Issuing a statement on Thursday, the European Union in Nepal (Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the EU Delegation) and Norway and Switzerland expressed serious concern over the one-day band imposed by the alliance. [break]
“Once again children will not be able to go to school, daily-wage based workers, shopkeepers and sellers of all kinds will be unable to earn their living. Nearly all political parties at one time or another have used this tactic, which hits the ordinary people whose rights and interests they are supposed to champion,” reads the statement.
In the statement, the missions have said, “bandas are not only anti-social, but where they involve the use of intimidation or the threat or use of violence, they are also illegal, and the government and law and order authorities will have our full backing in addressing the breach of the law.”
The missions have also expressed concern about possible threats posed by bandas to the EU-funded projects suggesting that such agitation programs undermine Nepal-EU joint development efforts and Nepal’s investment perspectives.
“The EU fully supports the right of expression and assembly, including the right to peaceful protest and lawful strikes but condemns bandhs, which demean the name of politics and politicians in Nepal. We therefore ask all those who aspire to lead this nation to renounce the use of bandas, in the interests of the people, and not to call any more such actions” the statement further says.
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