Links

Asylums of exploitation: internally displaced children in the worst forms of child labour due to the armed conflict in Nepal [pdf]

The efforts by Terre des hommes, Save the Children Alliance and other organisations to combat child trafficking in Nepal have been complicated by the growing armed conflict, as tens of thousands of children and youth have been forced from their communities to urban areas. Hungry, often separated from friends and families, they can easily end up in the most exploitative forms of child labour. In addition, the efforts by police and government forces to stop child trafficking in Nepal have been compromised as more of their time is devoted to security-related issues.(Terre des hommes Foundation, 2006)

http://www.streetchildren.org.uk/reports/tdh_f_sca06_asylums_of_exploitation%5B1%5D.pdf

(Added: Tue Aug 22 2006   Modified: Tue Aug 29 2006   Hits: 129)

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Civilians Struggle to Survive in Nepal's Civil War

Human Rights Watch, October 2004. The Nepali people are caught in the middle of an increasingly brutal civil war between rebels of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and government security forces. Since the conflict started in 1996, more than ten thousand Nepalis have died. Most have been civilians from the country's most vulnerable communities: the rural poor, Dalits (at the bottom of the Hindu caste system) and indigenous communities. From an isolated rebellion in remote mountainous districts of western Nepal, the Maoist insurgency has spread throughout the country, even reaching the capital Kathmandu, where the threat of Maoist attacks alone has brought the city to a standstill.

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/nepal1004/

(Added: Fri Oct 15 2004   Modified: Thu Jul 13 2006   Hits: 90)

Caught in the Middle: Mounting Violations Against Children in Nepal's Armed Conflict (PDF 510.64 KB)

WatchList, January 2005. The Maoist and government forces in Nepal have killed approximately 10,000 people, including 286 children since the outset of the "People's War" in 1996, according to the Informal Service Sector Centre (INSEC), a leading Nepalese human rights organization. Given the severity of the situation, and the lack of progress in peace talks, it is imperative that the UN Security Council and other high-level members of the international community provide the essential resources and potential remedies necessary to protect Nepali children before any further degradation of their current situation occurs.

http://www.womenscommission.org/pdf/np_wl.pdf

(Added: Thu Feb 17 2005   Modified: Wed Feb 14 2007   Hits: 168)

Children in the Ranks: the Maoists' Use of Child Soldiers in Nepal

While no exact figures are available, local groups estimate that at least 3,500 to 4,500 Nepali children are part of the Maoist fighting forces. Tens of thousands of Nepali children have been forced to flee their homes to avoid recruitment by the Maoists, or to seek better lives away from already impoverished communities further damaged by the conflict and the government's brutal responses (Human Rights Watch, February 2007).

http://hrw.org/reports/2007/nepal0207/nepal0207webwcover.pdf

(Added: Fri Sep 21 2007   Hits: 58)

Conflict over natural resources at the community level in Nepal, including its relationship to armed conflict (pdf)

This report presents a detailed overview of community-level natural resource conflict in Nepal in the context of the armed insurgency presently being waged. It analyses the causes of conflict in Nepal and the rise of the Maoist insurgency, as well as the connections between conflict and land tenure, forest resources, water resources and biodiversity conservation. (J Schweithelm, R Kanaan, P Yonzon, USAID, May 2006)

http://www.forestconflict.com/documents/Nepal%20NatResConflictReport.pdf

(Added: Mon May 15 2006   Hits: 151)

Crisis in Nepal

Amnesty International New Zealand webpage. A human rights catastrophe is looming in Nepal following the declaration of a state of emergency by King Gyanendra. On 1 February the king dismissed the government, assumed direct power and declared a nation-wide state of emergency. Political leaders, students, human rights activists, journalists and trade unionists were arrested in the immediate aftermath of the declaration of the state of emergency. While some leaders have been released, more are being arrested. Strict media censorship has been enforced by the army and there is a total clamp down on political dissent. Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of human rights campaigners and political activists.

http://www.amnesty.org.nz/web/pages/home.nsf/dd5cab6801f1723585256474005327c8/1feafa19b68045e7cc256ff700836030!OpenDocument

(Added: Wed May 18 2005   Modified: Thu Aug 18 2005   Hits: 71)

Crisis Profile: What's going on in Nepal?

