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Amnesty International’s Letter
By KTM Metro Reporter in Kathmandu
On December 18, 2009, in a letter to Prime Minister Madhav Nepal the Amnesty International has said that the inclusion of Major Niranjan Basnet indicted for murdering 15-year-old Maina Sunuwar on 17 February 2004 in the peace keeping force is the serious flaw in the vetting of troops from the Nepal Army to UN missions that could put civilians at risk in countries where they are deployed.
“The Nepali government has failed to provide accountability for the many atrocities committed by Nepali security forces as well as Maoist cadres during Nepal’s civil war. The resulting culture of impunity undermines the rights of victims and their families, and potentially carries over to the Army’s involvement in UN missions and threatens the rights of those they have been assigned by the United Nations to protect,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific Director.
“The Nepali army is shielding Major Basnet from serious and credible allegations; he should be immediately surrendered to a civilian court for trial. The ongoing failure to address his case properly casts serious doubt on the Nepali government’s commitment to international human rights standards and the fitness of Nepali forces to serve as UN peacekeepers,” said Sam Zarifi.
In a separate letter to the United Nations Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Amnesty International has welcomed the United Nations decision to expel and repatriate Major Basnet and called on the United Nations to insist that the government of Nepal review the troops it contributes to UN peacekeeping.
“Nepali troops have played a very important role in UN peacekeeping around the world. The Nepali government should work closely with the UN to ensure no Nepali troops accused of human rights violations are deployed as UN peacekeepers,” said Sam Zarifi.
