Human Rights Forum Nepal (HURFON) is a website presenting links to articles on Nepal's human rights issues as well as important background information. The link collection has been started in September 2016.

HURFON is a subsite of Nepal Research. Its name goes back to an organisation that had been founded in Germany in 1990 but that had to be dissolved some years later. Issues of the periodical of this earlier organisation that had been published under the name Nepal Forum have been archived on this website.

FNJ archives 58 cases of violations of press freedom in 2023 (kh 31/12/2023)

21 percent of pregnant women in Karnali are children, by Govinda KC (rep 31/12/2023)

Land and the Road to Dignity, by Jagat Deuja (rep 30/12/2023)

Girl murdered in Rupandehi (rep 30/12/2023)

FWEAN expands reach to Jumla, empowering rural women through entrepreneurship, by Golden Buda (rep 30/12/2023)

SC halts govt decision to celebrate Phalgun 1 as People's War Day, grant public holiday (rep 29/12/2023) [Why should an event be celebrated that resulted in thousands of dead, injured, tortured and disappeared people? To this day, the former perpetrators and people responsible for politics refuse to do justice for the victims! And the outcome of the insurgency is extremely poor almost 18 years after it ended.], 73 arrested in Balkumari incident; seven persons including security personnel injured (rep 30/12/2023), Supreme Court quashes ‘People’s War Day’ holiday : Verdict is a blow to Dahal government’s effort to glorify the day it launched the insurgency (kp 30/12/2023), Youths stage protest in Maitighar Mandala over killing of two youths in Balkumari (With Photos) (rep 30/12/2023)

Kathmandu District Court convicts cricketer Lamichhane of rape case involving a minor (rep 29/12/2023), Sandeep Lamichhane convicted in rape case: What is next? Minimum seven-year jail term likely (kh 30/12/2023), Cricketer Lamichhane convicted of rape after 15 months of legal process
Kathmandu Court will determine Lamichhane’s jail term after a hearing scheduled for January 10, registrar says, by Binod Ghimire (kp 30/12/2023)

Youth set ablaze vehicle of Minister Prakash Jwala (nlt 29/12/2023), Protester injured in Balkumari dies (nlt 29/12/2023), Fatal clashes unfold at Balkumari : Protester succumbs to Police gunshot, many arrested (kh 29/12/2023), Another injured protestor dies, death toll in Balkumari incident reaches two (rep 29/12/2023), Patan High Court orders inclusion of all interested individuals in EPS Korean language examinations (kh 29/12/2023)Two Korea job hopefuls barred from exam killed during protest : The same day, court rules in favour of protesters. Friday’s clashes erupted after police used force to prevent scores of protesting youths from storming the EPS Centre building, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 30/12/2023), Government decides to provide Rs 1 Million compensation for families of Balkumari incident victims (kh 30/12/2023) [This does not make the offences undone. When will the security forces finally be obliged to use firearms for self-defence only in extreme emergencies? The brutal beating of demonstrators with wooden batons is also a crime!]

22 human rights activists including Krishna Pahadi arrested during sit-in protest at Maitighar (rep 29/12/2023)

Local levels pledge to end child marriage in Gulmi (rep 29/12/2023)

Adding insult to injury: Nepali women, children grapple with statelessness : Many Nepali women and their children are enduring the plight of statelessness due to discriminatory politics and government officials. Misogynistic laws, procedural gaps, and the apathy of relevant authorities contribute to the suppression of their civil right to live a dignified life, by Ajabi Poudel (ae 28/12/2023)

Nepali women sexually abused abroad face hurdles returning home, by Sita Neupane (kh 28/12/2023)

Children in quake-hit areas in need of physiological counselling : Many of those orphaned in the disaster are under mental duress as they struggle to recover from the trauma, by Mashesh KC (kp 28/12/2023)

Insured will have to bear some of the treatment cost from January 15 : Only 16 percent of Nepal’s population is covered by government’s health insurance scheme (kp 28/12/2023)

Biting cold afflicts Musahar people (kh 28/12/2023)

Rein in the co-ops : Tardy regulation of cooperatives is giving rise to grave social and economic problems (kp 28/12/2023)

For a victim-centric justice system : The criminal justice system exists not only to serve state interests but also to help the victims, by Nishant Pokharel (kp 28/12/2023)

Women In Hydropower Sector, by Sanju Adhikari (rn 28/12/2023)

A security umbrella for Dalits : To ensure justice for the victims, we must create a neutral force of Dalits that cannot be swayed by politics, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 26/12/2023)

Maintain Religious Tolerance, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn 26/12/2023)

Big three aim to pass transitional justice bill in winter session : Leaders of Congress, UML and Maoist Centre discussed the issue on Sunday and Monday and have agreed to sit again, by Anil Giri (kp 26/12/2023)

Bill stalls as time runs out for transitional justice commissions : Terms of Truth and Reconciliation, and Enforced Disappeared Persons inquiry commissions end on Jan 14, by Binod Ghimire (kp 23/12/2023) [The law will not be passed as long as people who were responsible for the crimes on the part of the insurgents or the state at the time have to decide on this!]

The Karjahi Movement : Long forgotten stories of the Tharu women of Dang who fought for, and won, land rights 44 years ago, by Nisha Rai (nt 23/12/2023)

Man arrested for coercing girls into sex trade (kh 22/12/2023), Man held for luring and forcing girls into sex trade (rep 23/12/2023)

Travel operator arrested for assisting human trafficking on 'visit visa' (rep 23/12/2023)

Unrest in Dhanusha as individual dies in police custody (kh 22/12/2023)

Don’t be cruel : With the mindset of seeing daughters as a burden, child marriage is hard to do away with (kp 22/12/2023)

Exploitative lending practices continue to plague the poor : Around 135 loan shark victims gathered in Bardibas to protest against microfinance firms and loan sharks, by Sunita Baral (kp 22/12/2023)

Lawmakers propose to further revise Citizenship Act to end discrimination (kh 21/12/2023) [Citizenship law is still extremely discriminatory against women!]

Minister Kirati’s controversial statement sparks outcry in Parliamentary Committee meeting (kh 21/12/2023), Minister Kirati clarifies controversial statement: “I respect everyone’s existence” (kh 21/12/2023), RPP asks PM Dahal to dismiss Culture Minister Kirati over controversial statements on religion (kh 21/12/2023), Demonstration staged demanding Culture Minister Kirati’s resignation over controversial remarks (kh 21/12/2023) [Although the definition of the state of Nepal as "secular" is somewhat vague in its postscript, it cements the religious and cultural freedom of all religions in the country, all of which therefore are part of the Nepalese identity. The call for a Hindu state is just as unconstitutional as emphasising one of the country's smaller religions.]

Towards genuine gender equality in Nepal’s politics : Despite the widely acknowledged principle that societal development hinges upon the active involvement of all its members, women continually find themselves marginalized in the decision-making process, by Dipti Ghimire (nlt 20/12/2023) [The participation of women is even greater if they come from the Dalit, Muslim, Janajati or Madheshi groups! For example, the number of Dalit women is greater than that of Bahun men! The disparity in participation is astronomical!]

Ensuring Rights Of Gender Minorities, by Namrata Sharma (rn 20/12/2023)

Active efforts to reduce child marriages in Sinja, by Netra Shahi (rn 19/12/2023), Local units in Jumla’s Sinja ramp up efforts to curb child marriage : Faced with a staggering prevalence of child marriages, three local units have teamed up to tackle the issue, by DB Budha (kp 20/12/2023)

Govt restrictions leave women migrant workers in danger as they are forced to resort to illegal routes, by Aesha Bajracharya (rep 18/12/2023)

Urgently-needed consumer courts elude Nepal, two years since verdict : The Supreme Court ordered the government to set up consumer courts in all seven provinces in February last year. Officials claim they are starting the process afresh, by Krishana Prasain (kp 18/12/2023) [This joins the numerous cases of contempt of court on the part of various Nepalese governments! What duties does the government actually fulfil?],
No court for consumers : A functioning liberal economy requires a robust regulatory system to keep tabs on private investors (kp 30/*12/2023)

14-year-old girl raped in Siraha (kh 18/12/2023)

Nepal’s climate-gender nexus : Women disproportionately suffer from climate change due to their primary roles in securing food, water and fuel, by Nischal Dhungel (kp 17/12/2023)

Society discourages Dalits from seeking legal recourse against caste-based discrimination : Most cases of caste discrimination and untouchability rarely go to the police. Such cases are usually settled in the village at the behest of local leaders, by Parbat Portel (kp 16/12/2023)

Forgotten and Freezing: Earthquake survivors stranded in tarpaulin tents as local govts await financial aid (kh 16/12/2023) [It shows once again that politicians never fulfil their grandiose promises. Anyone who does not prioritise the welfare of citizens and the country, especially in emergencies, is not qualified for public office!], Building temporary shelters for quake-displaced slows down : The earthquake-affected people have enough wood to construct temporary huts but no manpower, by Mahesh KC (kp 17/12/2023)

A father’s unyielding struggle to have son declared martyr : Surya Bahadur Sarki, 74, has been running from pillar to post seeking justice for his son, who died 33 years ago during the 1990 people’s movement, by Shiva Puri (kp 15/12/2023)

Children victimized most by climate change effects: Police (kh 15/12/2023)

Number of street children decreasing lately (kh 15/12/2023)

Jajarkot earthquake victims left in limbo, by Laxman Sharma (kh 14/12/2023), Ghuyalneta's quake survivors suffer from diarrhea (rep 14/12/2023) [Immediately after the quake, there was intensive politician tourism with grand promises. In the meantime, only silence and inactivity prevail!]

Police bust racket of DoI and NAC staff involved in human trafficking through visit visas, by Tapendra Karki (rep 14/12/2023)

Three cheers for Nepal : Three separate cases in the past few weeks have given reason for a sceptic of patriotism to be proud of Nepal, by Deepak Thapa (kp 14/12/2023)

Survey shows bleak picture of nutrition in Tarai : Reports high prevalence of an acute form of malnutrition, by Arjun Poudel (kp 14/12/2023)

Save the Children and WWF forge collaboration to address critical link between climate change and child rights (rep 13/12/2023)

Dalit lives after Soti judgement : Unless the casteist elements of Hinduism are reformed, no amount of prison sentence will ensure human dignity, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 12/12/2023)

62 cases of violence occurred during 16 Days of Activism against VAW: INSEC (kh 12/12/2023)

Visit visa trafficking cases on rise, by Ajabi Poudel (ae 12/128/2023)

Social campaigner Iih to stage 108-minute protest outside LMC office (rep 12/12/2023), Activist E alleges breach of peaceful protest rights in Lalitpur (kh 12/12/2023)

Kin of missing and disappeared in west Nepal seek closure : Thousands of civilians suffered at the hands of security forces and Maoists during the 1996-2006 insurgency, by Durgalal KC (kp 12/12/2023)

NHRC urges Karnali govt to protect quake survivors from cold (rep 12/12/2023)

Nepalis trapped in Russian Army make desperate pleas for rescue (kh 12/12/2023)

Frozen in limbo: Bureaucratic delays leave quake victims shelterless, by Rajendra Karki (ae 11/12/2023)

The interconnection of human rights and disability rights, by Jalasa Sapkota (ae 11/12/2023)

Investing to prevent gender violence : Effective implementation of laws remains an urgent need to counter discrimination and violence, by Veronique Lorenzo  and Hanaa Singer-Hamdy (kp 10/12/2023)

Combating Gender-Based Violence in Nepal : The Significance of Engaging Men and Boys against GVB, by Neelam Dhanushe (rep 10/12/2023)

Citizens forced to struggle for rights for long: Chitra Bdr KC (kh 10/12/2023)

PM Dahal pledges to implement NHRC recommendations (rep 10/12/2023) (rep 10/12/2023) [And why haven't you and your predecessors done this so far? This is a clear case of not wanting to!]

Rights watchdog’s recommendations snubbed, persistently : Amid government inaction on the recommendations, individuals flagged for action promoted and rewarded, by Binod Ghimire (kp 09/12/2023) [Oli, Deuba or Dahal, they are all the same when it comes to disregarding basic human rights!]

Empowered Women, Prosperous Nepal Program joins global 16 days of activism campaign to prevent GBV (rep 08/12/2023)

Nabaraj BK and discrimination against Dalits : Nepal’s anti-Dalit discrimination laws are strong and progressive. However, caste discrimination is a prominent feature of social interactions. The government regularly fails to prosecute individuals who engage in it, by Cilla Khatry (ae 08/12/2023)

Rights watchdog grapples with internal feud yet again : Amid dispute over appointing secretary, commissioners trade allegations of misconduct and defamation. Spokesperson says the row will be settled soon, by Binod Ghimire (kp 07/12/2023)

NHRC submits annual report to President Paudel (kh 07/12/2023)

Procedural Hurdles Deny Justice To Rape Victims, by Mona Sharma (rn 07/12/2023)

A look into social security of the government of Nepal : While social protection allocation has increased steadily over the years i.e. 26.71% in the fiscal year 2020/21, 19.52% in the fiscal year 2021/22, and 34.1% in the fiscal year 2022/23, the economic growth rate has remained stagnant, by Aarashi Ghimire (nlt 07/12/2023)

Jajarkot Needs You, Not Tinkune: A Plea Amidst Political Rallies : The focus must shift to preventing avoidable deaths, especially with the winter months looming, by Kiran Karkai (rep 06/12/2023)

65 percent of sexual abuse victims are minor girls, by Ajabi Poudel (ae 05/12/2023)

Rukum District Court sentences 24 in Soti incident, imposes life terms held guilty for murder of six (kh 05/12/2023) [Sentencing the Hindu mania that the fundamentalists want to reconstitute as normal!], Rukum West District Court slaps life imprisonment to 24 accused in 2020 Soti incident (rep 05/12/2023), Life sentences for 24 in 2020 murder of six Dalit youths : West Rukum District Court says Nabaraj BK and his five friends’ deaths stemmed from caste-based discrimination, by Mahesh KC (kp 06/12/2023), Sons died, justice prevailed: victims' families laud court decision on murder case, by Raju Lamichhane (rn 06/12/2023), Court kindles hope : The verdict on the Soti caste killings is a definitive moment for social justice (kp 07/12/2023), Landmark verdict and societal reform, by Mim Bahadur Pariyar (ae 07/12/2023)

Senior advocate seeks transparency in property confiscation issue (rep 05/12/2023)

‘Denied’ justice, dowry victim Neha Chaudhary knocks doors of activist Durga Prasai, by Aesha Bajracharya  (rep 05/12/2023) [Denied justice drives victims into the hands of Hindu fundamentalists!]

Earthquake victims ill-equipped to survive the cold : On Monday, the mountainous areas of Karnali province saw the first snow of the season, resulting in extremely cold conditions in the region, by Mahesh KC (kp 05/12/2023)

Tiktok ban: What does it mean for the future of democracy in Nepal? Banning TikTok can be seen as another form of infringing on the right to freedom of speech, by Pragya Neupane (rep 03/12/2023), PM Dahal indicates potential lift of TikTok ban (kh 04/12/2023)

Gender and sexual minorities suffer abuse in foreign employment (rep 03/12/2023

Sixth conference of National Land Rights Forum commences (rep 03/12/2023)

Empowering through Inclusive Education: United in Action for Comprehensive Sexuality Education for Persons with Disabilities, by Jaldeep Sapkota (rep 03/12/2023)

Durga Prasai to announce “Citizen’s Government” and “Sanatan Hindu Rastra” (kh 03/12/2023) [As long as coup plotters are allowed to continue to operate with impunity, as they have repeatedly done in the recent past, there will always be new ones. The Hindu state would be a crime against Nepal's multi-ethnic society!]

Many quake-hit children yet to rejoin school : Out of 423 schools in Jajarkot, 289 have become uninhabitable or unsafe, by Tripti Shahi (kp 02/12/2023)

Saving pregnant women, new mothers, newborns, and elderly a challenge, Jajarkot health officials say : The home ministry has deployed experts to the earthquake-hit Jajarkot and Rukum West districts for clinical mentoring of survivors, by Arjun Poudel (kp 02/12/2023)

Digital platforms responsible for increasing VAWG cases, by Pritam Bhattarai (rn 01/12/2023)

Political grandstanding takes center stage in quake-ravaged Jajarkot and Rukum West, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae 30/11/2023)

AWC objects to govt’s crackdown on Durga Prasai-led protest (rep 30/11/2023)

Nepali woman rescued from Oman (rep 30/11/2023)

Secularism and social inclusion or Hindu state and monarchy?, by Karl-Heinz Krämer (kh 29/11/2023)

Child Protection Standards draft unveiled for discussions (kh 28/11/2023)

Earthquakes and Dalit victims : Natural disasters tend to hurt minorities and poorer sections of society more, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 28/11/2023)

Jajarkot Earthquake: Over 1,000 new mothers struggle in harsh conditions under Tarpaulins (kh 28/11/2023)

Jajarkot earthquake survivor succumbs to cold (kh 27/11/2023)

Rendered homeless by Jajarkot earthquake, elderly people and children fall victim to extreme cold (rep 26/11/2023) [Is there any responsible government and administration in Nepal?]

167 cases of domestic violence registered in four months in Chitwan (rep 26/11/2023)

80 percent of GBV includes domestic violence in Nepal: Police (kh 26/11/2023)

Finance Minister pledges budget for women empowerment (rn 26/11/2023) [As a member of the ruling patriarchal elite, you obviously don't understand that this problem cannot be solved with money. Make women fully equal and on a par with men in the constitution and laws! Involve them appropriately at all levels of public life, in politics as well as in business, in the judiciary as well as in education, in the political parties as well as in administration, etc.!]

