Mandal
(kp 17/06/2020)
Police
arrest labourers protesting against Melamchi project:
Workers, vendors and subcontractors of the project are
yet to receive over Rs169million in remuneration and
provident fund, by Anish Tiwari (kp 17/06/2020)
Call
for change: Through peaceful and smart protests around
the country, the youth have demanded a structural
transformation. It should be perceived as a warning
bell by all of society, by Sujeev Shakya (kp
16/06/2020), Congress
vows to take to the streets alongside politically
unaffiliated youths: While the youths have largely
remained politically unaffiliated so far, the
involvement of the Congress is likely to bring the
movement under a political flag, by Tika R.
Pradhan (kp 16/06/2020) [This
movement would be better left in the hands of civil
society, as it directly addresses the concerns and
needs of the people. For decades, all political
parties, especially the Nepali Congress, have put the
needs of the multi-ethnic and multicultural population
behind personal power aspirations and interests!]
Study
finds a litany of shortcomings and shortages in
Covid-19 treatment facilities: From inadequate
protective suits to lack of trained medical workers to
limited testing capacity, health facilities have a
host of issues keeping them from fighting the disease
effectively, by Arjun Poudel kp 16/06/2020)
A
woman shares her family’s harrowing journey from India
to Surkhet during pandemic: Maan Kumari and her family
were cruelly treated when they reached their hometown
and at the quarantine centre they were accused of
bringing the coronavirus, by Elisha Shrestha (kp
16/06/2020)
Over
1,200 people killed themselves during 74 days of
lockdown: Doctors say the pandemic and its social and
economic impacts have led to increased stressors,
resulting in more mental health problems, by Arjun
Poudel (kp 15/06/2020), 648
women committed suicide during lockdown: Police
(kh 15/06/2020)
In-custody
death of a Musahar man sparks protests in Janakpur:
Police say 23-year-old Shambhu Sada committed suicide,
but family members suspect it was an extra-judicial
killing, by Ajit Tiwari (kp 15/06/2020) [Nepal
is also ripe for an anti-racism movement and a
correction of its view of history, including its
questionable heroes, identifications and
socio-hierarchical discrimination!]
Cases
filed against 34 people demanding life imprisonment
for Dalit youth killings in Soti: Homicide, attempted
homicide and caste-based discrimination and
untouchability charges have been filed against them,
by Krishna Prasad Gautam (kp 15/06/2020), Relatives
of youths killed in Soti question 'ambiguous'
post-mortem reports: Protesters accuse doctors of
caving under political pressure and vandalise Jajarkot
hospital, by Bhim Bahadur Singh (kp 16/06/2020)
Woman
in quarantine in Kailali gang raped, by Dil
Bahadur Chhatyal (rep 15/06/2020)
Managing
our economy: In order to kick-start the economy,
citizens should receive cash or other means of relief,
by Manoj Kumar Kedia (kp 15/06/2020)
FORUM-ASIA
urges government to ensure safety of migrant workers
returning from India: The human rights group has
raised its concern about heavy congestion and lack of
necessary facilities in Nepali quarantine centres
(kp 14/06/2020) [See joint statement by 7 HR
organisation: Nepal:
Ensure safety of returning migrant workers
(12/06/2020)]
Food
crisis hits Bajura folks hard (ht 14/06/2020)
Police
fire tear gas, shots to control quarantined people
(ht 14/06/2020)
Lockdown
curtailed tuberculosis patients’ access to health
facilities, TB center says: A study shows detection of
new tuberculosis cases declined by 50 percent during
the lockdown, by Arjun Poudel (kp 14/06/2020)
Online
classes could lead to fatigue, long term physiological
problems, say experts: While different countries have
started debating about its negative consequences,
Nepal’s government is promoting virtual classes
without looking into ways to deal with its downsides,
they say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 13/06/2020)
Youth-led
protests against the government’s handling of Covid-19
spread to major cities: On Thursday, over a thousand
people in Kathmandu and hundreds more around the
country demanded financial transparency and better
management of the pandemic from the government, by
Shuvam Dhungana (kp 12/06/2020)
Married
daughter entitled to inherit parental property: SC,
by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 12/06/2020)
Quarantine
centres are turning into Covid breeding ground,
National Human Rights Commission warns: Government
ignoring repeated calls to improve situation in
quarantine facilities, says its monitoring report,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 12/06/2020)
All
20 prime accused in the killings of Dalit youths in
Rukum (West) arrested: Police arrested three more
people on Wednesday in connection to the incident,
by Hari Gautam (kp 12/06/2020)
Over
300 Nepali workers return home from Kuwait:
Undocumented women workers who were pardoned by the
Kuwaiti government were the first to return home,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 12/06/2020)
Nepal
Media Society objects to Press Council survey report:
It has concluded that the Press Council’s report
disregards accepted research norms and attacks rule of
law and independent journalism (kp 12/06/2020)
Skirting
the issue: On paper, Nepal has made some important
strides towards gender equality and inclusion. Yet, in
reality, the situation is far from perfect, by
Deepak Thapa (kp 11/06/2020)
For
Dalits, love is forbidden: A woman’s family harbors a
dislike for an inter-caste marriage only when the
groom belongs to a ‘lower caste’. The dislike is
greater if he happens to be a Dalit, by Giri
Bahadur Sunar (rep 11/06/2020)
In
Saptari, a Musahar woman is accused of practising
witchcraft and beaten: Despite being beaten bloody
with a metal plate, Manjudevi Sada has been ordered by
the village panchayat to settle with the perpetrators
and not file a case, by Abdhesh Kumar Jha (kp
11/06/2020)
Govt
schedules 67 flights to repatriate Nepalis, by
Arpana Ale Magar (ht 11/06/2020)
Digging
for justice: Keep an eye on the parliamentar
committee’s probe on Soti killings (kp
10/06/2020), Nawaraj:
The spark that will light the fire: Nawaraj was brave.
He walked up fearlessly and while outnumbered still
tried to reason. This is the courage we will all
require. Let his death not go in vain, by Binayak
Sundas (rep 10/06/2020)
Water
cannons and batons at protest against government’s
handling of the pandemic: Police employed force to
disperse around 150 people gathered in peaceful
protest outside the prime minister’s residence in
Baluwatar, by Anup Ojha (kp 10/06/2020), Peaceful
protesters beaten up (ht 10/06/2020))
Supreme
Court orders government to take special care of
pregnant women: Justices say the right to safe
motherhood is a right guaranteed by the constitution
(kp 10/06/2020) [The fact that
a court order is required speaks volumes about the
competence of the government. Orders from the courts
do not interest the government anyway!]
Government
task force says Nepal needs 1.5 million jobs to avoid
unemployment crisis: The government has set the target
of creating only 700,000 jobs over the next fiscal
year, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 10/06/2020) [Job creation has been neglected by
all governments for many years. Now these politicians
are getting the credit!]
Khatri
released in the presence of NHRC member (ht
10/06/2020)
Nepal:
End impunity for caste-based discrimination and
killings (Forum-Asia 09/06/2020)
Malnourished
children at risk as nutrition centres are
requisitioned for Covid-19 care: The country will have
more deaths from malnutrition if the issue is ignored,
nutrition experts have warned, by Arjun Poudel (kp
09/06/2020)
Children
from low-income working class families can't join
online classes: Schools and colleges across the
country are rolling out online classes, but those
without the means to get a computer or an internet
connection are being left out, by Anup Ojha (kp
09/06/2020) [We are talking
about the overwhelming majority of Nepalese school
children!]
Over
40 days in a Kuwaiti camp with no sign of returning
home: Undocumented workers in Kuwait had taken
advantage of a general amnesty to return home, but the
Nepal government has yet to let them fly into the
country, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 09/06/2020))
Supreme
Court asks why state shouldn’t pay for repatriation of
migrant workers: Petitioners say the government’s
repatriation plan contradicts the provisions of the
Foreign Employment Act, as well as the constitution,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 08/06/2020), Avoid
rough landing: The last thing the country needs at
this moment is a repatriation disaster (kp
08/06/2020)
Rise
in Covid-19 cases across the country prompts concern
over already crowded prisons: Hundreds of new inmates
have entered prisons since the lockdown began on March
24, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 08/06/2020)
Time
for national awakening: Murder of Nabaraj BK driven by
discriminatory and racist behaviors should drive a
process of national reckoning, by Simone
Galimberti (rep 08/06/2020)
Authorities
plan to rescue Nepalis stranded abroad. But no one
knows who will pay for it: There’s no clear decision
yet on who pays for travel as the government plan
hints at bringing them on chartered flights, by
Sangam Prasain and Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 07/06/2020)
A
shadow pandemic: With the lockdown grabbing all
attention, domestic violence against women is often
overlooked, by Nilima Adhikari (kp 07/06/2020)
NHRC
concerned about journos’ rights, condition in
quarantine (ht 07/06/2020)
Odyssey
of Nepali media: Nepali media deserve a cheer for
their vigilance, boldness and service, by Abhi
Subedi (kp 07/06/2020)
15
yrs on, Bandarmudhe blast victims still await justice
(ht 06/06/2020)
Easing
the lockdown and its impact on women: For women in
Nepal, easing of the lockdown has potential to further
compound pre-existing gender inequalities based on
caste, class, geographical location and various
religious conventions and beliefs, by Swasti
Gautam (rep 06/06/2020)
Feed
the hungry: The government can’t abandon the poor in
the face of a humanitarian crisis (kp 05/06/2020)
Rukum
killings ‘crime against humanity’ (ae 05/06/2020)
Famine
or feast in Nepal?, by Sushma Joshi (ae
05/06/2020)
SC
convicts two rape accused, overturning appellate court
verdict (ht 05/06/2020)
Govt
refutes UNHCR statement on freedom of expression
(ht 05/06/2020)
The
lockdown is killing the poor and the marginalised: In
Pathari’s Musahar community, one person has already
died of hunger and others are on the verge of
starvation, by Binu Subedi and Abdhesh Kumar Jha
(kp 04/06/2020)
Challenge
To End Caste Discrimination, by Gopal Khanal (rn
04/06/2020)
Discrimination
against Dalits continues to stain Nepal’s social
fabric: Two recent incidents resulting in the killings
of seven Dalit individuals have once again brought to
light the uncomfortable fact that caste-based
discrimination is alive and well, by Elisha
Shrestha and Aditi Aryal (kp 03/06/2020), Parliamentary
committee directs formation of Dalit cell in Nepal
Police: Panel on law and justice calls for separate
unit to deal with cases of caste-based discrimination,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 03/06/2020)
Caste
And Race Based Discrimination, by Namrata Sharma
(rn 03/06/2020)
Janata
Party and Samajbadi Party register private
constitution amendment bill of their own: The regional
parties propose amendments to 23 issues that are aimed
at addressing the long-standing concerns of the
Madhesis, Tharus and Janajatis, by Tika R. Pradhan
(kp 02/06/23020)
Thousands
of children in Kathmandu deprived of immunisation:
Doctors say the capital city is highly vulnerable to
outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases, by Arjun
Poudel (kp 02/06/2020)
Plan
to evacuate Nepalis from abroad unveiled: Nepali Army
to take care of most of the work to manage returnees,
by Umesh Poudel (ht 02/06/2020)
COVID-19
and food insecurity, by Purna B. Nepali and Mahesh
Bisukhey (ht 01/06/2020)
Supreme
Court orders govt to provide goods to needy for
preventing COVID-19 pandemic (rep 01/06/2020)
Police
to probe manhandling of NMC doc (ht 01/06/2020)
NHRC
deploys separate team to probe Soti incident
(ht01/06/2020)
Farming
falls on women's shoulders: But their work and
contributions tend to be invisible to policymakers and
academics, by Subarna Malla Singh (kp 31/05/2020)
Soti
incident premeditated, a team of provincial assembly
members concludes: Karnali state legislators call for
an impartial investigation into the Dalit killings and
punishment for the perpetrators, by Bhim Bahadur
Singh & Hari Gautam (kp 31/05/2020)
Rights
commission expresses concern over death after rape
incident in Rupandehi: National Human Rights
Commission says its Butwal office has started a probe
into the incident (kp 30/05/2020), NHRC
concerned about death of rape victim (ht
30/05/2020)
Still
untouchable: Navaraj BK and his friends died because
he loved an upper-caste girl. He won’t be the last,
by Amish Raj Mulmi (kp 29/05/2020)
High
Level Committee decides to rescue Nepalis stranded
abroad: Fixes 20 checkpoints for entering from India
(kh)
UN,
AI demand impartial probe into Rukum incident (ht
29/05/2020), Nepal:
Bachelet condemns Dalit killings, calls for
independent investigation (OHCR 28/05/2020), Nepal:
Authorities must deliver justice for Dalit killings
(AI 28/05/2020), UN
condemns Dalit killings in Rukum (West) and calls for
independent probe: Despite constitutional guarantees,
impunity for caste-based discrimination and violence
remains high in Nepal, UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights says (kp 29/05/2020), OHCHR
seeks independent probe into Rukum west incident
(ht 31/05/2020)
Revised
regulation in Security Allowance Act hangs single
helpless women out to dry: The new regulation issued
by the Department of National ID and Civil
Registration to exclude single women below 60 years of
age from receiving the Helpless Single Woman Allowance,
by Ramesh Kumar Paudel (kp 29/05/2020)
Involving
men in eliminating taboos surrounding menstruation: As
menstrual stigmas have largely been put in place and
supported by men, their participation in uprooting
these taboos is critical, gender rights activists say,
by Elisha Shrestha (kp 28/05/2020)
No
preparedness to handle incoming people: Two people
returning from Gujarat, India died in Surkhet and
Dhanusha for want of medical attention and hunger,
by Kalendra Sejuwal and Ajit Tiwari (kp 28/05/2020)
Digital
divide too wide for online classes to succeed in
Nepal: The government has proposed online
teaching-learning, but a majority of the schools and
students in the country do not have computers, much
less the internet, by Binod Ghimire (kp
28/05/2020), The
digital divide: Supporting private investment in
education will not increase access to learning during
the current crisis (kp 28/05/2020)
Nepal
has enough food to feed the population for 5 months:
Distribution amid the lockdown is the problem,
officials say, by Krishana Prasain (kp 28/05/2020)
[???]
Protect
rights of citizens residing in border areas: NHRC
(ht 28/05/2020)
Don’t
arrest quarantine escapees: SC (ht 28/05/2020)
Wage
earners hit hard due to prolonged lockdown (ht
28/05/2020)
Cracks
in the melting pot: The various rights bodies need
serious political support to truly stamp out
discrimination (kp 27/05/2020)
Thousands
of Nepalis without food or shelter await entrance at
the Karnali border: Migrants arriving from India are
massed at the border without basic amenities as the
provincial government has sought to test them all for
Covid-19 before letting them in, by Aditi Aryal
(kp 27/05/2020)
Dirty
mop: While changing the laws governing the CIAA is a
good thing, the current amendment under discussion
falls below par (kp 26/05/2020)
58,769
have returned home since Mar 24: ‘Nearly 580,000
Nepalis stranded in several parts of India’ (ht
26/05/2020)
Bodies
of two Dalit men recovered from Bheri River: A Dalit
man went to marry a girl from ‘upper-caste’ but her
family and villagers chased them into the river,
by Hari Gautam and Bhim Bahadur Singh (kp 25/05/2020), Serious
human rights violations against Dalits reported during
lockdown: Parliamentary committee orders the
government to book culprits, by Tika R. Pradhan
(kp 26/05/2020), One
more body recovered from the Bheri River on Monday:
The third victim was among the 18 who had accompanied
Nabaraj BK to Soti in Rukum (West). The deceased
Nabaraj was killed in his pursuit of a girl whose
family deemed him ‘untouchable’, by Bhim Bahadur
Singh & Hari Gautam (kp 26/05/2020), 15
including ward chair arrested in connection with
Nawaraj BK’s killing, by Dinesh Kumar Shrestha
(ht26/05/2020), Caste-based
discrimination ends a beautiful relationship: Even a
locally-elected representative was against their
relationship, by Lokendra Khanal and Ganesh Bishu
(rep 26/05/2020), Government
forms team to investigate the death of three youths in
Rukum West: Lawmakers have demanded a parliamentary
probe committee to study discriminations against
Dalits throughout the country (kp 27/05/2020) [This is an extremely severe
criminal case, based on Hindu fanatic thinking! Why
are representatives from ministries participated? Or
are you loking for ways to eliminate outdated Hindu
social thinking and behaviour?], Fourth
body recovered: from Bheri River: Family members and
relatives of the deceased had found the body on
Wednesday, by Hari Gautam (kp 28/05/2020), One
more body recovered from Bheri River; death toll of
Soti incident reaches five: Search is on for another
missing person, police say, by Hari Gautam and
Bhim Bahadur Singh (kp 29/05/2020), Soti
incident: Sixth missing body found after 10 days: The
deceased along with his 18 friends was attacked by
Soti villagers while the group was accompanying
Nabaraj BK to bring home his 17-year-old girlfriend as
his bride, by Bhim Bahadur Singh (kp 03/06/2020)
Madhes-based
parties press own demands alongside constitution
amendment for new map: While there’s no debate on an
issue of national importance, the constitutional
amendment bill could be an opportune moment to address
long-standing demands of Madhesis, Janajatis and
Tharus, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 24/05/2020) [The clarification of territorial
claims is certainly important and decades overdue, but
the inclusion of population groups that have been
excluded for centuries, even under the constitution of
2015, is even more significant, a fact that the male
Bahun at the head of the state and parties do not want
to understand. It is problematic, however, that the
leadership of the ethnic and regional parties is also
exclusively male!], JSP-N
seeks NC support for constitution amendment (ht
24/05/2020), Janata
Samajbadi Party reiterates demand for constitutional
amendment to incorporate concerns of Madhesi
community: As the government prepares to revise the
constitution to legitimise new map, Samajbadi leaders
tell the Business Advisory Committee of Parliament
that it’s also an ‘opportune’ moment to address their
concerns, by Binod Ghimire (kp 25/05/2020)
Social
security allowance won’t be discontinued: Minister
Gurung (rn 23/05/2020), NHRC
urges government not to curtail social security
allowance (ht 24/05/2020)
Two
months into lockdown, government yet to have a plan to
bring back Nepalis from abroad: Officials say they are
working on ways to repatriate citizens but there is
neither evacuation protocol nor quarantine facilities
and testing guarantee, by Anil Giri (kp
23/05/2020), Govt
still unprepared to bring back Nepalis (ht
23/05/2020), CCMC
tasked to manage returnee Nepalis (ht 23/05/2020)
Upper
House endorses Bill on Special Service allowing phone
tapping without court order: Legal experts say the
provision could be misused by the government to
silence dissidents, by Binod Ghimire (kp
21/05/2020)
Pandemic
threatens to upend labour relations: Workers term
employers’ decision to cut staff, wages ‘unilateral’
and ‘unacceptable’, by Sujan Dhungana (ht
21/05/2020)
At
least 500,000 migrant workers want to return home at
the earliest, says report: Nepal Association of
Foreign Employment Agencies says 10-30 percent of jobs
held by Nepalis in Malaysia and the Gulf is gone,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 21/05/2020), Government
preparing to rescue migrant workers stranded abroad,
by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 21/05/2020) [The
Oli govt talks of 5 per cent only of those who have to
return urgently!]
Is
Nepali media failing to abide by ethical journalistic
standards in its quest for clicks and breaking news?
Media outlets, both old and new, must abide by fair
and ethical reporting, along with verification of
information, while reporting the news especially in
the time of a pandemic, observers say, by Aditi
Aryal (kp 21/05/2020)
Task
force suggests ways to create 2.5 million jobs amid
job losses at home and abroad due to Covid-19: Focus
is on entrepreneurship, reviving sick industries and
utilising land spaces allocated for the industries,
by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 20/05/2020) [Such
initiative is overdue for decades!]
As
doctors face eviction from landlords, a hotelier
offers free lodging (rep 20/05/2020)
NHRC
urges govt to follow WHO protocol for quarantine
facility management: Asks it to ensure all facilities
meet WHO standards (ht 20/05/2020)
Govt
to rescue Nepalis stranded abroad ‘on priority basis’
(ht 20/05/2020) [Given the
major failings of the Oli government in the last two
months, there are almost only priority cases!]
Rights
watchdog urges government to follow WHO quarantine
practices: National Human Rights Commission suggests
using the money in relief fund in coordination between
the three tiers of government (kp 19/05/2020)
Police
hit 67-year-old with baton for stepping out to buy
milk: Man sustains a broken bone in his right leg due
to the severity of the blow, by Bhusan Yadav (kp
19/05/2020) [Both this police
officer and the person who ordered such action must be
brought to justice!]
Elusive
justice: The government continues to hold out on
completing the transitional justice process (kp
18/05/2020)
Nepal
hasn’t allowed UN rapporteurs on transitional justice
to visit country: The government is afraid their visit
will expose it’s failure, say victims and human rights
activists, by Binod Ghimire (kp 17/05/2020)
Lawmakers
demand govt bring home Nepalis abroad at the
earliest, by
Kamal Subedi (rep 17/05/2020), International
Committee seeks prompt rescue of Nepalis in
crisis (kh 17/05/2020)
Nepal
might have made progress when it comes to queer rights
but it still has a long way to go: Although the
constitution enshrines equal rights regardless of
gender, sexual identity or orientation, same-sex
marriage is still not legal, by Ankit Khadgi (kp
17/05/2020)
Number
of NRNs to die of coronavirus reaches 96 (rep
17/05/2020)
Survivors
of domestic violence are forced to “compromise” with
abusive husbands, by Sher Bahadur Jero (rep
16/05/2020)
Seed
money for migrant workers, entrepreneurs as government
targets employment opportunities inside country:
Without hassle-free procedures for accessing the
initial capital and set criteria as per the
vulnerability of migrant workers, the scheme can not
yield expected results, experts say, by Chandan
Kumar Mandal (kp 16/05/2020), Impact
of COVID-19 on Nepal’s Remittance Economy &
Foreign Employment, by Sunil Kumar Chaudhary (kh
16/05/2020)
Order
to shoot at fleeing patients draws flak (ht
16/05/2020)
A
COVID Challenge for Nepal Army: What is the point of
having a large NA in this poor country in peace-time
if not to fight the human insecurity of our citizens
when a global pandemic has made millions of Nepalis
vulnerable?, by Kul Chandra Gautam (rep
16/05/2020)
Over
400,000 Nepalis stranded abroad appeal for rescue
(kh 15/05/2020)
Prioritise
rights issues in upcoming fiscal budget, says NHRC
(ht 15/05/2020)
Plans
after the pandemic: Nepalis knew all along that the
economy, based largely on remittance, is
unsustainable. But we never realised that it would
meet such a chaotic fate, by Madhukar Upadhya (kp
15/05/2020)
As
Covid-19 continues to weaken the health system, an
estimated 4,000 children could die in Nepal in the
next six months, UN agency warns: UNICEF says it fears
that without urgent action, the number of children
dying before their fifth birthdays is going to
increase for the first time in decades (kp
14/05/2020), Cases
are still rising: It’s not that lockdown measures
wouldn’t have worked, it’s that the government has
failed at implementing a successful regimen (kp
14/05/2020)
Motion
tabled in Parliament to repatriate Nepali migrant
workers: The motion of public importance tabled by
Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa recommends that
the government initiate rescue and repatriation of
Nepalis from Covid-19 hit countries based on their
status of vulnerability, by Chandan Kumar Mandal
(kp 12/05/2020)
Unidentified
group thrashes Bara journalist (ht 12/05/2020)
How
Free Is Freedom Of Expression?, by Mukunda Kattel
(rn 11/05/2020)
Understanding
poverty: It is not only bad governance but a failure
to attract foreign capital and to stop cartels from
forming that has hampered development, by Niraj KC
(kp 11/05/2020)
Govt
told to handle crisis effectively (ht 10/05/2020)
Local
governments at a loss on how to implement
relief-for-work programme: Federal government last
week decided to employ workers from the unorganised
sector in public construction projects, but has not
issued the guidelines to follow in the process, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 10/05/2020)
Government
move to reopen businesses and industries leaves many
scrambling: Factory workers who had gone home, mostly
to their villages, are still locked down, by
Krishana Prasain (kp 10/05/2029)
Ambushes
everywhere: Rolpa folks forced to go through recurring
pain even 14 years after end of Maoist insurgency,
by Dínesh Subedi (rep 09/05/2020) [The
then responsible Maoist and army leaders as well as
their political protectors must be made responsible
and brought to justice!]
Thousands
of Nepali migrant workers from Persian Gulf and
Malaysia expected to return home soon: A study by the
Foreign Employment Board has estimated that at least
127,000 migrants will return home immediately once
travel restrictions are lifted, by Chandan Kumar
Mandal (kp 09/05/2020)
Hundreds
of Nepalis stranded at Nepal-India borders as federal
government has yet to respond: Local units in the
bordering areas say they can’t let the people enter
the country until the centre takes a decision, by
Madhav Dhungana (kp 09/05/2020), Nepali
Migrant Workers Coming From India During Lockdown
Stranded At No-Man's Land (rn 09/05/2020)
Food
and livelihood insecurity during a pandemic: As the
services sector is bound to face a long and hard
journey to a revival, the agro sector will be all the
more important, by Apsara Karki (kp 08/05/2020)
Hundreds
of homebound Nepalis stranded in no-man’s-land in
Kapilvastu: Scores of people gathered at the border
attempted to enter Nepal on Monday, but they were
stopped by security personnel of the Armed Police
Force, by Manoj Paudel and San ju Poudel (kp
08/02/2020) [Thank you Mr Oli
for contributing so extensively to spreading the virus
among desperate Nepalese migrant workers! The
returnees have every right to enter their home
country. It is your duty, Mr Oli, to place them in
safe quarantine stations in Nepal, check their health
and then transport them safely and quickly to their
home villages!], Security
personnel fire a warning shot to disperse crowd at a
border point in Bara, by Laxmi Sah and Kamal
Panthi (kp 08/02/2020)
Hundreds
of homebound Nepalis stranded in no-man’s-land in
Kapilvastu: Scores of people gathered at the border
attempted to enter Nepal on Monday, but they were
stopped by security personnel of the Armed Police
Force, by Manoj Paudel and San ju Poudel (kp
08/05/2020)
For
Nepali women, rampant objectification and
sexualisation on the internet: One community on Reddit
with more than 4,500 members has been sexualising,
objectifying and humiliating women with photos taken
from their social media accounts, by Aditi Aryal
(kp 07/05/2020), Shedding
light: It is disturbing that pages propagating rape,
misogyny, paedophilia and the invasion of privacy
exist (kp 08/05/2020)
NRNA
Urges Government To Form Mechanism To Rescue Stranded
Nepalis Abroad (rn 07/05/2020)
NHRC
member slams rumour-mongers (ht 06/05/2020)
Biplav
outfit leader Bandhu Chand released after 14 months
(kh 06/05/2020) [The Bandhu
Chand case is a prime example of the criminal contempt
of judicial decisions by the Oli government!]
Government
considers bringing back Nepali migrant workers from
Covid-19-affected countries: Foreign Minister Gyawali
says everyone will not be brought home at once, those
in urgent need to return home will be prioritised in
the first phase, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
05/05/2020), Govt
plans to evacuate over 35,000 illegal migrants (ht
05/05/2020)
Where
government efforts have faltered, the people have come
to the rescue: In the absence of governmental efforts,
many individuals and communities across the country
are working to ensure that relief reaches the most
vulnerable, by Aditi Aryal (kp 04/05/2020) [The top politicians in government
and political parties are only interested in their
power struggles. They know neither their duties nor
the rules of democracy, not to mention human rights
and respect for the constitution and laws!]
Extended
lockdown brings many women entrepreneurs to the brink
of failure: Women entrepreneurs are engaged in
agriculture, handicraft, hospitality and other service
sectors, by Krishana Prasain (kp 04/05/2020)
Can
human rights be set aside in our fight against
Covid-19? The answer is no. We have to do everything
possible to make sure human rights are front and
centre when we deal with the pandemic, by Mohna
Ansari (kp 03/05/2020)
Media
facing hard time during pandemic (ht 03/05/2020)
Ensure
strict implementation of lockdown: PM; 'Don't allow
Nepali citizens stranded in India to enter Nepal'
(kh 03/05/2020) [All Nepalese
citizens have the right to retun to their country! It
is the duty of the PM and his goverment to take care
of their safe return! Oli tries to cover up his
incompetence with authoritarian orders!]
Man
arrested for raping 15-year-old girl in Dang (kh
03/05/2020)
Oli
seizes May Day address to take the media to task for
“promoting instability”: While Oli’s aversion to the
media is nothing new, commentators say that it is
worrying that the prime minister has threatened to use
the ruling party to combat dissent, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 02/05/2020) [No
one causes more instability in Nepal than Khadga
Prasad Sharma Oli. His threat to the media, adorned
with false statements, is an authoritarian attack on
basic human rights and democracy!]