A concise and simple background to the ongoing crisis in Nepal. Ten years of fighting between Nepal's Maoist rebels and government forces have claimed more than 13,000 lives and forced thousands more to flee their homes. The conflict escalated last year when King Gyanendra sacked the government and seized absolute power after accusing politicians of ruining the country. After taking power last year the king curbed civil liberties and imposed strict censorship rules on the media. Politicians have been jailed and protests curbed. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the conflict, and villagers often find themselves caught in the middle of the conflict between Maoists and state security forces. Both the state and the Maoists are guilty of abuses, according to NGOs, and aid workers are struggling for access to provide help. (Alex Whiting, AlertNet, 6 February 2006)

http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/111997404550.htm

(Added: Thu Apr 27 2006   Hits: 88)

Dark Reality for Nepal's Internally Displaced People

Threatened by an environment of increasing violence, harassment and intense political pressure from Maoists rebels and government security forces, thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes in rural Nepal, creating a staggering number of internally displaced people (IDPs). Since the conflict began in February 1996, aid agencies estimate that between 200,000 and 1.8 million people have been displaced. Despite the overwhelming numbers, humanitarian aid for IDPs is grossly inadequate and there is only one IDP camp in the country with just 1,000 residents. (Will Baxter, Towards Freedom, 13 April 2006)

http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/795/

(Added: Tue Apr 18 2006   Hits: 153)

Experts talk: Crisis in Nepal

More than 11,000 people have been killed in conflict between Maoist rebels and the constitutional monarchy of Nepal since 1996. In February 2005, King Gyanendra sacked the government and took total control of the country, raising the possibility that disaffected political leaders would ally themselves with the rebels to overthrow the monarchy and throw Nepal into chaos. In a poll of "forgotten" emergencies released, aid experts chose Nepal as the world's ninth-worst neglected crisis. Here they explain why. (AlertNet, March 2005)

http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/111045581991.htm

(Added: Thu Apr 27 2006   Modified: Fri Apr 28 2006   Hits: 51)

Local Business, Local Peace: the Peacebuilding Potential of the Domestic Private Sector

This publication highlights the domestic private sector's often overlooked peacebuilding potential. Developed and researched with partner organisations and business people from conflict-affected countries around the world, it presents more than 20 case studies where private sector actors have taken proactive steps to address violent conflict: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Colombia, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Guatemala, Israel and Palestine, Kosovo, Nepal, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Caucasus and Sri Lanka. In addition, the publication highlights businesses' efforts to support formal peace processes; to address issues in the economic sphere; to build bridges between divided communities and groups; to alleviate security concerns; as well as the special role of women entrepreneurs. (International Alert, July 2006)

http://www.international-alert.org/our_work/themes/LBLP.php

(Added: Mon Sep 11 2006   Hits: 212)

Nepal's Civil War: The Conflict Resumes

Since Maoist forces ended their four-month unilateral ceasefire on January 2, 2006, fighting in Nepal's civil war has engulfed the entire country. Nearly every one of the country's 75 districts has been affected by the fighting between the Royal Nepali Army (RNA) and the forces of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (the "Maoists"). Civilian casualties, which decreased significantly during the ceasefire, quickly returned to previous levels once fighting resumed. The ten-year-old civil war continues to place the civilian population at serious risk of war crimes and human rights abuses while hindering economic development of the impoverished countryside. (Human Rights Watch, March 2006)

http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/03/28/nepal13078.htm

(Added: Tue Apr 04 2006   Hits: 56)

Nepal's Crisis: Mobilising International Influence [pdf]

As strikes and demonstrations across Nepal signal the approaching end of the king's direct rule, international actors must prepare for a transition and help start a peace process. There is a need for a Contact Group - including India, the U.S., and the UK, working with the UN - and a complementary Peace Support Group of other key donors and financial institutions. Together they should create a common front to maximise international influence in assisting Nepal to escape from its worsening conflict. The Contact Group should focus on immediate practical planning and maintain pressure for a peace process, while the Peace Support Group should review development assistance. Time is clearly running out for royal absolutism. The people of Nepal should now decide the course of events, but the international community can help guard against the risks of a messy transition. (International Crisis Group Policy Briefing, 19 April 2006)

http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/asia/south_asia/b49_nepal_s_crisis_mobilising_international_influence.pdf