Identity-based faction to counter UML’s Mid-Hill Highway Campaign (kh 26/11/2023) [As with other parties, the national identity characteristics of the UML are male, high-caste, Hindu, historically based on the Nepal of the Shah monarchy and socially and culturally not inclusive!], Identity supporters display black flags at Yogesh Bhattarai’s residence in Taplejung (rep 26/11/2023)

Health minister accuses Dr KC of being used by interest groups : He said he has tabled a proposal in the Cabinet to prepare a law to allow study of nursing and paramedical courses in all hospitals with 100 to 300 beds and start MBBS study in those with over 300 beds (kp 26/11/2023) [????], Dr KC demands immediate resignation of Health Minister Basnet (rep 26/11/2023)

Top court issues show cause notice in presidential pardons : A single bench of Justice Prakash Dhungana seeks the reasons for commuting remaining terms of three convicted of murder of eight policemen and a toddler in Tikapur incident (kp 24/11/2023)

Accelerate TJ Process, by Bini Dahal (rn 24/11/2023)

Is it a peace process? Though peace is an end in itself, it was also treated as a means in the war-torn Nepal, by Birendra P Mishra (kp 23/11/2023)

Police employ jammer vehicle amidst demonstrations in Kathmandu disrupting mobile networksb (kh 23/11/2023) [The government is becoming more and more authoritarian! Restrictions on fundamental rights should only be made with the utmost caution!]

Earthquake-hit Salyan schools running classes out in the cold : Schools still not priority for local authorities as they are busy caring for displaced people, by Biplab Maharjan (kp 23/11/2023)

Act To End Violence Against Women, by Namrata Sharma (rn 22/11/2023)

A traffic jam in Jaleshwar : At least in Madhesh, federalism has little to do with better governance and faster development, by CK Lal (kp 22/11/2023)

UN House and minister’s quarters declared prohibited zone (kh 22/11/2023), Prohibitory order enforced around President’s Office and PM’s residence (kh 22/11/2023)

17 years after Comprehensive Peace Accord, conflict survivors still yearning for justice (rep 20/11/2023), 17 years after the CPA, justice eludes victims in Nepal (kh 21/11/2023), Peace deal into 17th year, yet no justice for victims : Thousands of victims of Nepal’s Maoist insurgency that ended in 2006 are still awaiting closure, by Binod Ghimire (kp 21/11/2023), Conflict-affected communities demand passage of bill to amend transitional justice act (kh 21/11/2023), Conflict-affected communities demand passage of bill to amend transitional justice act (kh 21/11/2023), 17 years—and counting : Beyond the paraphernalia of the peace lie deep wounds of the war that are yet to be healed (kp 22/11/2023)

Free speech advocates decry social media directive saying it oversteps Electronic Transactions Act : Government on Monday released the full text of the directive issued on November 10 (kp 21/11/2023)

Out in the cold : Authorities must act fast to avoid more deaths and hardship in the quake-affected areas (kp 21/11/2023), Cold-related ailments have claimed several lives in Jajarkot after the November 3 earthquake : Thousands of people including many new mothers have been forced to take shelter under makeshift plastic tents amid the growing winter cold, by Arjun Poudel (kp 22/11/2023)

What are legal measures in place to ensure child protection in Nepal? (rep 20/11/2023), NHRC urges govt to ensure child rights (kh 20/11/2023)

Stooping too low? We have bridged the digital divide, but the knowledge divide on digital media use is widening, by Dharma Adhikari (kp 20/11/2023)

Govt collects Rs 152.80 million to help Jajarkot earthquake victims while those sufferring struggle to get relief (rep 18/11/2023)

Playing with fire : As local units are short of firefighting equipment, we are at a perennial risk of loss of life and property (kp 17/11/2023)

Dalit community comes forward for culture conservation (rep 16/11/2023)

Unraveling the culture and politics of Tiktok : The ban on TikTok poses a challenge and jeopardizes the individual freedoms that the democratic system aims to protect. It might just open a Pandora’s box that we may not want to travel down the path it opens, by Alok K Bohara (nlt 16/11/2023), TikTok expresses concern as debate over its ban rages on : Government seems determined to impose the ban. Critics say the platform should be better regulated, not banned, by Anil Giri (kp 17/11/2023)

Relief for the resourceful : At least the most egregious misuse of relief material must be probed and the guilty punished (kp 13/11/2023)

Survivors of last month’s Bajhang earthquake are still living in tents : Around 35 homes in Kuchgaun of Thalara in the district were destroyed in a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on October 3. The displaced say the government has provided no help, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp 10/11/2023) [Statements by politicians are smoke and mirrors! They never stick to what they say afterwards!]

Nepali Women In Changed Media Landscape, by Tulasi Acharya (rn 10/11/2023)

Earthquake-displaced are falling sick due to poor living conditions and cold : Drinking water is a big concern. They complain that the relief materials provided by the government are not enough, by Krishna Prasad Gautam (kp 09/11/2023)

No quake relief for outsiders, by Hemanta Joshi (ae 09/11/2023)

Assessing clemency laws, by Jivesh Jha (ae 09/11/2023)

Justices and justice : Delayed justice is becoming the norm as the case-load of the Supreme Court continues to increase (kp 09/11/2023)

CARE Nepal draws attention to GBV, disease outbreak post earthquake in Jajarkot, pledges psychological counseling (rep 08/11/2023)

Quake victims tell president they are yet to get relief, by Nagendra Upadhyaya (rep 07/11/2023)

State failing thousands of quake survivors (ae 07/11/2023)

Nepal loses its say in international forums if NHRC is downgraded : Former Chief Justice Anup Raj Sharma, who also led the National Human Rights Commission, on a legion of issues related to presidential pardon and the constitutional rights watchdog, interview with Anup Raj Sharma (kp 06/11/2023)

Nepal's elusive peace process and Guterres’ initiative, by Pushpa Raj Joshi (rep 04/11/2023)

Cabinet, President face setback as top court overturns disputed pardon : Supreme Court says decision to forgive murder convict Yograj Dhakal was constitutionally and legally flawed, by Anil Giri (kp 03/11/2023)

Making Nepali media child friendly : Newsrooms must uphold strong editorial practices that promote children’s issues, by Arun Rai and Ayush Joshi (kp 03/11/2023)

Ensure justice to journalists : Nepal has failed to acknowledge and commit to implementing the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, by Taranath Dahal and Nanu Maiya Khadka (kp 02/11/2023)

NHRC's 'A' category ranking to remain unchanged (rep 01/11/2023), Rights watchdog retains ‘A’ status—for now : Global alliance of rights organisations says it made the decision in view of pending court hearings on disputed appointments, by Binod Ghimire (kp 02/11/2023) [So again only temporarily, because the attitude of the politicians is still unchanged!]

PM Dahal discusses Transitional Justice Bill with Deuba and Oli (kh 01/11/2023) [Without the participation of representatives of the victims, discussions of those responsible in the conflict at that time are completely pointless! Not only Dahal, but especially Deuba bear a great responsibility for the escalation of the conflict at that time!], Prime Minister Dahal says parties close to deal on transitional justice : ‘We are on the same page on the issue,’ says Oli, after meeting Dahal and Deuba (kp) [So, three failed politicians sit down together and believe that they can bring justice to the victims after such a long time, without involving the latter in the solution! And the three of them bear at least partly the responsibility for the crimes of that time! They will be endeavored with priority to come finely from the matter!]

Refugees Bring Opportunities, Too, by Namrata Sharma (rn 01/11/2023)

Members of conflict victims police family urge the UN chief to heed their plights : ‘When individuals involved in acts of murder, looting, and terrorism hold positions within the government, the prospect of justice for the victims and their families appears to be an unattainable dream’ (nlt 31/10/2023), Citizens caution UN Secretary-General to ‘spoilers’ of peace process : ‘While you did meet the two erstwhile warring sides, you were not able to meet the victims of conflict even though representatives of five organizations had submitted a letter on the morning of 30 October seeking an appointment (nlt 31/10/2023) [see official statement], In Parliament, UN chief stresses victim-centric transitional justice : Antonio Guterres says Nepal needs more support to tackle impacts of climate change, by Binod Ghimire (kp 01/11/2023) [And why did he not talk to representatives of the victims?], UN ready to support Nepal’s TJ process, by Antonio Guterres (ae 01/11/2023)

Who will save NHRC?, by Ram Dayal Rakesh (ae 31/10/2023)

United Nations chief calls for justice for insurgency victims : Vows support for peace process while stressing adherence to international standards, by Anil Giri (kp 30/10/2023), Conflict victims draw UN chief’s attention to their plight : Seek to meet visiting secretary general in person. Successive governments have remained reluctant to make good on the promises made in the 2006 peace accord, they say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 30/10/2023), Concluding peace process in focus as leaders meet Guterres : UML chief Oli accuses Prime Minister Dahal of delaying the peace process with his decision to ‘glorify violence’ (kp 30/10/2023), A ‘Nepali’ peace process : The success of the transitional justice process lies in the action of the House committee, by Charan Prasai (kp 30/10/2023), ‘TJ process should meet international standards’ (ae 30/10/2023)

TJ process must meet int'l standards, SC's rulings and needs of victims: UN Secretary-General Gutterres (rep 29/10/2023)

Human Rights Commission requests global alliance to save its ‘A’ status : The umbrella body of human rights institutions from 127 countries is expected to make the decision within a week (kp 29/10/2023)

Future of NHRC : It is useless to have a rights body when the govt does not implement its recommendations (ht 27/10/2023)

Govt urges to address concerns surrounding NHRC (rep 21/10/2023) [But this is an extremely late response, isn't it, just two days before the GANHRI decision!], NHRC in danger of being downgraded (ht 21/10/2023)

We are keen to ensure that transitional justice is served for the conflict victims, interview with EU Envoy to Nepal, Veronique Lorenzo (rep 20/10/2023)

Autism and educational barriers : Inclusionary efforts across various sectors are necessary to support individuals and children with autism, by Sahara Dhakal (kp 19/10/2023)

Govt decides to draft a bill to regulate NHRC (rep 19/10/2023)

Semiotics Of The Term 'Cheli' By relegating women to subservient roles through language, the society inadvertently fosters a culture of inequality, by Tulasi Acharya (rn 18/10/2023)

Stop Exploitation Of Migrant Workers, by Namrata Sharma (rn 18/10/2023)

Family matter : It is vital to examine the potential of expanding family benches to other districts with high populations (kp 18/10/2023)

Data vulnerability in Nepal : Legal safeguards are essential to ensuring ethical data handling by domestic and foreign entities, by Newal Chaudhary (kp 18/10/2023)

Chhaupadi still persists in remote Achham, by Gita Kunwar (ae 17/10/2023)

Way too young: All girls must enjoy their full childhood, by Bashir Najeeb (ht 16/10/2023)

Idea behind family bench in courts : Two dedicated benches at Kathmandu district court hear civil cases related to women, fast-track justice delivery, by Binod Ghimire (kp 15/10/2023)

Need for Native Language Education in Nepali Schools, by Ritu Raj Lamsal (rep 15/10/2023)

Conflict victims’ appeal says what’s wrong with govt approach to transitional justice (ht 14/10/2023)

Police arrest 16 HURPES protesters demanding justice (kh 13/10/2023)

No consensus on proposed revisions to transitional justice law : After five months of talks, parliamentary subcommittee tosses unresolved issues back to top leaders. The Supreme Court had ordered revision of the disputed law eight years ago, by Binod Ghimire (kp 11/10/2023) [Of all things, back to those incompetent politicians who have completely opposite interests, since they were in charge on both sides of the conflict at the time!]

Nepalis ‘deceived, cheated and exploited’ at Amazon warehouses in Saudi Arabia : An Amnesty International report exposes the multinational’s failure to prevent contracted workers from being exposed to human rights abuses, despite receiving complaints, by Arjun Poudel (kp 11/10/2023) [see AI report]

Women's rights activists hold protest at Maitighar, demanding re-imprisonment of Regal (rep 11/10/2023), Presidential pardons and their impact on victims and society: A call for justice, by Aesha Bajracharya (rep 11/10/2023)

NHRC demands accessible treatment of mental issue (kh 10/10/2023)

New hope for victims: Proposed amendment allows complaints for sexual violence during conflict (kh 10/10/2023)

Widow struggles to raise three sons after losing husband, by Prem Raj Simkhada (rn 09/10/2023)

HURPES Nepal protests in front of the President’s office (kh 09/10/2023), Demo against prez pardon for criminals (ae 10/10/2023))

NHRC delegation seeks Speaker Ghimire’s role in improving human rights standard in nation (kh 09/10/2023

SC establishes dedicated bench for family dispute cases : Chief Justice Shrestha inaugurates initiative (kh 09/10/2023)

Ensure Justice To Chetan's Widow, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn 08/10/2023)

Hotels in Manakamana Temple area asked to stop use of child labor (kh 08/10/2023) [This sounds like a trivialisation instead of a severe punishment!]

NHRC faces alarming decline in standards, by Govinda Luitel (rep 07/10/2023)

Conflict victims ask UN chief to push for transitional justice : Say they are sceptical of PM’s commitment to justice, by Binod Ghimire (kp 07/10/2023)

End Entrenched Social Inequality : Merely demanding the rights be granted and forgetting the responsibilities cannot achieve the goals of social equality, by Bhupa P Dhamala (rn 06/10/2023)

Patan High Court refuses to register same sex marriage, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 06/10/2023)

Un-Regal justice : The pardon of a murder convict hints at how little our political class cares about people’s concerns (kp 06/10/2023), Supreme Court demands original documents related to decision of paroling ‘Rigal’ : Bharati Manandhar, the spouse of Chetan Manandhar, whom Rigal had murdered in Banke, is in hunger strike demanding justice (nlt 06/10/2023), Supreme Court seeks explanation for pardon granted to murder convict : President on the Constitution Day had commuted the jail terms of 670 convicts, by Binod Ghimire (kp 06/10/2023)

Street smart business : A well thought-out regulatory mechanism for street vendors is the need of the hour, by Roshee Lamichhane (kp 06/10/2023)

Curfew reimposed in Nepalgunj amid Hindu-Muslim dispute (kh 06/10/2023)

Supreme Court demands original documents related to decision of paroling ‘Rigal’ : Bharati Manandhar, the spouse of Chetan Manandhar, whom Rigal had murdered in Banke, is in hunger strike demanding justice (nlt 06/10/2023)

As NHRC downgrade date approaches, pressure builds on office bearers to quit : A meeting of GANHRI later this month is set to downgrade the commission to ‘B’ category, by Binod Ghimire (kp 04/10/2023)

Euthanasia as Right to die with Dignity, by by Baliram Kumar Chauhan (rep 04/10/2023)

Unconscious bias : Politicians fail to recognise the capabilities of people from traditionally oppressed groups, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 03/10/2023)

Environmental defenders at risk, journalists targeted and concerns around new cyber security policy: CIVICUS report (kh 03/10/2023) [see CIVICUS reports on Nepal]

Children of Musahar communities drawn to school (kh 02/10/2023)

Impact Of Climate Change On Human Rights, by Bipin Budhathoki (rn 02/10/2023)

RSP leaders seek President’s attention to reconsider immunity granted to murder convict (kh 02/10/2023), President Paudel acknowledges RSP's concerns on amnesty issue (rep 02/10/2023), Parliamentary committee to call home minister for discussion on amnesty issue (rep 02/10/2023)

Call to increase participation of women in tourism sector (kh 30/09/2023)

Protect Rights Of Old Persons, by Jhabindra Bhandari (rn 29/09/2023)

National Human Rights Commission concerned over attack on doctors : Urges government and other stakeholders to create an environment for uninterrupted delivery of health services (kp 29/09/2023), Strained ties : The breakdown of the doctor-patient bond of trust could have devastating consequences (kp 29/09/2023), 'It's always doctors that are targeted', by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 29/09/2023)

Human Rights Commission demands uninterrupted healthcare services, urges against shutdowns (nlt 28/09/2023)

Flawed Legislative Process Irks Teachers, by Mukti Rijal (rn 28/09/2023) [No right to information, no democratic procedures, only authoritarian decisions by supposedly democratic politicians based on internal agreements! This is how the rule of law works in Nepal, presumably as a legacy of the former absolutist monarchy!], Speakers call for increasing people's access to RTI (rn 28/09/2023)

NHRC to probe repeated incidents of clashes in juvenile correctional homes (rep 27/09/2023)

In remote Mugu, children walk four hours to school : Parents say children return home tired. Their Kalika Secondary School in Libru is ill-equipped and understaffed with just 11 teachers for 300 students, by Raj Bahadur Shahi (kp 25/09/2023)

Government increases women’s reservation to 50 percent in civil service seats (kh 25/09/2023)

Refusing to grant citizenship in name of mother is unconstitutional: SC (rep 24/09/2023)

Sandeep Lamichhane’s hearing postponed yet again (kh 24/09/2023) [There continues to be no interest in justice for victims in Nepal, especially when the potential perpetrators are celebrities In this case, he is urgently needed for the cricket team at the Asian Games!], Sympathy or lack of proof?, by Prerana Marasini (ae 25/09/2023)

Teenage girls sold in India rescued through minister's initiative (rep 24/09/2023)

Govt ‘serious’ about incidents related to communal and religious disturbances, says Home Minister (rep 24/09/2023)

Violent incidents at juvenile centres expose managerial lapses : Rights advocates call for effective measures not to let deadly clashes occur again, by Binod Ghimire (kp 23/09/2023)

Improve Women's Role In Decision-making, by Jeewan Rimal (rn 23/09/2023)

Completing remaining task of transitional justice is Nepal’s top agenda: PM Dahal (kh 22/09/2023) [For 17 years? This sounds more like disinterest than top agenda! Many of Dahal's other statements to the UN are not true either!], At UN, PM Dahal says no blanket amnesty for serious human rights violation : In his address, the prime minister boasts of progress made in the peace process, and political stability while mentioning threats to Nepal from climate change and the rise in conflict between nations (kp 23/09/2023)

One dead, 10 injured as clash erupts in in Banke juvenile correction home (kh 22/09/2023), Nine juvenile inmates flee from Child Reform Home in Banke (kh 22/09/2023)

EU supports mainstreaming gender in trade policies (rep 22/09/2023)

7 million students deprived of right to education, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 22/09/2023), Mind children's right as you fight for yours, teachers told (ht 22/09/2023)

With PM away, transitional justice bill loses momentum : Efforts to finalise the amendment bill have stalled as it could not be passed before Dahal’s trip to New York, by Binod Ghimire (kp 21/09/2023) [The draft is inadequate and unsatisfactory anyway!]