Create
employment opportunities for workers affected due to
Covid-19 through new budget, say experts: As workers
at home struggle without jobs and tens of thousands of
migrant workers are likely to return home, experts
suggest the government should be ready to provide jobs
through the upcoming budget, by Chandan Kumar
Mandal (kp 02/05/2020), On
International Labour Day, workers remain under
lockdown racked with uncertainty caused by Covid-19
pandemic: Labour right activists say the government
has failed to assure worker’ safety and employment
even if they have been languishing at home and abroad
for a long time now, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
02/05/2020)
Hospitals
turn away patients with fever, by Laxmi Gautam (ht
02/05/2020)
Human
rights monitoring panel formed in all districts:
Government urged to protect migrant workers and
students during lockout (ht 01/05/2020)
OHCHR
urges govt to amend TJ law in support of SC ruling
(rep 01/05/2020) [see OHCHR
Press briefing note on Nepal], Four
int'l HR bodies urge govt to immediately amend TJ law
in line with Supreme Court ruling (rep 01/05/2020)
[see press
statement by AI, HRW, ICJ and TRIAL
International], International
rights bodies, UN welcome Supreme Court decision on
transitional justice: Government should now amend the
law to comply with the verdict, they say, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 02/05/2020), SC’s
decision reaffirms need to amend transitional justice
law: Rights bodies (ht 02/05/2020)
Expecting
mother expelled from operation theatre (ht
01/05/2020)
Stigma
against health workers, patients and area locals
continues in coronavirus hotspots: In districts like
Udayapur that have reported a high number of Covid-19
cases, health workers and local residents are being
shunned and treated as pariahs, by Arhun Poudel
(kp 01/05/2020)
Information,
please! The government needs to communicate its
lockdown policies better to the people, by Amish
Raj Mulmi (kp 01/05/2020)
Around
1,300 Nepalis stranded in bordering Indian district
brought home: Hundreds of home-bound Nepali workers
were quarantined in the border area after Nepal-India
border was sealed amid fear of Covid-19 around a month
ago, by Manoj Badu (kp 01/05/23020) [It
would have been the duty of the Oli government to
arrange this about five weeks ago!]
Govt
launches relief package targeting workers, by
Sujan Dhungana (ht 01/05/2020)
Four
children killed in a bomb blast in Rolpa: Two of the
deceased children are said to be from the same family,
by Kashiram Dangi (kp 01/05/2020)
Journalist
Pathak arrested on charge of defaming NCP chairman
Dahal (rep 30/04/2020), Cyber
Bureau arrests journo for social media post (ht
01/05/2020)
SC
orders govt to fully implement sentence determination
Act (rep 30/04/2020)
Cash-strapped
youths set on foot to Kailali from Bajura amid
lockdown (ht 30/04/2020)
COVID-19
recovery must deliver universal health insurance,
safety nets and affordable internet access: UN
(rep 30/04/2020)
In
Province 5, sexual harassment and domestic abuse cases
are getting more severe: A large number of sexual
harassment cases in the province still go unreported,
said police, by Sanju Poudel (kp 29/04/2020)
Seven
rape cases reported in Kapilbastu in a month (kh
29/04/2020)
Measles
outbreaks reported in five districts including in
Kathmandu and Lalitpur in last one month: Doctors
warns continuous disruption in routine immunisation
could put lives of thousands of children at risk,
by Arjun Poudel (kp 29/04/2020)
Nepalis
stranded in India continue to brave Mahakali River to
return home: More than 30 people tried to cross the
boundary river this weekend, by Manoj Badu (kp
29/04/2020) [Responsible for the crime is Mr.
Oli, who claims the right to deny Nepali citizens a
safe return to their villages]
Has
Covid-19 exposed the stark inequality between Nepal's
haves and have-nots? Social distancing, the primary
weapon to prevent the pandemic from spreading, is a
privilege, by Sushrey Nepal (kp 28/04/2020)
Communities
come together to respond to the Covid crisis: In an
inspirational display of humanity, several groups
around Kathmandu are making sure the most vulnerable
in our society have food to eat in this time of crisis,
by Srizu Bajracharya and Anup Ojha (kp 28/04/2020)
Private
Hospitals & Medical Ethics, by Yam Bahadur
Dura (rn 28/04/2020)
Removal
of Bhattarai’s interview from Radio Nepal draws flak
(ht 28/04/2020), Communications
Ministry seeks clarification from Radio Nepal
Executive Director (kh 28/04/2020), Clarifications
sought from Radio Nepal chief Karki: Asked why
and how he allowed invectives against PM; Told to
justify his performance (ht 29/094/2020)
Journos
briefly taken into custody (ht 28/04/2020)
SC
rejects govt’s request to review verdict on
transitional justice (rep 27/04/2020), Supreme
Court thwarts attempt to retain amnesty provisions in
transitional justice law: The government now has no
option but to amend the law to adhere to the court’s
February 2015 landmark order, by Binod Ghimire (kp
28/04/2020)
Rights
body urges government to study situation of Nepalis
stranded in foreign countries: The National Human
Rights Commission has asked the government to make
arrangements for food and shelter for Nepali workers
in foreign labour destinations and to plan for their
rescue, repatriation and reintegration if the
situation further worsens, by Chandan Kumar Mandal
(kp 27/04/2020)
Nepal
Police’s refusal to register Surendra Yadav abduction
case raises questions about its neutrality: Many
believe police are acting on order from on high to not
register the case, especially since: it involves
powerful political actors and a former chief of police,
by Shuvam Dhungana Tika R Pradhan (kp 27/04/2020), Police
refuse to book former IG, NCP MPs (ht 27/04/2020),
NC,
RPP and People's Socialist Party demand legal action
against those involved in 'kidnapping' lawmaker Yadav
(rep 28/04/2020), After
police, district attorney also refuses to register
complaint against alleged kidnapping of lawmaker
Yadav: District attorney asked the complainants to
leave an application, but didn’t file the complaint,
Janata Samajbadi leaders said (kp 29/04/2020), JSP-N
MP’s abduction case a hot potato: Govt attorney
accused of turning deaf ear to kidnapping complaint
against ex-IG, lawmakers (ht 29/04/2020), Janata
Samajbadi Party lawmaker Yadav knocks NHRC door,
accusing NCP lawmakers and ex-IGP Khanal of kidnapping
him (rep 30/04/2020), After
police and district attorney’s refusal to take
complaint, lawmaker Surendra Yadav approaches human
rights commission: Commission asks Nepal Police to
explain in writing why it refused to register Yadav’s
case and ensure his and his family’s safety (kp
01/05/2020)
Municipalities
seek government funds to provide essentials to
families affected by Covid-19 lockdown: Municipal
Association of Nepal have also asked provincial and
federal governments funds to continue their relief
distribution programmes, by Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp 25/04/2020), Lockdown
affected families continue to struggle for relief
package as Province 2 retains the relief campaign: As
lockdown hit daily wage workers and poor groups await
relief, Province 2 government decides to take over
relief distribution following reports of
irregularities and discriminations during relief
distribution, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
25/04/2020)
Quake
survivors struggle in crammed homes, housing grant
insufficient (ht 25/04/2020)
A
normal monsoon this year could boost agricultural
output, if only farmers weren’t under lockdown: A
labour shortage due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a
potential shortage of chemical fertiliser could offset
any potential gains from the monsoon, say economists,
by Sangam Prasain and Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
25/04/2020), Lockdown
adversely affecting vegetable farmers in Dhangadhi:
While the farmers are compelled to throw away their
vegetables due to lack of buyers given the lockdown,
consumers are compelled to buy vegetables from
middlemen at exorbitant prices, by Mohan
Budhaair.(kp 25/04/2020)
Five
years after earthquake schools and health centres
await reconstruction: The tenure of the national
reconstruction authority likely to be extended by at
least one year, by Binod Ghimire (kp 25/04/2020)
Former
secy arrested for cyber offence (ht 24/04/2020), Freedom
Forum concerned (ht 24/04/2020), Attorney’s
office file a court case against former government
secretary Upadhyaya for cyber crime: Upadhyaya was
arrested for his critical comments against the Oli
government on his social media, by Shuvam Dhungana
(kp 27/04/2020), It's
a free country: The government must remember it is
serving a democratic country where people have a voice
(kp 27/04/2020), Former
secy charged with ‘defaming govt, prime minister’
(ht 27/04/2020), Former
secy Upadhyay’s arrest shows govt hell-bent on
silencing critics (rep 27/04/2020), Ex-secretary
Upadhyaya released on bail (kh 27/04/2020)
Human
Rights in the time of COVID-19, by Sushil Koirala
(ht 24/04/2020)
Some
relief package: Officials should serve the people, not
con them (kp 23/04/2020)
Mahottari
sees rise in illegal mining of construction aggregate
during lockdown: Two journalists were threatened for
covering the story about illegal mining in the
district on Thursday, by Sunita Baral (kp
23/04/2020)
Dying
to get home: Both Modi and Oli did not have the
imagination and sensitivity to anticipate the
hardships that migrant workers would face by the
lockdown, by Pramod Mishra (kp 23/04/2020)
How
one Pokhara resident led a smear campaign to get an
American kicked out of the country: After his romantic
advances were rejected, one individual used his
influence with an online news portal to smear and
discredit a foreigner, a month-long Post investigation
has revealed, by Shuvam Dhungana and Pranaya SJB
Rana (kp 23/04/2020)
Nepal
slips 6 ranks on RSF index (ht 22/04/2020) [Lowest ranking since 2014!
See RSF comment
and index 2020],
Nepal
loses six spots on global press freedom index to rank
112th out of 180 countries: Environment for
journalists working for independent media outlets has
been extremely difficult, Reporters Without Borders
report says, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
23/04/2020), Press
freedom violation and political intolerance on the
rise in Nepal, says report: The Annual World Press
Freedom Report paints a grim picture of freedom of
expression, press freedom and rights of journalists in
the past year (kp 03/05/2020)
Chepangs
face a humanitarian crisis: The impact of the lockdown
on vulnerable communities does not appear on the
government's radar, by Biwash Chepang (kp
22/04/2020)
Bardiya’s
poor are starving while the local unit has been slow
to distribute relief: According to data by the ward
office, around 200 daily wage earners in the ward have
been severely affected by the lockdown, by Kamal
Panthi (kp 22/04/2020)
Kalaiya
mayor arrested on charge of selling substandard
lentils: Police on Saturday sealed a grocery store run
by Raya and sent the sample of the lentils to the
Regional Food Technology and Quality Control Office in
Hetauda for a quality test, by Laxmi Sah (kp
22/04/2020)
COVID-19:
Yet Again Poor Are Hardest Hit, by Achyut Tiwari
(rn 22/04/2020)
Like
most vulnerable groups, soon-to-be and new mothers
face an uncertain near future: With hospitals and
public transportation shut, expecting and new mothers
can’t go for regular check-ups for themselves and
their children, by Elisha Shrestha & Thomas
Heaton (kp 22/04/2020)
Plight
Of Labourers And Migrant Workers, by Namrata
Sharma (rn 22/04/2020)
With
hundreds of thousands of migrants predicted to return
home, Nepal needs to brace for a crisis: Hundreds of
thousands of Nepalis who work abroad are likely to
lose their jobs in the aftermath of the Covid-19
pandemic, and they will come home looking for
employment, by Prithvi Man Shrestha and Chandan
Kumar Mandal (kp 22/04/2020) [The
leading politicians in government and parties are only
interested in power struggles! They do not understand
their main tasks in the interest of the state and the
people! PM Oli's recent actions are the best example!]
Thousands
of stranded people transported to their hometowns
(ht 22/04/2020)
Three
Nepalis arrested for entering country during lockdown,
sent back to India, by Prabhat Kumar Jha (ht
22/04/2020) [????]
Two
weeks on, 181 people quarantined in Jamunaha still
waiting to get home: Nepalis, including migrant
workers from 26 districts arrived at the border
crossing from various parts of India, by Rupa
Gahatraj (kp 22/04/2020)
More
than 400 prisoners released from across the country to
prevent outbreak of Covid-19: Over half of those
released were serving their time in juvenile
correction homes: Court had ordered government to free
jailbirds sentenced up to a year for minor crimes,
by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 22/04/2020)
While
produce rots in Nepal’s fields, food imports continue
from India: Vegetables are piling up on Birgunj farms
even as 15 to 20 trucks laden with vegetables arrive
from the south every day, by Bhusan Yadav and
Sangam Prasain (kp 21/04/2020)
Supreme
Court’s intervention sought to stop police from using
excessive force during lockdown: Security personnel
have been found beating up people who were out during
the lockdown to buy essentials and medical workers
(kp 21/04/2020)
Local
governments in Dang arrange vehicles for migrants
heading home on foot: Dang, the gateway to hilly
districts such as Rolpa, Rukum, Pyuthan and Salyan,
has seen a surge in the number of migrants trying to
go home, by Durga Lal KC (kp 21/04/2020)
A
worrying rise in Islamophobia ever since a number of
Muslim men were diagnosed with Covid-19: Speculation
that Muslims are knowingly spreading Covid-19 has
begun to spread, aided and abetted by social media and
some online news portals, by Aditi Aryal (kp
21/04/2020)
An
unequal world for migrant workers: What migrants need
most is comprehensive social protection which will
strengthen their capacity to cope, by Kripa
Basnyat (kp 21/04/2020)
15-point
suggestion put forth to manage COVID-19 situation
(ht 20/04/2020)
Women
group presents charter of demands (ht 20/04/2020)
Stranded
people taken to their hometowns (ht 20/04/2020)
A
day after Covid-19 cases double, Health Ministry goes
after frontline doctor for critical comments: The
ministry has summoned Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, a
virologist at the Sukraraj Hospital, for a
clarification over his public statements on the
Covid-19 pandemic, by Arjun Poudel (kp 19/04/2020)
[Oli and his government
obviously don't like it at all when the people's right
to information in the Corona crisis is fulfilled by
competent doctors, because this exposes their own
incompetence!]
Northern
Humla braces for a food shortage: Humla saw a
prolonged snowfall this winter and the route to
Taklakot was closed before the pandemic, by
Chhapal Lama (kp 18/04/2020)
Families
of daily wage earners, impoverished Dalit communities
in Province 2 deprived of reliefs even after three
weeks of nationwide lockdown: Most of the local bodies
are yet to implement the budget released by the
provincial executive for relief distribution even
after three weeks of the lockdown (kp 18/04/2020)
Govt
urged to protect rights of marginalised, needy people
(ht 17/04/2020)
While
dealing with Covid-19, government should not lose
sight of other infectious diseases, say doctors: With
the onset of summer, infectious diseases like malaria,
typhoid, dengue, and cholera could lead to epidemics
of their own if focus stays on the coronavirus, they
say, by Arjun Poudel (kp 17/04/2020)
Police
sub-inspector beat up health worker in Dharan: Health
workers staged a protest outside the city demanding
action the officer following the incident, by
Pradeep Menyangbo (kp 17/04/2020) [The policemen's mistaken idea that
they could beat other people at any time has not
changed a bit since the royal panchayat era!],
Departmental
action should be initiated against police personnel
who manhandled doctors, committee concludes: It
follows reports that personnel from Maharajgunj Police
Circle manhandled three doctors returning from work on
Wednesday night, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp
17/04/2020) [Disciplinary
measures are not enough. There must also be criminal
proceedings in public courts!],DSP
relieved of duty for thrashing doctors (ht
17/04/2020), Police
Punish 50 Morning Walkers (rn 17/04/2020) [The
police have to guarantee law and order, but they have
no right to order punishment.]
SC
seeks govt explanation over its delay to release
detainees involved in petty crimes (rep
17/04/2020)
Court
issues interim order to rescue workers stranded
abroad: At least 20,000 Nepalis stranded in various
Indian states wish to return home (kp 17/04/2020),
SC
asks govt to bring back migrant Nepalis stranded in
foreign lands, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 17/04/2020)
[The SC decision is an order
to the government, not a request. The Oli government
must implement this court decision immediately!],
Hundreds
Workers Stranded On Border Between Dhading And Chitwan
(rn 17/04/2020), Hundreds
trudging home stuck on the road (ht 17/04/2020), Thousands
brave long, painful walk home as Singha Durbar goes to
sleep (rep 17/04/2020), Apex
court orders govt to repatriate Nepali nationals
stranded abroad (rep 17/04/2020), Return
Of Migrant Workers, by Siddhi B. Ranjitkar (km
17/04/2020), Undocumented
and overstaying Nepalis in Kuwait could be deprived of
amnesty as Nepal is under lockdown: Kuwait government
has offered a general amnesty to undocumented workers
allowing them to leave the country without having to
pay any fines and airfares and also the option to
return Kuwait later, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
18/04/2020)
Many
in Kathmandu Valley can neither stay here nor go home:
Without adequate rations and no savings, many are
making a long walk back to their hometowns, by
Anup Ojha (kp 17/04/2020), Workers
making their way across districts on foot to reach
their hometowns: Authorities are asking respective
local units to make arrangements for the passing
workers’ stay in quarantine facilities, by
Agandhar Tiwari (kp 17/04/2020)
Nepal
Army contacting people who bought SIM cards recentl:
Officials working under the assumption that those who
returned to Nepal would have bought new mobile numbers,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 17/04/2020) [????]
4.6
million Nepalis are food-insecure, and 10% have severe
need, by Shree Ram Subedi (rep 16/04/2020), WFP
reports on food security exaggerated: Nepal Government,
by Shree Ram Subedi (22/04/2020)
The
pandemic is reinforcing social inequalities: For
minority groups already suffering under various
inequalities, the pandemic and the lockdown are
already furthering their marginalisation, by Aditi
Aryal (kp 16/04/2020)
“We
don’t want to die in this desert”: Nepali workers in
the UAE plead to be brought home: Dozens of Nepalis
have already been forced to live on the streets with
no shelter and nothing to eat after quitting their
jobs, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 16/04/2020)
Oli
cautioning party members to keep distance from media
reflects a lack of trust, leaders say: Unhappy with
leaks, Oli asks all aides, ministers and party members
to keep the media at bay, by Anil Giri (kp
16/04/2020) [This means a
fundamental violation of constitution and democratic
principles!!]
‘Qatar
illegally expelled Nepali migrant workers during
COVID-19 panic’ (ht 16/04/2020), Qatar
used coronavirus pandemic as a ruse to expel Nepali
migrant workers, Amnesty International says: Over 400
Nepalis were deported to Nepal last month after local
authorities accused them of not abiding by government
measures while tens of thousands of Nepali workers
continue to live in squalid labour camps in Qatar,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp) 17/04/2020)
Man
in police custody for raping woman inside moving
truck: Police say the driver was released after the
woman vouched his innocence, by Shuvam Dhungana
(kp 15/04/2020)
VAW
in lockdown: More than 104 cases in two weeks, by
Sabina Karki (kh 15/04/2020)
With
parliament out of session, role of civil society
crucial to hold government to account, say observers:
Despite the fact that civil society has largely been
coopted by the parties, their role is necessary to act
as an effective check on the government’s excesses,
they say, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 14/04/2020)
Woman
dies trying to protect son from police thrashing
(ht 14/04/2020), Woman
dies in stampede following clash between police and
locals in Saptari: The incident occurred as security
personnel were taking action against the locals who
had gathered in the market place, by Bharat
Jarghamagar and Abdhesh Kumar Jha (kp 14/04/2020)
Lockdown
an additional burden for daily wage-earning women in
Banke: Women travel every day to the jungles to
collect firewood for a lack of cooking gas at home,
by Madhu Shahi (kp 14/04/2020)
After
spending Rs 700 million to identify the poor, Nepal
still doesn't have their database: Experts say there
is a complete lack of a system to identify the poor
and the needy ones, by Shree Ram Subedi (rep
12/04/2020)
In
the wake of lockdowns and supply chain disruptions, a
potential food crisis looms: Since Nepal relies almost
entirely on imports of chemical fertilisers, any
disruption to the supply chain could quickly escalate
into a food crisis, say experts, by Sangam Prasain
(kp 11/04/2020), Farmers
are selling their produce for a pittance even as
customers are paying exorbitant prices: The lockdown
has meant that farmers are unable to travel to
Kathmandu to sell their produce, relying instead on
middlemen who are maximising profits, by Aditi
Aryal (kp 11/04/2020)
People
with disabilities who depend on daily income suffer
due to nationwide lockdown: They don’t get relief from
municipalities because they don’t have local IDs,
by Anup Ojha (kp 11/04/2020)
Faced
with a lack of cash and employment opportunity,
Kalikot locals who returned from India brace for an
uncertain future: The local units do not have a
concrete plan yet on how to tackle the mass
unemployment that the crisis has wrought, by
Tularam Pandey (kp 10/04/2020)
Relief
packages elude the poorest of the poor: Most lack
documents needed to cl, by Ujjwal Satyal (ht
10/04/2020)
Grow
your own: When it comes to staples, Nepal needs to get
back to its roots (kp 09/04/2020), Food
during the coronavirus crisis: Governments are
responding to the health emergency as they rightly
should, but ensuring food supply is equally vital,
by Arun GC (kp 09/04/2020)
Food
crisis hits haliya families hard in Bajura, by
Prakash Singh (ht 09/04/2020)
Protracted
lockdown hits squatter families hard: Families of
daily wage earners in Biratnagar and Dhading stare at
trouble as local governments fail to distribute relief,
by Deonarayan Sah and Harihar Singh Rathour (kp
08/04/2020)
‘Keep
rights at centre during emergency measures’ (ht
08/04/2020)
Journos
not allowed to collect coronavirus news (ht
08/04/2020)
Silent
at the top: During times of crisis, clear information
from the government is reassuring—especially from the
very top. (kp 07/04/2020) [Oli
and his colleagues have no idea of the people's right
and the government's duty to information!]
Ensure
every person’s right to health: NHRC (ht
06/04/2020)
Give
priority to needy people in relief distribution:
MoFAGA (ht 06/04/2020)
Winter
crops lie unharvested in the fields as the lockdown
forces farmers indoors: There are many who say that
farmers should be allowed to work in the fields, as
there is little danger of contracting Covid-19 while
working five or six feet apart, by Sangam Prasain
(kp 06/04/2020) [Is there a
need for other evidence of the government's high level
of incompetence? The people have a right to food!]
Coronavirus
testing hospitals in Province 1 shirk their
responsibility: Patients with flu-like symptoms are
being referred to BP Koirala Institute of Health
Sciences without tests, doctors at Dharan-based
hospital say, by Pradeep Menyangbo (kp
05/04/2020), Gandaki
government orders hospitals to treat patients, or face
action: The directive comes three days after the
Supreme Court ordered the centre to make arrangements
to treat Covid-19 patients, by Lal Prasad Sharma
(kp 05/04/2020)
Quake-displaced
people reeling under food crisis (ht 05/04/2020))
[All governments since 2015
share responsibility for this continued situation!]
The
perilous journey of five Jumla natives from
Ambedkarnagar to Surkhet: The government could have
facilitated their travel from Rupaidiha but they were
left completely neglected, say the returnees, by
Kalendra Sejuwal (kp 04/04/2020)
Migrant
workers must not be left behind: Migrant workers have
contributed to keeping the economy afloat. Now it's
time for the government to do its part, by Babu
Ram Pant (kp 04/04/2020)
Detainees
languish in police custody amid closure of court
(ht 04/04/2020)
Migrant
workers must not be left behind: Migrant workers have
contributed to keeping the economy afloat. Now it's
time for the government to do its part, by Babu
Ram Pant (kp 03/04/2020)
Here
is why PM's IT consultant Asgar Ali has been a
controversial figure (rep 02/04/2020), Kathmandu
Press accuses its site developer of removing a news
article without consent: The article had alleged the
involvement of the sons of the Defence Minister and
the prime minister’s chief advisor, along with Oli’s
IT consultant, in procuring medical equipment from
China (kp 02/04/2020), Editors
jointly condemn unauthorised removal of published
content (ht 03/04/2020), Editors
demand probe into news removal by PM's aides (rep
03/04/2020), PM's
Press Adviser Thapa Refutes FNJ Statement Over Removal
Of News Content (rn 03/04/2020), Panic
spikes as PM's IT guru Ali has access to people's
private data, by Sunil Sapkota (rep 04/04/2020)
Red
flag placed on housetops to identify people coming
from abroad in Dolakha (ht 02/04/2020) [One
must not discriminate against anyone just because
he/she has been abroad. The virus can be carried by
anyone!], Foreign
returnees facing humiliation (ht 02/04/2020)
Destigmatizing
corona patients: There has always been a close
relation between disease and discrimination, which
leads to stigmatization. We should not allow this to
happen in Nepal, by Rakshya Ojha (rep 02/04/2020)
Over
1,000 laborers stranded at border: Far west at high
risk of COVID-19 outbreak; One laborer dies; Over
100,000 returnees from India not in self-quarantine,
neither is their health condition tested, by Dil
Bahadur Chhatyal and Bira Gadal (rep 02/04/2020)), More
than 8,000 foreign-returnees enter Karnali (kh
02/04/2020), Concern
raised over Nepalis stranded on border (ht
03/04/2020),
Temporary
quarantine facility built on no man’s land to keep
more than a hundred Nepalis caught at Indo-Nepal
border in Nepalgunj: Around two dozen Nepalis stuck in
Valmiki Nagar in Bihar complain of authorities’ apathy
towards them, by Rupa Gahatraj and Narayan Sharma
(kp 03/04/2020)
SC
writ sought to bring Nepalis stranded in Dharchula
(rep 02/04/2020)
Support
working families to reduce impact of COVID-19: UN
agencies to govt (rep 02/04/2020)
Patients
with fever being turned away due to COVID fear, by
Sabitri Dhakal (ht 02/04/2020), Private
health facilities refusing service to face music
(ht 02/04/2020), A
52-year-old woman dies after seeking treatment at four
different hospitals in a day: Two hospitals in
Biratnagar refused to treat the patient who was
suffering from high fever on suspicions of being a
Covid-19 case, victim’s daughter says, by Deo
Narayan Sah (kp 02/04/2020)
Here
is why PM's IT consultant Asgar Ali has been a
controversial figure (rep 02/04/2020)
Govt
scraps contract with Omni Group: Didn’t receive
medical equipment in time; COVID testing kits don’t
meet standards set by the World Health Organisation;
Govt flayed for ordering kits that are known for
showing false negative results (ht 02/04/2020), Health
Ministry cancels tender to purchase medical equipment
from China over controversy: Controversy had erupted
over the government's decision to purchase medical
equipment from China despite high costs and concerns
over standards, by Arjun Poudel (kp 02/04/2020), Making
money off misery: The government must be wrong to
believe that citizens can't hold it to account while
in quarantine (kp 02/04/2020)
Rise
in GBV, sexual abuse cases feared (ht 01/04/2020)
Fear
and loathing: Stigma and ostracisation for those
who’ve returned from abroad: There are increasing
reports of returnees, and actual Covid-19 patients,
being ostracised and stigmatised by their communities,
by Elisha Shrestha (kp 01/04/2020)
House
owner arrested after he forces nurse to evacuate,
by Devendra Banet (rep 01/04/2020)
Wage
Earners’ Distress During Lockdown, by Arju Dahal
(rn 01/04/2020)
Supreme
Court orders government to ensure vulnerable people’s
right to food: The court asks government authorities
to apprise it of what they are doing for food security,
by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 31/03/2020), Hunger
looms as the economy stops: The government needs to
act to neutralise the threats to food and nutrition
security from the lockdown, by Shobha Poudel (kp
31/03/2020)
Nepalis
are swimming across the Mahakali to get home: Around
500 Nepali migrant workers are currently stuck at the
border with India in Darchula because of the ongoing
lockdown, and they're desperate to get back., by
Manoj Badu (kp 31/03/2020) [Health
precautions must be taken, but Nepalese citizens have
the right to enter their own country even in times of
Corona! This is tantamount to temporary expatriation!],
Around
400 Nepalis stranded at Sunauli border point stage a
sit-in: The Nepalis reached Sunauli border point from
various parts of India three days ago and are waiting
to be allowed in, by Madhav Dhungana (kp
31/03/2020), Nepal,
India to care for each other's nationals headed
homeward: Won't allow cross-border movement until
lockdown is over, by Kosh Raj Koirala (rep
01/04/2020) [??]
Migrants’
rights groups call on government to repatriate and
protect the workers stranded overseas: They have also
urged the government to introduce a relief package to
support the families of migrant workers affected by
the pandemic, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
31/03/2020)
Man
accused of raping minor arrested (ht 31/03/2020)
More
than 2,000 lockdown violators punished (ht
31/03/2020), [The police have
no right to punish anybody! This would be a task of
the judiciary! It's time for the police to under stand
their limits!]
Private
hospitals not taking fever patients, forcing people to
seek treatment at state-run health facilities: The
government is considering seeking clarification from
the hospitals turning down patients, Health Ministry
spokesperson says, by Arjun Poudel (kp
31/03/2020), Attending
corona patients a must for private hospitals: SC
(ht 01/04/2020)
Relief
for hunkered down populace: Tax payment deadline
extended; 25pc discount on electricity tariff; Tax
rebate for house owners if they waive one-month rent
(ht 30/03/2020) [And what
about food supply?], City’s
squatters, homeless stare at spectre of starvation,
by Ujjwal Satyal (ht 30/03/2020), Over
6,000 brick kiln workers left in a lurch (ht
30/03/2020)
As
Covid-19 fears grow, some medical personnel face
eviction from their homes: Reports of medical
personnel being forced to work without adequate
protection have only aggravated discriminatory
behaviour from landlords, say doctors, by Arjun
Poudel & Aditi Aryal (kp 30/03/2020)
For
many domestic violence survivors, the lockdown means
being locked in with their abusers: As countries
across the world go into lockdown over Covid-19, cases
of domestic violence are rising, by Elisha
Shrestha (kp 29/03/2020)
Daily
wage earners in Tanahun face starvation (ht
29/03/2020)
COVID-19
patient accuses doctors of denying him treatment,
by Tekendra Deuba (ht 29/03/2020)
COVID-19
fears: 21 inmates released from Siraha jail (kh
29/03/2020) [The Siraha prison
still exceeds the prison capacity by three and a half
times!]
Govt Releases 78
Inmates Amid COVID-19 Fears, by Purushottam P.
