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Freed Haliyas freed to receive injustice
- Watchdogs urge govt to keep word
KATHMANDU, SEP 05 -
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal), International Labour Organisation (ILO) and National Dalit Commission (NDC) are irked at the government’s failure to rehabilitate freed Haliyas.
In a joint statement on Sunday, these organisations urged the government to implement the five-point agreement signed two years ago with the Haliya community.
At that time, the government had expressed commitment to annul their debts, form a Haliya commission and distribute land to freed Haliyas, who are
the victims of long-drawn bonded labour in the Mid-and Far-western regions.
However, two years down the line, nothing has been done to implement the agreement, which minority rights defenders say, is pushing some 20,000 Haliyas’ future towards uncertainty.
The government “liberated” these bonded tillers two years ago without making sure how and where they will be rehabilitated. As a result, it has not been able to even figure out how freed Haliyas will be rehabilitated. The government is also facing a serious problem in rehabilitating some 6,000 freed Kamayas.
“We note that the government’s initiative to draft a law prohibiting the practice of bonded Haliyas and to undertake a survey of the freed Haliyas is crucial step towards their rehabilitation,” read the statement.
“However, we are deeply concerned over the slow progress in the implementation of the five-point agreement signed two years ago.”
The organisations have warned that the failure of the government to fulfill its commitment on time will put the freed Haliyas at risk of falling back into the vicious cycle of exploitation.
The condition of the freed Haliyas, according to OHCHR, is appaling, with virtually no access to food, shelter, clothing, health and education. Haliya women and children are the most affected.
Posted on: 2010-09-06 07:41
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