Man arrested on charge of murdering wife over dowry : The couple was married 21 months ago and have an 11-month-old son, by Binod Bhandari (kp 20/09/2023)

Non-implementation of fundamental rights shows parties’ weakness: Former Speaker Dhungana (kh 20/09/2023)

Curb Scourge Of Human Trafficking, by Uttam Maharjan (rn 19/09/2023)

Caste in the diaspora : In this age of international migration, caste has become a worldwide phenomenon, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 19/09/2023)

PM Dahal seeks UN assistance for completing Nepal’s Transitional Justice process (kh 19/09/2023)

Students from remote Baitadi village brave river to reach school every day : Around 40 students from ward 6 of Sagada village wade through the Nwaghari river to reach Ganesh Secondary School, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp 19/09/2023)

Hearing on cricketer Lamichhane’s case postponed (kh 18/09/2023) [????]

Religious leaders, priests and faith healers mobilised to end child marriage in Kalikot : Although Nepal abolished child marriage in 1963, the practice is still rampant, especially in rural parts of the country, by Tularam Pandey (kp 17/09/2023)

Human trafficking: Over 1,600 persons rescued in five years (rep 17/09/2023), Police rescue 1,679 victims of human trafficking in last five years (nlt 17/09/2023)

Dahal to seek global community’s nod to Nepal peace process : Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will carry a long wish list to China after the conclusion of his New York visit, by Anil Giri (kp 17/09/2023)

Poll body fears delay in new law's passage may block reform : The draft bill has been at the Home Ministry for more than two months which shows that it is reluctant to expedite discussions on the bill that takes years to get through both Houses of the Federal Parliament, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 16/09/2023) [Government and opposition parties obviously see their non-inclusive, unconstitutional and corrupt electoral practices in danger with electoral reform!]

Rautahat jail overcrowded, prisoners face sheer inconvenience (rn 16/09/2023)

Ethical Business Vital For Justice And Peace, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn 16/09/2023)

Birth registration pending for 26,000 children in Karnali (kh 16/09/2023) [This means denial of children's basic rights!]

Women's participation in decision-making level pathetic (rep 15/09/2023)

Juvenile delinquency: Legal and practical gaps : Some children are held for crimes they did not even commit, and they do not know how to get out, by Shailu Sharma and Sadikshya Nepal (kp 15/09/2023)

Constitution has ensured children’s right as fundamental (kh 15/09/2023)

Judicial Council recommends names of 27 candidates for appointment as judges in high courts (With List) (rep 15/09/2023) [Not a single woman and predominantly male Bahuns! Welcome to socially inclusive Nepal!]

Thapa insists on 33 percent women participation in government (kh 14/09/2023) [Article 38 (4) of the Constitution already prescribes adequate proportional participation in all state structures and bodies as a fundamental right of women. The ruling male Khas Arya rulers were instrumental in formulating the constitution, but since then they have taken very little interest in it!]

Deaths of inmates in Sankhuwasabha: 15 remanded to custody for further investigations (kh 14/09/2023)

Flying away from the nest : Governance falls in the hands of regressive forces when the engines of change exit the system, by CK Lal (kp 13/09/2023)

Right to health: Some suggestions, by Simone Galimberti (ht 13/09/2023)

Underprivileged receive ID cards, but remain deprived of privileges, by Govinda Luitel (rep 13/09/2023)

Nembang’s absence adds to transitional justice worries : Lawmakers on the House panel say the former Speaker had been instrumental in finalising the amendment bill, by Binod Ghimire (kp 13/09/2023)

Caste-based discrimination rife in Doti : Dalit rights activists say non-Dalits refuse to interact with them, extend services, rent rooms or even sell them milk, by Mohan Shahi (kp 12/09/2023)

Budget cut hampers treatment of moderately acute malnourished children : The cuts in the budget for healthcare programmes have put Nepal’s ambition to meet the SDGs on the line, by Arjun Poudel (kp 12/09/2023)

US job promise turns nightmare for many. Nepali agent arrested : Victims say they paid between Rs2.5 million and 7.5 million to Hasta Gautam and his agents to be smuggled, by Anup Ojha (kp 12/09/2023)

Power vs rights of indigenous people : Respecting the rights of indigenous people in the hydro power sector in Nepal is not just about compliance but power relations, by Simone Galimberti (nlt 11/09/2023)

Elusive peace process : The ongoing peace process will not conclude without giving justice to the conflict victims (ht 11/09/2023)

Adjudicate cases of children in conflict with law within 120 days: SC, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 10/09/2023)

Former security personnel of Nepal write to the UN rapporteurs over TRC bill : The organization of the families of security personnel who were the victims of the armed conflict has asked for provisions to address incidents involving unarmed and non-uniformed security personnel who were killed or injured during the conflict (nlt 10/09/2023) [The victims came from among the security forces, the Maoist insurgents and, above all, from civil society, which constantly felt threatened by both parties to the conflict. They and their families need justice at last!], Insurgency victims from security forces implore UN for justice : Say they feel discriminated against by both the Nepali state and the United Nations, by Binod Ghimire (kp 11/09/2023)

Educated Women Victims Of Domestic Abuse, by Upasana Rana (rn 10/09/2023)

In Pictures: Solidarity march held in Kathmandu against cow slaughter, by Rajib Khatri (rep 09/09/2023) [But respect and tolerance are not a one-way road! The call for a return to the Hindu state hurts the values and feelings of all those people in the multi-religious state, some of whom suffer great disadvantages by linking the state to the values and practices of the Hindu religion!]

Estranged husband, two others, arrested after mother and son go missing in Kalikot, by Tularam Pandey (kp 09/09/2023), Mother, son missing from Kalikot found in Nepalgunjm : The woman claims a gang of three people abducted them at around 3am on Friday, by Tularam Pandey (kp 10/09/2023)

Push factors driving Nepalis out : There are fewer incentives for young Nepalis to stay home, by Ramesh Kumar (nt 08/09/2023)

Saraswati casts net wide for justice : A Dalit activist from Nepal gets global recognition for her struggle against systemic discrimination, by Dhanu Bishwakarma (nt 08/09/2023)

Patriarchal Nepal sees steep rise in female-headed households : Agriculture Census 2021-22 report, released on Thursday by National Statistics Office, shows 32.4 percent, or 1.33 million, households in the country are headed by women, by Sangam Prasain (kp 08/09/2023) [This is far from being a reason for the ruling machos to grant women equal rights and participation!]

Battle Against Casteism, by Bini Dahal (rn 08/09/2023)

Stranded in Kuwait for nearly a year, around 1,000 Nepali youths seek urgent repatriation (rep 08/09/2023) [Helping these Nepali citizens should be a priority task of the government!]

Prime minister wants transitional justice bill endorsed before his US visit : Sub-panel of Law and Human Rights Committee will start detailed discussions on the bill tomorrow. Leaders expect some consensus among major parties today, by Binod Ghimire (kp 08/09/2023) [Why? In its planned form, the law still does not meet international legal standards!]

Protestors stage symbolic demonstrations at Maitighar demanding justice for Aarti Shah (Photo Feature) (rep 08/09/2023)

Govt inhumanity in Central Jail: Overcrowding and dilapidated buildings increase risks to inmates, by Govinda Luitel (rep 06/09/2023), Make prisons safer : Custodial deaths result from a larger systemic failure in Nepal’s prison system (kp 07/09/2023)

CAAN gets show cause notice from court (ht 06/09/2023)

Dalit politics: Identity or rights? There is a lack of awareness among youths that the term Dalit is not the same as untouchable, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 05/09/2023)

Transitional justice remains elusive despite government’s repeated pledges : The current bill shields perpetrators and needs to be amended, allege experts (kp 05/09/2023) [Only a completely new and socially inclusive generation of politicians, free of involvement from that time, can bring the peace process to a conclusion!]

Custodial deaths go on as perpetrators are left unpunished : Advocacy Forum’s 2022 report documents 39 deaths since 2018 when the new Penal Code came into force, by Binod Ghimire (kp 04/09/2023) [see 2022 report by Advocacy Forum; see INSEC study (in Nepali)]

PM Dahal pledges to address concerns of conflict victims (kh 04/09/2023) [And why do you continue to refuse to align the TRC Act with standard international human rights statutes?]

Malnutrition : Prevention of malnutrition is not possible for most disadvantaged families and communities (ht 04/09/2023)

Remote Rukum villages lack even basic health services : Difficult terrain and lack of awareness among residents pose a challenge to public health. People have to walk for many hours to reach district hospital, by Mahesh KC (kp 04/09/2023) [This is one of the districts where the Maoists started their People's war in 1996 to improve everything!]

Why proposed revisions to Criminal Code have courted controversy : Critics say withdrawing cases from all tiers of court is an encroachment on the judiciary’s authority, by Binod Ghimire (kp 03/09/2023)

Probe holds child correction centre responsible for death, mayhem : Rights bodies blame negligence as the main reason behind incident (ht 02/09/2023)

Women need de jure, de facto rights to end discrimination (ht 01/09/2023)

Faith in tolerance : Diversity is the basis of our national unity. Freedom of religion also means respecting the faith of others, by Shristi Karki (nt 01/09/2023)

All religions and cultures get equal opportunity in democracy: Deuba (kh 31/08/2023) [This then clearly means that the state of Nepal, dominated by male Khas Arya, especially Bahun, is not a democracy! That Deuba does not even blush at these brazen lies!]

Elusive justice : A TRC Act in line with international standards will surely rope in many high-profile people (ht 31/08/2023) [This is the reason why the non-inclusive ruling male high-caste elite wants to prevent such a law by hook or by crook!]

17 years since peace accord, enforced disappearance victims still await justice : No progress has been made to deliver justice even as the Maosts have led the government four times since the accord, by Binod Ghimire (kp 30/08/2023) [The governing parties and also the most opposition parties are clearly against justice for the victims and their families of that time!], Justice, disappeared : Solving insurgency-era cases is not just a national urgency but also a global human rights responsibility (kp 30/08/2023), Rights body urges govt to ensure truth, justice, and reparations for families of enforced disappearance victims (rep 30/08/2023), Conflict victims awaiting justice for decades, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 30/08/2023)

Sudurpaschim grapples with rising cases of missing persons : Among the missing, most are women and children from poor economic backgrounds. Efforts to curb the trend haven’t amounted to much, by DR Pant (30/08/2023)

Assessing Nepal’s Future Conflict Trends, by Rajendra Bahadur Singh (rep 30/08/2023)

Surviving a dangerous neighbourhood : Blowing with the ill winds since 2014, the spectre of ‘neo-Hindutva’ has begun to haunt Nepal, by CK Lal (kp 30/08/2023)

Religious Harmony Key To Peace, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn 29/08/2023) [Provocative acts of this kind are reprehensible, but they happen from both sides. Things that violate the values of the Khas Arya are always loudly denounced. But what about the brutal but usually unpunished crimes against Dalits, mostly perpetrated by Khas Arya? One of the biggest provocations in terms of cultural diversity and tolerance, for example, is the demand for a return to the Hindu state by radical Khas Arya. Such a demand, as put forward especially by the extremist RPP, deeply offends Janajatis, Dalits, Muslims and also women in general, i.e. probably more than half of the population! Tolerance and harmony remain a beautiful dream as long as the state and the national identity are exclusively oriented towards the values of the male Khas Arya!]

Conflict victims to organise candle vigil (ht 29/08/2023)

Pipeline damage compels residents of a Salyan village to drink untreated water : Around 60 households in Namra village are drinking muddy water from the Bheri river and many people are falling ill, by Biplab Maharjan (kp 29/08/2023)

Lawmaker Dhakal urges PM Dahal to address Ganga Maya Adhikari’s demand (rep 29/08/2023)

Election Commission calls for speedy passage of ‘No Vote’ provision : If 51 percent of voters opt ‘No Vote’, the election becomes invalid and rejected candidates can’t run next time, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp 29/08/2023), Election Commission proposes NOTA, suffrage right for Nepali citizens employed abroad, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 29/08/2023)

Gurkha veterans share doubts ahead of September talks : For years Gurkha soldiers fought wars for Britain, but despite promises of equal pensions and rights, their pleas for fairness remain unaddressed (kp 29/08/2023)

Child marriage: More than a form of violence, by Nona Deprez and Hanaa Singer-Hamdy (ht 28/08/2023

NHRC urges all to be sensitive about possible communal riot (ht 27/08/2023)

Proposal to extend terms of two TJ bodies presented in National Assembly (rep 27/08/2023)

Government’s cybersecurity policy criticised for National Internet Gateway plan : Experts are concerned that it may curtail the right to privacy and freedom of expression in Nepal, by Anup Ojha (kp 26/08/2023)

Prohibitory order in Dharan over fears of communal violence : Political parties call for social harmony after a group announces rally against the social media campaign for ‘cow slaughter right’, by Pradeep Menyangbo (kp 26/08/2023), A huge crowd marches from Itahari to Dharan for peace rally (rep 26/08/2023) [One-sided Hindu fundamentalist demands without respect and understanding for the much more unfortunate situation of followers of other Nepali cultures!], Dharan peaceful amid fear of ethnic, religious violence : Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and National Human Rights Commission appeal for communal harmony, by Pradeep Menyangbo (kp 27/08/2023), Post goes viral with misleading claim it shows rally in Dharan (kh 28/08/2023)

DPM Khadka calls for caution against those disturbing social harmony (kh 25/08/2023) [Social harmony is endangered by all those who deny the multi-ethnicity, multi-religion and diversity of cultures of the country, who refuse proper inclusion of all sections of society and who identify the country exclusively with Hinduism and the language and culture of the (male) Khas Arya!]

Nepal Eligible To Be OGP Member, by Mahendra Man Gurung (rn 25/08/2023) [Transparency, accountability and participation are still not realised for large parts of Nepali society!]

NHRC launches investigation into juvenile correction centre incident (ht 25/08/2023)

Girls’ ratio to boys markedly low in big cities and districts bordering India : Widening gap between their numbers could create gender imbalance in long run, by Arjun Poudel (kp 24/08/2023)

Conflict victims urge parliament to revise Transitional Justice Bill (rep 24/08/2023), No Law, No Justice, No government for conflict victims, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae 24/08/2023)

Rights defenders stress amendment of TJ Bill (ht 23/08/2023)

Man arrested for character assassination of a woman (kh 23/08/2023)

Degrees of Dalitness : It is a fallacy to think that the Dalits are the only community facing caste discrimination, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 22/08/2023)

Divorce rate rising in Salyan where child marriage continues unabated : Lack of awareness, mentorship and financial constraints contribute to early marriages leading to divorces, say experts, by Biplab Maharjan (kp 22/08/2023)

Journalists’ safety mechanism still elusive, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae 22/08/2023)

Gyanaecologist accused of selling newborn : A 26-year-old woman who gave birth to a baby at Green Cross Hospital has accused the doctor of selling her baby, by Binod Bhandari (kp 22/08/2023)

Violence erupts at Bhaktapur correction center: Inmates clash with police, leaving several injured, by Krishna Kisi (rep 21/08/2023), 221 children abscond from Bhaktapur ‘correctional home’ (kh 21/08/2023), 221 juvenile inmates escape reform centre, breaking the gate and breaching the walls : Police have rearrested 197. Earlier a clash had ensued after suspicious death of an inmate, bny Anup Ojha (kp 22/08/2023), Negligence, indifference behind Bhaktapur Child Correction Home incidence: INSEC (kh 01/09/2023)

Caste system and religious conversion in Nepal, by Sushant Nepali (rep 21/08/2023)

The impending NHRC downgrade : What to make of the imminent slide and how to bring the National Human Rights Commission back from the brink (kp 20/08/2023) [Thank you KP Oli, you really are the greatest!]

Transfer of top cops probing refugee scam rings alarm bells : Prime minister presented proposal and passed it despite DPM Shrestha’s objections, home ministry official says, by Anil Giri (kp 20/08/2023) [This is what the so-called top politicians mean by ruthlessly clearing up corruption!]

Nepali woman held hostage in Iraq for three years : Kamala Murmu, 30, was 'sold' in Iraq three years ago by a human trafficker in the pretext of taking her to Oman for foreign employment, her mother claimed (nlt 20/08/2023)

Legality of transitional justice bodies comes under question : Parliament was not informed about July 4 decision to extend the bodies’ tenure within 30 days, by Binod Ghimire (kp 19/08/2023)

Two inmates tortured to death: Probe report, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 18/08/2023)

Victims of Doramba incident still deprived of justice (ht 18/08/2023)

Ec-PM warns of fresh conflict if courts handle conflict-era cases : Baburam Bhattarai said only transitional bodies should resolve insurgency-related issues (kp 18/08/2023) [Crimes from the time of the insurgency must be judged by courts and not by political commissions appointed by politicians who have proven for 17 years that they have no interest at all in justice for the victims!]

