Highly-placed diplomatic sources told Republica on Monday that nine envoys have confirmed their visit to the district on the occasion of the first anniversary of the release of Bardiya report prepared by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights-Nepal (OHCHR-N). Bardiya saw the highest number of disappearances during the Maoist insurgency. [break]
The report released last December has documented 156 and 14 cases of enforced disappearances by the state and then Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) respectively. The human rights community, including the OHCHR-N and the diplomatic community, has attached high significance to the incidents.
“The objective of the visit is to extend support to the victims´ family and to draw the attention toward absence of action to the Bardiya report either by the government and the UCPN-M,” said OHCHR-N Chief Richard Bennett talking to Republica. Bennett will also accompany the ambassadors to Bardia.
According to the diplomatic sources, ambassador of Australia, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, the UK have already marked their calendar for the Bardiya visit. Similarly, Charge d´affires of the European Commission, Finland and the US are also visiting Bardiya. Deputy Head of Mission from the Norway has also confirmed his visit. They will be in Bardiya for two days.
“Other ambassadors are also likely to join the Bardiya trip,” said the diplomatic source on condition of anonymity.
Though almost a year has elapsed since the UN human rights body made public its report on the disappearance cases, the government is yet to act on it. The report had recommended to the government and the Maoists to separately investigate into the disappearances and suspend those involved the crime. The government has also been asked to provide interim compensation to the victims´ family.
In Gulariya, the district headquarters of Bardiya, the ambassadors are scheduled to meet the local authorities, members of civil society and families of the victims. Besides, they will also visit two nearby villages in the district to meet the families of the victims on December 9.
“The envoys will hold a press conference at the Nepalgunj airport on December 9 on their way to Kathmandu,” the source further said.
Special rapporteur wants to visit Nepal
OHCHR-Nepal Chief Reichard Bennet said on Monday that the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders has been requesting to visit Nepal since 2003 but has yet to receive an invitation from the government. " My office and our partners are working to encourage the government to issue an invitation now so that a visit can take place soon, ideally in early 2010," Bennett said in Pokhara on Monday.
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