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Military Aid To Nepal Under Scrutiny
By KTM Metro Reporter in Kathmandu
The US would not provide Nepal with any military aid until the Nepal Army cooperates with investigators on human rights violations according to the budget for fiscal year 2011 President Obama has presented to the US Congress. The US government would make available the funds appropriated under the 'Foreign Military Financing Program' for Nepal only after the US Secretary of State certifies that the Nepalese Army is cooperating fully with investigations of violations of internationally recognized human rights.
The Secretary of State also needs to certify that the Government of Nepal is implementing reforms in the Nepal Army to make it accountable for human rights, and in making the budget of the Ministry of Defense transparent, and facilitating the integration of former rebel combatants into the security forces following the agreement on reconciliation, peace and stability.
However, the US government would continue to provide the Nepal Army with the assistance for the deployment of the army in humanitarian relief and reconstruction operations in Nepal.
The US government has been putting pressure on the Government of Nepal for taking legal actions against Toran Jung Bahadur Singh for the enforced disappearance of 49 people by the Bhairavnath Battalion while he was a commander of it. However, the Madhav administration has promoted Toran Jung Bahadur Singh to the second-in-command of the Nepal Army. Similarly, the US government is for turning over Major Niranjan Basnet indicted by the Kavre District for killing Maina Sunwar to the Court but Prime Minister Madhav Nepal’s Defense Minister Bidhya Bhandari has been giving protection to the criminal.
The national and International human rights organizations have been urging the government of Nepal for charging Toran Jung Bahadur Singh with the criminal act of enforced disappearance of 49 people from the custody of the Bhairavnath Battalion. The United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) has indicted Toran Jung Bahadur Singh for the enforced disappearance of 49 people while he was the commander of the Bhairavnath Battalion.