Khatri (rn 28/03/2020)
Govt
told to ensure smooth supply of daily essentials
(ht 27/03/2020)
Daily
wagers bear the brunt of lockdown, govt fails to
provide reprieve: ‘It appears the government has not
consulted well with experts and emulated best
practices’ , by Rupak D. Sharma(ht 27/03/2020), KMC
to provide relief package to homeless, daily wage
earners (ht 28/03/2020)
Authorities
told to protect health workers, disadvantaged sections
of society (ht 27/03/2020)
Nepalis
in Qatar live in overcrowded and squalid conditions
even during pandemic: In the wake of the Covid-19
outbreak, Qatar imposed a harsh lockdown on camps
where migrant workers live in close quarters with
inadequate amenities, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
26/03/2020)
Hopes
of Nepalis stuck abroad dashed (ht 26/03/2020) [This is tantamount to justifying a
temporary exile!]
Essentials
may run out, the government needs to ensure supply: In
the long run, Nepal must prioritise growing more food
domestically (kp 26/03/2020), Govt
having tough time managing essential supplies (rep
26/03/2020), India
lockdown hits supply of daily essentials in Nepal:
Foreign Ministry requested to resolve issue (kh
26/03/2020), NHRC
urges govt to ensure smooth supply of daily essentials
(kh 26/03/2020)
Decision
to ban entry of Nepalis returning from abroad
challenged: ‘Move violates rights of Nepalis stranded
in foreign countries’ (ht 25/03/2020), Govt
allows entry of Nepalis stranded on Indian border
(rep 25/03/2020) [Govt has no
right to prevent that Nepali citizens enter their own
country!]
No
concrete steps yet to help migrant workers (ht
25/03/2020)
For
Nepali migrant workers abroad, no hearth and no home:
As Nepal has closed itself off to all incomers,
including its own citizens, even Nepalis migrants who
have visas expiring are unable to come back home,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 24/03/2020)
In
Butwal, juvenile delinquents are compelled to stay at
a crowded correctional facility without proper means:
As a result of the overcrowding, many suffer from
skin-related diseases, by Amrita Anmol (kp
22/03/2020)
Neighbour
confesses to rape and murder of 17-year-old girl in
Ilam (ht 21/03/2020)
Hospitals
with 50 or more beds told to suspend non-urgent
checkups, surgeries (rep 21/03/2020) [This
will affect basic health care, especially in rural
areas!]
17
weekly newspapers cease print editions on COVID-19
fears (rep 21/03/2020) [Limiting
right to information!]
Govt
prepares to reduce number of prisoners and detainees
amid virus scare: The Office of the Attorney General
has requested the Supreme Court’s Full Bench to make
necessary changes to the existing legal provisions to
reduce the possibility of outbreaks in overcrowded
prisons and detention centres, by Tika R. Pradhan
(kp 20/03/2020), Convicts
sentenced to less than year to be freed on bail or
without bail (rep 20/03/2020)
Your
‘rightful’ place: When people talk of Dalit, Janajati
or NGO leadership it is the same old faces that reap
benefit without being questioned. This leads to new
form of othering and exclusion, by Pranab Kharel
and Gaurab KC (rep 19/03/2020)
House
committee all set to endorse a bill allowing
intelligence agencies to intercept suspicious
conversations: Main opposition has demanded that it
should be moved ahead only if there is a guarantee
that the provision is not misused, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 19/03/2020), House
panel endorses bill allowing intelligence agency to
listen in on conversations: The bill passed with the
support of the opposition Nepali Congress, despite
legal experts sounding the alarm over its potential
for misuse and privacy violations, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 20/03/2020)
‘More
than half the population denied access to hand
hygiene’: UNICEF says 54 per cent health care units in
Nepal lack access to handwashing facilites (kp
19/03/2020)
Draft
amendment to transitional justice Act ready, Nembang
says: Law ministry, conflict victims say they don’t
have any information on it, by Binod Ghimire (kp
18/03/2020)
‘2,506
persons disappeared during insurgency’ (ht
18/03/2020), CIEDP
makes public names of 2,506 disappeared (rep
18/03/2020)
Cycle
of discrimination: Caste system in Nepal, among other
impositions, is one example of how a rudimentary form
of thinking that entails divide and conquer
subsequently took form of a discriminatory tradition,
by Sarans Pandey (rep 18/03/2020)
Dowry
still rampant in Nepali society (ht 18/03/2020)
Political
wranglings continue unabated in Bajhang’s public
schools: Many school administrations across the
district focus on taking financial benefits out of the
school's budgets, according to the Education Unit,
by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp 17/03/2020), Keep
politics out of schools: Politicisation has
compromised the quality of education (kp
18/03/2020)
Transitional
justice is backsliding: To ensure better
predictability, a national roadmap with parliamentary
ownership could be a way out, by Tika P. Dhakal
(kp 15/03/2020)
Complaints
of the disappeared have themselves disappeared!,
by Dinesh Subedi (rep 15/03/2020), Who
did this? Missing complaints of conflict victims
(rep 16/03/2020), CIEDP
team in Rolpa to investigate into war-time cases
(rep 16/03/2020)
Nepal’s
political parties rarely encourage public
participation in lawmaking: Citizens’ engagement in
the formulation of laws not only ensures transparency
but also enhances the quality of legislation, experts
say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 15/03/2020)
Govt
fails to deliver right info at right time (ht
14/03/2020)
Student
leader found guilty of rape gets eight and half years
in prison: Rai, a former assistant secretary at the
Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus chapter of the All Nepal
National Free Students Union, was accused of raping an
the girl by luring her to his relatives’ place in
Makalbari, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 14/03/2020)
Surkhet
administration starts eviction of flood victims from
public land: Five and a half years since the tragedy
struck, victims are still looking for help from the
government, by Chandan Kathayat (kp 14/03/2020)
Washington
takes a dim view of human rights situation in Nepal: A
US State Department report has pointed out cases of
extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention by the
state agencies and government’s restriction in the
right to freedom, by Binod Ghimire (kp
13/03/2020),
Extrajudicial
killings continue in Nepal, reveals report (ht
14/03/2020), Govt
curtailing freedom of expression: Report; The
government did not make efforts to preserve safety and
independence of the media (ht 15/03/2020)
Nepal’s
Rule of Law Index remains static (ht 13/03/2020)
[see WJP
comment on Nepal]
Pragmatics
Of Ending Orphanages, by Umesh Raj Regmi (rn
13/03/2020)
Marriage
halted during day, conducted at night (ht
13/03/2020)
Financially
free abroad, socially constrained at home: Women
migrants acquire expertise and financial independence
abroad but on return, they find themselves trapped in
a social order that does not value their talent,
by Elisha Shrestha (kp 12/03/2020)
The
media’s portrayal of Dalits is incomplete: Narratives
of Dalits as just being victims of caste hierarchy
ignores many stories of resistance, by Sarita
Pariyar (kp 12/03/2020)
Pradip
Pariyar selected for the World Economic Forum’s Young
Global Leaders Class of 2020: Pariyar, a social activist
and executive director of Samata Foundation, joins
global leaders like the prime minister of Finland,
Pakistani and Bhutanese ministers, and an Olympic gold
medallist (kp 12/03/2020)
Rastriya
Prajatantra Party and Its Ideology, by Siddhi B.
Ranjitkar (km 12/03/2020)
Twenty-nine-year-old
woman held for throwing acid on husband’s face (ht
11/03/2020), Victim
of acid attack blamed on wife runs out of money
(rep 22/03/2020)
Keep
fighting: Anti-Chhaupadi drive (rep 11/03/2020)
The
victims and human rights defenders reject transitional
justice commission’s request for support: Two months
after formation the commissions are yet to commence
their job, by Binod Ghimire (kp 10/03/2020)
The
cost of extreme political traumatisation: The state
and the political parties are in denial about the
sexual violence that occurred during the conflict,
by Susan Risal (kp 10/03/2020)
The
case for achieving gender parity: Formal structures
like laws and policies play a decisive role in
eliminating gender inequality, by Geeta Bhattrai
Bastakoti (kp 10/03/2020)
Anti-graft
body detains doctor for 25 days over report, suspends
him: The doctor posted in Butwal was released after a
probe panel endorsed his findings, by Arjun Poudel
(kp 10/03/2020)
Women
have numerical strength in local units, but little
say: Gender pay gap runs deep in all kinds of
profession in Makwanpur, women leaders say, by
Pratap Bista (kp 09/03/2020)
Women’s
status: Figures speak for themselves, by Chanda
Chaudhary (ht 09/03/2020)
Holi
is prime time for the consent conversation: The
festival of colours has become a day of dread for
women—and they want the bad behaviour to stop, by
Ankit Khadgi (kp 09/03/2020)
Chief
accused of journalist Birendra Sah’s murder arrested:
Sah, a print and broadcast journalist, was killed in
October 2007, by Laxmi Sah (kp 09/03/2020)
The
fight goes on: Men and women both benefit from living
in a gender-equal society (kp 09/03/2020)
There
are more women in politics, but few and far between at
decision-making level: Despite inclusion refrain,
there is a huge underrepresentation of females in
Nepali political parties and state organs, by
Elisha Shrestha (kp 08/03/2020)
Nepali
women are unequal by law: Nepal is still lagging far
behind international human rights standards concerning
equal rights to citizenship, by Jesselina Rana (kp
08/03/2020)
Empowerment
vs Commodification: While Nepal is heading toward
institutionalizing the federal democratic republic,
re-conceptualizing women empowerment appears a vital
task, by Mohan Nepali (rep 08/03/2020)
Justice
and gender equality in the age of #MeToo: It is only a
matter of time before the men hiding behind their
title and power are unveiled and brought to justice,
by Sakun Gajurel (kp 08/03/2020)
With
wider visibility and legal sanctions, parents of queer
individuals are coming around: Accepting that their
child is LGBTIQ can be difficult for parents who grew
up in a more conservative time, but things are slowly
changing, by Monica Khanal (kp 08/03/2020)
No
More Misogyny, by Prativa Subedi (rn 08/03/2020)
Celebrating
the heroes: This Women’s Day, let’s celebrate our
everyday local women, our mothers, sisters, maids,
colleagues or common everyday women who can be our
heroes and inspire us, by Ushma Rebel (rep
08/03/2020))
Caste-based
domestic violence against women rife in Rolpa, by
Dinesh Subedi (rep 08/03/2020)
Despite
campaigns and government policies, child marriage is
still prevalent in Makwanpur: The Bagmati Provincial
Government has plans to eradicate child marriage by
early 2022, but numbers are not all too encouraging,
by Pratap Bista (kp 07/03/2020)
Without
a clear statement from the federal government
regarding Covid-19, misinformation spreads at local
level: In times of crises, Singha Durbar, in
coordination with provincial and local governments,
should issue an unambiguous statement, say federal and
health experts, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 06/03/2020)
In
criminal cases, police often fail to ensure privacy or
security for complainants, resulting in threats and
bribes: Threats and bribes can lead the complainant to
ultimately change their statements in courts,
weakening the case and resulting in a lack of
conviction, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 06/03/2020)
Piety
and poison: the insidious spread of Hindutva: Those
flirting with the idea of a Hindu state need to look
at how quickly India has changed, by Amish Raj
Mulmi (kp 06/03/2020)
Gender
Landscape In Nepali Media, by Kundan Aryal (rn
06/03/2020)
Caste-based
discrimination continues across Nepal: Report: “Dalits
are unable to sell dairy products due to superstitious
beliefs in society” (ht 05/03/2020)
Provincial
Assembly member Rawal arrested on attempt to rape
charge, by Pushpa Raj Joshi (rep 05/03/2020)
Right
to Housing: Right to housing is not the same as the
right to land. The state must make every possible
effort to implement the right to shelter and take
progressive steps in that direction, by Jivesh Jha
and Nil Prasad Paneru (rep 04/03/2020)
Why
Special Service Bill should be amended: If Special
Service Bill is authenticated in current format, it
could lead to self-censorship among the journalists
and their sources. Besides, journalists, You Tubers
and bloggers may be arrested, by Taranath Dahal
and Dikchya Raut (rep 03/03/2020)
Conflict
victims in Dang express their mistrust on Truth and
Reconciliation Commission for justice: Conflict-era
victims who attended an interaction programme held in
Tulsipur last Wednesday say justice delayed is justice
denied, by Durga Lal KC (kp 02/03/2020)
Lawmakers
call for stringent action against VAW, acid attack and
dowry system (rep 02/03/2020)1
Despite
ban, Nepali women heading for Gulf and exploitation,
by Rudra Khadka (kp 02/03/2020)
Traffic
cops start monitoring public vehicles (ht
02/03/2020)
UN
concerned over Nepal’s TJ process (rep 01/03/2020)
Supreme
Court orders contempt of court case against four
police officials, including the Nepal Police chief:
The order comes following the arrest of three Chand
party members from the Supreme Court premises
immediately after their release on February 17, by
Shuvam Dhungana (kp 01/03/2020)
Access
to medical marijuana: The right to obtain medical
cannabis pursuant to the law has been denied to the
Nepali people, by Ankit Dhakal (kp 01/03/2020)
Former
Maoist guerilla compelled to live with shrapnel in his
head, by Dinesh Subedi (rep) [A
typical example of a victim of the Maoist insurgency,
betrayed by his party leaders who are now living in
huff and puff!]
Video
of police officer baton charging a woman carrying a
child outrages the public: The video once again calls
attention to the police’s use of excessive force
against peaceful protestors who pose no threat, by
Shuvam Dhungana (kp 29/02/2020), [No one has the right to beat other
people, especially not with wooden sticks. Even
policemen who do this are to be treated as criminals!],
Police
inspector mercilessly beats up woman, by Sabitri
Dhakal (ht 29/02/2020), Condemnable
act: The Nepal Police must strive to develop
professional skills to win the confidence of the
general people (ht 02/03/2020)
Accept
the criticisms: Government needs to understand that
appreciation of different perspectives and criticisms
can only help the government become more accountable,
by Tulasi Acharya (rep 29/02/2020)
Hundreds
of young, healthy Nepalis die sudden deaths in foreign
lands. No one knows what’s killing them: Otherwise
healthy men in the prime of life suffering cardiac
arrests do not constitute ‘natural deaths’, say rights
activists, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 29/02/2020)
Two
Bajura teachers absconding on facing rape allegations,
by Tekendra Deuba (ht 28/02/2020)
Gyawali
claims progress on transitional justice in Geneva but
back home, victims are boycotting the process: Rights
activists and victims call Foreign Minister Pradeep
Gyawali’s claim that the transitional justice
commissions are working independently a ‘blatant lie’,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 27/02/2020)
Civil
code deems a man and woman married if a child is born,
but opinions are divided: While some rights activists
believe that the provision will help ensure
citizenship for the child, others see it as a
patriarchal imposition, by Elisha Shrestha (kp
27/02/2020)
Advisor
to state minister arrested for abduction and rape of a
teenager: Amrit Kumar Ghale, economic advisor to State
Minister for Urban Development Ram Bir Manandhar
abducted a teenager, held her captive for several days
and raped multiple times,
by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 27/02/2020)
Rush
hour traffic snarls slow down ambulances, put
patients’ lives at risk: Although traffic police try
their best to clear the way, some drivers don’t help
the cause, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 27/02/2020)
Civil
liberty group calls for more changes in proposed Media
Council Bill: In a statement, Freedom Forum has
welcomed recent changes but pointed out a number of
provisions that could jeopardise freedom of expression
in the country (kp 24/02/2020)
Laws
aren't enough to end discrimination: Prejudices
surrounding race, religion and caste have to be
shattered (kp 24/02/2020)
House
panel’s letter to police reflects lawmakers’ low
understanding of law and court rulings: Public
Accounts Committee breached its jurisdiction by
instructing police to book two people for cybercrime,
legal experts say, by Binod Ghimire (kp
23/02/2020)
All-male
panels are on their way out, but women’s
representation remains tokenistic: Instead of
acknowledging that women have valuable contributions
to make, they are often limited to women-specific
panels or are placed as moderators, by Elisha
Shrestha (kp
Transitional
justice could be an issue for Nepal at the upcoming
Human Rights Council meet: It is likely that questions
will not be too critical, but at the Universal
Periodic Review in November, the government is certain
to face serious queries, say activists, by Anil
Giri (kp 22/02/2020)
Regulate
sale of acid, rights activists and attack survivors
urge government: According to a report, 16 people, 13
of them women, have been attacked with acid since
2015/2016. Yet acid is readily available for just Rs
25, by Elisha Shrestha (kp 21/02/2020)
Youth
arrested for raping junior college student (ht
21/02/2020) [A 21-year-old man
should no longer be called youth!]
Thirteen
cases of police torture reported in 2019 (ht
21/02/2020)
Women
protest demanding arrest of murder accused (ht
21/02/2020)
Majority
of human rights violations in past year involved
women, report says: Nearly 80 percent of human rights
violations last year were against women, with domestic
violence accounting for over a half, according to a
yearly human rights review, byBinod Ghimire (kp
20/02/2020) [see INSEC Yearbook 2020]
What’s in a name?
Sometimes, everything: An effort to restitute
indigenous names would surely reveal countless
examples of cultural approximation all over Nepal,
by Deepak Thapa (kp 20/02/2020) [The
effort of the male Tagadhari minorityelite to
recognise historical and ethnic names and territories
was one of the outstanding reasons for the failure of
the first Constituent Assembly. The same thinking is
reflected by the naming of the current provinces!]
After
the executive, legislature restricts media’s access:
At least two parliamentary committees have refused to
allow journalists to cover their meetings, while both
the Prime Minister’s Office and Home Ministry have
also imposed restrictions, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
19/02/2020) [This is a serious
violation of Article 27 of the Constitution, which
guarantees all citizens the right to information. It
is the duty and right of the media to provide this
information without restriction (article 19).]
Chinese
Embassy takes exception to article carried by Post on
coronavirus: The Post on its February 18 edition had
carried an op-ed, previously published by The Korean
Herald, about China’s handling of the outbreak (kp
19/02/2020), Journalists
and diplomats seriously concerned over Chinese embassy
statement: The Chinese embassy’s statement objecting
to an article published by the Post is against press
freedom and breaches diplomatic protocol, they say,
by Anil Giri and Tika R. Pradhan (kp 20/02/2020),
Why
China’s statement targeting The Post is a cause for
concern: The Chinese embassy’s statement, ultimately,
is not just about the Post, or its Editor-in-Chief. It
is a rebuke to not bite the hand that feeds (kp
20/02/2020), Editors
condemn Chinese ambassador’s statement (ht
20/02/2020)
Shadow
of impunity: Election of Agni Sapkota to the post of
House Speaker looked like a state-sponsored drama
orchestrated by undermining criminal accountability,
by Charan Prasai (rep 19/02/2020)
Conflict
victims warn non-cooperation to the transitional
justice commission until Act is amended: Chief of
disappearance enquiry commission assures ‘fair and
impartial investigations’, by Binod Ghimire (kp
19/02/2020)
CIEDP
making final-round probe into disappearance cases
(rep 19/02/2020)
Mahara’s
acquittal and Tumbahangphe’s elevation to minister
will have lasting effects, analysts say: While Krishna
Bahadur Mahara was acquitted of attempted rape
charges, Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe was appointed
minister for law, both on the same day, by Tika R.
Pradhan (kp 18/02/2020) [Without
clarification and disclosure of the full circumstances
of the Mahara case, the decision remains
unsatisfactory!]
Teacher
accused of molestation, primary schoolgirls request
school authorities for investigation, by Ujjwal
Satyal (ht 17/02/2020), Justice
likely to elude children allegedly molested by their
school teacher, by Ujjwal Satyal (ht 18/02/2020),
Guardians
offer to get teacher booked, by Ujjwal Satyal (ht
19/02/2020), School
teacher accused of molesting students arrested: Police
act after principal finally files FIR, by Ujjwal
Satyal (ht 20/02/2020)
NHRC
reports dismal state of Nepali women (ht
16/02/2020) [see report
by NHRC]
Fear
the threat: If the state fails to control corruption,
ensure accountability and provide basic needs such as
food, shelter, clothes, education, health and
employment, threat of insurgency will always loom,
by Suresh Sharma (rep 16/02/2020)
Karnali
reeling under food shortage: Six districts out of 10
in the province are not able to meet the demand for
food (ht 16/02/2020)
Jails
in Karnali Province overcrowded, by Ganesh Bishu
(rep 16/02/2020)
Rural
municipality chair accused of coercing a Dalit woman
into abortion: Jaya Bahadur Chemjong is among seven
people accused of forcing a Dalit woman to abort her
fetus at 21 weeks as she was in an intercaste
marriage, district police say, by Ananda Gautam
(kp 15/02/2020)
‘Negligent’
officials in Nirmala Pant case could be exonerated:
Review committee endorses police move to arrest Dilip
Singh Bista, by Shuvam Dgungana (kp 14/02/2020)
VAW
complaints up (ht 14/02/2020)
Despite
robust legal provisions, pregnant women still find it
difficult to get maternity leave: The law mandates a
total of 98 days of maternity leave, with 60 days
fully paid, but most private employers fail to comply
and women are hesitant to ask, by Elisha Shrestha
(kp 13/02/2020), Maternity
leave: Women are discriminated against in the
workplace (kp 14/02/2020)
Maoist
insurgency aftermath: Waiting for son,waiting for
daughter, by Devendra Basnet and Nagendra
Upadhyaya (rep 13/02/2020)
‘Herstory’
repeats itself: The misogynic politics of all
political parties mustered to make women the political
underdogs of Nepal, by Chandra Bhadra (kp
13/02/2020)
All
10 prisons in Gandaki Province in dismal state,
lawmakers find: A committee comprising members of the
provincial assembly suggests immediate reforms, by
Pratikshya Kafle (kp 13/02/2020)
'Elderly
people biggest hurdle to campaign against chhaupadi',
by Jagat Khadka (rep 12/02/2020)
Nirmala
murder mystery: Police get nod to probe Dilip Bista
again (ht 11/02/2020), I’ll
become a different person if justice prevails: Durga
Devi, by Anjali Subedi (rep 11/02/2020)
Visiting
Canada senate speaker not scheduled to meet Agni
Sapkota (rep 11/02/2020) [This
reflects the image of Nepal's rule of law abroad!]
National
Human Rights Commission directs government to take
immediate measures to evacuate Nepalis from China’s
Hubei province: The rights body, in a statement, has
also decided to call government officials to take
stock of the situation of Nepali’s in the disease-hit
area and the government’s effort to bring its citizen
back, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 10/02/2020)
Transitional
justice commissions have not taken any steps to bring
victims and rights activists on board: Disappearance
commission is preparing its work plan without
consulting with conflict victims, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 08/02/2020)
Home
Minister misled Parliament over extrajudicial killing
of Kumar Paudel: Home Ministry has instructed Nepal
Police to take action against officers involved in the
killing, even though Minister Thapa had said that
Paudel died in an encounter, by Binod Ghimire (kp
07/02/2020)
Supreme
Court quashes contempt of court case against Kantipur:
The case was filed two years ago over a series of
stories published in Kantipur daily on then chief
justice Gopal Prasad Parajuli (kp 07/02/2020)
Dalit
children drop out of school due to poverty, by
Janak KC (rep 06/02/2020)
The
quest for a conformist press: Media entrepreneurs are
happy to sing along the tune of triumphant political
and economic masters, by CK Lal (kp 05/02/2020))
Oli
says govt wants to create civilised society: Says
media should not cross limit, by Rupak D, Sharma
(ht 05/02/2020) [Please
start by replacing the politicians who constantly
cross limit!]
Ganga
Maya knocks on UN’s door for justice (ht
05/02/2020), Ganga
Maya seeks justice with UN Resident Coordinator
(rep 05/02/2020)
Law
ministry starts drafting transitional justice law
amendment without victims onboard: Activist says bill
being prepared in the darkrooms cannot be expected to
deliver, by Binod Ghimire (kp 04/02/2020) [Nepalese
understanding of justice: The perpetrators are
involved in leading roles, but the representatives of
the victims are excluded!], Sushil
Pyakurel: The longer the transitional justice process,
the more complex it will become: The human rights
activist on his resignation as president’s advisor and
the transitional justice process (interview) (kp
04/02/2020)
Early
marriages common in Rolpa, by Dinesh Subedi (rep
04/02/2020)
Unable
to trust adults, rescued children end up back on the
streets: While on the streets, children are often
physically and sexually abused and end up addicted to
drugs, which can cause them to relapse once rescued,
by Elisha Shrestha (kp 04/02/2020), Mean
streets: Make sure that the children enjoy their
rights in practice (kp 05/02/2020)
Minor
raped in Bara (ht 04/02/2020)
Cops
involved in killing CPN leader to face action: Police
had fired nine shots to kill Kumar Poudel on the banks
of the Lakhandehi River in Lalbandi, Sarlahi, by
Ujjwal Satyal (ht 04/02/2020)
Victims
of police torture deprived of justice (ht
04/02/2020)
Citizens
still deprived of fundamental rights in lack of
regulations, by Ashok Dahal (rep 03/02/2020)
Student’s
arrest from university library prompts questions over
intent: The student, who was released after 24 hours
in custody, had in his possession a book by an Indian
politician which police said was only read by
“terrorists”, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 03/02/2020) [????]
Nepal:
Stalled Justice, by S. Binodkumar Singh (SAIR
03/02/2020)
National
Human Rights Commission appointees should be
independent and competent: The commission is in danger
of ending its term in disrepute, largely over its role
in relation to transitional justice, by Mohna
Ansari (kp 02/02/2020)
Children
at high risk of sexual exploitation in Nepal: Report
(ht 02/02/2020) [see ECPAT
International report]
Dharan
SSP booked for rape, suspended (ht 01/02/2020)
54-yr-old
man arrested on the charge of raping 4-yr-old girl,
by Madan Thakur (rep 01/02/2020)
Government
drafts action plan to eliminate child labour: Many
children have been found to be employed in informal
sectorsr (ht 01/02/2020)
Freedom
of expression is under attack and transitional justice
stalled in Nepal, rights group says: Amnesty
International in its global report has painted a bleak
picture of Nepal’s human rights situation and pointed
at government’s regressive ways to restrict freedom,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 31/01/2020) [see
AI report on Nepal], Shrinking
democratic space raises AI’s concern: Nepal government
resorted to methods to curtail the freedom of
expression in 2019 (ht), Amnesty
concerned over shrinking freedoms in Nepal (rep
31/01/2020)
Bid
to enact restrictive laws opposed; FNJ calls for
redrafting controversial Media Council Bill (ht
31/01/2020), FNJ:
Licensing exam for journalists against constitutional
spirit (rep 31/01/2020)
What
is the controversy over Agni Sapkota as Speaker all
about? Ever since the ruling Nepal Communist Party
selected Sapkota as its candidate for Speaker of the
House, rights activists and conflict victims have
protested the decision, by Mohan Guragain (kp
30/01/2020)
Preventing
medical negligence: Medical negligence needs a serious
and speedy attention from the government to provide
justice to the victims and guarantee non-recurrence,
by Udayan Regmi (rep 30/01/2020)
Media
for change: Nepali media has to work more boldly and
inquiringly toward nourishing Nepal’s
production-centric economy, neutralizing fatalism that
resides deeper in the public psyche, by Mohan
Nepali (rep 30/01/2020)
Supreme
Court refrains from squashing Sapkota’s election as
Speaker: Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla refused to issue
an interim order but instructed the Home Ministry and
police to present a progress report on the case within
30 days, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 29/01/2020) [Someone accused of such a capital
crime is not qualified for public office as long as
his innocence has not been proven in court!], SC
rejects stay order against speaker, calls for detailed
murder probe report (rep 29/01/2020)
Civil
servants spreading awareness against chhaupadi in
Bajura (ht 29/01/2020)
Respect
the press: The media played a vital role in Nepal’s
transition to a republic (kp 29/01/2020)
Children
of conflict victims deprived of scholarship provided
by the state: Conflict victims demand an amendment to
the act and removal of the age and number limit for
the scholarship, by Amrita Anmol (kp 28/01/2020) [Those responsible for the killings
are not deprived of anything but are promoted to
highest positions!]
Conflict
victims still hopeful, but not sure about getting
justice (rep 28/01/2020), Message
of impunity (rep 28/01/2020)
Activists
continue protest against Sapkota’s election as HoR
speaker, 12 arrested (ht 28/01/2020), Sapkota’s
challenges: The ruling party should have reconsidered
Sapkota’s candidacy as Speaker given his murky past
and that his case is sub-judice in court (ht
28/01/2020) [Sapkota's
nomination was made deliberately, despite all the
unsolved crime accusations!], Activists
protesting speaker appointment arrested (rep
28/01/2020))
NA
committee endorses Media Council Bill (ht
28/01/2020), House
panel removes Rs 1m fine for journalists, by Ashok
Dahal (rep 28/01/2020), Amend
further: Media Council Bill (rep 29/01/2020)
Conflict
victims threaten to ask UN to intervene in TJ process
(rep 27/01/2020)
Sapkota
becomes Speaker amid concerns from conflict victims
and rights watchdogs: The House elected the former
Maoist leader unopposed, hours after a court hearing
on a writ against him was stalled, by Tika R.
