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Human rights body asks Nepal army chief to hand over Major Niranjan Basnet to police | | The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), a Delhi based rights group, today urged visiting Nepal Army Chief General Chhatraman Singh Gurung to hand over Major Niranjan Basnet to police in Nepal for trial before the
court. Earlier, Major Niranjan Basnet was expelled from a UN mission for his involvement in the torture and subsequent killing of a 15-year old, Maina Sunawar, during
the conflict. He was sent home. Before Basnet arrived, on December 12, Nepal Prime
Minister Madhav Kuma Nepal communicated to the Defence Minister that Basnet should
face the charges made in the court arrest warrant. In defiance of the court, the
law and the Prime Minister, the Nepal Army (NA) took Major Basnet from the airport
to Army HQ. On December 13, Nepal Police requested that Basnet be handed over.
The NA has not yet handed over Basnet to the police. "The outcome as to whether
Major Basnet will be handed over to the police for trial before the Court will
decide whether a civilian democratic government and the rule of law will determine
Nepal's future or it will be a nation dominated by the interests of the Military
- redolent of Pakistan's military," said Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre
for Human Rights. ACHR alleged that India's decision to resume arms supply to
the NA, suspended after the Royal takeover in 2005, directly undermines Nepal's
peace process and further fuels the current political tension. "The Indian unconditional
support has enabled the Nepal Army to be the arbiter of the Peace Process in Nepal
with virtual veto power against the integration of the Peoples Liberation Army
(PLA) and democratization of the NA - both central to the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement," Chakma said. "The recent events including the failure to hand over
Major Basnet show that government of Nepal is incapable of acting independently
from a military opposed to the peace process," Chakmaa |
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