Ministry’s indecision deprives thousands of girls of HPV vaccine : The government purchased 20,000 doses of the vaccine in the first week of July (kp 18/08/2023)

Battling Discrimination To Empower Women, by Sunil Poudel (rn 18/08/2023)

Violence against women in politics : By breaking down barriers and fostering an enabling environment, women can take their rightful place as catalysts for change in various fields, including in politics and decision-making, by Kabita Pandey (ae 17/08/2023)

Full text of SC verdict damns Resham Chaudhary, by Ram Kuamr Kamat (ht 17/08/2023), SC questions President’s amnesty for Resham Chaudhary in Tikapur incident (kh), Former President : Bhandari’s “activism” sparks a wave of discussions (kh 17/08/2023), Court rules pardon in criminal cases under political cover illegal : The ruling would be considered while passing verdicts in petitions challenging presidential pardons, say experts, by Binod Ghimire (kp 18/08/2023), Granting amnesty to those guilty in criminal cases unconstitutional: SC, by Bhasa Sharma (rep 18/08/2023),
Unlawful pardon : The full text of the top court on the Tikapur carnage says Resham's pardon was unlawful (ht 18/08/2023)

Government’s cybersecurity policy raises privacy and implementation concerns : National Cyber Security Policy has some features that will potentially harm internet ecosystem and digital rights, by Anup Ojha (kp 17/08/2023)

TRC and CIEDP remain without office-bearers for a year, by Bhasa Sharma (rep 17/08/2023) [This reflects the political will of the rulers in Nepal!]

Demonstration after murder accused gets bail (ht 16/08/2023)

Local level gets grant for child labour-free programme (ht 16/08/2023)

Marginalised communities struggling to obtain citizenship cards : The ward offices refuse to provide recommendation resulting in minorities being deprived of rights, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 15/08/2023)

Illegal abortions continue killing women : Nepal legalised abortion in 2002. Every year about 100,000 women undergo the procedure at government-authorised clinics, by Arjun Poudel (kp 15/08/2023)

Coalition partners drop Gaur massacre probe plan to avoid antagonising Upendra Yadav : They refuse the main opposition’s demand to form a high-level probe panel to investigate the gold haul and decide to make the ongoing investigation of CIB more effective, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 15/08/2023) [Crimes that do not suit political interests are not investigated, no matter if the SC demands it and the PM has loudly proclaimed it. What does PK Dahal care about his yesterday's chatter?]

NHRC calls for thorough investigation into assault on human rights activist and journalist Manohar Pokharel (rep 15/08/2023)

Madhesh struggles with rising cases of missing children : Lack of study and authorities’ inaction hamper efforts to tackle the problem. Number of missing female children is higher than males, rescue group says, by Shiva Puri (kp 15/08/2023)

Balen's laudable move to promote consumers rights (rep 14/08/2023)

National Human Rights Commission seeks political support to retain its ‘A’ status : Only the country whose human rights commission has the coveted grade can express its views in deliberations at the United Nations Human Rights Council and take part in voting on any of its decisions (kp 13/08/2023)

CIB arrests doctor mistakenly for alleged fake credentials (kh 13/08/2023), Wrongfully detained despite being innocent, Dr Ranjit Kumar Yadav says he hopes this does not happen to anyone (rep 15/08/2023)

Nepal and International Humanitarian Law : The government should identify legal and operational gaps and address them on time, by Krishna Chandra Chalisey (kp 11/08/2023)

Dalit students at a disadvantage in under-resourced community schools : Most villages in Kaski are emptying out due to outmigration with only impoverished Dalits left behind. With no other option, their children go to schools riddled with problems, by Deepak Pariyar (kp 10/08/2023)

Nepal non-committal to UN on revising transitional justice amendment bill : Four United Nations special rapporteurs had sought clarification from the government on five issues, by Binod Ghimire (kp 10/08/2023)

Deal with kin of Gaur victims puts coalition at risk : 27 Maoists died in a clash with cadres of Upendra Yadav’s Madheshi Janadhikar Forum in March 2007 in Rautahat, by Anil Giri (kp 10/08/2023)

Call for finding long-term solution to Kathmandu Valley’s landless squatters problem (rep10/08/2023)

Joint movement of indigenous nationalities essential to safeguard achievements, say activists : Recent struggle indicates that indigenous nationalities are dissatisfied and angry but they also have no collective way to channel their frustration. Activists say the movement against the ‘Koshi’ name could inspire more groups, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 09/08/2023)

Vulnerable youths, vulnerable nation : The youth's desire to join foreign forces emanates from the Nepali state's failure to provide ample jobs to its growing young population (Part I), by Binoj Basnyat (ae 09/08/2023)

'Nexus between foreign employment, trafficking' (ht 09/08/2023)

Lessons from Manipur : The Nepal government too is notorious for ignoring ethnic, caste and communal grievances, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 08/08/2023)

Home ministry signs five-point pact with Gaur Massacre Victims' Struggle Committee (rep 08/08/2023)

The Gaur injustice : Pushpa Kamal Dahal and co exemplify real or imaginary revolutionaries becoming co-opted by the state (kp 07/08/2023)

Chaos behind the bars : Overcrowding, drug abuse and violence have always plagued Nepal’s prisons, by Nishant Pokharel (kp 06/08/2023)

PM Dahal initiates negotiations with Gaur Massacre Victims’ families (kh 05/08/2023) [They need justice and not the unjust pardon of convicted offenders for purely political reasons!], Dahal shows double standards in Gaur massacre probe : On March 21, 2007, as many as 27 Maoist party workers were brutally killed, with 115 more injured in the incident, by Binod Ghimire (kp 06/08/2023)

Conflict victims urge govt’s attention on Transitional Justice Laws (kh 04/08/2023), Conflict victims and rights activists are sceptical about government’s intentions : Stakeholders stage sit-in as parliamentary panel works to finalise a disputed bill on transitional justice, by Binod Ghimire (kp 05/08/2023)

Congress top leaders against prosecution in ‘non-cruel’ murder : Party takes a stance against demands of conflict victims that there must be no amnesty for serious rights violations, by Binod Ghimire (kp 03/08/2023) [Sher Bahadur Deuba and his NC are strictly against justice for victims! Every murder is cruel, both for those directly involved as well as for their families and friends! Human rights defenders are stunned!]

Gaur massacre victims threaten to stage protest in Kathmandu (rep 03/08/2023)

Regulating private educational institutions to ensure the right to education, by Karuna Parajuli and Timothy Fish Hodgson (rep 03/08/2023)

Govt attempts to curtail citizens' right to privacy under the guise of crime control (kh 02/08/2023)

Regional Collaboration Against Human Trafficking, by Namrata Sharma (rn 02/08/2023)

Human trafficking : The desperation seen among women in going abroad puts them at risk of being trafficked (ht 01/08/2023)

Irregularities in 'free visa, free ticket' provisions : NHRC report suggests that human trafficking in the guise of foreign employment is rampant (ht 31/07/2023)

State of impunity wrecking our university system : There is a criminal gang that benefits by extorting the university. They work for the mafia in education, interview with Prem Chalaune, assistant professor at the Department of Sociology of Tribhuvan University (kp 31/07/2023) [Once again political parties have their fingers in the pie and cover up crime!]

Caste-based discrimination persists despite being outlawed in Nepali society : Dalit activists say lax legal provisions pose a significant challenge to swift justice delivery for cases of discrimination, by Rupa Gahatraj (kp 28/07/2023)

Climate change adds to children’s woes : Climate-induced disasters hinder their access to health, education, nutrition and protection, by Richa Gurung (kp 28/07/2023)

Courts thwart Cabinet bid to protect assailants : TU teacher Prem Chalaune was brutally attacked by Congress-affiliated students three years ago and the case is still sub judice, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 28/07/2023)

Melamchi Flood Victims : Waiting For Help Even After 2 Years, by Indira Aryal (rn 28/07/2023)

President authenticates ‘Bill to Amend Some Nepal Acts Related to Civil Code, 2080’ (kh 28/07/2023)

Rising Intolerance against Dalits in Nepal, by Hari Prasad Shrestha (rep 27/07/2023)

Musahar children deprived of education for lack of birth certificates, by Shambhu Yadav (ae 27/07/2023)

Marrying an underage girl is child marriage, not kidnapping and hostage-taking: Supreme Court, by Bhasa Sharma (rep 27/07/2023)

Govt to offer health insurance cover to 28,000 prisoners (rep 27/07/2023)

Advocacy Forum urges justice for Nirmala Pant (kh 26/07/2023)

Amending the TRC Act : The Truth & Reconciliation Act and the Amendment Bill fare better compared to other jurisdictions, by Bipin Adhikari (kp 26/07/2023)

Caste killing progress : Nepali Sarkis could have created luxury leather goods and become another Louis Vuitton, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 25/07/2023)

Prime Minister Dahal denies using children during Maoist insurgency : He was responding to a Supreme Court order seeking clarification in connection with a writ petition, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 25/07/2023)

Leaving No One Behind: The Path to Disability Inclusive Development, by Jalasa Sapkota (rep 24/07/2023)

Objectionable questions and options in book results in public outrage (photo feature) (rep 24/07/2023)

A university professor was brutally attacked by student union members. Political parties made all-out efforts to deny him justice, by Abhyudaya Upreti (nlt 23/07/2023) [Nepal's politicians stand for the perpetuation of the unjust state!]

NHRC opposes govt bill offering amnesty to culprits of criminal offenses (kh 21/07/2023)

Nepal is still unfriendly to its queer citizens : Queerphobia is not visible because queerness is not a topic of consideration, let alone conversation, by Birat Bijay Ojha (kp 20/07/2023)

Queer Rights in Nepal, by Durga Prasad Khanal (rep 19/07/2023)

Ensuring Justice To Usury Victims, by Namrata Sharma (rn 19/07/2023)

Under JSP pressure, usury bill tweaked to heed lenders’ issues : Bill is still strong despite changes, says inquiry panel chair, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 18/07/2023)

Government brings controversial bill to withdraw cases sub judice in court : Experts say bill gives unrestrained discretionary power to the government to drop charges without court’s consent, by Binod Ghimire (kp 17/07/2023) [Intending to prevent justice for victims as well as prosecuting politicians?]

Police arrest cooperative victims from Maitighar [Photos] (nlt 16/07/2023)

Local approaches to ending landlessness : Many commissions were formed in the past to resolve the issue, but none could offer a reasonable solution, by Jagat Deuja (kp 16/07/2023)

Emboldened loan sharks ignoring calls for compromise : An ordinance that was introduced to criminalise usurious lending expired last week after House failed to replace it, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 15/07/2023) [Responsible are especially KP Oli and other politicians who are only interested in their own power, whatever they may now declare on this!]

Changing Nature Of Civic Space, by Dev Raj Dahal (rn 15/07/2023)

Creating Secure Future For Nepali Youths : Importantly, intolerance, hollow promises, the sale of dreams, double standards, nepotism, and favouritism have plagued Nepal's politics, by Narayan Prasad Ghimire (rn 14/07/2023)

Addressing Population Issues : A Call For Gender Equality, by Ramesh Kumar KC (rn 14/07/2023)

Bulldozing not the solution : The government must bring policies to address the needs of the citizens without homes, by Nirajan Thapaliya (kp 14/07/2023)

Refugee and disability stereotyping : Double bind, double discrimination, by Dev Datta Joshi (ht 14/07/2023)

Justice remains elusive for persons with disabilities (ht 14/07/2023)

Bid to ensure adequate housing for all people (ht 14/07/2023)

Obstruction of UML leads to removal of Loan Shark Bill from HoR agenda, by Ishwari Subedi (rep 14/07/2023) [Intentionally or simply disinterested?]

KDC refuses to register same sex marriage despite apex court order, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 14/07/2023) [Contempt of Supreme Court by a subordinate court?]

Transitional justice commissions remain ineffective for a year without office bearers : Although government bade farewell to office bearers, it hasn’t filled the posts following delay in revising the Act, by Binod Ghimire (kp 13/07/2023) [Where there is no will, there is no way!]

Mayor under fire for City police’s mistreatment of street vendor : Urban planners say instead of chasing and thrashing people in the informal sector, KMC can bring them under the tax net and allow them to operate at a designated place, by Anup Ojha (kp 12/07/2023)

In Pictures: Youths stage demonstration against brutality of municipal police personnel, by Prasan Gurung (rep 12/07/2023)

Ajit's corpse awaiting justice at Teaching Hospital morgue for seven years, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 11/07/2023)

Procedure drafted for engaging prisoners (ht 09/07/2023)

Child labor goes unchecked despite laws (kh 07/07/2023)

The Karnali’s hunger emergency : The government’s fortified flour scheme is not a long term solution to the region's chronic food insecurity, by Anita Bhetwal (nt 07/07/2023)

French riots and Nepal’s ‘respectable’ casteism : Everyone pretends that Dalits have been afforded unprecedented amounts of rights and privileges, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 04/07/2023)

Dalit’s house torched for eloping with ‘upper-caste’ girl in Jumla : Police have arrested the girl’s brother on charges of criminal arson and caste-based discrimination, by DB Budha (kp 04/07/2023)

Govt consents extension of TRC deadline (kh 04/07/2023) [And what is the point of that, when the leading politicians do not want any justice for the victims?], Transitional justice bodies get yet another term extension : Terms of truth and reconciliation, and disappearance commissions extended until January 14 next year (kp 05/07/2023) [Without immediate legal changes in the sense of justice for the victims, this makes no sense at all!]

Schools and LGBTQI+ children : The heteronormative school culture disregards the rights and well-being of children, by Saroj KC and Ayush Joshi (kp 03/07/2023)

Governance in Social transformations in Nepal, by Medani P. Bhandari (kp 03/07/2023)

SC rules KDAO order banning protest at Maitighar Mandala illegal, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 03/07/2023)

Elderlies in old age homes deprived of state facilities (ht 03/07/2023)

'Time-bound programme needed to abolish dowry', by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 02/07/2023), Woman and daughter found dead in Rautahat (ht 02/07/2023)

12,000 migrant Nepali workers died abroad in a decade, by Sabita Khadka (rep 30/06/2023), Extreme heat puts migrant workers at risk of fatal diseases, report says : Nepalis are returning from Middle East with renal failure, cardiac issues and other ailments in alarming numbers, by Arjun Poudel (kp 01/07/2023)

Recognise Women’s Domestic Labour, by Bini Dahal (rn 30/06/2023)

For some groups experience can be lowered: SC, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 30/06/2023)

Fighting Inequality For Social Justice, by Lok Nath Bhusal (rn 29/06/2023)

Top court orders registration of same sex marriages : Government ordered to form a temporary mechanism to register such marriages pending final verdict, by Binod Ghimire (kp 29/06/2023), Rainbow weddings : Supreme Court’s landmark decision on same-sex marriage sets the tone for a more inclusive Nepal (kp 30/06/2023), Ensuring The Rights Of Gender Minorities, by Samip Ghimire and Yauaraj Gautam (rn 30/06/2023)

'Amend laws in accordance with Palermo protocol' (ht 29/06/2023)

SC rebukes KDC for delay : Orders the district court to adjudicate cases within three months, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 29/06/2023)

Lawyer arrested for thrashing Lalitpur District Court female employee (kh 29/06/2023)

Top court orders relief for conflict-era victims of torture and sexual violence : 17 years since Peace Accord, torture victims lack adequate means to seek justice and hold perpetrators to account, by Binod Ghimire (kh 28/06/2023) [The next step should be to punish all those who have been deliberately preventing justice for the victims by hook or by crook for 17 years!]

Shun Feudal Form Of Language, by Bhupa P Dhamala (rn 28/06/2023)

Free legal aid provision needs to be revisited, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 28/06/2023)

Child labor situation in Nepal: challenges and ways forward, by Sudarshan Neupane (rep 27/06/2023)

Torture laws need to be amended, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 27/06/2023)

First conference on women shelters begins (ht 26/06/2023)

District Court orders Rs 100,000 as relief to complainant in Sandeep Lamichhane-related case (kh 26/06/2023) [??]

Leave no one behind : The Harawa-Charawa system is possibly the last visible evidence of slavery in Nepal, by Jagat Deuja (kp 26/06/2023)

'New citizenship law needs to be improved' (ht 26/06/2023)

Rise in flesh trade in Karnali Province due to poverty, by Lalit Bista (rep 25/06/2023)

Desperate youths from Maoist heartland hit US wall : Residents of Maoist strongholds that opposed ‘American imperialism’ paid traffickers huge sums to go to the States, by Janakraj Sapkota (kp 25/06/2023) [An indictment of the once declared ambitions of the alleged Maoist revolutionaries!]

Women raped during armed conflict ask: Where is the state?, by Guna Raj Luitel (rep 23/06/2023) [The interest of the state aims at reconciliation between perpetrators and victims, not at justice for the latter. This is especially true for the former Maoists.]