Pradhan (kp 27/01/2020) [R.I.P.
democracy, human rights and rule of law!], Sapkota
elected HoR speaker unopposed, by Ram Kumar Kamat
(ht 27/01/2020)), Speaker
election hearing put off till today (ht
27/01/2020)
Local
levels told to establish fund for GBV victims (ht
27/0/2020)
Women’s
concerns won’t be addressed unless they are at the
decision-making level, interview with Binda
Pandey, NCP (kp 27/01/2020)
Awareness
drive launched to end chhaupadi (ht 26/01/2020)
International
rights bodies warn Nepal’s conflict victims could seek
justice in foreign courts: Recent appointments to
transitional justice commissions and nomination of a
person accused of killing as Speaker undermined
transitional justice, the rights orgsanisations say,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 26/01/2020), Recent
Nepal steps undermine TJ process: Int’l rights bodies
(rep 26/01/2020) [see statement
by ICJ, AI, HRW and TRIAL]
NCP
urged to reconsider Sapkota’s nomination (kp
26/01/2020)
Who
will save Nepalis awaiting execution in foreign lands?
As a country that has done away with the death
penalty, it is up to the Nepal government to make all
efforts to rescue its citizens from being executed
abroad, rights activists say, by Chandan Kumar
Mandal (kp 26/01/2020)
Petition
at Supreme Court demands Agni Sapkota’s arrest: The
petition, filed by advocate Dinesh Tripathi, also asks
that Sapkota’s nomination for Speaker of the House be
dismissed, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 25/01/2020), President’s
advisor resigns over Sapkota’s nomination as House
Speaker: Sushil Pyakurel, one of the petitioners in
the murder case against Sapkota, resigned after being
asked to withdraw the case by ruling party members,
by Anil Giri (kp 25/01/2020), President’s
political advisor Sushil Pyakurel quits (ht
25/01/2020)
Bill
of surveillance: Special Service Bill provides
unrestricted right to the government to collect
information via supervision and interception of
communication of any person or organization. This is
dangerous, by Roshani Giri and Harihar Khadka (rep
25/01/2020)
Prakash
Osti runs into controversy for his nod to transitional
justice nominations: Osti represented National Human
Rights Commission in the committee that nominated
officials on Saturday at political parties’ behest,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 24/01/2020) [It
should not be called controversy but total
disqualification! This looks like party political
bondage of the NHRC representative!]
Police,
local reps destroy chhau huts in Dadeldhura district
(ht 24/01/2020), 241
chhaugoths demolished in Dailekh (rep 24/01/2020)
For
most transgender women, sex work remains the only way
to make a living: Faced with discriminatory hiring
practices, most transgender individuals are unable to
get jobs and resort to sex work, which comes with its
own hazards, by Elisha Shrestha (kp 24/01/2020)
Civil
society vows to protest until Sapkota’s nomination for
Speaker is dismissed: Agni Sapkota, who is accused of
murder, is certain to become Speaker of the House as
he is running unopposed, by Binod Ghimire (kp
23/01/2020)
Nationalists unite:
Oli’s ramblings could very well have come from Trump’s
mouth: Self-aggrandisation and cracking down on
enemies—Trump and Oli share not the best of traits,
by Deepak Thapa (kp 23/01/2020)
Lack
of laws affects implementation of fundamental rights
(ht 23/01/2020)
Nepal,
China to hand over nationals illegally crossing mutual
border, by Kosh Raj Koirala (rep 23/01/2020) [As was to be expected, this means
that in future Tibetans fleeing from the Chinese
occupying forces in their home country will be handed
over to the Chinese occupying power.]
Mockery
of press freedom: The year 2019 saw more incidents
related to press freedom violation than in the past
seven years, by Bhanu Bhakta Acharya (kp
23/01/2020)
Govt
urged to rectify controversial IT Bill (ht
22/01/2020)
Patriarchy
stronger than monarchy, says Tumbahangphe after
quitting (ht 21/01/2020)
Underage
mothers regret early marriage, by Mukti Narayan
Neupane (rep 21/01/2020)
Women
urge for 'brainwashing' along with strict measures
against Chhaupadi, by Jagat Khadka (rep
20/01/2020)
Conflict
victims and human rights activists cry foul over Agni
Sapkota for Speaker: Sapkota, who faces a murder
charge for an insurgency-era killing, has been
proposed for House Speaker by the ruling party, by
Anil Giri and Tika R. Pradhan (kp 20/01/2020) [The NCP proves once again that it
protects and encourages potential murderers. People
who take responsibility for the murder of 5000 people
decide on this. The NCP's commitment to peace,
justice, the rule of law and social inclusion proves
to be a sheer mockery!],
Justice
as elusive as ever: The government has been leading
the conflict victims in circles (kp 20/01/2020), Pipe
dream: It’s unfortunate that the political leadership
just wants to put to rest Nepal’s transitional justice
process (ht 20/01/2020), NCP
nominates Sapkota for speaker’s post, by Roshan S.
Nepal (ht 20/01/2020), NCP
picks Agni Sapkota for speaker (rep 20/01/2020), An
insult of conflict victims: Rights activists, lawyers
(rep 20/01/2020), Proposing
a murder accused for Speaker is mocking public
opinion: The ruling party’s decision to propose Agni
Sapkota is doing Parliament no good. In fact, it is
self-destructive (kp 21/01/2020), ‘How
can someone responsible for murdering my husband be
elected speaker?’, by Madhusudhan Guragain (rep
22/01/2020)
Conflict
victims condemn parties for bulldozing decision on
transitional justice appointments: After an agreement
between ruling and opposition forces, recommendation
committee picks 10 individuals, all with affiliation
to political parties, by Binod Ghimire (kp
19/01/2020) [Those who share
responsibility for so many crimes will never provide
justice! Dahal, Deuba, Ex-King Gyanendra and the top
brass of the army had highest responsibility!],
Mockery
of justice (rep 19/01/2020), CVCP
objects to nomination of TJ bodies’ office bearers
(ht 20/01/2020))
Shamans
join hands to end Chhau practice, by DB Budha (rep
19/01/2020)
Dahal
says he will take responsibility for insurgency deaths
but his actions don’t match his words: Victims say he
is delaying the justice process, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 18/01/2020), How
a photo has come to symbolise long wait for justice:
Muktinath Adhikari, a teacher and a member of Amnesty
International Nepal, was killed in Lamjung 18 years
ago by the Maoists (kp 18/01/2020)
NCP
and NC inch closer to revising TJ law: A meeting
between Oli, Dahal and Deuba scheduled for Friday
evening has been deferred until Saturday morning
(rep 18/01/2020) [TJ cannot be
provided by those who are resposible and partly even
have admitted to be responsible!]
Implementation
status of women’s rights dismal: HRW (ht
18/01/2020)
Puppy
love marriages destroying young lives (ht
17/01/2020)
Tipping
point on menstrual banishment in Nepal: It is when
local women take the lead to end the practice that it
is most effective, by Marty Logan (nt 17/01/2020)
AI
urges Parliament to amend draconian bills (ht
17/01/2020), Amnesty
Int’l urges parliament to amend disputed bills
(rep 17/01/2020)
Nepal
failed to ensure justice for conflict victims, as the
government continued to stifle freedom of expression,
Human Rights Watch says: The rights body’s World
Report 2020 has also taken note of draconian
legislation and controversial decisions that the Oli
administration has made in the past year (kp
16/01/2020) [see HRW
report on Nepal], Nepal
turning into land of injustice: Rights watchdog
(ht 16/01/2020), HRW
raps govt over failures in transitional justice,
freedom of expression (rep 16/01/2020)
Transitional
Justice Deadlock, by Mukti Rijal (rn 16/01/2020),
Justice
still eludes conflict victims a decade after peace
accord, by Rekha Bhusal (rep 16/01/2020)
Dahal
ready to own up 5,000 deaths during insurgency: Says
state killed 12,000 people (ht 16/01/2020) [It does not matter who is
responsible for more killings! They all have to stand
trial for this: Maoists, politicians, army leaders,
ex-king etc.], Dahal
says he’s responsible for killing 5,000, not 17,000
(rep 16/01/2020) [If you admit that you are
resposible for the killing of 5,000 people you should
resign from all offices immediately!!], Law
enforcement bodies should act on Dahal’s public
confession, by Ananta Raj Luitel (rep 17/01/20101)
Young
girls taking one step at a time to fight menstrual
banishment: Although complete eradication of the
practice seems like a far cry at the moment, various
anti-Chhaupadi campaigns launched by young women have
paved a way to fight against the practice, by
Tularam Pandey (kp 15/01/2020)
Widows
in Nepal still need to fight for their property right:
Despite legal provisions that ensure widows’ rights to
the property of their husbands, implementation has
been impeded by societal norms and customs, by
Elisha Shrestha (kp 15/01/2020)
Peace
minus justice: The promises made under the
Comprehensive Peace Accord have been thrown to the
winds, by Daman Nath Dhungana (kp 15/01/2020)
Conflict
victims decry government’s consultations as a sham:
The consultations were not aimed at ensuring justice
but simply at showing the world that feedback was
collected, victims say, by Binod Ghimire (kp
14/01/2020), Consultations
held with stakeholders amid rift among victims (ht
14/01/2020)
Police
intervene rally demanding justice for Nirmala Pant:
Security personnel used force on women rights
activists who were protesting in front of the
Kanchanpur District Court seeking justice for Nirmala
Pant, by Bhawani Bhatta (kp 14/01/2020)
Most
homeless people suffer from mental health problems,
but there’s little help for them: The stigma against
mental illness has meant that people with psychosocial
problems are often neglected and abandoned, ending up
on the streets, by Elisha Shrestha (kp 13/01/2020)
Child
marriage, child labour still remain major challenges
in Rolpa: The local level had made efforts from
running awareness campaigns to introducing mid-day
meals in government schools in a bid to ensure child
rights, by Kashiram Dangi (kp 13/01/2010)
Government
rescues hundreds of children every year but does
little for their care: Children are usually put up in
transit homes before they are either handed over to
other shelters or their families, by Shuvam
Dhungana (kp 12/01/2020)
Two
rape cases reported in valley, suspects held (ht
12/01/2020)
Around
40 percent of pregnant women undergo unsafe delivery
in Jajarkot: Although the government has been running
the Safe Motherhood Programme as part of its bid to
ensure safe births in remote areas, only a few people
are getting benefits from the programme, by Bhim
Bahadur Singh (kp 12/01/2020)
Closing
the border isn’t an option: There is no reason why
Rohingyas will not be able to successfully integrate
into Nepali society, by Maximillian Morch (kp
12/01/2020)
Organisations
gear up for protest against IT bill saying it will
curb freedom of expression: Even within the ruling
party, some leaders have been raising voices against
the bill, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 11/01/2020)
Youth
crushed to death by tipper for protesting illegal
extraction of riverbed materials in Dhanusa:
Twenty-four-year-old Dilip Kumar Mahato was struck and
dragged by the tipper driver, say police, by
Santosh Singh (kp 11/01/2020) [Not
only the direct murderers are responsible, but also
the idle and disinterested government and
administration!]
Conflict
victims say their hope on Pradeep Gyawali might have
been misplaced: Gyawali, who had appeared sympathetic
to the cause of conflict victims, is also moving ahead
on transitional justice without taking victims into
confidence, by Binod Gjhimire (kp 09/01/2020)
Nepal’s
arrest and deportation of 122 Chinese raise legal and
ethical questions: The Chinese were deported despite
Nepal Police’s failure to establish any criminal
charges against them—and to a country that practices
capital punishment, by Anil Giri (kp 09/01/2020)
School
teacher held on charge of beating and injuring
student: The victim’s family lodged a complaint with
the police on Sunday and urged authorities to take
strong against the guilty, by Sanju Poudel (kp
07/01/2020)
At
a community school in Salyan, there are no teachers:
The municipal office reportedly transferred the last
remaining teacher of the school to another
institution, citing low enrolment numbers, by
Biplab Maharjan (kp 07/01/2020)
Children
left behind are the hidden costs of labour migration:
Labour migration leads to transnational families which
are often dysfunctional, causing adverse psychological
impacts on children and adolescents at home, by
Elisha Shrestha (kp 07/01/2020)
MPs
demand court nod for tapping personal phone calls
(rep 07/01/2020), Internet
service providers open to criminal liability under new
IT bill (rep 07/01/2020)
Transitional
justice: This time around, the government must not go
back on its promise (kp 06/01/2020), NHRC’s
threat to withdraw its member from ex-CJ-led panel
(ht 06/01/2020), Amend
the TRC Act: It makes no sense in appointing members
in the TRC and CIEDP without amending the TRC Act in
line with the Supreme Court verdict (ht
06/01/2020), Victims
want a say in TJ Act amendment (ht 07/01/2020), Consultations
to be held in all 7 provinces to expedite TJ process
(rep 07/01/2020)
Adults
with Down syndrome don’t just need sympathy—they need
jobs: A job can provide people with Down syndrome with
not just an income but also a sense of belonging and
identity, by Elisha Shrestha (kp 05/01/2020)
Law
Ministry aims to get Transitional Justice Act amended
from ongoing session of Parliament: Foreign Minister
Pradeep Gyawali, also the law minister now, who has
made commitments from various platforms including the
United Nations, is taking the lead for amendments,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 05/01/2020), TRC,
CIEDP office bearers to be named soon: Conflict
victims, rights activists say justice won’t be served
without amending TRC Act (ht
For
Nepali women seeking work in the Gulf, new routes and
old risks: Despite restrictions from traveling to the
Gulf countries, desperate Nepali women are falling
into traps of trafficking agents who are exploiting
new routes to take them out of the country, by
Parbat Portel (kp 04/01/2020)
'We
don't follow Chhaupadi', by Dhan Bahadur Budha (kp
04/01/2020)
572
India-bound girls, women missing (ht 04/01/2020)
The
current government is breathing down our necks: The
Information Technology Bill will asphyxiate freedom of
speech and expression, by Sushrey Nepal (kp
03/01/2020)
Nepalgunj
prison inmates end agitation following agreement
(ht 03/01/2020)
As
the government pushes ahead with IT Bill, rights
watchdog expresses concern: The bill in its current
form infringes on the fundamental freedom of
expression, says the National Human Rights Commission,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 02/1/2020)
Child
marriage continues unabated in Dang: Activists
advocating against child marriage say most children
succumb to family pressure and there’s no help
forthcoming from authorities (kp 02/01/2020)
Probe
panel formed to look into activities of children’s
homes (ht 01/01/2020)
Without
proper sanitation facilities, girls keep missing
school during menstruation: While menstrual taboos
already lead girls to miss school, a lack of water and
sanitation at schools only pushes them to stay away,
by Elisha Shrestha (kp 31/12/2019)
Attacked
and violated: From Chhaupadi death to incidents of
sexual exploitation to cases of acid attacks, there
was no let-up in incidents of violence against girls
and women in 2019, by Elisha Shrestha (kp
31/12/2019)
Curtailing
civil liberties in Nepal, one legislation at a time:
The KP Sharma Oli-led government has been repeatedly
criticised for trying to curb dissent through its laws
and policies, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp 31/12/2019)
Pushpa
Kamal Dahal calls the press “bourgeois media”, and the
Nepali internet isn’t taking any of it: Dahal’s
disdain towards critical voices in the press and
social media receives flak and ridicule, b y
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 31/12/2019)
Rape
accused godman freed on bail (ht 31/12/2019) [??]
Sugarcane
farmers march to Kathmandu as their dues keep on
piling: There are around 15,000 farmers engaged in
commercial sugarcane farming in Sarlahi alone, by
Krishana Prasain (kp 30/12/2019), House
panel tells government to make sugar mills pay farmers
their money: Protesting cane growers from Sarlahi say
they have not been paid for five years, by
Krishana Prasain (kp 31/12/2019), Sugarcane
farmers high and dry as mills delay payment since
years, by Rajesh Khanal (rep 31/12/2019), ‘If
I lose my land, I will hang myself’: Owed more than
Rs1 billion by sugar mills, sugarcane farmers are
afraid their creditors will begin seizing their land,
by Krishana Prasain (kp 01/01/2020), Arrest
absconding mill operator: Govt (ht 01/01/2020), NHRC
demands justice for farmers: Says state should not
deviate from its duty to protect its citizens (ht
01/01/2020)
House
panel passes controversial IT Bill disregarding dozens
of amendment proposals: In an attempt to regulate the
cyberspace, the government has given itself enormous
new powers to curb online content, experts say, by
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 30/12/2019), HoR
panel passes ‘restrictive’ IT Bill, by Ram Kumar
Kamat (ht 30/12/2019), Government
tables bill that will allow intelligence agencies to
listen in to private conversations: Provisions in the
bill contradict the spirit of the constitutional
rights to freedom of expression and privacy, analysts
say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 31/12/2019), Shades
of Panchayat: The KP Sharma Oli administration is
putting the squeeze on freedom of speech (kp
31/12/2019), Draconian
bill: The parliamentary panel should have held wider
consultations with the stakeholders before endorsing
it with majority vote (ht 31/12/2019)
Polluted
air spikes respiratory illness: The govt standard for
unhealthy air is way above WHO’s, by Sabitri
Dhakal (ht 29/12/2019)) [And
the government is doing nothing!]
Battle
against Chhaupadi in Karnali: Govt gets aggressive,
but people’s blind belief too strong (rep
29/12/2019)
National
conference on sexual harassment held (ht
29/12/2019)
Catch
the momentum (rep 29/12/2019)
NHRC
stresses enacting rights friendly laws: House panel,
PAs told to issue directives against rights violations
(ht 28/12/2019)
Addressing
The Issue Of Gender Violence, by Indu Pant Ghimire
and Saurav Raj Pant (rn 28/12/2019)
Government
and police fail to abide by human rights commission’s
recommendation: The commission two months ago had
recommended action against police officials involved
in extrajudicial killing of Kumar Paudel, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 26/12/2019)
Breaking
the chain: Human trafficking under the guise of labour
migration has become one of the most severe problems
faced by Nepali migrant workers in recent times,
by Anurag Devkota (kp 26/12/2019)
New
bill ensures reproductive rights of inmates (kp
26/12/2019)
Quake
victims waiting for housing grant (ht 26/12/2019)
Suffering
in silence: The deep-seated stigma against
menstruation and disability has led to biased and
prejudice understanding of the issue and triggered
discriminatory practices at the cost of their
wellbeing, by Obindra B. Chand and Romi Giri (rep
26/12/2019)
No
help at home for women migrants who come back with
babies: When women migrants get pregnant out of
wedlock, they are generally evicted from their
destination countries and come back to stigma at home,
by Elisha Shrestha (kp 25/12/2019)
Dahal
defers proposal to make party secretariat more
inclusive: The proposal, tabled by two women standing
committee members, envisions turning the all-male
nine-member secretariat into a 15-member inclusive
body, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 25/12/2019) [This
reflects the arrogance of the male Bahun elite that
dominates all political parties and tries to uphold
the non-inclusive state at any cost!]
Govt
to act tough against those who encourage Chhaupadi
(ht 25/12/2019)
NHRC
urges govt to ensure fundamental rights of citizens
(ht 25/12/2019)
Call
for survivor-friendly approach to investigate human
trafficking cases: Experts urge adopting Forensic
Experiential Trauma Interviews approach for better
dealing with survivors and investigating such cases,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 24/12/2019)
Bangladeshis
are being trafficked into Nepal, but most cases go
unreported: The Embassy of Bangladesh in Kathmandu
receives two to three cases of labour trafficking
every month, by Eliha Shrestha (kp 24/12/2019)
Female
jailbirds stage protest (ht 21/12/2019), Probe
into Naike starts, two inmates transferred (ht
22/12/2019)
Growing
inequalities: A painful reality of the 21st Century:
What could be more depressing than realising that
irrespective of one’s ability, the outcome is still
guided by gender, ethnicity, and parents' wealth?,
by Madhukar Upadhya (kp 20/12/2019)
A
rural municipality in Salyan launches campaign against
child marriage: The campaign is being launched in view
of the increasing incidents of child marriage across
the district, by Biplav Maharjan (kp 20/12/2019)
Sexual
violence case involving faculty member settled in
school (ht 20/12/2019) [????
Such cases cannot be settled but must be puniushed!]
Birgunj
High Court seeks suggestions from lawyers to transfer
Aftab Alam’s case away from his hometown: Government
attorney appealed for a transfer of the case following
threats from the lawmaker who has been charged with
mass murder, by Binod Ghimire (kp 20/12/2019)
Dahal’s
proposal to set up mechanism for transitional justice
raises alarm: Conflict victims and human rights
defenders say it is wrong to have a political body
that influences the commissions, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 19/12/2019)
Saving
daughters: Karnali Province deserves praise for
initiating the bold step to save daughters, an idea
never thought out by the Centre (ht 19/12/2019)
A
crisis centre provides relief to victims of violence
in Janakpur: The centre was built nine years after the
state said it would set up such centres in several
other districts, by Shahiman Rai (kp 18/12/2019)
Government
tables bill allowing intelligence agencies to
intercept personal conversation: Rights defenders and
main opposition object to the bill, saying it
infringes upon people’s right to privacy and
individual freedom, by Binod Ghimire (kp
17/12/2019) [Is Nepal more and
more turning into an the authoritarian control state?],
New
bill lets govt snoop on citizens: Comes under fire
from rights activists, lawyers and NC, by Ram
Kumar Kamat (ht 17/12/2019), Big
Brother is listening: The government has once again
shown its tendency towards authoritarianism. It must
stop (kp 18/12/2019), Ensure
privacy right: It would be in the interest of the
government not to push the bill through the Parliament
on the strength of its near two-thirds majority
(ht 18/12/2019)
Scores
of Nepali migrant workers go missing every year in
foreign lands: Most missing persons are either in jail
and cannot contact their families or have chosen to
voluntarily break contact after starting new families,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 17/12/2019)
One
year since the sexual abuse exposé: It would be a
disservice to all if we forget the survivors of
Lalitpur Madhyamik Vidhyalaya and the victims in so
many other schools, by Monika Niroula (kp
17/12/2019)
Jailbirds
reeling under drinking water, sanitation woes in
Syangja (ht 17/12/2019)
Ending
the stigma of menstruation: How many girls must die
before we realize that Chhaupadi in all its forms must
stop? Three-month jail time or Rs 3,000 fine is not
enough to stop this brutal practice, by Sakun
Gajurel (rep 16/12/2019)
The
government must ensure it establishes the consumer
court expeditiously: Consumer courts enable consumers
to make the best choices based on their interests and
prevent them from being mistreated (kp 16/12/2019)
Rape
cases on the rise, by Ujjwal Satyal (ht
16/12/2019)
Prison
capacity increased to 15,466: Jails across Nepal are
cramped with over 23, (ht 16/12/2019)
Women
deliver: Let them handle GBV, by Chanda Chaudhary
(ht 16/12/2019)
Police
inspector among three killed in Dhanusha blast: No one
has claimed responsibility for the midnight blast,
by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 15/12/2019)
CDOs
instructed to form anti-chhaupadi mechanisms,
intensify campaigns (rep 15/12/2019)
“They
turned me into a living corpse”: For victims of the
Maoist insurgency, no justice and no peace: Over 13
years after the peace agreement, transitional justice
process has largely been held hostage to partisan
interests, with both the political parties and Army
playing for time, by Binod Ghimire (kp 14/12/2019)
Amend
act on human trafficking: NHRC (ht 14/12/2019)
Evidence
to prosecute Dr Rohit Kumar Jha for attempt to rape
insufficient (ht 14/12/2019)
Families
are sites of love and affection but also violence and
discrimination: A new report by UN Women points to the
dual role of families in Nepal, where 26 percent of
women face domestic violence, by Elisha Shrestha
(kp 13/12/2019)
Let’s
talk about the queer: Bringing LGBTIQ discussions to
the mainstream at WOW festival, as the community
struggles for social acceptance, by Srizu
Bajracharya (kp13/12/2019)
High
pollution level taking toll on public health, says
NHRC (ht 13/12/2019)
‘Big
sisters’ work to rescue Nepali child brides (ht
13/12/2019)
Everything
you need to know about Chhaupadi, the taboo ritual of
banishing women to period huts: Legal actions and
social campaigns have failed to make people in Nepal’s
remote western regions understand the urgency of
abolishing the deadly tradition, by Elisha
Shrestha (kp 12/12/2019)
Exploitation
continues unabated at Kathmandu’s dance bars and
dohori restaurants: As such informal entertainment
venues are not regulated by the government, there is
ample room for labour exploitation and physical and
sexual harassment, by Elisha Shrestha (kp
12/12/2019)
Rape
incidents up in Saptari (ht 12/12/2019), Three,
including ward chair, held for attempt to rape (ht
12/12/2019)
South
Asian states urged to end culture of impunity (rep
12/12/2019)
Female
deputy speakers of various provinces complain of being
given rights, but no responsibilit: The task of the
deputy speaker is to run the house in the speaker’s
absence but the position doesn’t allow one to take
decisions independently, by Pratiksha Kafle (kp
11/12/2019)
Nepal
moves up in Human Development Index but still lags
behind in South Asia. Nepal’s human development index
of 0.579 indicates that people are living longer, are
more educated and have greater incomes, according to
the Human Development Report, by Sangam Prasain
(kp 11/12/2019) [see
UNDP report on Nepal], Lack
of health facilities deprives Nepalis of medical care:
Concerned government agencies are responsible for
inequalities in human development, experts say, by
Arjun Poudel [kp], Gender
inequality continues to plague Nepal: The country has
made progress in areas such as life expectancy but
there is still a long way to go before it attains
gender equality (kp 12/12/2019), Ending
inequalities: Most of the countries in South Asia are
way ahead of Nepal, making it more and more difficult
to catch up with them (ht 12/12/2019)
Overall
human rights situation dismal: NHRC (ht
11/12/2019)
Abused
and forced to flee: How unchecked superstition
displaced a family in Dolakha: Belief in superstition
and the abuse of human rights that comes with it is
widespread in this mountainous district of about
200,000 people, by Rajendra Manandhar (kp
11/12/2019)
Nagarik
reporter injured in police assault, by Rajan Shah
(rep 11/12/2019), Criminal
case filed against police over assault on Nagarik
journalist (rep 18/12/2019)
Police
want to be friends with the community but they act
more like foes: Time and again, police quickly resort
to baton charges and physical violence to deal with
protests, even when unnecessary, by Anup Ojha (kp
11/12/2019)
LGBT
community seeks an end to discrimination (ht
11/12/2019)
Nepali
women say they are not just ‘cheli’ but individuals in
their own right: Many have protested the media’s use
of the word ‘cheli’ to refer to women athletes,
arguing that it is patronising and demeaning, by
Ankit Khadgi (kp 10/12/2019)
Violence
against differently-abled women goes largely
unreported, by Anjali Subedi (rep 10/12/2019)
‘Protecting
human rights a challenge’ (ht 09/12/2019)
What
should NHRC do? While NHRC has to do the regular job
of protecting and promoting human rights, it also has
to ensure that those people who grossly violated human
rights are punished, by Mohna Ansari (rep
09/12/2019)
Time
to think out of the box: If we had tackled this
problem from women’s health perspectives rather than
cultural taboos, perhaps the woman who died in
Chhaupadi shed would be among us today, by
Mukesh Adhikari (rep 09/12/2019) [Chhaupadi
is an archaic and perverse tradition that has its
origin in the morbid delusion of superiority of a
deeply patriarchal way of thinking. This crime against
women must be eradicated if women's health is to be
protected.]
Continued
political interference is weakening crucial
constitutional bodies: Though such commissions are
envisioned as independent agencies, parties have not
allowed them to function independently, experts say,
by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 08/12/2019)
Madhesi
inclusion in judiciary still a far cry (ht
08/12/2019)
Brick
kiln workers’ health at risk, by Sabitri Dhakal
(ht 08/12/2019)
Pact
to enhance quality of services for kids inked (ht
07/12/2019)
‘Collective
effort needed to curb rape’ (ht 06/12/2019)
Banke
District Prison in sorry state (ht 06/12/2019)
Victims
of domestic violence must make the decision to take
back control of their lives: The national mission to
end domestic violence must be taken to every family,
school, workplace, courtroom, cabinet and police
station, by Madhuri Rana Singh (kp 05/12/2019)
Children
feature most in media coverage on human trafficking
(ht 05/12/2019)
NHRC
concerned about status of its recommendation on
differently-abled (ht 04/12/2019)
Menstruation
huts become death traps: 17 die in sheds in ten years
, by Prakash Singh (ht) [If
men cannot stay in the house together with
menstruating women, then men must leave the house and
stay in sheds!!], Banishing
women to “period huts” is a national shame: Young
girls and women losing their precious lives to a
deadly superstition is distressing (kp
05/12/2019)) [It's not only a
shame, it's a grave crime!], For
greater activism: The local school is a good place for
intervention, where an appropriate curriculum could
help create awareness among the students (ht
05/12/2019) [related to chhaupadi crime], Police
arrest brother-in-law of Parbati Budha who died in a
menstruation hut in Achham: This is the first arrest
since the country criminalised Chhaupadi in August
2017, by Binod Ghimire (kp 06/12/2019)
Transitional
justice: Truth is its foundation; Transitional justice
is a challenge by which we test ourselves, our vision
of the future and the kind of society we want to build
out of the rubble of the decade of conflict, by
Mohna Ansari (ht 04/12/2019)
Lessons
from Sri Lanka: Provision of postal vote is something
Nepal can immediately learn from Sri Lanka. In Nepal,
thousands of security personnel and election staff
cannot vote during the elections, by Krishna M.
Pradhan (rep 04/12/2019)
Banished
from home, Achham woman dies in menstrual hut, by
Prakash Singh (ht 03/12/2019)
State
fails to allocate adequate budget to rebuild
quake-ravaged public schools: The current delay means
students will have to wait a few more years to shift
from makeshift structures, by Binod Ghimire (kp
03/12/2019)
Domestic
violence up in Lamjung (ht 03/12/2019)
Right
to Information Act: Most ministries fail to update
their information (ht 03/12/2019)
High-profile
culprits skip police custody on medical grounds
(ht 03/12/2019)
CVCP
calls for parliamentary panel’s meeting (ht
02/12/2019)
Man
arrested for 'raping' distant granddaughter (rep
02/12/2019) [What is a
'distant' granddaughter? And why is 'raped written
with quotation marks?]
