NEPAL: Journalist abducted by Maoists, whereabouts still unknown

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal Case: UA-298-2007
ISSUES: Enforced disappearances and abductions, Impunity, Threats and intimidation, Torture,

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from reliable sources in Nepal that a journalist Mr. Birendra Shah was abducted by the members of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) on October 5, 2007 from Pipra Bazaar, Kalaiya, in Bara district. It is reported that he was abducted for writing news related to the Maoists. His whereabouts remain unknown and there are grave concerns for his personal integrity. The Maoists formally declared the end to more than a decade long armed conflict on November 21, 2006 and signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The Maoists entered the country’s interim parliament on January 15, 2007 and the interim government on April 1, 2007, but recently quit the government on 18 September, 2007, giving rise to fears of further instability in the country.

CASE DETAILS:

According to the information received, Mr. Birendra Shah, 34, a local journalist from the Bara district and correspondent of Nepal FM, Avenues Television and Dristi weekly, was abducted by Maoists in the evening of 5 October 2007 from Pipara Bazaar, in Kalaiya, the district headquarters of Bara district in central Nepal.

Mr. Ramesh Bista, a central committee member of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Nepal, has alleged that Mr. Birendra Shah was abducted by members of the local Maoists named Kundan Faujdar, Ram Iekwal Sahani and Lal Bahadur Chaudhary along with several other unidentified Maoists. Ramesh Bista, who had also been involved in a fact-finding team of journalists, claims Birendra Shah was abducted for writing and reporting news related to the Maoists.

According to the information, Mr. Ram Dev Das, the editor of the magazine Terai Khabar Patrika, was also kidnapped at the same time as Birendra Shah, but he was released a few hours later after being beaten up. Mr. Ram Dev Das has stated that Birendra Shah was also beaten up severely and received death threats.

The Maoist Bara district authorities have reportedly refused to take responsibility for the abductions. They have, however, claimed that two of those thought to be responsible, Kundan Faujdar and Lal Bahadur Chaudhary, had been dismissed from the party before the incident took place, but have made no comment about Mr. Ram Lekwal Sahani. The victim’s whereabouts remain unknown to date and there are grave concerns for his integrity. The Maoists must immediately locate his whereabouts and release him without further delay.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) formally ended the armed conflict in the country on November 21, 2006 and entered into the ‘Interim Legislature-Parliament’ on January 15, 2007. On 1 April 2007, the Maoists joined the interim government, which they recently left, on September 18, 2007, over demands concerning the use of a proportional electoral system and the creation of a republic in Nepal through a proclamation of the interim parliament.

According to article 7.1.4 of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of Nepal and the Maoists, “both sides would not be involved in the acts of torture; kidnapping; and forcing the civilians in any work and take necessary action to discourage such acts”. According to article 5.2.6 of the agreement, “both sides pledge to abandon all types of war, attack, counter-attack, violence and counter-violence in the country with a commitment to ensure loktantra, peace and forward-looking change in the Nepali society.”

However, abductions, torture and other forms of human rights violations are still being perpetrated by members of the Maoists. On July 5, 2007, journalist Mr. Prakash Thakuri was abducted by members of the Maoists-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) but his whereabouts remain unknown. For further details please see: UA-219-2007.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below demanding their urgent intervention into this cases. The AHRC sends a separate letter to the Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture and Working Group on the Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances for their intervention into this case.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear ___________,

NEPAL: A journalist abducted by Maoists, whereabouts still unknown

Name of abducted person: Mr. Birendra Shah, resident of Bara district, Nepal
Alleged perpetrators: Maoists affiliated Mr. Kundan Faujdar, Mr. Ram Lekwal Sahani, Mr. Lal Bahadur Chaudhary, and several other unidentified Maoists
Place of incident: Pipara Bazaar of Kalaiya, Bara district 
Date of incident: October 5, 2007 to present

I am deeply concerned by the abduction of journalist Mr. Birendra Shah from Pipara Bazaar of Kalaiya, Bara district, allegedly committed by the local members of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists).

According to the information received, Mr. Birendra Shah, a local journalist from Bara district who is a correspondent of Nepal FM, Avenues Television and Dristi weekly, was abducted by the Maoists in the evening of October 5, 2007, from Pipara Bazaar in Kalaiya, the Bara district district headquarters, in central Nepal.

I am informed that Mr. Birendra Shah was abducted by local Maoists including Mr. Kundan Faujdar, Mr. Ram Lekwal Sahani and Mr. Lal Bahadur Chaudhary, from Pipara Bazaar, Kalaiya in Bara district reportedly for writing and reporting news against the Maoists.

According to the information received, Mr. Ram Dev Das, the editor of the Terai Khabar Patrika magazine, was also kidnapped at the same time as Birendra Shah, but was released a few hours later after being beaten up.

The Maoist authorities in Bara district have refused to take responsibility from his abduction and claim that two of those thought to be responsible, Kundan Faujdar and Lal Bahadur Chaudhary, had been dismissed from the party before the incident took place. However, they did not comment on Mr. Ram Iekwal Sahani’s situation.

In light of the above, I strongly request that you take all necessary measures to ensure an immediate and effective investigation into the abduction of Birendra Shah, whose whereabouts remain unknown, giving rise to serious concerns for his personal integrity. The Maoists must guarantee his integrity at all times, release him immediately and cooperate with investigations.

I am concerned that abductions, torture, and other abuses continue to be perpetrated by the Maoists despite the signature of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement on November 21, 2006. This agreement included several commitments to halt human rights violations, and this abduction should be considered a violation of this agreement as well of Nepal’s international obligations.

I look forward to your prompt intervention into this matter as a matter of urgency.

Yours sincerely,

________________________

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Krishna Sitaula 
Home Minister
Singha Darbar
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4211232
Email: moha@wlink.com.np

2. Mr. Yagya Murti Banjade 
Attorney General 
Office of Attorney General
Ramshahpath
Kathmandu 
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4262582 
Email: attnoney@mos.com.np

3. Mr. Kedar Nath Upadhiya 
Chairman 
National Human Rights Commission 
Pulchowck, Lalitpur
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 5547973
Email: complaints@nhrcnepal.org or nhrc@nhrcnepal.org

4. Mr. Om Bikram Rana
Inspector General of Police
Police Head Quarters, Naxal
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4415593 
Email: info@nepalpolice.gov.np

5. SP Mr. Navaraj Silwal 
Human Rights Cell 
Nepal Police
Kathmandu 
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4415593
Email: hrcell@nepalpolice.gov.np

6. Mr. Krishna Bahadur Mahara
Minister for Information and Communications
Singh Durbar, Kathmandu
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 4228333
Fax: +977 1 4266400
E-mail: moichmg@ntc.net.np

7. Mr. Dev Gurung
Ministry of Local Development
Lalitpur
NEPAL
Tel: +977 1 5523329
Fax: +977 1 5522045
E-mail: min@mid.gov.np

Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)

Document Type : Urgent Appeal Case
Document ID : UA-298-2007
Countries : Nepal,
Issues : Enforced disappearances and abductions, Impunity, Threats and intimidation, Torture,