Female participation in higher education : How Good Is Good Enough?, by Bhim Prasad Subedi (rn 23/06/2023)

Court stays Cabinet move to drop case against Chalaune’s assaulters : A single bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Sharma ordered the defendants to clarify why the decision was taken (kp 23/06/2023)

Budget cut set to hit crucial nutrition programmes : Nutritionists warn the country cannot achieve nutrition targets by cutting investments on Outpatient Therapeutic Care and nutrition rehab centres, by Arjun Poudel (kp 23/06/2023)

Melamchi Mess: Example Of Climate Crisis, by Maheshwor Rijal (rn 22/06/2023)

Continuing injustice : The citizenship question remains a combustible issue and it would be wise to address it on time (kp 22/06/2023, Top court clears way for implementation of Citizenship Act amendments : The court’s latest order has cleared the way for thousands of children of parents who got citizenship by birth to acquire citizenship by descent (kp 23/06/2023)

Refugee protection : Though Nepal not a signatory, apex court draws from international laws (ht 22/06/2023)

Protesters turn up heat over citizenship : They call for immediate implementation of the recently endorsed bill to amend the law, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp 21/06/2023)

Kin demand justice as woman’s death raises suspicion : Father of 22-year-old Aarati Sah accuses her husband’s family of killing her over dowry issues. Her husband and father-in-law are in police custody, by Santosh Singh (kp 21/06/2023)

Govt continues ban on strike in supply of essential goods, services (ht 21/06/2023)

Cabinet under fire for dropping case against teacher’s attackers : Chalaune on hunger strike protesting decision to withdraw attempted murder case against pro-Congress students, by Anup Ojha (kp 20/06/2023) [Incessant corruption and covering up of crimes by the so-called top politicians and their non-inclusive political parties!], Rights activists, varsity professors demonstrate in support of assistant professor Chalaune : Chalaune is on a hunger strike against the government’s decision to withdraw case against his assaulters (kp 20/06/2023), TU Assistant Professor Chalaune knocks on the door of Supreme Court for justice (rep 21/06/2023)

Russian recruitment targets vulnerable Nepalis in intensified Ukraine war efforts, by Pramod Raj Sedhain (kh 20/06/2023)

Clash between Citizenship-less Struggle Committee and Police at Maitighar (Photo Feature), by Prasan Gurung (rep 20/06/2023)

Discussion on Changing the Electoral System : Is social inclusion falling out of reach?, by Karl-Heinz Krämer (kh 19/06/2023)

Female mahout numbers grow as safaris get popular in protected areas : Women mahouts are dedicated and can handle challenging tasks easily, park officials say, by Rupa Gahatraj (kp 19/06/2023)

‘Actors are fighting a rigged system’ : How Binita Thapa Magar, an actor with over 14 years of experience, is only just catching her big break, by Urza Acharya (kp 19/06/2023)

Women in Nepali society: An overview of Lichhavi era and Vedic age : Women in the Licchavi era were not just confined to the household works. They were given an equal opportunity to contribute in the society, by Shreena Nepal (nlt 17/06/2023)

Health Ministry orders hospitals to avoid sex-selective ultrasound (kh 16/06/2023)

Youths ask: ‘Our parents are Nepalis. Who are we?’ They hit the streets after the Supreme Court on June 4 prevented the enforcement of amended citizenship law, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp 16/06/2023)

People from LGBTIQ+ community facing violence (ht 16/06/2023)

Consumer rights matter : If the bread is stale, consumers can switch to another baker. Why not for electricity?, by Bishal Thapa (kp 16/06/2023)

Dhankuta community schools charge students despite free education : Schools say the budget allocated by the government is insufficient to pay teachers, by Ramesh Chandra Adhikari (kp 15/06/2023)

Call to address rights of persons with disabilities (ht 15/06/2023)

Beyond the fake refugee scam: The rot ran deep in refugee camps even during the 90s : A Bhutanese refugee activist exposes how the government officials and police abused their authorities instead of addressing genuine concern of the Bhutanese refugees in the camps, by Ram Karki (nlt 14/06/2023)

Clean the water : The state is responsible for ensuring its citizens’ fundamental right to safe drinking water (kp 14/06/2023)

Member of Citizenship-less Struggle Committee attempts self-immolation in Maitighar (rep 14/06/2023)

Learning From Thailand’s Elections, by Krishnaman Pradhan (rn 14/06/2023)

NC will not compromise on ideology: Gagan Thapa (kh 13/06/2023) [Not even in relation to the electoral system? Nepal urgently needs better social inclusion. This is prevented by the existing electoral system and the attitude of the party leaders! But Deuba has called for the abolition of even the minimal opportunity that exists!]

SC orders show cause on writ filed against PM Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai (kh 13/06/2023)

Is secularism under threat? Dahal’s journey from Mahakaleshwar to Pashupatinath, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae 12/06/2023)

From Dowry to Wedding Gifts: Changing Forms, Unchanged Burdens, by Aabha Parajuli and Sushant Nepali (rep 12/06/2023)

Court to hear petition against PM tomorrow : Opposition lawmakers have started seeking Dahal’s resignation on moral grounds, by Binod Ghimire (kp 12/06/2023), SC admits writ of 9 former Maoist child soldiers (ht 12/06/2023)

Two women allegedly killed for dowry in Sarlahi (rn 11/06/2023), Two women allegedly killed for dowry in Sarlahi (nlt 11/06/2023)

Debel School children studying sitting on the floor (rn 11/06/2023)

Deuba moots election system change : Speaks of having in place FPTP system for HoR and PR system for National Assembly, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 11/06/2023) [Deuba pleads for the final end of social inclusion in the HoR instead of ensuring that this inclusion is also prescribed in the selection of candidates for the FPTP system! 15 percent male Khas Arya should be the absolute limit for all political levels and also for the leadership levels of political parties if Nepal's social harmony is to be maintained!]

International Human Trafficking: Nepal's Burgeoning Humanitarian Crises, by Shishir Bhatta (rep 10/06/2023)

Prisoners experiencing skin issues due to scorching heat (rep 10/06/2023)

WVIN has been collaborating with all three tiers of govt in the sphere of child welfare, interview with Roslyn H Gabriel, National Director for World Vision International Nepal (ht 10/06/2023)

No private hospital bed for poor patients : Hospitals run by the private sector are blatantly ignoring the mandatory 10 percent free bed allocation for the needy, by Deepak Pariyar, Ramesh Kumar Paudel, Ghanashyam Gautam & Binod Bhandari (kp 10/06/2023)

Presidential Pardons, explained : The controversial practice of Presidential Pardons in Nepal: Examining the constitutional provisions and political implications, by Anjila Shrestha (nlt 09/06/2023) [Nepal is not under the rule of law, but under the rule of so-called top politicians, all incompetent and repeatedly failed! And they seriously claim to always have the law on their side!]

SC directs to register ‘war crimes’ related writ against PM Dahal and former PM Bhattarai (kh 09/06/2023), Top court to accept ex-child soldiers’ petition against PM : A single bench rules that the judiciary needs to resolve the petition filed by former child Maoist combatants, by Binod Ghimire (kp 10/06/2023)

Government ignoring Human Rights Commission’s recommendations to investigate the Gaur massacre : The victims from the incident have lodged a petition at the Supreme Court demanding its intervention in the investigation, by Binod Ghimire (kp 09/06/2023) [The protection of top politicians from legal prosecution has absolute priority over rule of law!]

Human rights watchdogs of Nepal, Qatar sign pact to protect migrant workers’ rights : More than 102,000 Nepalis have received labour approval for Qatar in the first nine months of the current fiscal year (kp 09/06/2023)

Nepal not doing enough to tackle online child abuse : According to police cyber bureau, 110 cases of sexual abuse against children were reported in the past 11 months, by Anup Ojha (kp 09/06/2023)

Unresolved Issues: Scrutinizing Nepal’s New Transitional Justice Bill, by Narsh Mahaseth and Dikshya Adhikari (rep 07/06/2023)

Conflict victims ask lawmakers to get transitional justice bill right this time : They fear the government will use the bill to give amnesty for murders, by Binod Ghimire (kp 05/06/2023)

SC issues interlocutory order not to implement Act on Citizenship (rn 04/06/2023), Supreme Court Issues Interim Order to Halt Immediate Implementation of Amended Citizenship Act (ht 04/06/2023)

Stakeholders stress on multipronged approach to eliminate child labor : Speaking at the Child Labor Dialogue series with Nepal Live, they said that the causes that push the children in labor are interlinked and therefore those causes have to be addressed holistically (nlt 04/06/2023)

Police arrest 11 people protesting against PM Dahal (kh 03/06/2023) [Freedom of expression is still a taboo in Nepal!]

Dalit lives must matter, by Shristi Karki (nt 02/06/2023)

Comparing Maina Sunwar and Resham Chaudhary cases : Both are cases of criminal political violence, but the security forces are perpetrators in one and victims in the other, by Aastha Dahal (nt 02/06/2023) [Politically motivated murder must not be excused, whether it is committed by security forces or by revolutionaries, even if their cause is justified.]

With men away in India for work, women fill void in construction : Until a few years ago, contractors would not hire women in construction projects, but that has changed now since most villages are almost devoid of men, by Tripti Shahi (kp 03/06/2023)

Many see Dahal’s temple worship as deviation from his Marxist ideology : Nepali communists follow Marxism, which talks about dialectical materialism and says religion is an opiate to the people, by Binod Ghimire (kp 03/06/2023) [Their slogans are mostly phrasemongering. For example, no one advocates the inclusion and rights of women, Dalits, ethnic groups and Madheshi and reduces the proportion of male Khas Arya to a reasonable level in the allocation of posts! The handling of citizenship is also an outstanding example!]

Husband flees after stabbing his wife in Chitwan (rep 03/06/2023)

Public school staffers warn of protest over ‘broken salary hike promise’ : Government on February 2 had signed an agreement with them to increase their pay (kp 02/06/2023)

Inhumane cost of labour : The violation of the free-visa, free-ticket policy for Nepali workers is one reason for their suffering (kp 02/06/2023)

A home for all : If our identities are fluid, citizenship cannot remain dictated by archaic divisions and anxiety of otherness (kp 01/06/2023)

HURPES concerns policy on extraction of sand and pebbles (kh 31/05/2023)

President Paudel authenticates Citizenship Bill (kh 31/05/2023), RPP Nepal Chair Kamal Thapa, RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane oppose citizenship bill authentication : President Paudel granted stamp of approval to the controversial citizenship bill few hours before Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal embarked on four-day official visit to India (nlt 31/05/2023)

Sangita Rokaya vocals against Chhaupadi from Sagarmatha top (kh 30/05/2023)

Resham Chaudhary, the convict of Tikapur carnage, walks free : Chaudhary, who was convicted by district court, high court and supreme court and given life sentence, was given pardon on Sunday by President Ram Chandra Paudel (nlt 29/05/2023) [The families of the victims will be delighted in view of this principle of justice! Is this now a pattern for not punishing the crimes of the time of the insurgency?], President pardons Tikapur killings convict Resham Chaudhary : Rights activists decry the decision while Tharu campaigners hail the freedom from life imprisonment as justice for the community, by Binod Ghimire (kp 29/05/2023), 16th Republic Day: Government celebrates, people cry foul : As the government marked the day with various events, people have taken strong exception to the presidential pardon to the convict of 2015 Tikapur carnage (nlt 29/05/2023), SC receives writ against  Resham Chaudhary (kh 30/05/2023)

7 rights activists protesting against corruption taken into custody (kh 28/05/2023) [This is the state of the rule of law in Nepal: civil society protesters are arrested, convicted and sentenced murderers are released, potential rapists are courted and celebrated, women are not categorised as full and equal citizens, the historical and cultural identity of the majority of the population is disregarded in an authoritarian manner, disagreeable statements by parliamentarians are expunged from the record after the House of Representatives is blocked, etc.], President Paudel grants amnesty to 482 prisoners, including Resham Chaudhary (kh), Fringe parties, independent lawmakers complain of negligence in parliament (kh 28/05/2023)

Embrace women’s diversity : The experiences of women of historically marginalised groups aren’t discussed, by Sangmo Yonjan-Tamang (kp 28/05/2023)

Agitation against Koshi nomenclature escalates, government issues prohibitory order : Congress demands dialogue with groups agitating against the renaming of Province 1 as Koshi, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 28/05/2023)

Institutionalised inequality : The rich-poor gap in Nepal is state-sponsored violence, and is detrimental to stability and prosperity (nt 26/05/2023), Nepal’s tax system widens rich-poor gap : The new budget needs to overhaul the tax structure that favours the privileged, by Ramesh Kumar (nt 26/05/2023)

Govt starts preparations to grant clemency to Resham Chaudhary (kh 25/05/2023) [Article 276 of the Constitution opens the door to the arbitrariness of the political elite. Will we soon see something similar with regard to the accused in the current corruption scandal? Article 276 sets convicts free, but does not change their guilt. If Chaudhary is indeed innocent, this must be determined by a court. Then he would be entitled to adequate compensation for the injustice he has suffered! Now the procedure once again smacks of the manipulation of political power.], Government working on Republic Day pardon for Resham Chaudhary : Chaudhary has been serving life term after being convicted in the 2015 Tikapur massacre, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 26/05/2023), President’s Office sends back proposal to pardon Resham Chaudhary to Home Ministry (kh 26/05/2023), Government urges President to authenticate Citizenship Bill (kh 26/05/2023) [Why isn't a law passed that excludes politicians from any punishment for all time to come? Then the current corruption scandal would not have to be pursued any further as well. Politicians could go about their dirty business in complete openness and the cumbersome annulment of court rulings by the executive would be superfluous!], Wife of police officer killed in Tikapur incident files petition asking President not to grant amnesty to Resham Chaudhary (rep 26/05/2023)

3 years after Rukum West killings, kin still await justice : Dalit activists accuse major parties of weakening the case to protect the accused, who are non-Dalits, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 24/05/2023), Justice running late : The justice process in the Rukum West killings should blaze a trail for other caste-killing cases (kp 25/05/2023)

Teachers in politics : Most public school teachers in Nepal work with poor pay and perks, which makes them veer towards politics (kp 24/05/2023) [In no democratic country should citizens be excluded from political activity because of their profession. This is one of the fundamental rights of human beings! And why does the exclusion in Nepal, for example, not apply to rich businessmen, while an uprising is being rehearsed against poor teachers?]

Lal Commission report: Truth and lies : Shelving a report that could speak of security personnel’s wrongdoing will give rise to impunity, by Dipendra Jha (kp 23/05/2023)) [Anything that contradicts the interests of the ruling elite must not be published. People's fundamental right to information is being disregarded. This has been similar with regard to the social and cultural data of the latest population census.]

Government’s policies and programmes disappoint the Dalit community : Prime Minister Dahal had made lofty promises but the document barely mentions Dalits, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 22/05/2023)

How language reflects social and racial prejudices against Madhesh, by Sushant Nepali (rep 22/05/2023)

Cop terror in Tarai border points rampant, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 22/05/2023)

Comprehensive sexuality education in Nepal : It is a game changer in reducing child marriage, gender-based violence and teen pregnancy, by Won Young Hong (kp 22/05/2023)

EC seeks clarification from political parties, university teachers (kh 21/05/2023) [It should be the basic right of every Nepali citizen to be politically active, regardless of their everyday occupation. The Political Parties Act is discriminatory in this respect, while on the other hand it grants authoritarian powers to party leaders!]

22-year-old woman killed for rejecting love proposal (rep 21/05/2023)

Why are Nepalis Leaving the Country?, by Hari Prasad Shrestha (rep 21/05/2023)

11-member panel to forge consensus on transitional justice law amendment : Parties must understand any process rejected by victims will have no legitimacy, says conflict victim leader (kp 20/05/2023)

When will the government make Lal Commission report public? Experts say parties fear releasing the report could antagonise security officials, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 20/05/2023)

Rastriya Prajatantra Party objects to State Department’s religious freedom report : In a letter addressed to US ambassador to Nepal Dean R Thompson, RPP chairman Rajendra Lingden has asked the State Department to revise the ‘one-sided’ and ‘biased’ report (nlt 20/05/2023) [The RPP's efforts to once again link the state with one of the diverse religions practised in Nepal contradict its claimed respect and freedom for all religions. Followers of these religions must be deeply hurt by these aspirations of the RPP, whose policies were supported by just five percent of the electorate in the elections! Whether such aspirations are actually supported by India, as the US report claims, is of secondary importance. What matters is the damage that the RPP wants to inflict on Nepal's multi-ethnic and multi-religious society!], Nepal sends diplomatic note to US regarding religious freedom report : The latest US report said right-wing religious groups associated with India’s ruling BJP have been providing funds to influential politicians in Nepal (kp 29/05/2023)

Cultural revolution needed : People don’t give up caste hatred even when they move from villages to more urban parts of Nepal, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 19/05/2023)

11-member sub-committee formed to discuss and prepare report on transitional justice bill (ae 19/05/2023)

Dahal says court barred release of Lal panel report : The prime minister claims his Maoist party didn’t misuse cantonment funds and offers to go to jail if found guilty, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 19/05/2023) [Obviously, Nepalis continue to be denied the right to information!]

US report: BJP pays politicians to lobby for Hindu Nepal : Pro-monarchy and pro-Hindu groups in the country dismiss the Department of State claims as baseless, by Anil Giri (kp 18/05/2023) [see report] [Those who turn the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual state of Nepal into a unilaterally defined state, as the monarchy once did and as the RPP and similarly oriented groups want to restore in an intolerant manner, are violating basic human rights and destroying the harmony and internal peace of the country.], America portrays Nepal as soft on Tibetan Buddhists, hostile to Christians and supportive of Hindus : The report of the State Department also accuses India’s Bharatiya Janata Party and groups associated with it of pressuring and funding Nepali leaders to reinstate Hindu state in Nepal (nlt 18/05/2023), International Religious Freedom Report categorically fails to provide evidences on several allegations against Nepal: Rabinra Mishra : RPP Senior Vice President Mishra claims that Nepal has been experiencing one of the fastest religious conversion rates in the world (nlt 19/05/2023) [statement] [For centuries, the Shah monarchy negated Nepal's religious diversity and multi-ethnicity and tried to turn the country into a Hindu unitary state. This had an adverse impact on Nepal's centuries old rich cultures and civilisations, Mr Mishra! The discriminatory hierarchical thinking of Hinduism is probably the main reason why many people are turning away! In the West, for example, many more people are turning away from the religion they were born into than in Nepal, because they can no longer tolerate its maladjustment in the modern world.]