Parliamentary
panel proposes reducing fine against journalists to as
low as Re 1 (rep 02/12/2019) [As
long as the threat of punishment is not completely
rejected, journalists remain offenders!]
Kathmandu’s
Newars watch cautiously after government hints at
reviving the Guthi Bill: Although officials said the
new land bill will include suggestions from indigenous
communities, local leaders say no one has reached out
to them yet, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 02/12/2019)
Most
traffickers are relatives of victims, officials say:
Police in the past four fiscal years have rescued
2,333 trafficked persons, statistics show, by
Shuvam Dhungana (kp 01/12/2019)
International
concern: Delay in transitional justice process
(rep 01/12/2019)
NVC
seeks action against 258 employees (kp 01/12/2019)
[How can the Nepalese state
dare to force all civil servants to wear the Hindu
caste clothes in office?]
Rape-accused
godman admits himself to hospital fearing arrest:
Sunsari police say he will be arrested once discharged,
by Santosh Kafle (ht 30/11/2019), Rape-accused
Siddhababa in ICU (ht 02/12/2019), Rape
accused 'godman' taken from ICU of nursing home to
court for remand (ht 03/12/2019), Siddhababa’s
remand extended by seven days (ht 07/12/2019), Giri
to be in judicial custody for 7 more days, by Amar
Khadka (rep 07/12/2019),
Siddhababa’s
remand extended by three days (ht 14/12/2019)
‘Domestic
violence prevalent among poor families’, by
Narahari Sapkota (rep 30/11/2019)
Conflict
victims demand government to dissolve the
recommendation and start afresh selection process:
They claim the government is inviting international
intervention by politicising the transitional justice
process, by Binod Ghimire (kp 29/11/2019), TJ
appointments process hits snags (rep 30/11/2019)
Butwal
Sub-metropolis implements programme to end incidents
of sexual abuse in schools: Under the programme, every
school is supposed to assign a focal person for
resolving complaints filed by students, by Amrita
Anmol (kp 28/11/2019)
In
Achham, domestic abuse is driving women to depression:
Every week, the Bayalpata Hospital, which has a
dedicated mental health bureau, sees over a hundred
women suffering from depression, doctors say, by
Menuka Dhungana (kp 28/11/2019)
Sanibheri
Municipality takes strict measures to curb child
marriage: Underage couples and their guardians will be
barred from receiving government services and
facilities, by Hari Gautam (kp 28/11/2019)
Rights
groups’ statement shows the world is watching Nepal’s
transitional justice process, experts say: The
statement from four prominent human rights
organisations is stronger than ones issued in the
past, indicating the international community may be
gradually losing faith in Nepal’s system, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 27/11/2019) [see joint
statement by ICJ, AI, HRW and TRIAL], International
rights watchdogs concerned about justice for victims
(ht 27/11/2019)
NHRC
decision too little, too late: Conflict victims,
by Roshan S. Nepal (ht 27/11/2019)
NCP
student wing cadres thrash college chief: ANNFSU
targets Tri-Chandra College principal for hiking fees
(ht 26/11/2019)
Officials
stress need for ending all forms of violence against
women, by Mukti Prasad Neupane (rep 26/11/2019)
Mediciti
doctor held for rape bid (ht 26/11/2019)
Detainee’s
death in police custody suspicious (ht 26/11/2019)
Couple
ostracised for practising witchcraft (ht
26/11/2019)
Child
rights march: Partnership for progress, by Janes
Immanuel Ginting and Pratistha Koirala (ht 26/11/2019)
Protect
Tibetans: Tibetan community in Nepal has raised
serious concerns over the treaty that could be used to
persecute them under Chinese pressure (ht
26/11/2019)
Free
education by law: Nepal’s constitution and compulsory
education act are more progressive than UN Conventions
and other constitutions in terms of ensuring education
as a human right, by Jivesh Jha (rep 25/11/2019)
The
transitional justice process has failed to envision
the pains of women who were sexually abused during the
insurgency: As the state has excluded rape in the
interim relief process and in transitional justice,
many victims still await closure, by Chandra
Bhadra (kp 24/11/2019)
Panel
moves to recommend TJ officials amid widespread
criticism (rep 24/11/2019)
Raut’s
party holds mass rally in capital against
‘discrimination’ (rep 24/11/2019)
With
new legislation in the works, Nepal’s civil society
organisations fear tighter control: The KP Sharma Oli
administration has been repeatedly criticised by
national and international rights bodies for trying to
curb dissent through laws and policies, by
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 23/11/2019)
Our
songs from the forest: Finding freedom from menstrual
taboos in the lap of nature, by Uma Bista (kp
23/11/2019)
FNJ
to hold demonstration for protection of press freedom
(ht 23/11/2019)
Govt
to take care of four rape victims (ht 22/11/2019)
Using
numbers to fight gender-based violence: On the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women and Girls on 25 November, let us pledge
to help end gender-based violence, by Lisa
Honan (nt 22/11/2019)
Carefree
Kumari: Bhaktapur’s 9-year-old living goddess has a
childhood, too, by Shriluna Shrestha (nt
22/11/2019)
Justice
still eludes conflict victims: NHRC (ht
21/11/2019), Reimagining
the peace pact: Some aspects of the 2006 Comprehensive
Peace Agreement need to be revived and updated, by
Mohna Ansari (kp 21/11/2019), Peace
and injustice: Thirteen years of Comprehensive Peace
Accord (rep 21/11/2019), Waiting
for justice: Thirteen years after signing of CPA,
justice eludes the conflict victims, by Ram Kumar
Bhandari (rep 21/11/2019), Conflict
victims decry apathy of government and parties towards
transitional justice: Thirteen years after the peace
deal, victims of the decade-long Maoist insurgency
continue to wait for justice, by Binod Ghimire (kp
22/11/2019), Dahal
for appointing new faces to TRC (ht 22/11/2019) [The leader of one of the
outstanding human rights violating forces at the time
of the conflict must not have any say in the
composition and work of the two commissions!],
Conflict
victims still struggling for justice (rep
22/11/2019)
Nepal
reaffirms commitment to eliminating forced labour,
human trafficking and child labour: Nepal’s objectives
are in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable
Development Goals, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
21/11/2019)
Cases
of missing children on the rise in Nepal (rep
21/11/2019), Number
of missing girls two times more than boys: Report
(ht 21/11/2019)
Child
marriage cases on the rise but police complaints
scarce, say child activists: According to a recent
survey, 46.9 percent of total marriages in the country
are still child marriages, by Durgalal KC (kp
21/11/2019)
Children
at juvenile reform centre living in poor condition:
The facility in Thanabharyang, Hetauda, lacks
teachers, rooms and toilets, among others, by
Pratap Bista (kp 21/11/2019)
Dalit
family struggles to obtain citizenship (ht
21/11/2019)
Alleging
political intervention, applicants for transitional
justice commissions are withdrawing their names: Since
the recommendation committee has become a rubber stamp
for the political parties, no independent decision is
forthcoming, rights activists and victims say, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 20/11/2019), Stakeholders
prepare for consultations on TJ bill (rep
20/11/2019)
Seven
trafficking victims, including four minor girls
rescued (ht 20/11/2019)
After
deal between parties, selection panel publishes list
of probable candidates for transitional justice
bodies: Conflict victims object to political
interference, saying they won’t accept the officials
selected without following the due process, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 19/11/2019), Victims
decry selection of candidates for TJ bodies, by
Rohan S. Nepal (ht 19/11/2019)
Supreme
Court sentences ‘Pooja Bohara’ rape accused to 11 yrs,
six months in jail, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht
19/11/2019)
Overcrowded
Rolpa District Prison in dilapidated condition: There
have been numerous attempts to demolish the old prison
and construct a new one, but lack of appropriate land
plot has put the plan on hold, say prison officials,
by Kashiram Dangi (kp 19/11/2019)
Panel
proposes Bhatta for TRC head, Mallick for CIEDP chief
(ht 18/11/2019)
Women
go abroad for work and return duped and abused: There
is no data on women who go abroad for employment, but
the trend is on the rise in Rupandehi, according to an
association of women migrants, by Amrita Anmol (kp
17/11/2019)
In
Rajapur, police consistently fail to investigate cases
involving marginalised communities: Police have
refused to look into a number of recent cases
involving Tharus and Dalits, despite their families
alleging foul play, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp
16/11/2019)
Under
the guise of humanitarian aid, high-profile
paedophiles are abusing Nepali children: Loose laws,
illiteracy and poverty, along with an unsuspicious
welcome of foreigners, have turned Nepal into a haven
for Western paedophiles, by Janakraj Sapkota (kp
16/11/2019), Predators
on the prowl: Child molesters often enter gullible
poor countries as aid workers (kp 18/11/2019)
Bhimphedi
inmates excited about a new library inside the prison:
The setting up of the new library has not only excited
voracious readers but also worked for the benefit of
inmates who are pursuing education, by Pratap
Bista (kp 16/11/2019)
Parties
close to consensus on chairperson for Truth and
Reconciliation Commission: Both ruling and opposition
parties are positive about appointing Ganesh Datta
Bhatta, associate professor at Nepal Law Campus,
ruling party leaders say, by Binod Ghimire (kp
15/11/2019)
Human
Rights Watch criticises the government’s move to
undermine citizen’s rights to organise: The current
administration has been repeatedly criticised by
national and international rights bodies for trying to
curb dissent through laws and policies, by
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 15/11/2019) [see report
by HRW]
Clarion
call to enforce fair recruitment to protect human
rights of migrant workers: The International
Conference on Protection of Rights of the Migrant
Workers concluded with a 21-point Kathmandu
Declarations, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
15/11/2019), NHRC
international conference concludes (ht 15/11/2019)
Children
of daily wage earners face abuse (ht 15/11/2019)
Protect
victims: Although relocation of the vulnerable with
changed identity has been suggested, is this feasible
in a small country like ours? (ht 15/11/2019)
Constitutional
Council meeting postponed yet again without making
appointments: Delay in appointments to crucial
commissions weakens institutions, experts say, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 14/11/2019), PM
plans to fill constitutional bodies positions after
by-polls (rep 14/11/2019)
Police
arrest 50-year-old woman for alleged human
trafficking: The then minor victim was trafficked to
India in 2012 and thrown into prostitution, by
Shuvam Dhungana (kp 14/11/2019)
‘Beti
Bachau-Beti Padhau’ campaign fails to take off this
year in the absence of employees: Under the scheme,
which is often referred to as a pet project of Chief
Minister of Province-2, Lal Babu Raut, every newborn
girl is to be insured across all eight districts in
the province, by Santosh Singh (kp 14/11/2019)
Durbar
Marg rape case accused sent to prison: Main accused
sentenced to five years and two months in jail (ht
14/11/2019)
National
Reconstruction Authority spent just 65 percent of its
budget last fiscal year: Officials blame the use of
existing government mechanisms to channel the funds
for subpar spending, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp
13/11/2019) [??]
Families
of air crash victims say they are being pressured to
withdraw their case: 22 Nepalis were killed when
US-Bangla flight BS 211 from Dhaka crashed while
landing at Kathmandu airport, by Sangam Prasain
(kp 13/11/2019)
How
Nepali songs are blurring the lines between
entertainment and sexism: Sexist euphemisms are
ingrained in many contemporary Nepali songs, yet we
love them, by Srizu Bajracharya (kp 13/11/2019)
Brahmins
and Chhetris continue to dominate entry into civil
service: Despite reservation policies for marginalised
groups, Brahmins and Chhetris have not just maintained
their dominance but have increased their presence in
civil service, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp
12/11/2019)
FNJ
to launch special mission for press freedom from
January (ht 11/11/2019)
School
keeps deaf students of different grades in same class:
Teachers at Tribhuvan Jana Secondary School in Salyan
say that they lack resources to run separate classes
for the deaf students, by Biplav Maharjan (kp
11/11/2019)
New
education policy ignores nearly all recommendations
made by a high-level education commission: The policy
serves the interests of the private sector, which had
lobbied against the commission’s recommendations,
commission members say, by Binod Ghimire (kp
10/11/2019), The
government has undermined education: A core value for
a country to develop, the federal govenrment must make
amends (kp 11/11/2019)
14-year-old
girl found dead in suspicious circumstances: Family
members claim the victim was abducted, raped and
subsequently murdered, by Kamal Panthi (kp
10/11/2019)
Priests
to check birth registration and citizenship
certificates of brides and grooms prior to solemnising
their weddings: The priests will work with the local
government, police, women’s groups, child clubs and
students to end child marriage in Rukum (West), by
Hari Gautam (kp 10/11/2019)
New
leadership in INSEC (ht 10/11/2019)
Journalists
urged to respect code (ht 10/11/2019)
Recommendation
committee fails to pick candidates leaving TJ bodies
in the lurch (ht 09/11/2019)
Bill
seeks to transfer mgm't of prisons to provinces,
by Ashok Dahal (rep 09/11/2019)
Woman
accused of witchcraft, tortured (ht 08/11/2019)
NHRC
to hold international conference on migrant workers
(ht 08/11/2019)
Communicable
disease a real hazard for jail inmates: Home ministry
report (rep 07/11/2019)
Nepal
Police appears unwilling to take action against
officials involved in extrajudicial killing: The human
rights commission had asked that criminal charges be
filed against officers implicated in the killing but
police say they have yet to receive any official
communication in that regard, by Binod Ghimire (kp
06/11/2019)
Nationwide
campaign launched to end violence against women:
Flagged off from Province 1, the drive will be run
throughout the year for long-term effectiveness,
by Binu Timsina (kp 05/11/2019)
Man
dunking wife’s face in hot curry shocks even folks
used to VAW, by Anjali Subedi (rep 05/11/2019)
Why
media must be free: Nepal would do better by adhering
to the principles of freedom, diversity and equality
in media actions, by Mohan Nepali (rep 05/11/2019)
Aiming
for a better future, by prioritising the young: Nepal
has no idea how to prepare its children for the
future. But it needs to learn before it is too late,
by Sujeev Shakya (kp 05/11/2019)
Dr
KC launches 17th hunger strike in Dadeldhura HQ
Bagkhor (ht 05/11/2019), Dr
KC starts 17th hunger strike, by Pushkar Bhandari
(rep 05/11/2019), Protest
rally in Dadeldhura in support of Dr KC, by
Pushkar Bhandari (rep 08/11/2019), Rally
held to express solidarity with Dr Govinda KC (ht
09/11/2019), Dr
Govinda KC admitted to Dadeldhura Hospital (ht
10/11/2019)
Butwal’s
women leaders burdened with gender-based
discrimination in governance: Women leaders stress the
need to condemn gender-based discrimination from all
quarters, by Amrita Anmol (kp 04/11/2019)
Children
working on road project implemented by Nepal Army,
by Narahari Sapkota (rep 04/11/2019)
Nepal
yet again fails to report to the UN on status of
judicial action on the killings of journalists: We are
waiting for updates from the Home Ministry,
Communication Ministry says (kp 03/11/2019)
In
Rautahat, people from Dalit communities continue to
face ostracisation during Chhath celebrations: On a
recent ground trip, the Post found that the people
from separate castes were celebrating the festival in
separate spaces, by Shiva Puri (kp 03/11/2019)
Assailant
of Hetauda acid attack arrested after more than six
years: The perpetrator had thrown acid on a
19-year-old girl for rebuffing his romantic advances,
by Subash Bidari (kp 02/11/2019)
Filing
complaints with the police is filled with hassles:
Nepal Police’s behaviour with people seeking help from
the authorities has frequently come under the scanner,
by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 02/11/2019)
Ministry
starts process to amend bill on transitional justice
law: Law and Justice Ministry will gather suggestions
from the concerned parties to finalise the amendment
bill, by Binod Ghimire (kp 02/11/2019)
Nepalgunj
prison inmates complain of misconduct: The inmates
have submitted a demand note to the local
administration accusing the jailer of bribery, by
Madhu Shahi (kp 02/11/2019)
Chargesheet
filed against Mahara for rape attempt: District
attorney office has sought five to seven-and-a-half
years jail term for the former House Speaker, by
Shuvam Dhungana (kp 01/11/2019), Rape
attempt case filed against Mahara: Prosecution seeks
up to 7 years 6 months jail (rep 01/11/2019), Attempt
to rape case filed against Mahara: His trial hearing
has been scheduled for today (ht 01/11/2019), Mahara,
in court statement, denies ever entering the woman’s
apartment: The former Speaker of the House finally
gave his statement on Friday after he was formally
charged with attempted rape, by Tika R. Pradhan
(kp 02/11/2019) [Mysteriously,
he did not remember this before?]
Man
dies after police fire on a group defying curfew in
Krishnanagar: Local administration imposed indefinite
curfew after a clash between Hindu and Muslim
communities over the route of idol procession, by
Manoj Paudel (kp 01/11/2019), One
dies in Krishnanagar when police open fire, indefinite
curfew imposed (rep 01/11/2019), Krishnanagar
is returning to normalcy as two sides sign 10-point
deal (rep 01/11/2019) [No
politician or administrator is qualified to decide
this judicial case!!], A
10-point agreement signed between the agitating
parties and local administration in Kapilvastu: The
situation remained peaceful throughout Friday;
administration yet to lift curfew, by Manoj Paudel
(kp 02/11/2019)
“I
thought I would die”: Despite laws on domestic
violence, archaic and insensitive treatment by police
and the justice system force women in Nepal to remain
trapped in cycles of abuse, even when they muster the
courage to report them; In the majority of domestic
violence cases, police push for reconciliation, by
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 01/11/2019)
VTEN's
arrest is only a symbol of a larger malaise: ‘Moral
order’ is such an amorphous idea that anything
undesirable to the authorities can be slotted into it,
by Amish Raj Mulmi (kp 01/11/2019)
Squatters,
who received plots to build houses, are deprived of
land titles: Around 500 landless squatters had
received space to build in Salyan district, by
Biplab Maharjan (kp 01/11/2019)
Student
leader from ruling party arraigned on rape charge:
Indra Hang Rai of All Nepal National Free Students
Union is accused of assaulting an 18-year-old girl,
by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 31/10/2019), Three
youth leaders of NCP, Nepali Congress arrested on rape
charges (ht 31/10/2019)
Artists
decry the growing tendency to arrest musicians for
their lyrical content as autocratic censorship: In the
wake of singer Durgesh Thapa and rapper VTEN’s arrest,
Nepali artists say that the police’s actions are
alarming and people need to resist them, by
Timothy Aryal (kp 28/10/2019)
Passengers
protest at airport after Oli’s return from Baku
delayed their flight by nearly an hour: Pilots were
asked to stop engines of Shree Airlines flight because
of disturbance caused at VIP lounge where Oli was
being welcomed, officials say (kp 28/10/2019) [This unbelievable political
arrogance continues unabated! Visit Nepal Year should
be renamed into Travel Godlike Policians Year! After
the democratisation only the names of the gods have
changed! Nepal is probably the only country in which
internationally insignificant politicians regularly
frustrate domestic and foreign travellers!]
Democratic
nations should protect all free speech: If a state
fundamentally guarantees freedom of expression then it
also guarantees a right to offend, by Atit Babu
Rijal (kp 27/10/2019)
Even
with a murder conviction, lawmakers might still be
able to hold on to their seats: Lawmakers are
suspended when they are convicted but they do not lose
their seats unless their crime involves ‘moral
turpitude’, but no one is certain what that means,
by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 26/10/2019)
‘Enough
evidence to corroborate accusation against Mahara’:
Office of the Attorney General will decide whether or
not to file charge sheet against Mahara (ht
26/10/2019)
Police
arrest four suspected Chand party members for burning
PM Oli’s effigy: The four persons have been held on
charges of disturbing public peace, by Shuvam
Dhungana (kp 26/10/2019) [??]
Rapper’s
arrest is latest in government’s attempt to crack down
on free expression: Samir Ghising’s detention comes
just days after another singer, Durgesh Thapa, was
called for questioning by the police for the same
reason, by Samuel Chhetri and Bhrikuti Rai (kp
25/10/2019)
ven
as lawmakers are accused of heinous crimes, Parliament
remains without disciplinary committee: The Speaker,
who is responsible for forming such committees,
himself remains in judicial custody after being
accused of rape, by Binod Ghimire (kp 25/10/2019)
For
four years, commissions mandated to empower
marginalised communities have remained largely vacant:
While five commissions—Madhesi, Dalit, Tharu, Muslim,
and Inclusion—have chairpersons but no members, two
others—Women and Indigenous Nationalities—don’t even
have chairpersons, by Binod Ghimire (kp
24/10/2019)
The
crimes Alam has been accused of are grave, but his
party has little to say: Nepali Congress leaders
continue to insist that an individual’s crimes do not
reflect on the party, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
23/10/2019) [The cover of
criminals in their ranks has system in many Nepali
parties!]
Killing
of Chand party cadre Kumar Paudel was extrajudicial,
human rights commission says: The National Human
Rights Commission has concluded that Paudel was killed
after he was arrested and has recommended criminal
charges against three police officers, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 22/10/2019), Police
killed CPN leader Paudel in cold blood: NHRC (ht
22/10/2019), NHRC
rejects police encounter claim in Paudel death, calls
for suspending 3 (rep 22/10/2019), Begin
thorough probe: The government should start a thorough
investigation, and there must be no attempt by the
state to influence the outcome (ht 23/10/2019)
Govt,
parties ‘have put TJ on backburner’, by Roshan S.
Nepal (ht 22/10/2019), Big
2 parties agree to revise controversial TJ law
(rep 22/10/2019)
Unearthing
of the grisly mass murder in Alam case has Nepalis
pointing fingers at a failed system: The onus to
strengthen the system lies on politicians and the
people in power, but analysts say recent incidents
show how they have used the system in service of their
own interests, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 22/10/2019)
Janajati,
Madhesi forces seek to revive identity-based movement:
The KP Sharma Oli administration has undermined the
rights and privileges of marginalised communities,
leaders say, by Anil Giri (kp 21/10/2019)
‘Discontinuing
chhaupadi isn't just about destroying period huts;
it's about ending the stigma of menstruation.’ Former
Miss Nepal Shrinkhala Khatiwada discusses her
one-night stay at a chhau goth in Babala, Achham, to
experience the ancient practice of the outlawed
Chhaupadi, by Srizu Bajracharya (kp 21/10/2019)
Inter-caste
marriage leaves girl in a lurch (ht 20/10/2019)
Mahara’s
three days in judicial custody already over, but
police are yet to file a chargesheet: The former House
Speaker, who is facing rape charges, has been in
hospital and refused to record his statement, citing
health condition, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
20/10/2019)
ASI
arrested on rape charge in Dharan (ht 20/10/2019)
Rautahat
blast injured start coming in police contact after
Alam’s arrest, by Madan Thakur (rep 20/10/2019)
Some
basic rights still a struggle for LGBTI in Nepal,
by Priyanka Adhikari (rep 20/10/2019)
A
discrimination case riles up Dalit activists in Morang
district: A Dalit rights group has demanded the
authorities launch a fair investigation, by Binu
Timsina (kp 19/10/2019)
Supreme
Court directs information commission to respond to
writ regarding Lal Commission report: The report
includes findings from investigations into deadly
violence in 2015 that killed nearly 50 people, by
Tika R. Pradhan (kp 18/10/2019), NIC
gets three months to decide on Lal panel report
(ht 18/10/2019)
Police
in Banke arrest a sub-inspector over an attempt to
rape charge: The official was arrested on the basis of
a complaint filed by a woman police trainee earlier
this week, by Madhu Shahi (kp 18/10/2019)
Nepali
citizens detained during Xi Jinping’s visit for
Tibetan signage on clothes and accessories: All
citizens have a right to political opinion and the
right to criticise and protest Nepal’s foreign policy,
irrespective of the country’s formal position, say
rights activists, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp 18/10/2019)
Crime
and punishment: The legal actions taken by the police
against politicians can help bring an end to
criminalisation of politics (ht 18/10/2019)
Bid
to combat human trafficking gets a boost (ht
18/10/2019)
Parties
continue to look the other way while their leaders get
arrested for crimes: Three lawmakers were arrested in
the past two weeks and none has been censured or
suspended by their parties, by , by Binod Ghimire
(kp 17/10/2019) [This has to
do with the fact that politicians and parties consider
themselves to be above the law, just as the monarchy
did before!]
