World Newah Organisation (WNO) in a strong word condemn the disgraceful police intervention in the middle of a peaceful protest of the Nepal’s indigenous peoples led by the human rights champion, Padma Ratna Tuladhar in Kathmandu on 16 January 2015.
It was an unprovoked police action against the Nepal’s indigenous people’s movement demanding the guarantee of an identity-based federalism in the forthcoming new constitution. The police assault injuring another human rights activist and a prominent Newah leader Malla K Sundar including many unarmed indigenous people is outrageous. The police force also dared to arrest Malla K Sundar and several other activists from the site. This reminded us of the repressive Shah regime prior to the 2006 political change in Nepal. This is a shame for the so called democratic Government of Nepal, a total violation of freedom of speech and peaceful gathering.
Aiming at empowering the world’s indigenous people and recognizing the value and the diversity of the cultures and the forms of the social organization of the world’s indigenous people, the UNO endorsed various resolutions. In 2004, the UN Assembly proclaimed a Second International Decade, from 2005 – 2014, with the theme of ‘A Decade for Action and Dignity’. The theme aimed to highlight the importance of implementing the rights of indigenous peoples through policies and programmes at both the national and international level working together towards this common goal with Governments, the United Nations system, indigenous peoples and other stakeholders. Against this backdrop, the Nepal Government has been creating barriers and hurdles in the path of indigenous people’s promotion of their identity.
We urge the Nepal Government to fulfill all the demands of the Nepal’s indigenous people. Furthermore we appeal the Government to guarantee the rights to
peaceful protest, freedom of speech, and apologise for its unrestrained action against Nepal’s indigenous people’s movement.
17 January 2015
Dr. Bal Gopal Shrestha
President
World Newah Organisation
www.worldnewsh.org