Law amendment aims to drop conflict-era cases, human rights commission claims : High possibility of the draft aiming at withdrawing cases by giving them a political colour, says Top Bahadur Magar, commission chair, by Binod Ghimire (kp 18/05/2023)

Peace Initiative Bhutan demands swift action to punish the perpetrators of fake refugee scam : The organized crime orchestrated by high-ranking Nepali politicians and bureaucrats has caused immense harm to legitimate Bhutanese refugees and undermined the integrity of the refugee resettlement process, the US based organization said, by Arjun Pradhan (nlt 18/05/2023)

Top court upholds Resham Chaudhary’s life sentence : He was handed life term by lower courts for links to the Tikapur lynchings in which 8 people were killed in 2015, by Binod Ghimire (kp 17/05/2023), Resham Chaudhary is a revolutionary: Baburam Bhattarai (kh 17/05/2023) [??? When revolutionaries kill, it is a heroic act, when state forces do the same, it is a crime? By the way, dastardly crimes from the time of the insurgency, both those of the Maoists and those of the security forces, must be punished at all costs if the rule of law is to be secured!]

Political parties urged to not disrupt investigation into fake Bhutanese refugee scam (ae 17/05/2023)

Mitini Nepal marks International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOTB) 2023 (ae 17/05/2023)

'UK's seasonal agriculture visa scheme exposes migrant workers to serious risk of abuse' : This year, 45,000 visas are available under the scheme (ht 17/05/2023)

Journalists and civil activists commit to give priority to issues of marginalized, by Lalit Bista (rep 15/05/2023)

Parties revive deal to give momentum to Parliament : A subcommittee will iron out the differences among the major parties on the disputed transitional justice bill, by Binod Ghimire (kp 15/05/2023)

Rape accused vandalizes the victim's house (rep 14/05/2023)

Bhutanese languishing in camps decry Nepali leaders’ deceitful substitution of genuine refugees : Refugees living in Jhapa and Morang districts of eastern Nepal lament those in power are trying to profit from their miseries, by Parbat Portel (kp 13/05/2023)

GBV Hinders Economic Development, by Madhavi Singh Shah (rn 12/05/2023)

Challenges To Freedom Of Expression, by Prabal Raj Pokhrel (rn 12/05/2023)

Madan Rai, founder of Subhadra Madan Foundation, arrested on child sexual abuse charge : On Thursday, Setopati, a Nepali language news portal, published a story exposing how Rai has been sexually harassing children who are in the shelter of the foundation run by himself (nlt 12/05/2023), Madan Rai arrested over sexually harassing girls studying at his foundation, by Shova Sharma (Setopati 12/05/2023) [see also  बालिकामाथि यौन दुर्व्यवहार गरेको आरोप लागेका मदन राई पक्राउ (Setopati 11/05/2023)]

Government registers bill to ease path to amnesty in crimes : Human rights activists say withdrawing cases related to heinous crimes will promote impunity (kp 12/05/2023) [This is a consequence of the proximity of politics and crime in Nepal. Leading politicians often do not even consider it necessary to respect the constitution and laws or they manipulate them!]

Civic Initiatives For Charitable Services, by Mukti Rijal (rn 11/05/2023)

Why does government often fail to address the problems of urban squatters?, by Niyati Shrestha (nlt 11/05/2023)

Pound foolish : The government should cut its unnecessary costs while maintaining essential health services (kp 10/05/2023)

Starving Saipal residents crying for food (kh 09/05/2023)

Uterine prolapse epidemic in Bajhang worsened by poverty and lack of treatment : In Thalara Rural Municipality alone, over 200 women suffer from the condition, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp 09/05/2023)

Inclusive participation of women in all levels, structures of State demanded (rn 09/05/2023),
Women Forum demands inclusive participation of women in state structures : The Forum concluded with 14-point declaration which calls for proportional inclusive representation, taking the transitional justice to conclusion, and increasing access of women and all marginalized communities to justice (nlt 09/05/2023)

Don’t let them down : The loan sharking problem will not go away without addressing the financial vulnerabilities of the poor (kp 09/05/2023)

Refugee Crisis Is Far From Over, by Uttam Maharjan (rn 09/05/2023)

Police team attacked in Kalikot (ae 09/05/2023)

RSP’s Bindabasini Kansakar appointed HoR member (ae 08/05/2023)

Rape offense is not just rape offense, do not normalize it : Our society tends to demotivate and defame the victims and further victimize the victims if the perpetrators are powerful people, by Shreena Nepal (nlt 08/05/2023)

Victims doubt loan shark ordinance’s implementation : High-level panel reports harassment of victims of unscrupulous lending in some districts, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 08/05/2023)

The news-knowledge divide : Press freedom should be about more than just defending the media from political interference, by Dharma Adhikari (kp 08/05/2023)

Police get beaten while trying to arrest rape-accused (rep 08/05/2023)

Eruption of Dalit rage : Political parties have little interest in resolving the pressing problems of the Dalit communities, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 07/05/2023)

Nepali, Indian stakeholders stress joint effort to curb human trafficking : Human trafficking that was rife after the 2015 earthquakes further increased during the pandemic, by Rajesh Mishra (kp 07/05/2023)

New President can authenticate citizenship bill, legal experts say : Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal seeks suggestions from representatives of Nepal Bar Association on the bill’s status (kp 07/05/2023) [And what are the consequences of his predecessor's unconstitutional behaviour? After all, this had far-reaching consequences, not only for the persons concerned.]

Loan-sharkers to be imprisoned up to 7 years (kh 05/05/2023)

NHRC calls for improving rights of people with HIV (kh 05/05/2023)

Dalit Network objects demolition of Badi people’s huts (kh 04/05/2023)

Rainbow over Nepal : We have become a society more accommodating of differences than could be imagined earlier, by Deepak Thapa (kp 04/05/2023)

Deprived of timely care, Karnali mothers die untimely deaths : Seventeen pregnant women, mostly between the ages of 15-25 years, lost their lives in the last fiscal year, by Krishna Prasad Gautam and Tripti Shahi (kp 04/05/2023)

Field notes from Nepal’s single-kidney village : In Hokse of Kavrepalanchowk, poor and unemployed people have been lured into selling their kidneys, by Bijaya Shrestha (kp 04/05/2023)

Can more inclusive media support peace in Nepal? Media stakeholders in Nepal recognize that inclusion needs to be addressed. By capitalizing on this opportunity, Nepali media can thrive, facilitate a healthy democracy and contribute to a truly sustainable peace, by Rabina Shrestha (nlt 03/05/2023)

Vital registrations of refugees on cards : IDs will help them with essential tasks like school enrolment and opening bank accounts, by Anil Giri (kp 03/05/2023)

Budget cuts in maternal health carry serious risks, experts warn : Antenatal and postnatal care, institutional delivery, verbal autopsy of maternal deaths, and training will be impacted, by Arjun Pudel (kp 02/05/2023)

ACC Men’s Premier Cup: Sandeep Lamichhane declared best player of tournament (kh 02/05/2023) [And what about his still unresolved rape allegations? What about the potential victim? A sportsman should only be reinstated and celebrated after he has been cleared of the charges!]

Debating the discourse of discrimination against Dalits with JB Biswokarma : ‘The state must be inclusive, society needs to respect every member of the society equally regardless of gender, caste and ethnicity, and create an environment where everyone can have a dignified life’, interview by Simone Galimberti (nlt 02/05/2023)

Saving National Human Rights Commission : The decision to downgrade the NHRC’s status raises questions over our commitment to human rights, by Bijay Raj Gautam (kp 30/04/2023)

Absence of law is denying conflict victims of sexual violence access to justice: Report. While no official figures are available, there are an estimated 1,500 victims of sexual violence from the insurgency era (kp 29/04/2023)

Rajapur municipality distributes monthly allowance to conflict-victim families (kh 29/04/2023)

Children from Karnali families are falling prey to fraudulent foster homes : Nearly a hundred children from Karnali are rescued from children’s homes in various cities every year, says activist, by Tularam Pandey (kp 29/04/2023), Get them out of there : It is vital to address the root cause behind why children are forced to languish in shady care homes (kp 04/05/2023)

Civil Society calls for scaling up Child Grant (kh 28/04/2023)

Court denies interim order against KMC’s eviction notice to squatters : Lawyers on both sides have interpreted the order as a decision in their favour, by Anup Ojha (kp 28/04/2023)

Dahal’s arbitrary rule and docile Congress (ae 28/04/2023)

Ensure Labour Rights Of Journalists, by Umesh Pokharel (rn 28/04/2023)

Perspective On Nepali Women's Journey, by Sadhana Dahal (rn 28/04/2023)

When will Nepal become a child labor free country? Abolition of the worst forms of child labor is a national as well as international priority. But Nepal still has a long way to go to achieve the goal, by Helina Rai (nlt 27/04/2023)

Depoliticizing schools: Kathmandu Metropolis decides to ban political activities at the premises of public schools : Nepal’s political parties have long been using students of public schools to expand the cadre base of their student wings. The latest decision of Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah can be a crucial move toward making schools a zone of peace (nlt 28/04/2023)

Dalit freedom hinges on religious reform : The incompatibility between caste rituals and anti-caste laws has caused inevitable friction in Nepali society, by Mitra Pariyar (kp 27/04/2023)

NCRC asks child homes to acquire permission (kh 26/04/2023)

The politics of emotional control : The polls have diverted the national attention away from some of the more pressing issues of political economy, by CK Lal (kp 26/04/2023)

Parties agree on House panels’ leadership, key bills : Congress, Maoist Centre and UML to discuss the disputed transitional justice bill in a special committee, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 25/04/2023), TRC Bill to get a special panel push (ae 25/04/2023), Big 3 reach understanding on TRC Bill : They have also worked out issue of sharing parliamentary panels' leadership (ht 25/04/2023)

Transitional justice in limbo : Callous injustice to the victims, by Pushpa Raj Joshi (ht 24/04/2023)

NWC receives 42 percent complaints of mental violence in nine months (ae 24/04/2023)

Code of conduct: Only for women? It is important for the state to realise that restrictive borders and policing the so-called ‘dignity of Nepali women’ is not the solution to existing problems, by Swasti Gautam (kp 24/04/2023)

Ensure Justice To Conflict Victims, by Ritu Raj Subedi (rn 23/04/2023)

Teachers miss out on Chaitra pension as pay for ex-combatants gets priority : Around 18,000 retired teachers failed to receive monthly pay owing to budget shortfall, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 22/04/2023)

Vehicular movement along Prithvi Highway to be allowed tomorrow : Local roads to remain closed tomorrow (April 23) (kh 22/04/2023) [What is this? Such a measure prevents the elderly and disabled, for example, from reaching the polling stations.]

Ensure Voting Right For All Nepalis, by Lokdeep Thapa (rn 21/04/2023)

Birth registration laws need amendment (ht 21/04/2023)

Refugees in Nepal to be included in the country’s vital registration system (rep 21/04/2023)

Civil society activists stage ‘human rights march’ : The march was staged against the police brutality on loan shark victims at Shantibatika on Monday (kp 20/04/2023)

'No eligible Nepali will be without citizenship' : DPM Shrestha also assured the problems of usury victims would be addressed (ht 19/04/2023) [The question is, who is considered eligible? So far, children are only considered eligible if the father has Nepali nationality. Only when women are seen as fully equal citizens can the problem with citizenship be solved!]

Nepal’s queer community watching India with interest : Supreme Court of Nepal in 2007 ordered the government to recognise same-sex marriages, but there’s no law yet, by Anup Ojha (kp 19/04/2023)

Govt scraps the procedure of awarding personal details to private companies, by Tapendra Karki (rep 19/04/2023)

Difficulty in passing Transitional Justice bill (rep 18/04/2023)

Police use batons and water cannons on loan sharking victims (rep 17/04/2023), NHRC concerned over use of force against victims of shylocking (kh 18/04/2023)

Rabi Lamichhane’s supporters becoming increasingly anarchic, by Arun Bam (rep 17/04/2023)

Prime minister renews voting pledge to Nepali citizens residing abroad : Experts say enabling Nepali citizens working or studying abroad to exercise their franchise is easier said than done, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 16/04/2023) [So far, these have only been hollow promises by politicians, although the Supreme Court has long obliged the government to apply this right of Nepali citizens!], Difficult but doable : The political parties should do more than pay lip service to give voting rights to Nepalis living abroad (kp 17/04/2023)

Dahal backtracks on responsibility for 5,000 conflict deaths : In a statement to court, the prime minister says his remark was political, and cannot be an issue of judicial concern, by Binod Ghimire (kp 14/04/2023) [Deciding this is the exclusive task of a court of law and not that of a possibly responsible perpetrator!]

Year 2079 BS remained additionally challenging for Press: FNJ (kh 14/04/2023)

NHRC’s recommendation to govt to ensure human rights of migrant workers (rep 14/04/2023)

Sex-selective abortions rampant, resulting in decreasing number of baby girls, by Sharad Sharma (rep 13/04/2023)

Sexual violence cases against male street children increase (rn 13/04/2023)

Cash-strapped government renews push to dole out money to disqualified fighters : Ministry goes ahead with plan to pay Rs200,000 to each of the over 4,000 unverified conflict-era Maoist recruits, by Anil Giri (kp 13/04/2023) [??? Many of them were minors, a serious war crime by Dahal and his Maoists!]

Poor internet services in Karnali adding to people’s hardships : Unreliable connection has affected government services, small businesses and students’ performance. It has also kept residents outside the digital ecosystem, by Krishna Prasad Gautam and Raj Bahadur Shahi (kp 13/04/2023)

Inclusion of Dalits, disadvantaged groups still negligible : Experts demand amendment to election laws to ensure inclusiveness as envisioned by the constitution, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 12/04/2023) [And please democratise the Political Parties Act at the same time, which in its present form only serves the authoritarian power of the incompetent party leaders!]

Child homes are far from trafficker-proof, by Ajabi Poudel (ae 12/04/2023)

Police arrest a woman from Nuwakot for forcing Nepali girls into flesh trade in India (nlt 12/04/2023)

One injured in police firing in Rautahat (rep 12/04/2023)

Home Minister pledges to revive the Citizenship Bill (kh 11/04/2023)

PM Dahal, Deuba and Oli agree to make TJ and TRC bills ‘widely acceptable’ (kh 11/04/2023) [Almost 6,000 days after the November 2006 peace agreement, still none of these failed political "leaders" wants to give absolute priority to justice for the victims!], Will UML help the coalition on transitional justice bill? As the ruling parties want to fast-track the bill, the role of the second-largest party is being keenly watched, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 11/04/2023)

Arrests expose scam involving migrant workers compensation : The mechanism for paying financial assistance to the workers and their families needs to be made easier, said experts, by Pawan Pandey (kp 11/04/2023)

How to Stop Corporal Punishment?, by Rajeeb Shrestha (rep 10/04/2023)

Department of Civil Registration revises provision about non-marital child (kh 10/04/2023)

How proposed Telecommunication Bill violates people’s right to privacy : If the government has unchecked access to citizens' private phone calls, it can use the information gathered to suppress dissenting voices and punish individuals who speak out against the government, by Anjila Shrestha (kp 09/04/2023)

Speaker discusses TRC Bill with top brass of three parties (ht 09/04/2023), Oli objects to PM on fast-track passage of transitional justice bill : Ruling allies Dahal and Deuba meet opposition leader at Speaker’s initiative, first time since the change in alliance, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 09/04/2023)

Four youths arrested for protesting against PA member Rai (rep 09/04/2023) [Freedom of expression and protests are obviously not wanted in Nepal!]

Voice for the voiceless: How the loan sharks fleece the poor in Tarai and what may be done to stop it, by Jivesh Jha (nlt 08/04/2023)

Gender Violence: A Problem In Nepal : Numerous young girls describe hearing similar tales. Both within and outside of the house, strangers might engage in sexual harassment, by Malena Villa (sp 07/04/2023)

Right activists demand climate justice : Participants in Regional Environmental Policy Dialogue said that secure land rights are key to climate justice (nlt 07/04/2023)

Differences stall House committees’ formation : A reason for delay is the intent of some to pass transitional justice law amendments without adequate discussion, by Binod Ghimire (kp 07/04/2023)

United for opportunism: “Upendra Yadav is indispensable for the nation and parliament,” says former PM Madhav Nepal : Both leaders have been already tested and failed to deliver. But it is not the end of the story. They keep on indulging in clumsy appreciation of each other for the sake of perpetuating their hold onto power (nlt 06/04/2023) [And urgent recommendations of the NHRC are once again disregarded in this context! A failed generation of politicians is fighting to stay in power by hook or by crook!]

Civil Registration Department adds new provision for birth registration (rep 06/04/2023) [Despite this slight improvement, discrimination against women and their descendants explicitly remains!]