Hospitals
are implanting hormonal birth control on mentally
impaired women: Rights activists say that such
implants are a violation of women’s rights and legal
provisions and do not address the core problem of
violence against women, by Arjun Poudel (kpn
17/10/2019)
Cases
of polygamy unchecked in several districts of Province
5: Lack of stringent laws and loopholes in existing
legal provisions create an encouraging environment for
polygamy, by Amrita Anmol (kp 17/10/2019)
Child
marriage on rise, young mothers regret early marriage,
by Manju Upreti (rep 17/10/2019)
Free
Kamalaris are becoming self-reliant in Dang: The Freed
Kamalari Development Forum, an organisation formed by
former kamalaris, has been providing monetary
assistance and income-generating skill training to
freed kamalaris to make them financially independent,
by Durgalal KC (kp 16/10/2019)
Teacher
thrashes student (ht 16/10/2019)
Members
charged with a crime should be removed forthwith: The
criminalisation of politics is a threat to the basic
structure of the constitution, but the current
regulation allows lawbreakers to continue as lawmakers
(kp 16/10/2019)
Health
Ministry to monitor hospitals to curb sex-selective
abortions: Newborn data of the Paropakar Maternity and
Women's Hospital shows a wide gap between the number
of boys and girls, by Arjun Poudel (kp 15/10/2019)
Lawmaker
Yadav demands fair investigation into acid attack,
by Ritesh Tripathi (rep 15/10/2019)
Crime
and impunity: Arrest of Mohammand Aftab Alam (rep
15/10/2019)
Congress
lawmaker Mohammad Aftab Alam arrested in relation to
2008 Rautahat blast: The politician faces charges of
burning those injured in the explosion alive in a
brick kiln, by Shiva Puri (kp 14/10/2019)
In
Achham, postpartum mothers continue to face ostracism:
While the district has introduced several safe
motherhood programmes, they have largely been
ineffective, by Menuka Dhungana (kp 14/10/2019)
Make
Example, Not Exception, by P. Kharel (rn
14/10/2019)
11
Tibetan refugees among 22 held (ht 13/10/2019)
Parties
agree on transitional justice officials but
recommendation committee disagrees: Political
consensus may be necessary but the committee's
independence should not be undermined, taskforce
members say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 12/10/2019)
Nepal,
China to discuss extradition treaty: An agreement on
the treaty, however, is unlikely, during Xi Jinping’s
visit, officials say, by Binod Ghimire (kp
11/10/2019) [What about the
security of Tibetan refugees in Nepal?], Fears
Over a Nepal-China Extradition Treaty: Agreement Could
Threaten Tibetan Refugees, Activists, Journalists in
Nepal, by Meenakshi Ganguly (HRW 11/10/2019), China
may ‘misuse MLAT against Tibetan refugees’ (ht
15/10/2019)
#Metoo
Hits Nepal’s Government: Accusation Against Senior
Political Figure, by Meenakshi Ganguly (HRW
11/102019)
Police
arrest Krishna Bahadur Mahara over rape allegations:
Police took Mahara into custody after the Kathmandu
District Court earlier on Sunday issued an arrest
warrant against him following a formal complaint by
the accuser on Friday (kp 07/10/2019)
With
a complaint formally registered against Mahara, all
eyes are now on the police and the government: As the
country prepares for Dashain holidays, there are fears
about the investigation’s progress and about the
complainant’s safety, by Bhrikuti Rai, Anil Giri
and Tika R. Pradhan (kp 06/10/2019)
Politicians’
silence on the Mahara case speaks volumes about their
beliefs: Analysts say politicians pay lip service to
women’s rights but don’t speak out about cases
involving one of their own, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
05/10/2019), Dashain
holidays could delay investigation into Mahara rape
charges: Though police say investigation is underway,
they refuse to share the progress, by Shuvam
Dhungana (kp 05/10/2019), National
Human Rights Commission seeks progress report from
police on Mahara rape charges: Though police say the
woman's conflicting statements have made it difficult
for them to pursue the case, criminal lawyers say the
investigating agency can take the investigation
forward as she had already called police on the night
of the incident (kp 05/10/2019)
Impunity
in sex crime: UN, Australia, EU nations concerned
(ht 05/10/2019)
Journalists’
group demands action against those issuing threats to
journalist Shiwakoti: The Federation of Nepali
Journalists says threatening journalists for doing
their job is against press freedom (kp 05/10/2019)
Rights-protecting
bodies are supposed to keep the executive in check:
The National Women Commission not having a chairperson
since 2017 is a sign of institutional erosion (kp
04/10/2019)
Prioritise
Transitional Justice, by Hira Bahadur Thapa (rn
04/10/2019)
Girl
found murdered after rape (rep 04/10/2019)
Failure
to ensure justice in Mahara case could cost Nepal
dearly in the international arena: As Nepal is party
to many international human rights conventions, it is
required to ensure justice for victims of gender-based
violence, or face international censure, by Anil
Giri (kp 04/10/2019), Weekly
meet cancelled to duck Mahara issue? (ht
04/10/2019), Rights
groups seek probe into rape case (ht 04/10/2019),
Journo
who broke ‘rape news’ gets threats, by Ujjwal
Satyal (ht 04/10/2019)
The
Mahara case once again exposes the Nepal Police’s
shortcomings: Repeated failings in high-profile cases
are slowly eroding the public’s trust in the capacity
of Nepal Police to conduct impartial investigations,
by Shuvam Dhungana (kp 04/10/2019)
A
constitutional body that could’ve played a significant
role in the case against Mahara has been scuttled:
Without a chairperson for four years, the National
Women Commission, mandated to deal with cases of
gender-based violence, cannot even issue a statement,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 03/10/2019)
Human
Rights Watch calls on Nepal government to make public
Lal commission report: The commission, which
investigated deadly violence involving police and
protesters in 2015, submitted its report in December
2017 (kp 03/10/2019) [see statement
by Human Rights Watch], Govt
told to release report on 2015 Tarai violence (ht
03/10/2019)
How
a Dalit woman fell victim to caste-discrimination in
Pokhara, by Deepak Pariyar (kp 03/10/2019)
Ignorance
and poverty driving parents in Humla to send their
children to children’s homes in Capital: 40 children
were rescued from several children’s homes in
Kathmandu and handed over to their families in Humla
in the past three months, by Chhapal Lama (kp
03/10/2019)
While
the entire country takes a four-day holiday, Nepal’s
courts go on a two-week break: The decision to take a
15-day holiday is especially concerning given that
thousands of cases remain pending at the courts,
by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 03/10/2019)
NHRC
concerned about curbs on free speech (ht
02/10/2019)
Online
violence against women in Nepal on the rise: Nearly 70
percent of the 353 cases filed at the cybercrime
bureau in the last two months were online abuse
directed towards women, by Shuvam Dhungana (kp
01/10/2019)
Women
victims of conflict era in Rupandehi demand identity
card: Since the government has not addressed many of
the issues faced by conflict victims, many widows say
they are facing an uncertain future, by Amrita
Anmol (kp 0/10/2019)
Parliament
Sectt staffer accuses Mahara of rape (ht
01/10/2019), Speaker
Mahara accused of sexually harassing female employee
(rep 01/10/2019), Speaker
Mahara offers 'temporary resignation' following
accusation of rape (ht 01/10/2019), PM
advises Speaker Mahara to step down from his post,
by Tapendra Karki (rep 01/10/2019), House
Speaker Mahara resigns amid sexual harassment
accusations, by Tapendra Karki (rep 01/10/2019), Why
the rape charges against Speaker is a litmus test for
police, the ruling party and government: Although
Krishna Bahadur Mahara has tendered his resignation,
the government and ruling party have yet to take a
concrete position while the police still haven’t
pursued a criminal case, by Anil Giri (kp
02/10/2019), Speaker
Mahara resigns following rape allegations: The
incident cannot be allowed to become yet another
unsolved case (kp 02/10/2019), Women,
human rights activists remain mum in Mahara rape case
(ht 03/10/2019)
Stop
attacks: The ruling party must keep its cadres under
control, and the police should take action against
those involved in physically intimidating the NC
leader and others (ht 0/10/2019)
Governments
have no right to dictate what the citizenry can think:
The current government is notorious for its attempts
to muzzle the free press (kp 30/09/2019)
Bid
to attack Minendra Rijal of NC: Main opposition party
blames NCP cadres for the incident (ht 30/09/2019)
Authorities
rescue children from different childcare homes in poor
conditions: The majority of the rescued children are
from Karnali zone, by Binod Ghimire (kp
29/09/2019)
Anti-corruption
campaigner Gyanendra Shahi attacked in Chitwan: Shahi
was one among the passengers who criticised Minister
of Tourism Yogesh Bhattarai for causing a delay to a
Kathmandu-bound Buddha Air flight in Nepalgunj earlier
this month, by Ramesh Kumar Poudel (kp
29/09/2019), Attack
on government critic signals drive to crush dissent:
The brutal beating of Gyanendra Shahi is a symptom of
the ruling party’s intolerance for any kind of
criticism, analysts say, by Anil Giri (kp
30/09/2019), ‘Attack
on Shahi a severe blow to freedom of expression’
(ht 30/09/2019), Contemptible
act: The ruling party cannot use its cadres to
intimidate the people criticising the government for
its failure to deliver goods and services (ht
30/09/2019)
A
majority of Musahar children in a Rautahat village
don’t go to school: On school days, children from the
impoverished community are seen running and playing in
the village, by Shiva Puri (kp 28/09/2019)
For
Chepang locals, government services are 80 km away:
Officials say they don’t have enough staff to open
office near the village, by Thakur Singh Tharu (kp
28/09/2019)
Press
Council wants to monitor journalists’ social media use
because it wants them to be ‘role models’: Amendments
to the Journalist Code of Conduct could stifle
journalists’ freedom of expression on social media,
rights advocates say, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp
27/09/2019)
Dahal
owns up to insurgency-era mistakes and pledges to
deliver transitional justice: The major parties—Nepali
Congress and Nepal Communist Party—are on the same
page when it comes to an early conclusion to the
drawn-out transitional justice process, by Binod
Ghimire (kp)
The
unending horror of gender-based violence: Unless we
question the very fabric of our social norms and
destroy them one by one, nothing will ever change,
by Pooja Pant (kp 26/09/2019)
Married
as children, women in Bajhang are abused, abandoned
and killing themselves: The majority of marriages in
the district are still between underage children,
which often leads to polygamy and gender-based
violence, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp 26/09/2019)
Call
to form local and provincial bodies to fight human
trafficking: Once limited to some districts, human
trafficking has now become a nationwide menace, by
Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 26/09/2019)
Beauty
pageants for children: Exploitation or harmless
entertainment? Such beauty pageants are slowly gaining
momentum in Nepal, but what purpose these events serve
is yet to be decided, by Arjun Bhattarai (kp
26/09/2019)
In
Bardiya, even elected Dalit representatives face
caste-based bigotry: Untouchability and caste
discrimination may have taken a backseat in public
places and platforms, but it is still prevalent on an
individual level, say Dalits, by Kamal Panthi (kp
25/09/2019)
Child
labour still prevalent in Pokhara: Nearly 400 children
were employed as workers in Pokhara in the last fiscal
year 2018/19, data shows, by Bina Thapa (kp
25/09/2019)
Government
forms new team to re-examine Nirmala’s DNA sample
(ht 25/09/2019)
Police
are failing rape victims, new human rights commission
report says: Nepal’s criminal justice system continues
to make access to justice complicated and challenging
for victims of rape, according to the report, by
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 24/09/2019),
More
than 1,300 rape cases filed in seven months: NHRC
report (ht 24/09/2019)
Around
1,600 children deprived of citizenship: Lack of
citizenship certificates has put the lives of many
youths on hold in Nawalparasi (West), by Nabin
Paudel (kp 24/09/2019)
We
need a culture of dialogues in Nepal: A remnant of the
feudal past, people are always willing to dole out
speeches but never willing to listen, by Sujeev
Shakya (kp 24/09/2019)
Human
rights education: For harmony in society, by
Samjhana Sharma (ht 24/09/2019)
Dahal
hints at withdrawing ‘fake’ cases related to Tikapur
incident: Tharu activists have long argued that the
Tikapur violence was a spontaneous political event and
should be treated as such, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
23/09/2019) [??]
NHRC
concerned about deteriorating rights situation (ht
22/09/2019)
Less
than a year later, Nepal’s men of #MeToo are back to
work: When women came forward to share stories of
sexual harassment, there was hope that powerful men
were finally going to be held accountable. But today,
it’s business as usual, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp
21/09/2019)
Man
accused of abusing step-daughter released on bail of
three lakh rupees (ht 20/09/2019)
As
country celebrates the constitution, marginalised
groups await amendments: For Madhesis, Tharus, and
indigenous groups, the constitution is still a
contested document, but the government doesn’t seem
too bothered, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
20/09/2019)
Migrant
workers returning home without salary and justice from
Qatar: Amnesty International: Workers’ exploitation
continues despite Qatar’s promise to improve the
foreign labour force’s condition, says the latest
report, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 20/09/2019)
[see AI
report of 19/09/2019]
Prejudice
in the rights community: Human rights activists should
join forces and fight violations regardless of the
victims' backgrounds, by Praveen Kumar Yadav (kp
19/09/2019)
Hey
men, women don’t want to be told to be like a woman:
Nepali women still grapple with sexist language and
expressions that most men easily dismiss, by Srizu
Bajracharya (kp 18/09/2019)
Indian
girls trafficked for sex trade rescued, by Ujjwal
Satyal (ht 18/09/2019)
Bus
conductor held from Suvakamana Chowk for raping
11-year-old girl, by Ujjwal Satyal (kp 17/09/2019)
Anup
Raj Sharma: We could not be bold enough to pressurise
the government: The chairman of the National Human
Rights Commission on the weaknesses of the commission,
interview with the chairperson of the National Human
Rights Commission, by Binod Ghimire (kp
17/09/2019)
FNJ
condemns arrest of nine journos, including secretary
(ht 17/09/2019), IFJ
condemns arrest of nine journalists (ht
18/09/2019)
NCP
‘resorting to fear-mongering’: Dahal’s appeal to
youths to ‘counter’ forces that are trying to fail the
system condemned by civil society (ht 17/09/2019)
Government
ready to amend transitional justice Act as per
international standard: Law minister: Conflict victims
say they are ready to support the process if Minister
Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal fulfils his commitments, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 17/09/2019)
Women's
battle for citizenship continues: The new proposals
regarding the Citizenship Amendment Bill still treat
women as second-class citizens (kp 16/09/2019)
Politics
of the Dolpo festival: The violation of the political
rights of Dolpo in 2014 is still fresh in the minds of
many, by Tashi Tewa (kp 16/09/2019)
Violence
against children on the rise, by Ujjwal Satyal (ht
16/09/2019)
TRC
used as tool to exact revenge: Dahal (ht
16/09/2019) [The unbelievable
statement of a person who obviously used the Maoist
uprising for his own personal political and economic
rise and who is not interested in the fate of his
former fighters nor in that of the victims of the
uprising and their families!]
New
penal code fails minor rape victims: Lawyers, by
Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 14/09/2019)
Committee
formed to select transitional justice officials
decides to step up efforts: Government is preparing to
start consultations with victims to amend the
transitional justice act, by Binod Ghimire (kp
13/09/2019)
Students
say colleges cutting their hair to discipline them is
equivalent to harassment: ‘We cut hair at Rs50, while
other shops charge around Rs100 to Rs200. It is
actually more profitable to students,’ one college
principal said, defending his institution’s practice,
by Arjun Bhattarai (kp 13/09/2019)
Citizenship
debate has reached another low, rights activists say:
New provisions in the citizenship amendment bill could
further limit equal citizenship rights for women,
by Bhrikuti Rai (kp 12/09/2019), Lawmakers
continue to debate marital naturalisation in
Parliament (ht 12/09/2019) [Women
and men should be legally treated absolutely equally,
regardless of whether they are foreigners or not!
Nepal is not the property of men!]
To
forgive or not to forgive: Failure of the government
to adhere to the Supreme Court verdict in relation to
amnesty could further agonize the victims, setting the
ground for vengeance and violence, by Deepak Joshi
Pokhrel and Rajendra Senchurey (rep 12/09/2019)
Inmates
kept in custody in Humla and Mugu for lack of prisons:
The accused, remanded into custody, have to stay in
police custody until the court’s final hearing, by
Raj Bahadur Shahi (kp 12/09/2019)
Despite
reservations, parties have their way on transitional
justice appointments: Conflict victims say they won’t
accept the new teams chosen at the behest of political
parties, by Binod Ghimire (kp 11/09/2019) [This
is the safest way to secured injustice!]
Recruiting
agencies ‘using migrant workers to siphon off US
dollar abroad’: Country's foreign exchange reserve
depleted by Rs64 billion in the last fiscal year
compared to the preceding year, according to the
central bank, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp
11/09/2019) [But it is also
true that nobody can go abroad with $500 in cash!
Everybody knows this. The Nepali citizen Khadka Prasad
Sharma Oli recently went to Singapur twice for
expensive health treatment. Has he been checked and
arrested at TIA? All citizens are equal before the
law!]
Fair
or not, some say it’s time to talk about skin colour
discrimination: Like racism, colourism is largely
overlooked and dismissed in Nepal. Some Nepalis say
society should start addressing it head on, by
June Karkee (kp 10/09/2019), Interethnic
representation is fraught with pitfalls: If artists
cannot be careful about avoiding exoticising
characters, they are better off representing their own,
by Pramod Mishra (kp 12/09/2019)
Nepali
women are being trafficked to China and sold as wives॥
Bride-buying is becoming increasingly prevalent in
China, where men far outnumber women, by Shuvam
Dhungana (kp 09/09/2019)
Lawmakers
demand death penalty for acid attackers, lawyers
oppose (ht 09/09/2019), From
public harassment to acid attack, legal loopholes
emboldening assailants, by Priyanka Adhikari (rep
12/09/2019)
Dahal
at odds with govt over Kailali lynchings: By siding
with the Tharu people, Dahal has put himself at odds
with many of his NCP colleagues who see the Kailali
massacre as the most gruesome crime post-Maoist
insurgency (rep 09/09/2019)
Discrimination
against Dalits still rife, continue to be left out of
decision making processes: Marginalisation of members
of Dalit communities still persists even though
several laws and constitution bar discrimination,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 08/09/2019)
Human
rights body to pull out of committee formed to select
transitional justice commission officials: Rights body
is recalling Prakash Osti from the committee, saying
it does not want to be part of the process that has
been heavily politicised, by Binod Ghimire (kp
08/09/2019), Panel
set to publicize list of TJ bodies candidates this
week (rep 09/09/2019)
Health
rights a far cry sans regulations: It hasn’t been
possible to implement the Health Act, by Sabitri
Dhakal (ht 08/09/2019)
Freed
haliyas stage rally in Dadeldhura, by Baburam
Shrestha (ht 08/09/2019), 11
years on, many Haliyas struggle for their rights,
by Bira Gadal (rep 08/09/2019)
Amendment
to Media Council Bill fails to address concerns:
Journalists have demanded that the recommendation
committee for the proposed media council be
accountable to Parliament, not the government, by
Tika R. Pradhan (kp 07/09/2019)
A
teenage girl was attacked with acid after her father
told a man to stop pursuing her: Muskan Khatun, a
ninth grader, suffered burns on her face, chest and
hands, and is receiving treatment in Kathmandu, by
Bhusan Yadav and Shankar Acharya (kp 07/09/2019)
[The government must also be
made responsible for not enacting the August 2017
order of the SC to regulate sale and distribution of
acids!!], Hetauda
acid attacker still at large: Six years since the
incident, police are still struggling to arrest the
assailant, by Pratap Bista (kp 09/09/2019), Enact
law pronto: The government should enact law to
regulate the sale and distribution of acids to prevent
women and girls from acid attacks (ht 10/09/2019),
Kin
suspect woman murdered over dowry (ht 07/09/2019)
Conflict
victims may ‘snub’ TJ process over commissioner
appointments (rep07/09/2019)
Bote
community in Makwanpur denied licence renewal for
fishing: The Bote people fish in the local rivers and
rivulets, especially in the Rapti river, which falls
inside the Parsa National Park, by Pratap Bista
(kp 07/09/2019) [????
This is the economic survival basis of this small
group! At the same time, members of the ruling social
groups destroy the nature of the country in many
places for the mere sake of profit!]
Can
House panel cross-examine SC verdicts? No, say legal
experts as unwarranted interference in judicial
process will erode judicial independence (ht
07/09/2019)
Will
the new commissions go the way of the transitional
justice bodies? There is no alternative to making
appointments in such commissions transparent and fair,
by Mohna Ansari (kp 06/09/2019)
Bhattarai
urges Dalits to renounce Hinduism (rep 06/09/2019)
Government
to launch mobile app to deliver services digitally: IT
experts say use of mobile SIM card registration data
for applicant identification problematic; raise
concern over cyber threat and misuse of digital
information by the state, by Prithvi Man Shrestha
(kp 06/05/2019)
Human
trafficking still a major challenge for the country:
Despite legal protections and law enforcing agencies
in action, Nepali girls, women and children are still
vulnerable to human trafficking, by Chandan Kumar
Mandal (kp 05/09/2019),
Over
500 women missing from Nepalgunj border (ht
05/09/2019), Clear-cut
laws are needed to fight human trafficking: While the
individuals concerned are doing their best to stop it,
the laws defining what constitutes human trafficking
remain narrow (kp 06/09/2019)
Rift
surfaces in committee to select transitional justice
commission officials: Committee members are at odds
over the selection criteria, chairman fails to rise to
the occasion, by Binod Ghimire (kp 05/09/2019)
Ensure
media freedom : The media council should be an
autonomous body, free from state control and headed by
someone familiar with the media (ht 05/09/2019)
Sit-in
staged for journo’s release (ht 05/09/2019)
TJ
appointment meeting cancelled at the eleventh hour
(rep 04/09/2019)
Lawmakers
urge government to remove proposed fine on
mediapersons: MP Bimala Rai Paudel has sought licence
system for journalists to maintain professional
standards, by Jagdishor Panday (ht 03/09/2019), Parties
one on rejecting fines for journalists (rep
03/09/2019)
Does
blackface have a place in Nepali comedy? Probably not:
Stereotypical Madhesi portrayals in popular culture
are a big hit, but for the Madhesi community, they are
racist and offensive, by Srizu Bajracharya (kp
02/09/2019)
No
regulation to implement acts related to fundamental
rights, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 01/09/2019)
Where
are the disappeared? (rep 01/09/2019)
Guest
house owner arrested for raping teenage employee:
Thousands of women working in entertainment sector
face exploitation (ht 01/09/2019)
Haliya
families demand ID card (ht 01/09/2019)
Police
rough up a Madhesi man yet again. This time, it’s on
video: A viral video from Janakpur shows police
pushing and pulling on a Madhesi man, prompting
outrage on social media, by Samuel Chhetri (kp
31/08/2019)
Bride
trafficking racket busted, four Chinese nationals
among 10 arrested: The Chinese men mobilised their
Nepali associates to lure unwary girls and women into
fake marriages with them (ht 31/08/2019)
Former
minister, four others held on charge of human
trafficking (ht 31/08/2019)
On
the International Day of the Disappeared, one family
in Kanchanpur talks about the misery of being torn
apart: According to the data available at the district
administration office, 53 people have disappeared in
the district over the decade-long insurgency period,
by Bhawani Bhatta (kp 30/08/2019), A
day for the victims, and for the future of
transitional justice: This day should serve as an
occasion to remember the need to continue working
towards completing the transitional justice process,
by Navaraj Pudasaini (kp 30/08/2019), Victims’
woes unaddressed: CIEDP collected 3,212 complaints but
couldn’t probe any, by Roshan S. Nepal (ht
30/08/2019), Insurgency
victims in Rolpa await return of missing kin, by
Dinesh Subedi (rep 30/08/2019)
Implement
NHRC’s recommendations, MoFAGA tells local bodies
(ht 30/08/2019)
Suicide
is preventable: Mental health should be respected as a
fundamental right (kp 30/08/2019)
Voices
of women unheard in Dolpa local units: Because of
male-dominated local units, plans and policies of the
local units are not in favour of women in Dolpa,
by Chandani Khatayat (kp 29/08/2019)
OHCHR
criticizes Nepal over child labor abuse (rep
29/08/2019) [see Torture
and forced child labour: UN experts find Nepal
violated human rights, by OHCHR including full
text of the UN document]
Naturalised
citizenship: ‘Law for foreign women married to Nepali
men shouldn’t end’ (ht 28/09/2019) [Okay,
but most important is that there ist absolutely no
difference between the legal tratment of women and
men! The current citizensip law clearly violates the
fundamental rights of the Nepali citizens!]
Police
intensify crack down on sex workers: 121 persons,
including 25 transgender, arrested in the last one
month, by Ujjwal Satyal (ht 29/08/2019)
UN
asks Nepal government to bring anti-torture law at par
with international standard: The existing provision in
criminal code is flexible, legal experts say, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 28/08/2019) [It
is not only the unchanged and continued practice of
torture and targeted injuries up to killings by the
security forces. Numerous other laws and practices
also violate internationally recognized human rights
statutes, although Nepal has been a member of the UN
Human Rights Council since the beginning of 2018!],
Nepal
violated human rights: UNHRC (ht 28/08/2019)
Citizenship
in limbo: Sub-panel fails to forge consensus on
naturalised citizenship, by Jagdishor Panday
(ht 28/08/2019)
Make
media houses women-friendly: Stakeholders (ht
28/08/2019)
Derailing
justice: Transitional justice has taken up a lot of
resources. It cannot be allowed to get derailed into
an industry that supports interests of conflict
spoilers, by Pranab Kharel and Gaurab KC (rep
27/08/2019)
SC
orders compensation for wrongfully convicted cop:
Another cop confesses to stealing service revolvers
for which his colleague was sentenced to four years,
by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 26/08/2019)
Female
workers subjected to forced labour (ht 26/08/2019)
The
Right To Environment, by Jivesh Jha (rn
26/08/2019)
Parties’
undue intervention could call credibility of
transitional justice process into question: Conflict
victims and rights activists say politicians must
correct their past mistakes and appoint officials in
an impartial and transparent manner, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 25/08/2019)
Scaring
the media, again (rep 25/08/2019)
Nepal
is attempting to cripple the National Human Rights
Commission: The government’s introduction of the
Amendment Bill is putting human rights, one of the
pillars of democracy, at risk, by Chun Bahadur
Gurung (rep 25/08/2019)
Dalit
women representatives in Pokhara say they continue to
face discrimination: The representatives say they are
disrespected by colleagues and are often relegated to
the sidelines, by Deepak Pariyar (kp 25/08/2019)
Forced
eviction from public land unlawful: Activists, by
Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 25/08/2019)
End
gender discrimination in citizenship bill: NHRC
(ht 24/08/2019)
Conflict
victims oppose plan to amend transitional justice act
based on a draft they rejected a year ago: As the
political parties do not appear serious about ensuring
justice, their actions will only promote impunity,
conflict victims say, by Binod Ghimire (kp
23/08/2019), CVCP
flays partys’ plan ‘to divide spoils of appointment’
in TJ bodies (ht 23/08/2019), TJ
appointments get messy as one nominee declines offer
(rep 23/08/2019)
Nine
arrested for trying to settle rape case (ht
23/08/2019)
Transitional
justice in jeopardy: Keep aside vested interests,
by Ram Dayal Rakesh (ht 22/08/2019)
Revised
Advertisement Bill: Media owners may end behind bars
for a year, by Ashok Dahal (rep 22/08/2019)
Nine
minors rescued from a children’s home in Bafal, three
arrested: The children were living in dismal
conditions, surviving only on rice and salt,
authorities say, by Shuvam Dhungana and Bhrikuti
Rai (kp 22/08/2019)
Govt
unable to control thriving human trafficking (ht
22/08/2019)
Rautahat
prison bursting at the seams (ht 21/08/2019)
Bimala
Tamang's kin prepare to move apex court, by Sonam
Thapa (rep 21/08/2019)
Parties
finalising names for two transitional justice bodies
this week: Nepal Communist Party will take leadership
of the truth commission while Nepali Congress will get
the one on disappearances, by Binod Ghimire (kp
20/08/2019) [Still active
leaders of both parties had political responsibility
at that time and are not qualified for this task!],
Costs
of justice delayed: If the voices of the victims are
ignored and justice process is put on hold like this,
Nepal’s TJ process is surely going to attract
universal jurisdiction, by Ram Kumar Bhandari (rep
20/08/2019), Former
attorney general Raman Shrestha is parties’ pick for
truth commission: While Shrestha himself says he will
not take up the position, conflict victims too are
against the parties’ decision, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 22/08/2019) [?????],
NCP’s
choice for TRC chair turns down offer (ht
22/08/2019)
‘Women
humanitarians risking their lives to help others’
(ht 20/08/2019)
NA
offers to set up Maina memorial, by Roshan S.
Nepal (ht 19/08/2019) [This is
a blatant mockery against the background that
criminals from the security forces, including in the
murder case of Maina Sunuwar, are protected and
promoted unchanged by the army leadership and
politicians!], Do
not obstruct justice (rep 20/08/2019)
Celebrating
#Womenhumanitarians: In the aftermath of disasters,
women’s specific humanitarian needs are often not
adequately identified nor responded to. Women and
other minorities face further marginalization during
disasters, by Indu Ghimire and Valerie Julliand
(rep 19/08/2019)
Nine
persons, including NEFIN president, injured in baton
charge (ht 18/08/2019)
Case
against Chhaupadi: Chhaupadi is rooted in ignorance
and unfounded fears, another reason why it must be
completely eradicated, by Shiva Kumar Pokharel
(rep 18/08/2019)
Man
on the lam after ‘thrashing Dalit woman’ arrested,
by Ganesh Bishu and Govinda KC (rep 18/08/2019)
Head
of Bal Mandir, nation’s oldest non-profit for
children, arrested on charges of child trafficking:
The director of the organisation has been accused of
abetting a British national in unlawfully procuring a
Nepali child and assisting in obtaining fraudulent
documents to claim the baby, by Tsering D. Gurung
(kp 16/08/2019)
Pudasaini
death mystery:TV host Lamichhane among three arrested,
by Ujjwal Satyal (ht 16/08/2019), Five-day
custody for Rabi Lamichhane, 2 others, by Tilakram
Rimal (ht 17/08/2019), Lamichhane
fans clash with police, seven policemen injured
(rep 17/08/2019), Police
lathi-charge Lamichhane supporters; use tear gas to
control situation, by Kamal Subedi (rep
17/08/2019)
Concerted
efforts stressed to combat human trafficking (ht
16/08/2019)
Overcrowding
of Saptari Prison puts inmates at risk of contagious
diseases: Six inmates have died in the Rajbiraj-based
prison in the last one and a half years, prison
officials say, by Abdhesh Kumar Jha (kp
16/08/2019)
Worldwide
women’s activist: Bandana Rana has risen from local
campaigner to a policy-making role on gender rights at
the UN, by Sewa Bhattarai (nt 16/08/2019)
Journalists
are being arrested for their political beliefs, in
eerie reminder of Panchayat days: At least two
journalists are in detention on suspicion of their
affiliation with the Chand-led Communist Party of
Nepal, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp 15/08/2019)
Neglected
for giving birth to a baby girl: If there is something
our society as a whole must fight together it is this
(rep 15/08/2019)
Need
for presenting progress of Nepali women stressed
(ht (ht 15/08/2019), Civil
society, gender rights activists call on govt to
present consolidated reports (rep 15/08/2019)
Nepal
falls behind in combating human trafficking, says NHRC
(ht 15/08/2019)
Two
arrested for raping women (ht 15/08/2019)
Police
use force on protesters (ht 14/08/2019)
Bill
proposed to end child labour in informal sector
(ht 14/08/2019)
Geneva
Conventions instrumental in reducing suffering, says
Welch (ht 13/08/2019), Jail
term till death proposed for grave violations, by
Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 13/08/2019)
Zero
VAW cases in Manang (ht 13/08/2019)
She
eloped when she was 16. Now she’s serving time for
child marriage: The law on child marriage is so vague,
it often ends up criminalising victims rather than
perpetrators, by Tsering D. Gurung (kp 12/08/2019)
Two
trafficking suspects held, woman rescued (ht
12/08/2019)
Police
baton-charge SRC agitators (ht 12/08/2019)
Government
is working on Mass Media Bill with harsher provisions
for media sector: The draft bill, currently at the Law
Ministry, proposes fines up to Rs 10 million and jail
terms up to 15 years or both, by Binod Ghimire (kp
11/08/2019)
Ethnic
communities to hold a protest rally on World
Indigenous Peoples' Day: The indigenous nationalities
say the state is still reluctant to address their
concerns of identify and inclusion, by Tika R.
Pradhan (kp 09/08/2019), Indigenous
movement, once a champion for the rights of indigenous
people, is losing steam: Activists fighting on behalf
of the indigenous population themselves are not
hopeful about sustaining their efforts, by Tika R.
