Asian Centre for Human Rights C-3/441-C, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058, India Phone/Fax: +91-11-25620583; 25503624; Website: www.achrweb.org; Email: [email protected] Embargoed for: 20 May 2005 Nepal: The Maoists’ conflict and impact on the rights of the child An alternate report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on Nepal’s 2nd periodic report (CRC/CRC/C/65/Add.30) Geneva, Switzerland Nepal: The Maoists’ conflict and impact on the rights of the child 2 Contents I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 4 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................. 5 III. GENERAL PRINCIPLES .............................................................................. 15 ARTICLE 2: NON-DISCRIMINATION ......................................................................... 15 ARTICLE 6: THE RIGHT TO LIFE, SURVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT .......................... 17 IV. CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS............................................................ 17 ARTICLE 7: NAME AND NATIONALITY ..................................................................... 17 Case 1: The denial of the right to citizenship to the Badi children. ......................... 18 Case 2: The denial of the right to nationality to Sikh people ................................... 18 Case 3: Deprivation of citizenship to Madhesi community ...................................... 18 Case 4: Deprivation of citizenship right to Raju Pariyar......................................... 18 Case 5: Denial of nationality to Chepangs............................................................... 19 ARTICLE 14: FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, CONSCIENCE AND RELIGION ..................... 19 Case 1: Prohibition of entry of Dalits into the temples ............................................ 19 Case 2: Attacks on mosques in Kathamandu............................................................ 19 ARTICLE 15: FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY.................. 20 ARTICLE 37: THE RIGHT NOT TO BE SUBJECTED TO TORTURE ............................... 20 Case 1: Detention of 41 SLC students ...................................................................... 20 Case 2: Torture and extra-judicial killing of Bandara, 15 years ............................. 21 Case 3: Torture of Kumar Lama, 15 years............................................................... 21 ARTICLE 28: CORPORAL PUNISHMENT ..................................................................... 21 Case 1: Teacher thrashes fourth grader, breaks elbow............................................ 22 V. EDUCATION, LEISURE AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES .............. 22 ARTICLE 28, 29 & 31: EDUCATION, LEISURE AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ........ 22 a. The collapse of the education system.................................................................... 22 i. Attacks on schools and students by the RNA:................................................... 23 ii. Attacks on schools and students by the Maoists:.............................................. 24 b. Caste discrimination and education .................................................................. 27 VI. SPECIAL PROTECTION MEASURES ................................................... 28 ARTICLE 22: REFUGEE CHILDREN – THE TIBETAN REFUGEES.............................. 28 ARTICLES 38: CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICTS ..................................................... 29 a. Abuses by the security forces ................................................................................ 29 i. Extrajudicial killings.............................................................................................. 29 Case 1: Extra-judicial executions of three children by RNA personnel ................... 29 Case 2: Brutal killing of three school girls by RNA soldiers.................................... 30 Case 3: Extrajudicial killing of a 14-year-old schoolgirl by RNA ........................... 30 ______________________________________________________________________________ ACHR REPORT 2005 Nepal: The Maoists’ conflict and impact on the rights of the child 3 Case 4: Brutal murder of 12-year-old Rupa Tharu.................................................. 30 ii. Enforced disappearances...................................................................................... 30 Case 2: Disappearance of Maina Sunuvar, February 2004..................................... 31 Case 3: Disappearance of Shiva Ram Yadav ........................................................... 31 Case 4: Disappearance of Bishawmbar Lama ......................................................... 32 iii. Rape..................................................................................................................... 32 Case 1: Rape of minor girl by half a dozen Army men............................................. 32 Case 2: Rape of 13-year-old rape victim by police ASI............................................ 32 Case 3: Rape of 8-year-old girl allegedly by cops ................................................... 32 b. Abuses by the Maoists........................................................................................... 33 Arbitrary killings....................................................................................................... 33 Case 1: Killing of three boys by Maoists.................................................................. 33 Case 2: Killing of one Jamillah Musalman in bomb blast........................................ 33 Case 3: Death of one Bishal Shrestha in bomb explosion........................................ 34 Case 4: Death of two minors in Maoists left bomb explosion .................................. 34 Case 5: Death of three-year-old in Jumla ................................................................ 34 Recruitment of child soldiers:................................................................................... 34 c. Children of Internally Displaced Persons............................................................. 35 ARTICLE 40: JUVENILE JUSTICE ................................................................................ 36 a. Lack of juvenile justice and the Maoists conflict.................................................. 36 Case 1: Torture and re-arrest of Jhurri Teli, 16 years............................................. 36 Case 2: Re-arrest of Raju Sharma Dhakal, student.................................................. 37 b. Condition of children of the convicts.................................................................... 37 Case 1: 7-year-old Ajbira Saiyad Musalman ........................................................... 37 Case 2: 6-year-old Lalita Kumari............................................................................. 38 Case 3: Jeena Dahal (12) and her brother Bhupendra (10) in Panchtar jail .......... 38 Case 4: Ashmin, Raju and Samjhana Lama and others in Central jail in Kathmandu ................................................................................................................................... 38 ARTICLE 32: ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN, INCLUDING CHILD LABOUR ....... 39 Case 1: Debt-bondage or “Kamaiya” system .......................................................... 39 ARTICLE 34: SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND SEXUAL ABUSE............................................ 40 Case 1: Rape of two minor girls by custodian in Welfare Home.............................. 40 Case 2: Rape of 11-year-old orphan girl by male inmates in Government run childcare centre ........................................................................................................ 40 ARTICLE 35: SALE, TRAFFICKING AND ABDUCTION ...................................................... 41 VII. RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................... 43 ______________________________________________________________________________ ACHR REPORT 2005 Nepal: The Maoists’ conflict and impact on the rights of the child 4 I. Introduction On 20 May 2005, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is scheduled to examine the second periodic report of the government of Nepal. Although the periodic report was submitted on 3 December 2004, it failed to make any reference to the significant adverse impact of the armed conflict between the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) on the enjoyment of the rights of the child in the country. An estimated 305 children have been killed from13 February 1996 to 28 February 2005. Out of these, 168 children were reportedly killed at the hands of the state and 138 at the hands of the Maoists.1 Yet, Nepal is portrayed as a country with little problems. It does not help the purpose of examining the periodic reports. Since the King took over in a coup de tat on 1 February 2005, the human rights and humanitarian crisis have worsened further. During 100 days of direct rule by King Gyanendra, the number of people killed has crossed 12,000 with the killings of 535 persons by the security forces and 131 persons by the Maoists from 1 February to 9 May 2005. The children and schools have been specifically targeted both by the Maoists and the security forces. 2 While the Maoists reportedly control about 75% of landscape of Nepal, entire Nepal is afflicted by the Maoists’ armed conflict. The armed conflict must be the bearing factor while examining the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Nepal Suhas Chakma Director