Women and indigenous rights activists call for focus on gender justice (rep 06/04/2023)

PM Dahal urged to own movement for ethnic identity (kh 06/04/2023)

UK halts removal of Nepalese security guards who worked at British embassy in Kabul (rep 06/04/2023)

Where are women in academia? One can only wonder why women disappear as they advance academically, by Aarati Baral (kp 05/04/2023)

Master of the 64 squares : The winner of Nepal’s first women’s chess championship, Monalisha Khamboo, reflects on the many hardships she has faced over the years simply for being a female player, by Apecksha Gurung (kp 05/04/2023)

Examining Nepal's Male-Dominated Legal System, by Bhawana Ghimire (rep 04/04/2023)

Two successive Nepali prime ministers addressed the Summit for Democracy and lied to the world : Deuba and Prachanda claimed they were working to resolve transitional justice issues by taking into account the concerns of the victims. The truth is they are trying to ram down a law that is feared to benefit the war-time perpetrators instead of the victims, by Mahabir Paudyal (nlt 04/04/2023)

People’s suffering peaks but Nepali lawmakers’ focus is on their honorific titles : Parliamentarians of all major political parties band together to prioritize order of precedence at a time when the people are facing hardships, by Kishor Dahal (nlt 04/04/2023)

Freedom of expression in Nepal: The false prototype, by Pushpa Raj Joshi (ht 03/04/2023)

Dalit man insulted for joining feast for ‘upper-caste’ guests : Various political parties, their sister organisations and several social organisations deplored the incident and demanded legal action against the guilty, by Deepak Pariyar (kp 03/04/2023)

Conflict victims’ families meet PM Dahal, demand equitable compensation (kh 02/04/2023)

‘Every child has the right to survive, learn and be protected' : ‘As the Country Director for Save the Children Nepal and Bhutan, I aspire to do something meaningful for the children, and try to always remember the humanity that inspired me to join the non-profit sector.’, interview with Heather Campbell, Country Director, Save the Children (nlt 02/04/2023)

Behind births of fewer girls than boys : Preference for sons, which leads to female foeticide, is among the suspected reasons, by Arjun Poudel (kp 02/04/2023) [Only males are full Nepalis. This is what is written in the constitution and laws and especially in the minds of the patriarchal machos!]

Challenging the Primate Dominance Hierarchy, by Bimal Pratap Shah (rep 02/04/2023)

Musahar man kills self amid looming eviction : Twenty-four families of Musahars have been living on a piece of land at Kawilasi for the past five decades. They have now been ordered to move out, by Om Prakash Thakur (kp 31/03/2023)

End child marriage : Legal provisions apart, education is the only way to eradicate child marriage (ht 31/03/2023)

All in the name : The protests in Koshi show that the agenda of ethnic identity is very much alive and should be addressed politically (kp 31/03/2023) [The male Khas Arya elite arrogantly ignores the historical, ethnic and cultural realities of the country in the context of the federal state since 2010 at the latest!]

2021 Census: How inclusive is the Nepali state?, by Karl-Heinz Krämer (kh 30/03/2023), Why population data matters: It is an integral part of policy formation for the future, by Young Hong (ht 30/03/2023), All in the name : The protests in Koshi show that the agenda of ethnic identity is very much alive and should be addressed politically (kp 31/03/2023)

Conflict victims divided over amendment bill : While most victims insist on amendment, a section calls for speedy passage of the disputed bill (kp 30/03/2023)

TRC: Holding Balance Is The Way Out, by Mukti Rijal (rn 30/03/2023)

Amnesty International’s 2022 report exposes Nepal government’s failures to safeguard people’s rights : The annual report has documented cases of violation of freedom of expression and assembly, right to truth, justice and reparation, right against torture and other ill-treatment, indigenous peoples’ rights, women’s rights and right to food and housing among others (nlt 29/03/2023)

Economic Empowerment Of Women, by Namrata Sharma (rn 29/03/2023)

Nine trafficked women rescued, three allegedly involved in trafficking arrested (rep 28/03/2023)

Amend the bill : As a stakeholder, the conflict victims too have the right to be consulted about the content of the bill (ht 28/03/2023)

National Census 2021: Significant shift in the lifestyle and usage of amenities in Nepali households (ae 27/03/2023) [see National Report Volume 01] [Obviously, this report does not include any data on ethnicities/castes, languages, religions, etc. Suppressing data on such issues had been the concern of the monarchy during the Panchayat period to pretend to be a culturally unitary state. If this data is not provided, this will be by far the most worthless census after 1990.],
New census results : Vital For Taking Informed Decisions, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn 28/03/2023)

Future of 1.7 million children uncertain as they fail to get citizenship from their mother’s name (rep 27/03/2023)

Hundreds of Nepali women dying from preventable causes every year : Census report lists heavy bleeding and hypertension as top reasons for maternal deaths, by Arjun Poudel (kp 27/03/2023)

Nepal needs robust data protection legislation : Such a law should cover aspects like the data subjects’ right to access, correct, and delete collected data, and to receive compensation for violation of rights , by Harsha Man Maharjan (ae 27/03/2023)

Lawmakers against passing transitional justice bill as it is : Ruling Congress is divided with a section seeking revision even as the chief whip says it should be passed urgently, by Binod Ghimire (kp 27/03/2023), Opposition slam TRC Bill, ruling alliance soft on it (ht 27/03/2023)

No need to give relief to alleged rape victim in Sandeep Lamichhane related case: District Court (kh 26/03/2023)

Nepal is ageing as children’s share in population shrinks : Final census report does not break down population based on ethnicity, language, religion, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 25/03/2023) [Welcome back to the thinking of the Panchayat period when Mahendra and Birendra negated the multi-ethnicity, multi-lingualism and religious diversity of the country and propagated Nepal as a Hindu state of the Khas Arya minority?

Male-female ratio at birth widening (rep 25/03/2023) [This points to manipulation, which is likely to be related to the disdain for females in Nepali society and politics!]

“Victims of conflict may forgive, but they will never forget”, interview with human rights activist Mandira Sharma (nt 24/03/2023)

From serf to solicitor : Urmila Chaudhari pursues a law degree to provide former bonded labourers like herself legal support, by Santosh Dahit (nt 24/03/2023)

International rights bodies raise serious objection to Nepal’s transitional justice bill : Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists have said that transitional justice bill needs to protect victims, not abusers adding that proposed law disregards domestic and international legal standards (nlt 24/03/2023), International rights groups slam bill on transitional justice law : The bill, if adopted in its current form, will not adequately provide for the effective prosecution of serious crimes under international law, the groups say (kp 25/03/2023), New bill needs to protect victims, not abusers (ht 25/03/2023)

Women’s Trafficking: Nepal Fights Back (rep 24/03/2023)

Nepali state’s commitment to free speech in doubt : Two recent incidents have made people question Dahal government’s sincerity to protect constitutional freedoms, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp 24/03/2023)

Concerns after tainted cop’s promotion : Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, who has been promoted to AIG, is reportedly a front-runner for Nepal Police chief, by Binod Ghimire (kp 24/03/2023), Basanta Kunwar is the new Nepal Police chief : Other AIGs Tek Prasad Rai, Deepak Thapa, Shyam Lal Gyawali and Kiran Bajracharya were also in the race for the top post (kp 24/03/2023)

What will it take to end child marriage?, by Anushka Nepal (ae 23/03/2023)

United States’ 2022 country reports on human rights practices find faults with Nepal on several fronts : The report mentions Nepal's failure to address transitional justice issues, curb corruption and ensure rights of the Tibetan refugees, among many others (nlt 22/03/2023) [see report on Nepal]

Status of South Asian Children, by Rajeeb Shrestha (rep 23/03/2023)

National Assembly passes resolution to end caste discrimination : The 19-point motion aims to pressure the federal government to work effectively towards ending discrimination and oppression against Dalits (kp 23/03/2023), Caste-based prejudice (ht 23/03/2023)

PM Dahal to dole out Rs 9 billion to party cadres (rep 22/03/2023), Can’t buy justice : Dahal is trying to whitewash a grave rights violation: Employing child soldiers in insurgency (kp 23/03/2023)

Vulnerable Nepali girls forced into prostitution in India : On Saturday, Delhi Police rescued nine Nepali teenagers who were forced into sex work in the city, by Rajesh Mishra (kp 22/03/2023)

NA lawmakers call for safe society for daughters (kh 22/03/2023)

Govt urged to recruit employees on the basis of ethnicity to implement proportional inclusion (rep 22/03/2023)

Resolution discussed in National Assembly to end discrimination against Dalits (rep 22/03/2023)

‘Can the police shut the mouths of citizens?’ (rep 22/03/2023)., Indecent behavior case filed against three youths who chanted slogans against PM (rep 22/03/2023)

Dahal accused of trying to appease conflict victims : The government recently announced a new cohort of martyrs and cash relief for former child combatants, by Binod Ghimire (kp 22/03/2023)

History of women lawmakers : To ensure women’s rights, their presence is necessary in Parliament and the law-making process, by Khim Lal Devkota (kp 22/03/2023)

Dr. Koirala protests against proposed phone-tapping provision (kh 22/03/2023)

Another transitional justice blunder, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae 21/03/2023), No hope from new amendment bill, interview with Suman Adhikari (ae 21/03/2023)

Human rights is the business of businesses also, by Santosh Sigdel (ae 21/03/2023)

As many as 42 conflict victim groups of Nepal raise objections to the faulty transitional justice bill : The victim community has appealed to the Human Rights Commission, Civil Society and Human Rights community, the media, and the international community for solidarity and cooperation in their fights for justice (nlt 21/03/2023) [Justice is not desired on the part of the political power fighters who consider themselves indispensable!]

Social Workers in Juvenile Justice system of Nepal, by Biswash Chepang (kh 21/03/2023)

Book on political representation of Dalit unveiled in Kathmandu (kh 21/03/2023)

Law to record conversations being introduced!, by Tapendra Karki (rep 21/03/2023)

Child protection in Nepal: Majority of local governments fail to take child rights measures : Out of the total 753 local levels, only 238 have formed a Child Rights Committee, and 246 have deployed a Child Welfare Officer (nlt 20/03/2023)

Disputed bill to revise transitional justice law lands in House : Plans to endorse the bill through a fast-track process, but the opposition insists on a detailed discussion, by Binod Ghimire (kp 20/03/2023), Lawmaker Shahi picks holes in TRC bill, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 20/03/2023), Transitional Justice A Difficult Road Ahead, by Narayan Upadhyay (rn 21/03/2023)

Nepal stands out in South Asia in human rights and liberal values, says Dr Juergen Martens, President of Liberal International
‘We will be supporting Nepal and Nepali political parties in further enhancing human rights and liberal values’ (nlt 19/03/2023) [This interview contains a few statements that do not correctly reflect the Nepali reality!]

Transitional justice is not revenge : We need to know the truth about what happened during the Maoist conflict that ran from 1996 to 2006, by Mohna Ansari (kp 19/03/2023)

A prolonged transitional justice process : Lack of proper law is among several reasons obstructing the process, a major component of the peace accord, by Binod Ghimire (kp 19/03/2023) [Justice for the victims has never been the intention of the top politicians!]

Decriminalise abortion: Rights activists, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 19/03/2023)

Names of National Martyrs published in Nepal Gazette (kh 18/03/2023) [And when will the names of (potential) perpetrators be published in the Nepal Gazette?]

Should Deepak Manange be in jail?, by Bhasa Sharma (rep 17/03/2023) [Also a case of the great proximity of politics and crime!]

John F Kennedy and consumer rights: Its relevance to Nepal at present, by Samrat Dhungana (ht 17/03/2023)

Nawalparasi jail facing challenges due to overcrowding (kh 17/03/2023)

Girls who marry early face abuse and health issues, by Anushka Nepal (ae 16/03/2023)

Women survivors silenced : The transitional justice mechanisms cannot make the survivors of sexual violence invisible, by Binita Poudel (kp 16/03/2023)

Violence against women on the rise : Experts working in women’s rights point out the patriarchal mindset of people, taking the woman as second class citizen, rise in reporting of the incidences and use of various social media as some of the causes for a rise in the number of cases of violence against women, by Sabitri Dhakal (ae 15/03/2023)

Once sold in Kuwait, she still lives in pain back home : Sanimaya’s tale represents countless Nepali women who are taken to various Gulf countries on visit visas and then are made to work in virtual slavery, by Anup Ojha (kp 15/03/2023)

Haruwa-Charuwa demand rehabilitation program (kh 15/03/2023)

Human Rights Watch urges Bhutan government to free ‘political prisoners’ : While the total number of political prisoners in Bhutan remains unknown, Human Rights Watch said it collected information relating to 37 current prisoners who were first detained between 1990 and 2010 (kp 15/03/2023)

Conflict victims complain of not getting justice yet (kh 14/03/2023), Crime and punishment: Rights body in Nepal cries foul at the faulty transitional justice bill : The Accountability Watch (AWC) has condemned the government's move to re-register the amendment to the transitional justice law without fulfilling the demands of victims and stakeholders (nlt 14/03/2023)

The Meaningless Maoist Attack on Judiciary (rep 14/03/2023)

Complete Transitional Justice Process, by Uttam Maharjan (rn 14/03/2023)

CLARISSA research reveals pathways to, abuse and exploitation faced by children in the worst forms of child labor
The life stories of the research reveal different abusive and exploitative practices, including harassment and bullying, against children in child labor in the adult entertainment sector by both customers and employers (nlt 14/03/2023)

Fighting Sexual Abuse In Public Transport, by Writika Rijal (rn 14/03/2023)

Political Impunity: What Politicians Need to Know, by Diwakar Dhakal (rep 13/03/2023)

Amendment of TRC bill becoming controversial again, by Devesh Jha (kh 13/03/2023), ‘Regular justice system in play when transitional justice bodies are defunct’, Human rights and constitutional lawyer Raju Prasad Chapagain on ways to take the transitional justice process forward (interview) (kp 13/03/2023)

Conclude Peace Process In Earnest, by Ballav Dahal (rn 13/03/2023)

Missing Dalits in research institutions : The issues of Dalits won’t be taken seriously when nobody is in the team to put them forward, by Sagoon Bhetwal (kp 12/03/2023)

Stop the Misuse of Presidential Power of Pardon, by Ravi Nayak (rep 12/03/2023)

Glorification of rape-accused: How fair?, by Aishworya Shrestha (kh 11/03/2023)

Underage pregnancy still high in Makawanpur : Campaigns to end child marriage have become ineffective amid higher elopement rate, by Pratap Bista (kp 11/03/2023)

Prosecuting MaoistsFollowing the issuance of an order by the Supreme Court, Nepal’s PM faces a court hearing into deaths during the Maoist insurgency (sp 10/03/2023)

Cries for justice in Nepal: Conflict victims protest in front of the Supreme Court : Victims of war-era crimes have united to exert pressure on the state institutions to deliver justice on extra-judicial killings. Meanwhile, the government is preparing to endorse a law that can provide amnesty to even those involved in murder, by Kalpana Ghimire (nlt 10/03/2023)

Gender pay gap in construction sector is huge. It's not seen closing anytime soon : Women workers say despite being skilled, they only get paid close to a third of the wages paid to male, by Prakash Baral (kp 10/03/2023)

TRC should settle conflict-era cases, not courts: Maoist factions : To hold press conference on March 12; interaction on March 14 (kh 10/03/2023) [But this has been denied for years by all political leaders. The laws in this regard are completely inadequate and are not oriented towards justice for the victims. It is time for the judiciary to take over!], Nepal bill says murder is not serious rights violation : The government registers the new bill at the Parliament Secretariat to amend controversial transitional justice law, by Binod Ghimire (kp 10/03/2023)

SC gives precedence in writ against PM Dahal : Orders to submit a written reply within 15 days (kh 10/03/2023)

Child marriage rate drops in three municipalities of Kalikot, by Lalit Bista (rep 10/03/2023)

The devastating effects of child marriage, by Anushka Nepal (ae 09/03/2023)

Haunted by the past : The Maoists of various stripes are betraying their lack of commitment to transitional justice (kp 09/03/2023)

Behind the mask of happiness : In many Nepali households, men continue to make financial decisions, including how women’s earnings are spent, by Mimamsha Dhungel (kp 09/03/2023)

Long fight against culture of rape and impunity : Women know the battle for justice won’t be easily won but refuse to give up. They vow to speak up louder, by Anshrica Dewan (kp 08/03/2023), More than 5,700 victims of violence against women and girls (rep 08/03/2023)

Many Achham parents favour boys over girls for schooling : Parents don’t put much effort into educating their daughters since they think that girls will someday leave them and go with their husbands, by Menuka Dhungana (kp 08/03/2023)

Evolving gender equations : Women should speak up for justice notwithstanding concerns of family reputation or social pressure, by Sushila Karki (kp 08/03/2023)

In Nepal, farm women are becoming entrepreneurs : Women are experiencing increased responsibilities and workloads, especially in situations where there is climate-driven out migration of men and young people, by Subin Adhikari (kp 08/03/2023)

Bridge Digital Gender Gap, by Namrata Sharma (rn 08/03/2023)

Supreme Court to begin hearing petitions against Dahal tomorrow : NHRC expresses concern over unresolved issues, 16 years after the peace accord, by Binod Ghimire (kp 08/03/2023), Eight Maoist groups close ranks as judiciary takes up war-era cases : Vow to counter ‘any attempt by court to go against peace process and political change’, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 08/03/2023) [17 years of empty promises by politicians are enough! It is high time that justice is done for the victims!]