Pradhan (kp 11/08/2019
Trafficking
in persons: Nepal must focus on prevention efforts and
victims' protection, by Dev Datta Joshi (kp
09/08/2019)
Road
to unfreedom: The government's actions show it wants
to turn the country into a police state (kp
08/08/2019)
Cases
of domestic violence unchecked in Baitadi: Eighty-six
cases of domestic violence were filed at the District
Police Office in the fiscal year 2018-19, by
Tripti Shahi (kp 08/08/2019)
Calls
from the police shake up human rights activists: At
least three rights activists received calls from the
police asking for their professional affiliation,
without saying why, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
07/08/2019)
Nearly
1.5 million Nepali at risk of human trafficking,
report says: Aspiring migrant workers, Nepali working
abroad, child labour, workers in the entertainment
sector and missing persons are more vulnerable human
trafficking, by Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp
06/08/2019), Human
traffickers, in a change of tricks, are now waiting
across the border: Despite decades of surveillance and
awareness programmes, hundreds of women continue to be
trafficked across the open Nepal-India border every
year, by Madhu Shahi (kp 06/08/2019)
States
are beginning to play a direct role in supporting
press freedom: The declining state of freedom of
expression in the subcontinent needs more exposure,
by Achyut Wagle (kp 06/08/2019)
AWC
urges NHRC to conduct fair investigation (ht
05/08/2019), No
credible basis to conclude Paudel was killed in
encounter: Rights groups (rep 05/08/2019)
Costs
of delay: International pressure on transitional
justice (rep 05/08/2019)
More
rape victims seek police help (ht 04/08/2019)
‘Implement
sexual and reproductive health rights’ (ht
04/08/2019)
Recommendation
committee to consult with victims before picking
transitional justice leadership: The move comes in
place following concern from various international
human rights bodies urging the government to take
action, by Binod Ghimire (kp 03/08/2019)
NHRC
investigation challenges govt claim on Kumar Paudel
‘encounter’ (rep 03/08/2019)
A
new film bill draws sharp criticism from Nepali
entertainment industry: The proposed bill gives
sweeping authority to film censor board and adds
unnecessary hassles, filmmakers say, by Bhrikuti
Rai (kp 03/08/2019)
In
some colleges, students say teachers are going through
their phones: While students decry invasion of
privacy, teachers and staff say that they only do it
for the protection of their students, by Sneha
Dahal (kp 03/08/2019)
Prachanda
and the spectre of The Hague: Transitional justice
should not be aimed only at hounding and punishing
Prachanda for all war-era crimes. But his own party
comrades may not be with him on this, by Dinesh
Kafle (kp 02/08/2019)
Gender
stereotypes: Hamper social inclusion, by Bina Jha
(ht 02/08/2019)
Data
collection and privacy issues: We need to start
talking about who is gathering our personal
information and how they are using it, by Jagat
Bahadur Kunwar (kp 02/08/2019)
Locals
risk their lives to cross rain-swollen Mahakali river:
Villagers have to cross the river as they rely heavily
on Indian markets across the border for everyday
commodities, by Manoj Badu (kp 01/08/2019)
How
I suffered violence: Women are still being
character-assassinated. How many more suffering women
does it take to change Nepali society’s mindset toward
domestic abuse?, by Ushma Rebel (rep 01/08/2019)
TJ
process prolonged as victims insist on no impunity:
Political parties wrangle over appointments to
commissions (rep 31/07/2019) [The
perpetrator side must not be represented in the
commissions, i.e. please no representatives of the
political parties, the army and the former monarchy!]
In
absence of consumer court, businesses keep getting
away with selling substandard products: Although
dozens of restaurants and companies are found selling
contaminated and low quality food, lengthy
administrative process results in little action,
by Rajesh Khanal and Krishana Prasain (kp 31/07/2019), Consumers
have rights: The government must do everything in its
power to establish consumer courts in the country
(kp 01/08/2019)
Child
marriage still prevalent in areas declared child
friendly in Sudurpaschim: Fourteen girls under the age
of 20 became mothers in the area in the last three
years, health workers say, by Tripti Shahi (kp
31/07/2019)
Four
international rights groups criticise government
inaction on transitional justice: Nepali government
officials say they are working sincerely to conclude
the process, by Binod Ghimire (kp 30/07/2019) [see
common statement by Amnesty
International, Human
Rights Watch, TRIAL
International and International
Commission of Jurists; same statement
in Nepali], ‘I’ll
become global hero if dragged to The Hague’ (ht
30/07/2019) [What bullshit
nonsense! Dahal is obviously trying to acquit himself
of his co-responsibility for crimes from the time of
the uprising!], There
are no heroes in The Hague: By throwing an open
challenge to be taken to the International Criminal
Court, Dahal has also trivialised the hallowed
institution (kp 31/07/2019), Govt
told to start fresh appointment process‘: Authorities
flippant on fulfilling obligations’, by Roshan S.
Nepal (ht 30/07/2019), Rights
bodies urge govt to halt ongoing commissioner
appointment process: The process cannot be halted,
says the recommendation committee (rep
30/07/2019), Amend
the act: The government should not be seen as trying
to protect the perpetrators of rights violations
during the conflict era; it is time justice is
delivered to the victims (ht 31/07/2019)
Dispute
over forming panel to investigate Tarai deaths
obstructs House, again: Speaker Mahara feels trapped
by the positions taken by the ruling and opposition
MPs, his advisors says, by Binod Ghimire (kp
30/07/2019)
Postpartum
mothers in Joshibunga carry the weight of old
traditions: In many parts of Nepal, new mothers are
considered “untouchable” until the eleventh day of
delivery, by Tripti Shahi (kp 30/07/2019)
Incidents
of child marriage on the rise (ht 30/07/2019)
Women,
children go missing from Kailali (ht 30/07/2019)
Chepang
women picket Dhading District Administration Office
over illegal sand mining: Illegal mine operators have
been extracting sand from river and streams in
collusion with representatives of rural municipality,
locals say, by Harihar Singh Rathour (kp
30/07/2019)
Ruling
party’s repeated failures to ensure representation
call its commitment to inclusion into question: The
recent selection of the top leadership in its district
and metropolis committees has shown a distinct failure
to be inclusive, which is mandated by law, by Tika
R. Pradhan (kp 29/07/2019)
Badi
women can’t detach themselves from social stigma: From
propositions of sex to straight out sexual favours
from strange men, Badi women bear the burden of their
surnames, by Rupa Gahatraj (kp 29/07/2019)
Tracing
Disappeared Persons, by Jaya Chor Chapagain (rn
28/07/2019)
National
human rights body asks prime minister’s
office—again—to report on the status of Nirmala Pant
case: The rights watchdog had made 24-point
recommendations in January for a fair and credible
probe into the 13year-old’s rape and murder, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 27/07/2019), NHRC
asks govt about action on report (ht 27/07/2019)
NHRC
for lifting curbs on women aspiring to work
abroad (ht 27/07/2019)
Women
workers in construction sector continue to experience
exploitation on several fronts: The workers are
formally organising against unequal pay, workplace
safety, and workplace harassment, and this is helping
them protect their rights, recent study concludes,
by Chandan Kumar Mandal(kp 26/07/2019)
How
government bureaucracy killed a new mother: Goma Osti
needed an airlift from Nuwakot to Kathmandu after
postpartum complications. But a labyrinthine
bureaucracy delayed her treatment by four hours—and
took her life, by Arjun Poudel (kp 26/07/2019)
The
government should protect intellectual property, not
hide behind it: It should make all data easily
accessible, not limit its usage by adding unnecessary
watermarks, by Deepak Thapa (kp 25/07/2019)
NHRC
urges govt to end caste-based discrimination (kp
24/07/2019) [see NHRC
report of 18/07/2019, in Nepali]
Police
reluctant to register FIR of trafficking victims,
by Ujjwal Satyal (ht 24/07/2019
People
are furious after Home Minister says Nirmala Pant’s
rape and murder isn’t a “new phenomenon”: The remark
comes just days before the one-year mark of the
gruesome incident whose investigation is still
incomplete, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp 24/07/2019) [It is an outstanding task of the
govt, especially of the home minister, to end this
phenomenon once and for all. If you are incompetent to
do this, Mr Thapa, then you should resign and stop
such nonsense talk! This is a political issue in every
respect!], Walk
the talk (rep 25/07/2019), YouTube
videos on Nirmala Pant leave more questions than
answers: The 13-year-old’s rape and murder has created
a cottage industry of YouTube channels that
churn out sensational crime videos, adding more
confusion than clarity, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp
25/07/2019), 367
days of injustice (rep
Human
rights body summons police involved in killing of
Chand cadreHome Ministry has defended the killing,
saying security personnel opened fire in
self-defence, but family members tell another story,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 23/07/2019) [Just
as the security forces killed thousands of persons
during the times of insurgency only in self-defence??]
Around
50,000 quake-affected families to be removed from
government list of beneficiaries: They didn’t sign
housing grant agreements within deadline, rebuilding
authority says; Lack of land titles, disability
and old age may have kept some people from signing
agreements, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp
23/07/2019)
Selective
abortion rampant in Siraha, by Mithilesh Yadav
(rep 23/07/2019)
Debate
on external voting rages on, by Ram Kumar Kamat
(ht 23/07/2019)
‘Innocent
people should not be framed in Nirmala’s rape and
murder case’, interview with Durga Devi, mother of
murdered Nirmala Panta (ht 22/07/2019)
TRC,
CIEDP nominations next month, by Ram Kumar Kamat
(ht 21/07/2019) [Take your
time and wait until all the victims and perpetrators
have died a natural death. This is likely to happen
sooner to the victims and their families due to the
circumstances of their lives!]
Despite
protests, Public Service Commission continues exams to
hire staff for the local level: Protesters have said
the vacancy notice is against the principle of
inclusion, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 21/07/2019)
Govt
told to ensure safe migration, protect rights of women
migrants (ht 20/07/2019)
Transitional
justice without leaders as parties disagree on
candidates: Transitional justice without leaders as
parties disagree on candidates, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 20/07/2019) [And only
politically nominated male Bahuns can lead these
commissions?]
Early
marriage rampant in a village in Mugu, despite being
declared child marriage-free four years ago: Mothers
as young as 16 struggle to build a comfortable life
for themselves and their children, by Raj Bahadur
Shahi (kp 20/07/2019)
Chinese
company refuses to send Nepalis home without
compensation for losses: Thirty-three out of the 44
women want to return to Nepal, but their company has
demanded that the Nepali employment agency pay
them upwards of $600 per woman, by Tsering D.
Gurung (kp 20/07/2019) [Is
this the way of cooperation and trust that China
wants?]
Conflict
victims demand halt to TJ bodies appointment process
(rep 19/07/2019)
‘People
refuse to rent me a room when I tell them my surname’:
New study says despite laws in place, caste-based
discrimination is rampant across the country, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 19/07/2019)
Thousands
of domestic violence cases are registered every year,
but almost none go to court: Nepal’s law itself
favours mediation over prosecution, as domestic
violence is regarded to be a family affair, lawyers
say, by Tsering D. Gurung (kp 19/07/2019)
19
yrs on, freed Kamaiyas still wait for own land, by
Pushparaj Joshi (rep 19/07/2019) [The
problem began when the late Prime Minister Girija
Prasad Koirala simply declared them free without
caring about the fate of these people. All subsequent
governments have also shown no interest in it!]
Overcrowding
of inmates inside Taplejung’s district prison: The
prison currently holds five times its capacity for
inmates, by Ananda Gautam (kp 18/07/2019)
Rise
against discrimination: How many Dalits possess land
in cities? How many Dalit students are enrolled in
top-notch private schools and colleges? How many Dalit
politicians are there in higher ranks?, by Sangita
Chalise (rep 18/07/2019)
Victims
of pollution to be compensated (ht
18/07/2019)
Recruiting
for PSC vacancies gets thorny as protests turn
aggressive, by Ashok Dahal (kp 18/07/2019)
Anticipating
criticism, government puts Mass Communication Bill on
hold: After facing public reproach for Media Council
Bill and IT Bill, the Oli administration appears
wary of inviting any more criticism, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 18/07/2019)
For
rape survivors, police are not always their friends:
Nepal’s police force is heavily male and woefully
undertrained when it comes to dealing with survivors
of sexual violence, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp
17/07/2019), Humiliated
again: The police should help victims of sexual
assault get justice, not shame them further (kp
18/07/2019)
Women
construction workers: Organising for change: More and
more women construction workers are joining unions as
they help with claiming compensation; Women still earn
almost 30 percent less than men for the
same work, by Feyzi Ismail (kp 17/07/2019)
NHRC for lifting travel
ban on female migrant workers (rep 17/07/2019)
Child
marriages resulting in divorces in Rukum, by
Lokendra Khanal (rep 17/07/2019)
Hundreds
protest against FPSC’s job notice (ht 17/07/2019)
Transitional
justice: Restructuring of selection panel demanded,
by Roshan S. Nepal (ht 17/07/2019)
Teachers
and officials of prison schools call for better study
environment, by Arjun Poudel (kp 16/07/2019)
Waterlogging
in district prison (rep 16/07/2019)
Bungal
declared first ‘Chhaupadi free’ municipality in
Farwest: Bungal’s Mayor Dhan Bahadur Bista says the
declaration came after a long, persistent effort from
the municipality and various non-governmental
organisations, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp
15/07/2019)
Anti-child
marriage campaigners work amid challenges in Banke,
by Rupa Gahatraj (kp 12/07/2019)
Nepali
women take to media to expose abuse: Upset by
impunity, more women share testimonies of harassment
from their own pasts, by Reeti K.C. (nt
12/07/2019)
Chand
cadre, police constable die in shootout, by Alisha
Shrestha (kp 11/07/2019),
CPN
cadre, cop killed in exchange of fire (ht), Two
including cop killed in incident with armed Chand
cadre, by Akson Rai (rep 11/07/2019), Another
Chand cadre’s killing raises questions about
government’s stance—and style—against the outfit:
Killings of citizens, regardless of which party they
belong to, cannot be justified, rights defenders
and security experts say, by Binod Ghimire (kp
12/07/2019)
The
dismissal of gender equality: Although the government
does have social inclusion provisions, they are
largely ignored or purposefully ridiculed, by
Deepak Thapa (kp 11/07/2019)
A
year-old child is paying the price of his brother’s
eloping with a Dalit: It’s been eight years since
Nepal was declared ‘untouchability free’, but
caste-based discrimination is still practiced widely
in the country, by Pramita Dhakal (kp 11/07/2019)
Police
killed a Madhesi man. Home minister blamed it on the
man: Opposition obstructs House after ruling party
refuses to form a panel to look into deaths of
Saroj Mahato and Kumar Paudel, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 10/07/2019), Ruling
party stands firm against forming probe committee,
opposition obstructs House: Opposition lawmakers
refuse to buy government’s argument on deaths of Chand
party member and Madhesi man in police action, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 11/07/2019)
10
years on, freed Kamaiyas still wait for rehabilitation
: Only 34 percent of Rs317.2 million budget allocated
for their rehabilitation has been spent so far, by
Nirmala Khadayat (kp 10/07/2019), Settle
them pronto: It is the duty of the government to
provide shelter, food, health and education to the
freed kamaiyas and haliyas (ht 10/07/2019)
Teenager
dies under 'mysterious circumstances' (rep
10/07/2019)
Appoint
TRC, CIEDP officials after act amendment, says
accountability watchdog (ht 10/07/2019)
Tradition
defies the law: Parliament has criminalised Chhaupadi,
but the practice still exists due to prevalent social
norms, by Labhesh Thapa (kp 09/07/2019) [This
reflects the cultural mania determined by men in the
patriarchal Hindu state that discriminates against
women!]
‘Government
money too less to build houses’, by Ram Kumar
Kamat (ht 09/07/2019)
Woman
arrested on the charge of killing her husband, by
Tanka Chhetri (rep 08/07/2019)
Undue
delay in Badarmude rape case (rep 08/07/2019)
Priest
accused of sexually abusing schoolgirls in
Janakpurdham (ht 08/07/2019)
Government’s
apathy renders constitutional commissions ineffective:
Dalit, Tharu, Muslim, Madhesi and Inclusion
commissions not a priority right now, an aide to
prime minister says, by Tika R. Pradhan (kp
07/07/2019) [This state
belongs to the small minority of male Bahuns only!
They will do everything to keep all other groups
excluded!]
Victim’s
family accuse police of inaction (ht 07/07/2019)
Physically
punishing students is ineffective, harmful, and
illegal but teachers continue to do it: Many school
teachers, and even parents, still believe that
physically disciplining students is sometimes
necessary, by Binod Ghimire (kp 06/07/2019) Thrashed
student dies, teachers, principal arrested (ht
11/07/2019), Ninth
grader dies after severe beating by teachers: Four
teachers in police custody (rep 11/07/2019)
With
parties still divided on Citizenship Amendment Bill,
parliamentary sub-committee fails to make headway: The
primary bone of contention remains the provision
related to obtaining naturalised citizenship
through marriage, by Tsering D. Gurung (kp
06/07/2019) [The main problem
is the male superiority delusion of the patriarchal
high-caste political elite and their misguided
national identity thinking!]
Govt
halts Dalai Lama birthday celebration: Diplomats from
western countries express serious concerns, by
Jagdishor Panday (ht 06/07/2019) [Nepal's
Hindu politicians wold never stop celebrations for
Hindu religious leaders from in the same way
hegemonial India! This is disrespect to the millions
of Nepalese citizens who are traders of Tibetan
Buddhist beliefs!]
Conflict
victims still awaiting justice, by Sonam Lama (rep
05/07/2019)
Girl
who escaped child marriage becomes social activist,
by Sujata Lama (kp 04/07/2019)
In
yet another protectionist move, Oli administration
prepares to limit foreign film screenings: A new law
will mandate showing Nepali films exclusively for half
a year, and limiting foreign
movies—predominantly Bollywood—to 185 days, by
Timothy Aryal and Anil Giri (kp 03/07/2019)
Rolpa
conflict victims worried about the secrecy of their
complaints, by Dinesh Subedi (rep 03/07/2019)
Child
soldier issue may reach ICC, warn activists (ht
03/07/2019)
Doctors
take exception to new law that allows late-term
abortions in special cases: A new provision allows
abortions in cases of rape,incest or danger to health
at up to 28 weeks, by Arjun Poudel (kp 03/07/2019)
Amid
controversy over Bollywood awards, government plans
another international event for this year: The
international media summit, to take place in the fall,
will reportedly cost Rs 200 to 300 million, by
Anil Giri (kp 02/07/2019) [Respect
freedom of opinion and press freedom first!]
Insurgency’s
over but police continue to stop and interrogate
people on streets: City residents say they regularly
get accosted by police, particularly at night,
asking why they’re out until late., by Tsering D.
Gurung (kp 02/07/2019) [Yes, and police must also learn to
be polite! Citizens are not under orders and have a
right to explanation!]
One
killed, several hurt as police open fire at
protesters in Sarlahi: People of Ishwarpur
Municipality were protesting against illegal sand mine
after a 12-year-old boy died falling into a 30-feet
pit, by Ajit Tiwari and Om Prakash Thakur (kp
01/07/2019), Killing
of Tarai man brings age-old question to the fore: when
can police fire a live bullet?The country’s law
enforcement agency fails to exercise restraint during
protests in Madhes, rights activists say, by Tika
R. Pradhan and Om Prakash Thakur (kp 02/07/2019) [It's not only the citizens' right
to life, the question is also when will the police
stop torture and beating and respect the fundamental
rights of the people?]
‘NHRC
Bill provisions will affect transitional justice’,
in terview with HRC Chairperson Anup Raj Sharma (ht
01/07/2019)
Allow
LGBTIQ people to join govt jobs, say lawmakers, by
Jagdishor Panday (kp 01/07/2019)
Martyrs’
families complain of discrimination (ht
30/06/2019), Police
initiate action against its staff amid further erosion
of its credibility, by Sujeeta Pradhan (rep
30/06/2019)
Bill
to amend NHRC Act in accordance with constitutional
provisions: Minister (ht 29/06/2019) [???]
‘Unfair
citizenship laws put children at risk of becoming
stateless’ (ht 29/06/2019)
Missing
children: Girls more vulnerable as human traffickers
find it easy to lure them, by Sujita Pradhan (rep
29/06/2019)
Two
minor girls raped in Nijgadh Municipality (ht
27/06/2019)
Tarai
communities more prone to abuse and torture in police
custody, report says: Advocacy Forum says marginalised
communities and women are more likely to be abused and
tortured in detention, by Binod Ghimire (kp
26/06/2019) [See statement
by Advocacy Forum - Nepal], Torture
in detention up by five per cent: Report (ht
26/06/2019), Citizens
in uniform: Differential treatment by the police
towards people from the Tarai community is condemnable
(kp 27/06/2019)
In
the name of merit: It needs emphasising that merit
isn’t inherited with the DNA of a person despite
claims to the contrary, by CK Lal (kp 26/06/2019)
No
justice in sight for rape, murder victim Nirmala, by
Ujjwal Satyal (ht 26/06/2019)
Locals
implement innovative idea to campaign against early
marriage: Siraha folk wedding invitation cards that
have the age of both bride and bridegroom, by
Bharat Jarghamagar (kp 25/06/2019)
Two
girls gang-raped (rep 25/06/2019)
Political
violence: Missing the gender lens, by Susan Risal
(ht 25/06/2019)
‘Govt
invoking reasonable restriction provision to curtail
press freedom’: Deteriorating press freedom in Nepal
has drawn the attention of international press bodies
(ht 25/06/2019)
Fresh
bout of political instability: Former Maoists are
frightened as a fair investigation into conflict-era
cases would send many among them behind bars, by
Achyut Wagle (kp 25/06/2019)
Man
labelled Dalai Lama’s agent, deported to US:
Immigration officials at TIA did so because a man with
his name was on China’s most wanted list, by Rajan
Pokhrel (ht 25/06/2019) [???],
China
asked Nepal to ban a Tibetan official from entering
the country. Nepali officials got the wrong man: Home
Ministry officials said the Chinese side directly
communicates with the Department of Immigration, whose
top official has sole authority to make decisions,
by Anil Giri and Tsering D. Gurung (kp 27/06/2019) [Does the Nepalese government
blindly obey all instructions of the Chinese? In any
case, the unlawfully rejected person shall be entitled
to a public apology from the Nepalese Government and
an adequate compensation payment.]
House
committee to question Home Ministry over killing of
Chand party leader: Lawmakers are concerned over
whether Kumar Paudel’s killing in Lalbandi was
extrajudicial, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 24/06/2019),
Lawmakers
are unconvinced Chand party member was killed in
‘encounter’: Home minister reiterates police version
but commits to forming a probe committee, by
Tika R. Pradhan (kp 25/06/2019)
Women
no more banished to menstruation sheds in Hima, by
DB Budha (rep 25/06/2019)
From
a fierce reporter to a minister who wants to muzzle
the press: Gokul Baskota, who started his career
writing for left-leaning publications, is now one of
the prime minister’s most trusted ministers, and a
spokesperson for the government, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp
24/06/2019)
Appointments
in TJ bodies hang in the balance, by Roshan S.
Nepal (ht 24/06/2019), Committee
failsagain to recommend TJ commissioners (rep
24/06/2019)
Rape
cases increase in Karnali State (rep 24/06/2019)
Growing
child trafficking cases worry Kalikot parents:
Eight trafficked children were rescued from
Kathmandu before they were reunited with their
families on Friday, by Tularam Pandey (kp
23/06/2019)
How
schools are becoming easy target to fulfil petty
party interests: The trend has increased as Netra
Bikram Chand-led outfit intensifies
anti-government activities, by Binod Ghimire (kp
23/06/2019)
Nepal’s
government has been quietly facilitating urban refugee
resettlement: Despite the lack of a resettlement
policy, successive governments have assisted the
resettlement of 139 urban refugees since 2013, by
Anil Giri (kp 22/06/2019)
Nepal
fails to meet minimum standards for elimination of
trafficking: US report, by Kosh Raj Koirala (rep
22/06/2019) [see report
section on Nepal], Trafficking
of Nepali women, girls continues unabated, says
report (ht 23/06/2019)
Steps
yet to be taken to ensure justice for war-era victims
of sexual violence: Two rights bodies file petitions
at UN committee to build pressure on the government of
Nepal, by Binod Ghimire (kp 21/06/2019)
Dhading’s
centuries-old temple where women are still barred,
by Sarita Shrestha (rep 21/06/2019
People
with disability: Do we care?, by Srijana Kattel
(ht 21/06/2019)
40
Gorkha-bound Chepang children rescued from Chitwan:
The children were being taken to Gorkha without any
documents by a man who is currently detained for
investigation, by Pramita Dhakal (kp 21/06/2019)
Chepang
students in Dhirang suffer in the absence of secondary
schoolAspiring students from Dhirang and surrounding
villages receive no support to pursue higher studies,
by Pratap Bista (kp 21/06/2019)
Why
do we encourage women to give up their careers?We, as
a society, never question the added responsibility we
so often place on women, by Madhukar Upadhya (kp
21/06/2019)
As
monsoon nears, open drains and uncovered manholes pose
even bigger risks: Heavy rains tend to flood the
Valley’s streets, obscuring open drains and
manholes from motorcyclists, cyclists and
pedestrians, by Anup Ojha (kp 20/06/2019), Gaping
lack of concern: The yearly occurring injuries and
deaths due to open manholes and drains can easily be
avoided (kp 21/06/2019)
The
refugee situation in Nepal can be better: The country
has been friendly to refugees, but there is still much
room for improvement, by Evan Jones (kp
20/06/2019), Hope
to see you soon: The resettlement of Bhutanese
refugees gave them a good life, but it also separated
families, by Buddha Mani Dhakal (kp 20/06/2019)
CBS
report brings to fore huge gender pay gap: Nepali
women earn 29 per cent less than equally educated men,
by Sujan Dhungana (ht 20/06/2019)
Team
formed to monitor human rights violation (ht
20/06/2019)
FNJ’s
protest against Media Council Bill enters third phase
(ht 19/06/2019)
Two
women gang-raped, one accused held (ht 19/06/2019)
Mayor
thrashed during meeting (ht 19/06/2019)
Mayor
calls off son’s wedding with minor girl after
complaint: Dhanusha police says 16 underage marriages
were stopped in the past 10 months as more people are
reporting child marriage cases, by Shyam Sundar
Shashi (kp 18/06/2019)
City
authority says it will auction off goods confiscated
from street vendorsKathmandu Metropolitan City has
seized goods worth Rs 1.5 million in four months,
by Anup Ojha (kp 18/06/2019), Street
trade and social justice: The government must adopt
clear rules for responsible vending (kp
19/06/2019)
Family
confines 14-year-old disabled boy at home: The family
cannot afford to take Madan to Kathmandu for treatment,
by Nabin Paudel (kp 18/06/2019)
Without
personal means and support from government, mother of
acid attack survivor struggles to foot medical bills:
Kamala Khadka can expect financial aid only after a
final verdict on her daughter’s case, by Nayak
Paudel (kp 17/06/2019)
Violence
against girls: Let’s talk about it, by Kokila KC
(ht 17/06/2019)
Opaque
government: Government cannot use security as a reason
to reduce transparency (kp 17/06/2019)
Police
arrest mastermind of human trafficking racket in the
Capital: The 40-year-old was involved in smuggling
Nepalis into Libya, promising them lucrative jobs in
European countries, by Nayak Paudel (kp
16/06/2019)
Slim
chance of Supreme Court reviewing its 2015 ruling on
transitional justice, official says: The landmark
verdict struck down a dozen provisions, directing
government to provide no amnesty for
perpetrators of serious human rights violations,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 16/06/2019)
Children
in storm-affected districts unable to go to school,
by Dil Bahadur Chhatyal and Pushpa Raj Joshi (rep
16/06/2019)
Students
at a Janakpur basic school go to school—not to study
but to teachTwo months since the start of the academic
session, students at Shree Basic School have yet to
get textbooks and hence they teach their juniors,
by Santosh Singh (kp 16/06/2019)
Ills
of the Guthi Bill: The biggest blunder is
disqualifying indigenous people from their rightful
ownership of community structures, by Sanyukta
Shrestha (kp 16/06/2019)
Windstorm
victims protest after their names went missing from
the beneficiary list: Protesters claim people’s
representatives removed their names for political
reasons as they supported a different political party,
by Pawan Yadav (kp 16/06/2019)
Government
limits access to Singha Durbar amid criticism for
being intolerant. Home Ministry’s measures to keep the
seat of government out of bounds to public and
journalists draw flak, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 16/06/2019)
On
sex and citizenship: The debate on citizenship goes
from nationalist rhetoric to plain misogyny, by
Subina Shrestha (kp 14/06/2019)
Senior
citizens in rural areas deprived of citizenship
certificate: Without citizenship, people are denied
job opportunities and social security allowances,
by Ramesh Chandra Adhikari (kp 14/06/2019)
Govt
making cybercrime a new weapon to stifle criticisms:
Freedom Forum (rep 14/06/2019)
US
and UK join hands to combat human trafficking in
Nepal: UK injects extra £4.5 million to $8 million
Hamro Samman project (rep 14/06/2019)
In
stunning continuation, comedian remains in detention
despite widespread calls for his releaseEven as
#FreePraneshGautam was trending on Twitter, prominent
filmmakers released a statement supporting the
comedian’s arrest, by Bhrikuti Rai and Tsering D.
Gurung (kp 13/06/2019) [This
is what Oli in his Oxford speech has called 'freedom
of opinion'!], Intimidation
game: The right to free speech must be defended at all
costs (kp 13/06/2019), Activists
protest against arrest of a YouTuber (ht
13/06/2019), Nepal
has press freedom, but no freedom after press: Pranesh
Gautam's arrest sent a message that in Nepal you can
express your views as long as someone does not
disagree, by Ahashank Shrestha (nt 14/06/2019), Police
say they’re holding comedian Pranesh Gautam in custody
for ‘few more days’: The 24-year-old comedian was
released from custody on Thursday night but was
brought to the court by the police on Friday, after
which he was taken back to the police station, by
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 15/06/2019), Comedian
Gautam released on general date, by Nayak Paudel
(kp 17/06/2019)
Chhaupadi
affects teaching-learning (ht 13/06/2019)
AI
tells govt to ensure safe housing for all people:
Nearly half the population is living in substandard
homes; 10 pc people are homeless (ht 13/06/2019),
Right
to housing law must extend protection to tenants,
squatters: Amnesty report; Director of Amnesty
International Nepal Nirajan Thapaliya says the
government has been increasingly enacting laws
related to fundamental rights without any consultation
with stakeholders, by Tsering D Gurung (kp
14/06/2019)
Oli
celebrates democratic freedoms and rights at Oxford,
but back home, his actions say otherwise: The
government has been roundly criticised for attempting
to push through a number of controversial bills that
many say could be used to stifle criticism and muzzle
the media, by Pranaya SJB Rana and Anil Giri (kp
12/06/2019)
Man
arrested for attempting to rape daughter in the
Capital, by Nayak Paudel (kp 12/06/2019), Under-secretary
held for bid to rape teenage daughter (ht
12/06/2019)
Committee
to recommend leadership for transitional justice
bodies fails to nominate anyone, again: Latest excuse
for the delay: busy schedule of the committee head,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 11/06/2019) [Real
reasons: There is no interest in providing justice for
the victims and the responsibilities of politicians
and army leaders for the crimes are to be disguised!]