(Added: Thu Apr 20 2006   Hits: 97)

Nepal: A long ignored human rights crisis now on the brink of catastrophe

Amnesty International Press release, 17/02/2005. (Delhi) A human rights catastrophe is looming in Nepal following the declaration of the state of emergency by King Gyanendra on 1 February, declared Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. "The longstanding conflict between the Maoists and the armed forces has destroyed human rights in the countryside. Now, the state of emergency is destroying human rights in the urban areas, taking the country to the brink of disaster," said Ms Khan, presenting the findings of the Amnesty International mission to Nepal between 10-16 February.

http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGASA310232005

(Added: Mon Feb 21 2005   Modified: Thu Jan 18 2007   Hits: 114)

Nepal: Beyond Royal Rule

ICG, 15 September 2005. The unilateral ceasefire announced by the Maoists could lead to resolution of Nepal's worsening civil war, but only if the international community changes its approach, especially towards the ineffective and divisive monarchy. In the seven months since the royal coup, there has been a significant increase in violence. The international policy of encouraging cooperation between the palace and the political parties is at a dead end. However, the coup also unintentionally prompted a tentative dialogue between the political parties and the Maoist insurgents, which is making progress towards developing an agenda for negotiations. There may still be a place for the monarchy in a new Nepalese political constellation, but efforts should now be concentrated on restoring peace and democracy, not preserving or defining the royal role.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3664

(Added: Mon Sep 19 2005   Hits: 50)

Nepal: Dealing with a Human Rights Crisis

International Crisis Group, Asia Report N°94, 24 March 2005. Effective international action on Nepal's deteriorating human rights crisis -- beginning at the UN Human Rights Commission (CHR) now in session -- is vital to forming a substantial peacebuilding process in the war-ravaged country. The international community now finds itself confronted with what it fears the most: a no-party state that has decimated democracy and kills people at will. The crisis of protection clearly parallels the deepening military conflict, and to assist the return to a peace process, the international community needs to speak with one voice on human rights. The current CHR can contribute significantly to peace by passing a strong resolution that calls for restoration of basic freedoms and establishes robust enforcement mechanisms and clearly defined benchmarks, including an effective, on-the-ground UN human rights monitoring mission to strengthen national efforts.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3337&l=1

(Added: Tue Apr 26 2005   Modified: Thu Aug 18 2005   Hits: 88)

Nepal: Electing Chaos

Nepal's royal government is inviting confrontation by forcing through, amidst a new crackdown on civil liberties, municipal elections on 8 February 2006 which will not be free, fair or credible. Filling local posts with palace placemen will neither restart the national democratic process, nor bring a peace process closer. The conflict remains soluble: although the palace has refused to reciprocate a four-month Maoist ceasefire and the rebels have resumed their armed campaign, mainstream parties and the Maoists have agreed a roadmap which permits compromise with the monarchy. But after one year of royal rule and ten years of insurgency, the priority should be that peace process, not polls for offices with little power that all mainstream parties are boycotting. ICG, Asia Report N°111 31 January 2006.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3921

(Added: Fri Feb 10 2006   Hits: 60)

Nepal: Peace In, Terrorism Out?

The agreement reached on November 8, 2006 between the ruling seven-party alliance (SPA) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) holds the promise of ending the decade-long bloody conflict in Nepal. For years, the Maoist guerrillas have struggled to seize power by force of arms. Their decision to support a political resolution to the current conflict is comparable to the peaceful transformations of the Irish Republican Army and the African National Congress. (Murari R. Sharma, FPIF, 27 November 2006)

http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3729

(Added: Thu Nov 30 2006   Hits: 39)

