CIVICUS CIVIL SOCIETYNEWS - e-CIVICUS 289
CIVICUS congratulates Nepal, calls on new government to strengthen civil society
Issued by CIVICUS: 26 April 2006
CIVICUS would like to congratulate Nepali civil society for their resilience and courage in bringing about the re-instatement of parliamentary democracy through the strength of their mass peaceful demonstrations.
While CIVICUS welcomes the new development in Nepal, we nevertheless caution the Seven-Party Alliance to use this victory to also strengthen the role of civil society and consolidate the rights to assembly, association and expression.
After dissolving the parliament in May 2002, King Gyanendra dismissed the government in February 2005 and imposed a state of emergency, suspending civil liberties in a vow to crush a decade-old Maoist revolt. Since then, officials have committed serious human rights violations, including the arbitrary arrest and detention of thousands of critics, and the implementation of severe restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly.
In early April, a coalition of opposition parties known as the Seven Party Alliance called on the people of Nepal to join a general strike to support their proposed a 12-point plan, charting a path for peace and democracy in Nepal. In the course of 20 turbulent days, civil society, journalists and political activists held mass peaceful demonstrations, demanding respect for human rights and the reinstatement of a democratic government. Security forces reacted by violently repressing protests, killing at least 17 people, injuring hundreds more and arresting thousands.
Addressing the nation on Monday night, King Gyanendra accepted the 12-point plan, agreeing to reinstate the House of Representatives. He has summoned the House of Representatives for a session on 28 April 2006.
CIVICUS calls on the new government of Nepal to:
• Acknowledge the vital roles of civil society and the independent media in articulating the will of the people
• Actively promote and protect the rights of assembly, association and expression, specifically by retracting the draconian NGO Law and various restrictive media laws
• Engage civil society in the implementation of the 12-point plan, particularly the formation of the new government and the redrafting of the constitution
• Recognise that the current conflict can only be solved through peaceful negotiations and sustained dialogue.
For more information on CIVICUS, please contact the Civil Society Watch programme at cswatch@civicus.org and +27 11 833 5959, or visit www.civicus.org. and www.civilsocietywatch.org.