Chances
of tuberculosis spread high in prisons, officials say:
Both infected and healthy inmates at the Central Jail
live at close quarters, even though doctors recommend
treating TB patients in isolation, by Arjun Poudel
(kp 10/06/2019)
Police
use force against those protesting Guthi Bill:
Conservationists, Guthi representatives are demanding
withdrawal of the bill, by Anup Ojha (kp
10/06/2019), People
take to streets against Guthi BillBaton charge,
high-velocity streams of water used to disperse
demonstrators in the capital, by Ujjwal Satyal (ht
10/06/2019)
Inclusion
Commission recommends measures to local governments to
empower marginalised people: One of the suggestions is
building care centres, amusement parks, religious
spaces and sports grounds for the marginalised, by
Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 09/06/2019) [A
better inclusion on the basis of Khas-Arya ethnicity
is rediculous! Male members of this group already
dominate all spheres of public life!]
Comedian
in police custody for a video reviewing the
film Bir Bikram 2: Responding to a complaint
filed by the film’s director, police detained stand-up
comedian Pranesh Gautam on Friday, by Bhrikuti Rai
(kp 08/06/2019) [A fatal
attack on the freedom of opinion!!!], Netizens
question freedom of expression as Meme Nepal's Gautam
lands in police custody (rep 10/06/2019). Calling
a spade a spade: Pranesh simply said what he felt
about the movie and is paying a hefty price for that,
by Prajita Gupta (kp 14/06/2019)
Nepal
ranks 10th for child marriage among boys (ht
08/06/2019), UN
report ranks Nepal tenth in prevalence of child
marriage among boys: To end child marriage in the
country, stakeholders should focus on ending
child marriage of both sexes, experts say ,
by Nayak Paudel (kp 09/06/2019)
People
in Nepal are not enjoying their civil rights and
political freedoms, new human rights report says: The
KP Sharma Oli administration has been visibly
attempting to limit freedom of expression
through laws and policies, rights advocates say,
by Bhrikuti Rai (kp 07/06/2019)
Top
court postpones hearing on petition against 2015
ruling on transitional justice for 22nd time:
Continued deferrals amid delay in amending
Transitional Justice Act concern conflict victims,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 07/06/2019)
Conflict
victims mount pressure on leaders to amend
transitional justice Act: Law minister tells victims
the process will start when top leaders reach an
agreement, by Binod Ghimire (kp 06/06/2019) [This is a question of justice and
the rule of law! Many of the so-called leaders have
been responsible for the crimes of the past! They have
no right to have any say at all!], Top
leaders seek ways to manage conflict-era cases:
Consider revising TJ-related laws by taking victims
into confidence and appointing commissioners at the
earliest (rep 06/06/2019), Conflict-era
sexual violence victims yet to be identified (ht
06/06/2019), Thirteen
years on, victims of the Badarmude incident await
compensationDespite a pledge from Pushpa Kamal Dahal
during the 2017 election season, victims of the
2006 civilian bus bombing have received nothing,
by Ramesh Kumar Paudel (kp 06/06/2019)
Dalits
used as ‘vote banks’ by parties forgotten after
elections, by Pant (kp 06/06/2019)
Leaders
may face arrest abroad if TJ issues not resolved:
Australia envoyVoices concern over moves concerning
NHRC and press freedom, by Kosh Raj Koirala (rep
05/06/2019)
Caste
discrimination still a hindrance for Dalits, by
Binod Pariyar (rep 05/06/2019)
Man
on hunger strike seeking justice for Shahi (ht
04/06/2019)
Violence
against children unabated in Province 2, by Suresh
Yadav (rep 04/06/2019)
Child
marriages ending up in divorces in Rukum, by
Lokendra Khanal (rep 04/06/2019)
‘Smart
Chhori’ preparing daughters of martyrs of conflict for
a better futureA total of 189 girls from 16 districts
are receiving education at Shahid Smriti Residential
Secondary School, by Durgalal KC (kp 03/06/2019)
New
policy aims to bar foreign NGOs from financing
religious and political institutions: The decision was
taken to discourage religious conversion which could
harm religious harmony, officials say, by Prithvi
Man Shrestha (kp 02/06/2019)
Locals
concerned about deteriorating rights condition
(ht 02/06/2019)
Her
husband set her on fire: She lived to tell her story,
by Bijay Gajmer (kp 01/06/2019)
Breaking
the glass ceiling: The participation of women in
Nepal’s info-tech sector is still very low but the
future holds promise, by Asmod Karki (kp
01/06/2019)
AHRC
tells govt to withdraw Media Council Bill (ht
01/06/2019)
End
cronyism: The new transitional justice bodies
have to be independent (kp 31/05/2019)
Women
ostracised for activism against Chhau (ht
31/05/2019)
Shaman
slays toddler in human sacrifice, by Suresh Yadav
/rep 31/05/2019)
Who
should tourism benefit in Nepal? Nepali tourism cannot
continue to rely on old policymaking. It needs to take
local communities into account, by Amish Raj Mulmi
(kp 31/05/2019)
Superstition
drives women out of homes—again— into Chhau sheds in
Achham districtDhakari was declared a Chhaupadi- and
untouchability-free village on May 17 with much
fanfare. But a recent fire has led the villagers to
believe that their embracing of the campaign has
angered the gods, by Menuka Dhungana (kp
30/05/2019)
State
and Citizenship: The geographical location of Nepal
between two emerging superpowers has been used as an
excuse to deny women the rights they deserve as equal
citizens of Nepal, by Swasti Gautam (rep
30/05/2019)
Is
Mishra panel waiting for political consensus to
finalise nominees for transitional justice bodies?
Panel member denies seat-sharing deal among parties,
but sources say major political parties are in
negotiations to finalise the share before Oli’s Europe
trip, by Binod Ghimire (kp 29/05/2019)
Nepal
has made progress in child health, but experts say the
country has a lot more to do: The country has
progressed by 142 points in the past two decades and
ranks 133rd out of 176 countries based on indicators
such as infant mortality rate, access to
education, malnutrition, child marriage and child
labour, according to the Global Childhood Report-2019,
by Arjun Poudel (kp 29/05/2019)
In
educated and elite circles, a different kind of
‘period huts’: Young Nepali women living in cities may
not be banished to sheds, but many of them are forced
to adhere to a long list of menstrual restrictions,
by Tsering D Gurung (kp 28/05/2019), Meet
Nepal’s ‘Pad Man’ who is challenging menstrual taboos:
Not content with selling reusable sanitary pads, Gyan
Maharjan visits communities and schools in Lalitpur,
teaching girls, boys and teachers about menstrual
hygiene, by Anup Ojha (kp 28/05/2019)
8
million stduents missed classes due to Chand shutdown
(rep 28/05/2019)
Blasts
indicative of an intelligence failure, analysts say:
Security officials said they were aware of possible
violence but they failed to prevent a series of blasts
that killed four people, by Anil Giri (kp
28/05/2019), Thapa
says those killed in explosions weren’t citizens,
angering opposition: Home minister has grown extremely
critical of Chand, once his ally, by Binod Ghimire
(kp 28/05/2019)) [You may call
them criminals or even terrorists but that were most
of the offenders of the Maoist insurgency, too! They
all are Nepali citizens and have to be punished
according to law!], Government’s
dealing with Chand outfit faulty, experts say, as
multiple blasts unleash terror: Tensions ran high in
Ghattekulo a day after an explosion killed one in the
neighbourhood, by Tika R Pradhan and Anup Ojha (kp
28/05/2019), Bomb
scares and arson mark the nationwide strike enforced
by Chand-led communist outfit: Co-chair of ruling
Nepal Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal says
political objectives cannot be materialised by
spreading terror (kp 28/05/2019) [Dahal
claimed the opposite between 1995 and 2005 though he
did not call it terror at that time! And he
vehemently resists a punishment of the perpetrators
from the time of the rebellion!]
Child
marriage still rampant in Bajura: Even people’s
representatives are found to be marrying
off their underage children, by Sangeeta
Timilsena (kp 28/05/2019)
No
regulation in place to control sale and distribution
of acid: Steps have not been taken yet to form
regulations, officials say, by Nayak Paudel (kp
27/05/2019)
Conflict
victims demand amendment to TJ Act (ht
27/05/2019), Finalize
laws before recommending names for transitional
justice bodies: Conflict victims (rep 27/05/2019),
Call
for justice, once again: Government should not miss
this opportunity to conclude Nepal’s transitional
justice process under Nepal’s own leadership and
ownership, by Bhagiram Chaudhary and Suman
Adhikari (rep
Children
skip classes to sell kafal, by Janak KC (rep
27/05/2019)
Where
has Nepal’s once active civil society gone? While
professional groups have been raising voices
against moves to curtail individual and press
freedoms, citizens-led movement is conspicuous
by its absence, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 26/05/2019)
Itahari
mayor misbehaves with a journalist and deputy mayor
issues apology: The instance may look like simple
bureaucracy, but female politicians say it shows how
women are denied decision-making role and made to play
second fiddle, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp 26/05/2019), Itahari
mayor issues apology for misbehaving with journalists
(rep 27/05/2019)
This
is how society and state continue to fail rape
survivors: Many survivors have their lives uprooted,
and are forced to relocate, live away from their
family and friends, and start fresh in an
unfamiliar setting, by Tsering D Gurung (kp
25/05/2019)
House
committee pledges to revise bill to amend human rights
law: Human rights committee chair says he will also
work for amending Media Council Bill, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 25/05/2019), Editors
demand withdrawal of Media Council Bill (ht
26/05/2019)
10
months after Nirmala rape and murder, rights activists
renew call for justice, by Bhawani Bhatta (kp
25/05/2019)
Punarbas
Municipality tense after police foil child marriage
(ht 25/05/2019)
Disciplining
the other way: The ban on all forms of corporal
punishment in all settings is a great achievement,
by Umesh Raj Regmi (kp 24/05/2019)
Teenager
gang-raped in Myagdi for declining sex proposal
(rep 24/05/2019)
Children
face commercial sexual abuse (ht 24/05/2019)
Say
no to dowry: Don’t make it a status symbol, by
Sangita Chalise (ht 24/05/2019)
Editors
urge govt to withdraw Media Council Bill (ht
24/05/2019), Government
will not take back the MCB, says minister (ht
24/05/2019) [Mr Baskota's task
should be the protection of press freedom but he is
one of the most incompetent and arrogant ministers of
the Oli government!], Bamdev
Gautam seeks revision of bill (ht 24/05/2019)
Probe
committee formed to inspect mismanagement in Dhading
District Jail, by Sarita Shrestha (rep 23/05/2019)
Free
the press: Should the draft bill with provisions of
harsh penalties and prison terms be passed, it will
discourage professional journalism, while promoting
servile psychology and self-censorship, by Mohan
Nepali (rep 23/05/2019)
UN
urges Nepal to change its rape law: Rights activists
say they are cautiously optimistic given Nepal’s lax
attitude to past pleas, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp
22/05/2019), Change
laws to ensure justice to rape victims: UN to Nepal
(rep 22/05/2019), Amend
laws for victims’ access to justice: UN (ht
22/05/2019)
Media
warns it could form independent regulatory body
(ht 22/05/2019)
Teachers
affiliated to Far-western University not paid since 11
months, by Yogesh Rawal (22/05/2019)
Inmates
sleep on floor in overcrowded Dolakha prison, by
Ramesh Khatiwada (rep 22/05/2019)
Rastriya
Janata Party-Nepal asks government to make Lal report
public: Party says it will obstruct House proceedings
until the report on Tarai protest is out, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 21/05/2019)
Rights
activists urge govt to sign OPCAT, by Ram Kumar
Kamat (ht 21/05/2019)
Spare
all kinds of rods: They are ineffective, by
Dronashish Neupane (ht 21/05/2019)
Together
against pollution: Air pollution should be controlled
immediately. Otherwise, we will witness huge loss in
human resources, production and economic growth,
by Nitigya Oli and Durga Sapkota (rep 21/05/2019)
As
protest mounts, media bill draws ruling party members’
ire: Senior leaders and party-affiliated journalists
now openly criticise the government and information
minister over controversial bill, by Tika R
Pradhan (kp 20/05/2019), Journalists
close to NCP suggest amendments (ht 20/05/2019), FNJ
announces fresh protests (ht 20/05/2019),
Ruling
NCP hints at revising controversial media laws under
pressure (rep 20/05/2019)
Newborns
dying in sheds in Bajura (ht 19/05/2019)
In
Tikapur, social media sites being blamed for child
marriages, by Yogesh Rawal (rep 19/05/2019)
Province
5 sees high number of women dying unnatural deaths:
Forty-one women were killed in the province in the
past 10 months. Rights activists believe violence
against women to be the primary cause, by Amrita
Anmol (kp 18/05/2019)
Acid
attack survivor Magar comes forward to support another
victim, by Sonam Lama (rep 18/05/2019)
122
rescued from illegal child care home (ht
18/05/2019)
Rights
activists say Oli government heading towards
authoritarian rule, by Tika R Pradhan (kp
18/05/2019)
A
20-year-old woman battles for life after her husband
hurled acid at her: Last fiscal year alone, four acid
attacks were reported across the country, by Nayak
Paudel (kp 17/05/2019) [This
reflects the value of women in the extremely
patriarchal state and society of Nepal!]
Child
marriage in Nepal: eloped at 13, mother by 17, by
Sewa Bhattarai (nt 17/05/2019)
Media
barred from covering SAGGC meet: Opposition MPs say
decision against democratic principles, by
Jagdishor Panday (ht 17/05/2019)
FNJ
to stage sit-in to protest Media Council Bill (ht
17/05/2019)
Media
Council Bill, by by Siddhi B. Ranjitkar (km
17/05/2019)
Govt
petition in TJ case scheduled for hearings after years
(rep 17/05/2019)
US
worried by probe into dissemination of news on Dalai
(rep 17/05/2019)
National
Human Rights Commission objects to Media Council Bill:
If endorsed in present form, it will be against the
basic principles of human rights and freedom of
expression, watchdog says, by Binod Ghimire (kp
16/05/2019), NHRC
concerned about freedom of expression (ht
16/05/2019)
Musahar
families denied access to water after an intercaste
marriage dispute, by Binu Timsina (kp 16/05/2019)
Prisoners
in Nepal are living under ‘inhumane conditions’,
Office of the Auditor General says: Monitoring teams
have found overcrowded prisons where lack of access to
clean water, proper food and health care continues to
plague prisoners, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp 15/05/2019),
Silent
screams: Overcrowding and inhumane conditions are the
hallmarks of Nepali prisons (kp 16/05/2019)
Violence
against women unabated in eastern Nepal, by
Giriraj Baskota (rep 15/05/2019)
Govt
getting ready to ratify Palermo Protocol, by Sonam
Lama (rep 15/05/2019)
Justice,
interrupted: The NHRC is an important constitutional
body and it should be allowed to function
independently, by Gyan Basnet (kp 14/05/2019)
Journalists’
group begins struggle against Media Council Bill: The
legislation to replace Press Council Act will have
power to issue hefty fines and give the government
more say in the hiring and firing of council members,
by Tika R Pradhan (kp 13/05/2019), Three
journalists are under investigation for publishing
news about the Dalai Lama: Communication Minister
Gokul Baskota admitted he ordered the probe into
reporters working for the state-owned wire service
after publishing the news on the exiled Tibetan
leader when the President was on a state visit to
China, by Anil Giri (kp 13/05/2019), Media
society seeks bill’s withdrawal (ht 13/05/2019), Umbrella
body of journos launches protest, by Ujjwal Satyal
(ht 13/05/2019), Don’t
gag the press: A govt-appointed body can never qualify
to monitor the Nepali media, unless the government’s
intention is to gag it and have it tow its line
(ht 13/05/2019), Nepal
Media Bill: Experts advise FNJ to challenge anti-media
bills in court (rep 13/05/2019), A
heavy hand: The Media Council Bill further endangers
press freedom (kp 14/05/2019), Media
council bill draws flak from MPs, by Jagdishor
Panday (ht 14/05/2019), Mass
media draft bill draws heavy flak, by Ram Kumabr
Kamat (ht 14/05/2019), Media
Council Bill in favour of journalists: Minister
Baskota (ht 14/05/2019) [This
brazen minister is making idiots of the whole nation!],
Speaker,
NA chair assure FNJ of amending anti-press provisions
in bills (rep 14/05/2019)
Low
wages and ill-treatment make a bitter brew for tea
workers: Thousands of tea workers have gone on an
indefinite strike, casting shadows on the once
lucrative business, by Tsering D Gurung (kp
13/05/2019)
Brick
kilns operating in human settlements: Thick smoke
risks public health, agriculture, by Mithilesh
Yadav (rep 13/05/2019)
For
or against child marriage? Green flag tells it all in
Baitadi, by Bira Gada (rep 13/05/2019)
The
scourge of cults: Personality cults are dangerous. And
even more so for democracies, by Naresh Koirala
(kp 12/05/2019)
‘Ban
on women from working as maids in Gulf countries
unfair’, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 12/05/2019), Two
years on, Nepali women still barred from working in
the Gulf as housemaids: Latest recommendations urge
the government to revoke discriminatory restrictions
and allow all women equal access to employment, by
Chandan Kumar Mandal (kp 14/05/2019)
Protest
Against Patriarchy, by Deepesh Paudel (kp
12/05/2019)
Unable
to bear domestic violence, woman ‘commits suicide’
(rep 12/05/2019)
Child
marriage rampant in Rolpa but rarely reported to
police, by Dinesh Subedi (rep 12/05/2019)
Supreme
Court set to hear review petition on its landmark 2015
ruling: Conflict victims are cautious as reversal of
the verdict, which struck down amnesty provisions,
could jeopardise transitional justice process, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 12/05/2019)
Women
rebuilding Chhau sheds in Chhaupadi free
areas of Bajhang: Local representatives’ awareness
drive in Saipal Rural Municipality was ineffective,
by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp 12/05/2019)
Is
Nepal’s #MeToo movement finally taking off? The theatre
fraternity’s response to revelations of sexual harassment by
several of its members has provided a template on how such
behaviour could be handled, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp
11/05/2019)
Proposed
media bill envisions new press council with increased
government role: A new body overseeing the press could
alter the nature of the self-regulatory body and limit
press freedom, by Bhrikuti Rai (kp 11/05/2019), FNJ
denounces provisions of media council bill (ht
11/05/2019), Bill
on Nepal Media: New law seeks up to Rs 10m fine, 15
yrs jail for erring media persons: Govt may confiscate
media equipment, by Ashok Dahal (rep 12/05/2019),
IFJ,
FNJ ask govt to drop harsh provisions in proposed
media law (rep 12/05/2019), Let
the press be free (rep 12/05/2019)
Two
suicide attempts in police custody within a month raise
concerns: With track-laying and test run over, service is
expected to resume in 5 monthsAs issues pertaining to lack
of proper surveillance surface, Nepal Police says that it
will do the needful to ensure detainees’ safety, by
Nayak Paudel (kp 11/05/2019)
Improve
human development index, NIC told (ht 10/05/2019)
Man
set wife on fire to save illicit relations with
sister-in-law: Police, by Suresh Yadav (rep
10/05/2019)
Woman
accused of murdering daughter-in-law for dowry, by
Binod Pariyar (rep 10/05/2019)
Mentally
unsound girl tied with rope for 14 years, by
Yogesh Rawal (rep 10/05/2019)
Ending
child labour: Whose concern is it?, by Pratistha
Koirala (ht 10/05/2019)
Government
quietly moves Media Council bill to House:
Transparency and participatory law-making processes
are being overlooked, stakeholders say, by
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 09/05/2019), New
bill ‘aims at curtailing press freedom’: Proposes
fines up to Rs 1 million against media outlets,
editors, journalists for ‘damaging someone’s
reputation’, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 10/05/2019), Govt
drafts bill with harsher provisions on media, journos,
by Ashok Dahal (rep 10/05/2019), Press
and freedom, by Gunjan Upadhyay (rep 10/05/2019)
INSEC
raises alarm over NHRC Act amendment bill (rep
09/05/2019)
Parties
in negotiations to get ‘their’ people in transitional
justice bodies: Victims say such political
interference could jeopardise transitional justice
process, by Binod Ghimire (kp 09/05/2019) [It's
always the same! These failed and dishonest
politicians and parties will never change! They want
to prevent justice for the victims at all costs!]
14-year
old gives birth to baby boyUnderage parents face hard
time registering marriage, child’ s birth (ht
09/05/2019)
Nepal
should not backslide on human rights, by Meenakshi
Ganguly (kp 08/05/2019)
Time
to intervene: The government has failed to acknowledge
the failure of previous commissions, ignored victims’
pressure and their key demands for legal amendment,
by Ram Kumar Bhandari (rep 08/05/2019)
19
minors rescued from ‘illegal’ child care centre,
by Ujjwal Satyal (ht 08/05/2019)
Supreme
Court overturns own decision on Home Ministry’s
citizenship notice: Thousands of people continue to be
in limbo until the full court decides the case, by
Bhrikuti Rai(kp 08/05/2019), SC
stays citizenship distribution (rep 08/05/2019)
Sanskrit
for Dalits: In the past, untouchables were not allowed
to read and write Sanskrit. Sanskrit was considered to
be the subject meant only for Brahmins.The situation
has not changed, by Giri Bahadur Sunar (rep
07/05/2019)
One’s
identity, one’s pride: No need for consolation, by
Mim Bahadur Pariyar (ht 07/05/2019)
Four
men caught for slaughtering ox, by Nayak Paudel
(kp 06/05/2019) [Many
greetings from the Hindu state!!]
Majority
of girls in Achham district out of school system,
by Menuka Dhungana (kp 06/05/2019)
FNJ
announces national campaign for press freedom (ht
06/05/2019)
Two
arrested for misbehaving with and thrashing
"low-caste" principal (rep 06/05/2019)
Undermining
democracy: The government seeks to weaken the Human
Rights Commission by changing the law, by Gyan Basnet
(kp 06/05/2019)
Only
10
percent of Poor ID cards distributed in seven years:
While households not identified as poor have already
received their cards, by Rajesh Khanal (kp
06/05/2019)
Human
rights commission might withdraw officer from
recommendation committee, by Binod Ghimire (kp
05/05/2019)
APF
constable arrested on charge of raping a woman, by
Amar Khadka (rep 05/05/2019)
Democracy
and the Rule of Law in Federal Nepal, by Karl-Heinz
Krämer (Nepal Observer 57, 04/05/2019)
Laws
are
being designed to stifle press freedom in Nepal, a new
report says: The report is the second in two days to
point to a ‘legal stranglehold’ over press
freedom, showing how laws are being used to
harass and silence journalists, by Tsering D
Gurung (kp 04/05/2019)
[See IFJ report The
Legal Stranglehold]
Siraha
woman, 21, found dead in suspicious circumstances,
by Bharat Jarghamagar (kp 04/05/2019)
Booked
for marital rape (ht 04/05/2019)
Woman
accused of witchery files complaint (ht
04/05/2019)
Victims
pressure
government to amend Transitional Justice Act: Rights
defenders and victims’ groups ask authorities to
halt process to appoint officials, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 03/05/2019)
Only
22 percent of working-age women are employed in Nepal:
There is also gender pay gap and it must close,
experts say, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp
02/05/2019)
Threats
to
press freedom have only increased in Nepal, report
says: Even as violations of press freedom nearly
doubled in the last 12 months, the
administration is formulating tighter laws, by
Bhrikuti Rai (kp 02/05/2019)
[see report
by Freedom Forum], 104
cases of press freedom violations in a year (ht
02/05/2019), FNJ
organises rally for press freedom (ht 02/05/2019),
The
fourth estate: Free press is a pillar of democracy and
it should be allowed to function unhindered (kp
03/05/2019), Media
freedom protects and supports us all, by Richard
Morris (kp 03/05/2019), Journalists
still working under threat: NHRC chair Sharma (rep
03/05/2019), Long
shadows, by Sewa Bhattarai (nt 03/05/2019)
Right
to food sovereignty still a far cry, by Ram Kumar
Kamat (ht 02/05/2019)
Caste-based
discrimination still prevalent in Dolpa schools,
by Bishnu Prasad Devkota (rep 02/05/2019)
‘65
pc cases of violence against women occur inside home’
(ht 02/05/2019) [see WOREC
Nepal report]
Lawmaker
accused of protecting murder-accused grandson (rep
02/05/2019)
Bill
to
amend Human Rights Commission Act raises fierce
debate: The powers of national rights watchdog are
being curtailed, say opposition MPs, by Binod
Ghimire (kp 01/05/2019), Members,
MPs flay govt for bid to keep rights watchdog on tight
leash, by Jagdishor Panday (ht 01/05/2019), NHRC
proposes making its recommendations binding on govt
(rep 01/05/2019), For
a
strong NHRC: All these provisions have raised the
suspicion that it is intended to give a clean chit to
violators of human rights (ht 02/05/2019)
Truck
'reverses' and kills girl after accident, by
Yogesh Rawal (rep 01/05/2019) [Unbelievable
brutality!!]
Women’s
empowerment: Still an uphill task, by Kokila
Khadka KC (ht 01/05/2019)
Deuba
and
Dahal discuss ways to take transitional justice
process forward: The two leaders want to form a common
position so as to put pressure on Oli, sources
say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 30/04/2019) [Both
these leaders are responsible for the great number of
victims! One initiated the civil war, the other one
has been responsible for the mobilisation of the army
and the escalation of the conflict!]
Woman
found dead, relatives suspect murder (ht
29/04/2019), In-laws
accused of murdering a woman for dowry, by Sarita
Shrestha (rep 29/04/2019), Rally
held seeking action against guilty (ht 01/05/2019)
Empower
minorities:
It is the constitutional duty of the three tiers of
government to protect the language and culture of the
marginalised communities (ht 29/04/2019)
Govt
yet to dispatch 5.5 million copies of school textbooks
to districts (ht 29/04/2019)
Over
30,000
Nepalis still in forced labour, statistics bureau
report says: Largest portion—44 percent—are in
agriculture and forestry sectors, by Prithvi Man
Shrestha (kp 28/04/2019)
Minister
Baskota slams media (ht 28/04/2019) [Another
statement by the government, which only aims to
undermine freedom of the press and freedom of
expression!]
Fifty-one
persons
apply for the leadership of two transitional justice
bodies: Victims’ group puts pressure on top political
leadership to ensure selection of only competent
persons, by Binod Ghimire (kp 28/04/2019)
Amid
reservations,
government bent on amending Human Rights Act: Rights
watchdog says the move is aimed at reducing its role
as an agency subordinate to the government, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 26/04/2019)
Crowded
Kathmandu’s
few remaining open spaces are steadily encroached
upon: Khula Manch housed thousands after 2015
earthquake. Now, there is space barely for half a
dozen families, by Anup Ojha (kp 26/04/2019)
Untouchability
thriving in rural Bajura (ht 26/04/2019)
Sangita
Magar: from survivor to champion: … but brave acid
survivor now dreads her attacker’s release from prison,
by Animesh Shrestha (nt 26/04/2019)
Four
years
after Nepal’s deadly earthquakes, survivors continue
to live in disarrayMany survivors of the 2015
earthquakes say financing reconstruction of their
homes and the burden of loans have become major
challenges, pushing them further into poverty, by
Tsering Ngodup Lama and Arpan Shrestha (kp 25/04/2019)
Conflict
victims’
associations to recommend names for transitional
justice bodies: But they lay stress on an amendment to
the existing act before new leaderships assume offices,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 25/04/2019)
69
trafficked women rescued from Mizoram, by Ujjwal
Satyal (ht 25/04/2019)
Rape-accused
held (ht 25/04/2019)
NHRC
tells govt to ease woes of elderly (ht 25/04/2019)
Loktantra
Day: People injured in police brutality decry
government’s apathy, by Mohan Budhaair (kp
24/04/2019)
Rights
activists picket DAO demanding justice for Nirmala,
by Bhawani Bhatta (kp 24/04/2019)
Human
rights
watchdog censures police bid to enter its Nepalgunj
office: National Human Rights Commission terms the
action an attack on its independence and autonomy,
by Binod Ghimire (kp 23/04/2019)
Freed
Haliyas seek skill training for employment, by
Bhawani Bhatta (kp 23/04/2019)
Non-Dalits
attend wedding but skip feast: Committee formed to
investigate the matter, by Binod Pariyar (rep
23/04/2019)
Rebuilding
of
schools after quake faces funding gap of Rs 27
billion: Thousands of children will be studying in
makeshift structures for a few more years, by
Binod Ghimire (kp 23/04/2019), Reconstructed
schools lack toilets (ht 23/04/2019)
Families
of windstorm victims denied relief due to lack of
documents, by Laxmi Sah (kp 22/04/2019)
Bitter
pill to swallow: Dr Govinda KC has legitimate demands,
ones that affect the quality of your healthcare
directly, by Jiwan Kshetry (kp 21/04/2019)
15-year-old
boy dies in police custody; family claims torture,
by Parwbt Portel (kp 20/04/2019), Police
form three teams to look into the death of 15-year-old
boy in custody (kp 22/04/2019), Police
record statement from Kiran’s family: NCP stands
against its members protesting teen’s custody death,
by Parbat Portel (kp 26/04/2019) [??],
Rights
body team probes into Kiran’s suspicious death, by
Parbat Portel (kp 28/04/2019)
Musahar
people deprived of citizenship certificates, by
Bharat Jarghamagar (kp 20/04/2019)
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