'Fear, uncertainty and insecurity'
"Wherever we went, we encountered a deep sense of fear, uncertainty and insecurity among the people," said Irene Khan, AI's Secretary General, during a visit to Nepal. Days earlier, on 1 February, King Gyanendra had dismissed the government and declared a state of emergency on 1 February.
Nepal is a country on the brink of disaster. In nine years of conflict between the Maoists and the armed forces, more than 10,000 people have been killed. Many others have "disappeared"; many have been tortured and raped.
Human rights in the countryside have been virtually destroyed by the conflict. Now, under the state of emergency, human rights in urban areas are under attack. The human rights crisis could soon be a human rights disaster.
State of emergency
Under the state of emergency, many political leaders and human rights activists have been placed under arrest. Communications links within Nepal and with the outside world have been severed. All independent Nepali media have been closed down and state owned radio has announced that a number of rights -- including freedom of movement and freedom of assembly -- have been suspended. Nepal's civil society is being crippled.
The state of emergency strengthens the hand of the security forces. It reduces the prospect of a political process towards peace. It increases the likelihood that the conflict will escalate.
Amnesty International's demands
The government of Nepal should restore fundamental human rights, open a peace process based on justice and respect for human rights, protect human rights defenders and end the impunity of the security forces.
The Maoists should commit themselves to respect international human rights and humanitarian law.
The US, UK and India play a critical role as major allies of Nepal and key providers of military aid. AI calls on them to suspend all military assistance to the government of Nepal as a means of pressurising it to change its human rights policies.
AI is also calling on the international community to suspend military aid to the government of Nepal and to appoint a Special Rapporteur to scrutinize Nepal's human rights record.