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AI flays govt plan to set up rural peace committees
KATHMANDU, NOV 12 - Amnesty International (AI) has raised strong objection to the government’s plans to set up “Rural Volunteer Security Groups and Peace Committees”.
In a letter sent to Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, the international human rights organisation expressed fears that such a step can place the civilian population in grave danger by seriously compromising their neutrality, the organisation said in a statement released here today.
“Without appropriate supervision, training and clearly defined mechanisms for accountability, there is a clear risk that the creation of these groups could lead to an increase in human rights violations carried out with impunity,” A I said. “Those refusing to join are likely to be seen as tacitly supporting the armed opposition.”
The government announced its plans to introduce “Rural Volunteer Security Groups and Peace Committees” on November 4. The Committees are being set up as a way “to promote the role of the general citizens in maintaining peace and security” in the context of the ongoing conflict between the security forces and the Maoists.
“The introduction of such groups affects the sense or interpretation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, in relation to the state’s responsibility at all times to clearly separate civilians from combatants,” the organisation said in the statement, citing cases of atrocious human rights abuses in Guatemala.
“The creation of such groups could also have a negative effect on reconciliation efforts when the two sides lay down their arms and peace negotiations resume, since
they have the effect of setting neighbours and communities against each other,” it added.
The organisation has also asked for clarification of the government’s plans to institute a Human Rights Promotion Centre and how this would relate to the mandate and work of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Furthermore, the organisation noted the growth in the number of human rights violations with impunity as the country slides towards militarisation.Posted on: 2003-11-11 08:16
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