Nepal: Responding to the Royal Coup

International Crisis Group, Asia Briefing N°36, 24 February 2005. King Gyanendra's seizure of power and arrest of democratic party leaders on 1 February 2005 will likely aid the Maoist insurgency and intensify the civil war.[1] But by bringing the crisis to a head he has created an opportunity for diplomatic efforts to pull Nepal back from the brink of collapse and develop an effective counter-insurgency strategy. The key countries and organisations involved in the country -- India, the U.S., the UK and the UN -- need to work together to strengthen a collapsing state and establish a plan to deal with the Maoist insurgency.[2] Acceptance of the coup and lack of action would only increase the chances of a Maoist victory and a descent into worse violence. There is also an urgent human rights crisis in Nepal that requires international action. The record on disappearances and extra-judicial killings is one of the world's worst. Hundreds of political figures and activists have been detained, and protests have been violently suppressed. An expanded campaign against the Maoists by the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) is likely to result in worsening abuses while offering no realistic chance of defeating the insurgency or reaching a negotiated solution. At the same time, the government is vulnerable to external pressure because it is heavily dependent on foreign aid.

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3291&l=1

(Added: Tue Mar 01 2005   Modified: Thu Aug 18 2005   Hits: 81)

Stop disappearances in Nepal

Website dedicated to raising awareness about the mass disappearances in Nepal. Includes a cyber-memorial to those missing as well as a petition, appeals, statements and press realeases.

http://nepal.disappearances.org/

(Added: Thu Jan 27 2005   Modified: Thu Aug 18 2005   Hits: 90)

The impact of armed violence on poverty and development

This study aims to aid understanding on how and when poverty and vulnerability are exacerbated by armed violence. It synthesises the findings of 13 country case studies: Algeria, Chechnya, El Salvador, Nairobi, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Northeast India, Northern Kenya, Brazil, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Southern Sudan, Sri Lanka. In addition it has a practical policy-oriented purpose and concludes with programming and policy recommendations to donor government agencies. (Mandy Turner, Jeremy Ginifer and Lionel Cliffe, University of Bradford, March 2005)

http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/cics/publications/AVPI/poverty/AVPI_Synthesis_Report.pdf

(Added: Thu Oct 19 2006   Hits: 111)

The International Nepal Solidarity Network

The International Nepal Solidarity Network is a network of concerned persons working for peace, justice, and self-determination for the people of Nepal. At the moment, the government/Maoist conflict is a major factor in Nepal, so many of our activities and advocacy may focus on the conflict and protection of basic human rights, but we are dedicated to pursuing social justice in all aspects. We are not aligned with any party in the conflict.

http://www.insn.org/

(Added: Fri May 06 2005   Modified: Thu Aug 18 2005   Hits: 84)

The State of Child Health and Human Rights in Nepal

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. The high-intensity (more than 1,000 deaths per year) conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) rebels and the government forces led by the Royal Nepalese Army has affected the health, education, and other rights of the most vulnerable members of society, especially women and children. The conflict, which began in 1996, has resulted in widespread human rights violations by both parties as it draws the population into the conflict as both soldiers and victims. This article examines the evidence on the current state of child health and human rights in Nepal. The authors argue that time is running out for the children of Nepal, as they face an uncertain future if their health and human rights concerns are not addressed by local governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the international community in a timely manner. They also suggest possible solutions to the current problem. (Sonal Singh, Erik Bøhler, Khagendra Dahal, Edward Mills, Public Library of Science Medicine, July 2006)

http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030203

(Added: Thu Aug 17 2006   Hits: 129)

The UN's 2006 List: Ten things the world should hear more about

Every year, the U.N.'s Department of Public Information unveils its list of the world's 10 most under-reported stories. Those for 2006 are as follows. Liberia: Development challenges top agenda as the nation recovers from years of civil strife. Lost in migration: Asylum seekers face challenges amid efforts to stem flows of illegal migrants. DR of Congo: As the country moves boldly towards historic vote, humanitarian concerns continue to demand attention. Nepal's hidden tragedy: Children caught in the conflict. Somalia: Security vacuum compounding effects of drought. Protracted refugee situations: Millions caught in limbo, with no solutions in sight. South Asian earthquake: Relief effort saves lives, stems losses, but reconstruction tasks loom large. Behind bars, beyond justice: An untold story of children in conflict with the law. From water wars to bridges of cooperation: Exploring the peace-building potential of a shared resource. Cote d'Ivoire: A strike away from igniting violence amidst a faltering peace process. (UN, 15 May 2006)

http://www0.un.org/events/tenstories/

(Added: Fri May 19 2006   Modified: Fri Sep 01 2006   Hits: 346)