Empowered Nepali women : Things will change when men who do not do dishes at home stop lecturing on women’s empowerment, by Sujeev Shakya (kp 07/03/2023)

Women’s participation in state’s bodies being ensured: Speaker Ghimire (kh 07/03/2023) [With a few exceptions, the women involved only play backstage roles! More than the 33 per cent of women parliamentarians prescribed by the constitution are not involved anyway. In the Council of Ministers and other institutions, not even this is achieved!], It is difficult to take women to key positions according to legal system: Speaker Ghimire (rep 07/03/2023)

A proposed Buddhist college in a district bordering China creates heated debate in Nepal’s political sphere : Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dubs the proposed Buddhist college in Mustang as a “deceitful move against China”. The government assures investigation into the issue (nlt 07/03/2023) [Higher educational institutions in the non-Hindu areas of Nepal violate China? Mr Oli, what kind of bullshit is this? Your statements deeply hurt the non-Hindu population of Nepal!]

NHRC urges govt to Conclude transitional justice as soon as possible (kh 07/03/2023)

Mishandling of transitional justice process, by Kamal Dev Bhattarai (ae 06/03/2023), Nepal’s Maoist does not want Supreme Court to decide the fate of war-time crimes : Maoist want the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to conclude the pending cases of war-time crimes. The commission, according to observers, has been highly politicized and cannot go against any powerful leaders (nlt 06/03/2023), Eight Maoist factions warn of countering activities against CPA and political change (kh 07/03/2023) [In other words: 17 years after the end of the Maoist insurgency, the Maoist top politicians still do not want a legal reappraisal of the crimes of that time!], Writ filed against Prachanda at Supreme Court (kh 07/03/2023), SC to proceed writ filed against PM Dahal from Wednesday (kh 07/03/2023), Parties in Maoist stream to confront all activities against peace pact (kh 07/03/2023) [Without these activities there will never be an implementation of the peace pact!], Maoist stream parties' meeting decides to confront activities against peace pact (rn 07/03/2023) [Significantly, a meeting of 17 exclusively male politicians, very predominantly Khas Arya!], Will Nepali Congress band together with Maoist forces in transitional justice issues? Following the Supreme Court order to register a case against Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, war-era Maoist leaders have come together against the decision. Nepali Congress has also indicated to stand in favor of Maoist forces (nlt 07/03/2023) [In the time of the insurgency, the NC was repeatedly in charge of the government before King Gyanendra seized power and appointed confidants from the RPP. All of them, including Gyanendra, bear responsibility for the crimes committed by the security forces at that time and must be held accountable just like the Maoist leaders!]

PM Prachanda goes berserk: Threatens to bring thousands of Maoist cadres to the streets : PM Prachanda and his war-era Maoist colleagues are making one after another aggressive statements following the Supreme Court's order to take writ petition against him for deaths during Maoist insurgency (nlt 06/03/2023), TRC should deal with “People’s War” cases, not court: Dr. Bhattarai (kh 06/03/2023) [The civil war ended 17 years ago, but nothing happens, Mr Bhattarai! All the leading politicians lack any will to do so!], Nine parties speak up as court opens way for Dahal’s criminal trial : A bill to amend transitional justice law, in line with court orders, will be tabled in current House session, they say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 06/03/2023)

Nine parties decide to submit Transitional Justice Bill to Parliament as per SC direction (kh 05/03/2023

Under provincial name Koshi, currents of discontent still flow : Madhesh is the only province named on identity basis. Many blame erosion in Maoist ideology, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 04/03/2023) [The fairy tale of social inclusion has long been forgotten! The male Khas Arya minority suppresses any historical and non-Hindu ethnic reference in terms of state ideology and nationalism.], Maoist Center objects SC order to register writ against PM Dahal (kh 05/03/2023) [As far as I remember, PK Dahal indicted himself when he took responsibility for 5,000 deaths during the uprising. Politicians do not enjoy special rights, on the contrary!], Petitions holding PM Dahal accountable for Maoist War deaths and destruction: What next?, by Akhilesh Tripathi (rep 05/03/2023)

Handle Human Rights Issues with Care, by Randhir Chaudhary (rep 04/03/2023), Supreme Court orders its administration to take petitions against Prime Minister Dahal : The petitions by two advocates demand legal action against Dahal, the chief of the Maoist Centre, for publicly claiming responsibility for 5,000 insurgency-era deaths (kp 04/03/2023)

Orphanage administrator sentenced for child sexual abuse : Among the victims, is a 14-year-old girl suffering from mental illness, who was fed medicines to forcibly terminate her pregnancy, by Bhawani Bhatta (kp 04/03/2023)

Beset by poverty at home, Banke women face horror abroad : Several debt-ridden Nepali women who illegally visited Gulf nations for jobs are in captivity and crying for help, by Rupa Gahatraj (kp 03/03/2023)

Justice For Dilip, by Bini Dahal (rn 03/03/2023)

Child marriage; still prevalent and on the rise, by Anushka Nepal (ae 02/03/2023)

Nepal Police's Slide toward Autocracy : Assessing the conduct, investigations, technology, and human rights defense of Nepal Police, by Kanchan Jha (rep 02/03/2023)

Musahar children in Saptari village are still deprived of education : Lack of government identity cards and deprivation are forcing Musahar parents to keep their children away from schools, by Abdhesh Kumar Jha (kp 02/03/2023)

In Geneva, Nepal pledges justice for the atrocities committed during conflict : Fed up with repeated promises, insurgency victims say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 01/03/2023) [Nothing but hollow promises! The former perpetrators sit partly in highest state offices and have no interest in justice for the victims!], PM Dahal’s troubling message (rep 01/03/2023), Lies going global : Govinda Bandi’s representation at the Human Rights Council signals Nepal’s failure on transitional justice (kp 02/03/2023) [This reflects the real aspiration of PM Dahal!], Bandi rallying global support for transitional justice process, but victims unconvinced : As he pushes the agenda of legal amendments, stakeholders suspect he is complicit in Prime Minister Dahal’s bid to wrap up the process without punishing perpetrators, by Binod Ghimire (kp 03/03/2023), SC orders to register writ against PM Dahal (kh 03/03/2023)

Displaced families of October floods and landslides in Mugu languish in flimsy tents : Resettlement is not in sight while survivors face a shortage of food at their makeshift homes, by Raj Bahadur Shahi (kp 01/03/2023) [Nepal's politicians have no time to worry about such unimportant things!]

People with albinism: Rights neglected and denied, by Simone Galimberti (ht 01/03/2023)

Call for better surveillance amid rising maternal deaths : More than 90 maternal deaths have been reported across the country in seven months, by Arjun Poudel (kp 28/02/2023)

Calls grow for gender equality in foreign jobs m: The restrictive policies over the years, regarding labour mobility of women, have made them vulnerable to trafficking and forced labour, observers say, by Pawan Pandey (kp 28/02/2023)

Durga Prasai forwards 11 points demands, urges abolition of republicanism, federalism (kh 28/02/2023) [If the CPN (UML) does not distance itself from this Hindu fundamentalism and Prasai's unconstitutional demands and underlines that Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural secular state, the rule of law attitude of this party must be doubted! The failures of the high-caste male politicians, which primarily include the chairman of the CPN (UML), must not be used as an excuse to question the few hard-won democratic achievements!]

SC grants Sandeep Lamichhane permission to go abroad : 'No need to re-incarcerate Lamichhane' (kh 27/02/2023), CAN preparing to send rape-accused Lamichhane to UAE today (nlt 01/03/2023) [And what about the possible victim?]

Prime minister stops foreign minister from flying to Geneva : The development comes as a new ruling coalition minus the CPN-UML is in the making in Kathmandu just ahead of the presidential election (kp 27/02/2023), Gobinda Bandi, who drafted controversial TJ bills, leading Nepali delegation at the UNHRC as PM’s advisor (rep 27/02/2023) [Once again the disinterest of Nepali politics in justice for the victims of the insurgency becomes clear!!!!]

Nepal, be kind to foreigners : Nepal is desperate for foreign investment but the legislation governing the visa of foreign workers is extremely complicated and unfriendly, by Simone Galimberti (nlt 27/02/2023)

PM Dahal promises to recognize people’s war victims as martyrs (kh 26/02/2023) [Being a martyr does not mean justice for these victims, while the perpetrators bask in wealth and position!]

Foreign Minister Paudyal leaving for Geneva to attend UNHRC session (kh 26/02/2023)

The Masculine Hold on Politics, by Rishsika Dhakal (rep 26/02/2023)

Nepal Children’s Organization’s land scam: Will parliament be able to conduct a meaningful deliberation on the issue? Nepal Children’s Organization had acquired the land with the aim of providing child friendly shelters and spaces. Now the land is being used by a business group with support from office bearers appointed by powerful politicians (nlt 26/02/2023)

Insurgency-era victims of sexual crimes still unheard : Most victims are from marginalised communities and lack of faith in the system deters them from coming forward, by Binod Ghimire (kp 25/02/2023)

Parents wait for missing son, two decades since his disappearance : In November 2000, Maoist rebels took a grade five student and several other young boys from their school. That was the last the parents saw their 13-year-old son, by Prakash Baral (kp 25/02/2023)

Ruffling on Religion: Mission or Fashion?, by Atindra Dahal (rep 24/02/2023) [A lot of palaver by this male Bahun, but no discernible rationale why in multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual Nepal the state should be linked again solely to Hindu culture, religion and social thinking after only a few years of interruption. Discriminatory casteism, patriarchy and the sense of superiority of men from a few Hindu castes have been responsible for the exclusion of the majority of people and discrimination against large sections of the population for centuries and continue to this day. Hindu state and monarchy have been responsible for these aberrations long enough. Why should Nepal return to the mistakes of the past again? The combination of state and religion has never paid off positively anywhere in history.]

Local government rule requiring its permission to marry draws flak : Kapurkot defends new rule enforced to tackle underage marriages and teen pregnancies, by Biplab Maharjan (kp 24/02/2023) [related to Karnali province]

State of the minorities in South Asia : Nepal's dominant Khas Arya minority reaps disproportionate benefits of their status, by Deepak Thapa (kp 23/02/2023) [see report]

The price of not having a place to play, by Cilla Khatry and Anushka Nepal (ae 23/02/2023)

Taplejung district prison houses six times prisoners against capacity (kh 22/02/2023) [This is a serious violation of basic human rights!]

Bajhang flood victims struggling for justice for over two decades : Around 165 families were relocated to Kailali but 20 years later, they are still landless, by DR Pant (kp 22/02/2023) [One of many cases of denial of assistance by government and administration!]

When will women lead big political parties? Bibeksheel Sajha recently elected Samikchya Baskota as party chief while Ranjita Shrestha heads another new party, the Nagarik Unmukti Party, by Purushottam Poudel (kp 21/02/2023)

Ensure Fundamental Right to Education in Mother Tongue, by Randhir Chaudhary (rep 21/02/2023)

Achham women deprived of treatment as cases of uterine prolapse rise : Women suffering from uterine prolapse due to multiple pregnancies and poor care depend on health camps but the district hasn’t seen one in the past four years, by Menuka Dhungana (kp) 19/02/2023), Rural women’s woes : One-off health camps are unlikely to bring lasting solutions to systemic neglect of women’s wellbeing (kp 21/02/2023)

Govt has not prioritized completion of peace process related tasks: Speaker Ghimire (kh 19/02/2023)

Why media should have the access to court proceedings : Media plays a crucial role in ensuring that the public is informed about what is happening in the courts. This is essential to the functioning of democratic society, by Bivek Chaudhary (nlt 19/02/2023)

Downgrade-wary NHRC asks for help to right itself : Court delay in settling appointment row, which influenced the global body’s punishment, concerns experts, by Binod Ghimire (kp 18/02/2023)

Police rescue 26 women, four children trafficked to different countries in a month (rep 18/02/2023)

President pardons 395 convicts including ex-Maoist involved in killing Ujjan Shrestha : Only on January 25, Supreme Court had convicted Pushkar Gautam in the insurgency-era murder (kp 18/02/2023) [Pardoning criminals from the times of the Maoist insurgency is the opposite of the justice due to the victims of these crimes! President Bhandari is once again neglecting her constitutional duty!], 395 jail birds, including parliamentarian Chaudhary given amnesty (kh 18/02/2023)

Women in lead : Nepali society is more open to women’s leadership than established parties would have us believe (kp 17/02/2023)

Hundreds of petitions sent to Bhutanese monarch demanding release of political prisoners : Global Campaign for the Release of Political Prisoners in Bhutan (GCRPPB) has urged the international community to condemn Bhutan's continued imprisonment of human rights activists (nlt 17/02/2023)

Murder hearing against Maoist leader Sapkota deferred for 45th time : Victims and rights activists say the top court’s deferrals are deliberate attempts aimed at protecting the accused, by Binod Ghimire (kp 16/02/2023) [A case that raises reasonable doubts about the Nepali legal system and gives impetus to the suspicion of unconditional impunity for well-known politicians! The fact that people who have been on trial for capital crimes for many years run for elections and are repeatedly appointed to high state offices is evidence of a non-existent political morality!]

Three convicted in murder of environment activist Dilip Mahato : Dhanusha District Court Judge Chitra Bahadur Gurung found Bipin Mahato, Jitendra Mahato, and Munindra Mahato guilty of the crime (kp 16/02/2023)

Children with absent fathers struggle for citizenship : Officials say their hands are tied on provision for women to pass on citizenship to children when fathers are absent, by Rupa Gahatraj (kp 15/02/2023) [Nothing has changed, PM Dahal! Nepal remains a patriarchy dominated by male delusion. Only men are true citizens. Without them, women are nothing! It is a big security risk for Nepal when women have absolutely equal rights!? What was actually celebrated there the day before yesterday?]

Activists end protest after agreement (ht 15/02/2023)

High school dropout runs flourishing eatery in Delhi : Trends show that nearly 1 million Nepalis will leave the country this fiscal year for better jobs abroad, apart from those going to India, officials say, by Mimamsha Dhungel (kp 15/02/2023) [This is thanks to the extremely successful and committed employment policies of Nepal's incredibly competent top politicians!]

Essential flaw : Those who joined the essential services knew full well what they could and could not do (kp 15/02/2023)

Public holiday today to commemorate “People’s War” (kh 13/02/2023) [And what about justice for the many victims of crimes committed by Maoists and state security forces? As with Prithvi Janayanti, only the positive effects are celebrated, not the negative ones!], Insurgency victims' kin protest Feb 13 holiday, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht  14/02/2023), People's War, an epoch-making event in Nepali history: PM (ht) [Yes, let the suffering of the victims of this conflict never end! Why this ridiculous call for justice? Everything has changed since then in this previously socially non-inclusive state. I am the PM and I am a male Bahun. All political parties are under the control of male Khas Arya. All is well with the world, that's something to celebrate, isn't it!]

When has Nepal’s media not been questioned? It has always been under scrutiny. ‘Not only the marginalised people but the more privileged middle-class ones are also disenchanted with the democratic system.’, interview with Hari Sharma (kp 13/02/2023)

Bibeksheel Sajha sets a strong message of gender parity in politics : Despite ups and downs, Bibeksheel Sajha Party has reemerged in Nepal’s politics with a strong message of gender equality (nlt 12/02/2023)

Time ripe to rethink archaic VVIP convoy protocol : Friday’s assault of a doctor by police deployed to clear the road for the presidential convoy could be the turning point, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp 12/02/2023) [The President obviously sees things differently. For this reason, she has not yet taken a stand or even apologised to the beaten-up doctor. Presumably she wants to enjoy the royal privileges for her last days in office!]

Police baton-charge a doctor during President’s motorcade : The Nepal Medical Association (NMA) has given a 24-hour ultimatum to the government to take action against the police responsible for the incident (nlt 10/02/2023) [This has something to do with the fact that politicians see themselves as heirs to the monarchy and want to be courted as such, instead of serving the people as their representatives!], Police beat up doctor for walking during presidential escort (rep 11/02/2023), President should apologize: Gyanendra Shahi (rep 11/02/2023), Police constable involved in beating up Dr Singh suspended (rep) [Suspension is not enough! What is needed is appropriate punishment  and compensation and, above all, the eradication of the attitude of politicians and security forces that underlies this crime!]

An integrated social registry for Nepal : Social protection programmes cover about a third of the population but are yet to reach all the poor and vulnerable, by  Faris Hadad-Zervos and Lynne Sherburne-Benz (kp 10/02/2023)

Armed Conflict and Conflict of Interest : Rabi Lamichhane’s rant was Trumpian populism, an anti-media ‘drain the swamp’ whataboutery (nt 10/02/2023)

The Media and Fight Against Corruption in Nepal, by Rajendra Prasad Koirala (rep 10/02/2023)

Renewed push for transitional justice Act amendment : Revisions will be based on court’s verdict and international practices, government representative say, by Binod Ghimire (kp 09/02/2023)

The troubling rise of ‘revenge porn’ in Nepal : In the past six months, 680 such cases have already been registered with the police, by Anup Ojha (kp 09/02/2023)

Government preparing to push long-awaited citizenship bill : Prime Minister Dahal plans to pass around 20 bills over the next one-and-a-half months, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 08/02/2023)

Press Freedom Under Threat, by Namrata Sharma (rn 08/02/2023)

Covid-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected trafficking survivors: Report. The report recommended the local governments address the impacts of Covid-19 on the livelihoods and physical and mental well-being of the trafficked survivors and returnee migrants (kp 08/02/2023)

Nepal Police suspect a girl was being smuggled into India for ‘human sacrifice’. Here is a horrifying tale : In what police suspect is an attempt of human sacrifice, a racket of traffickers in Nepal took a young girl to India, holding her hostage for a month in Kathmandu, by Narayan Adhikari (nlt 07/02/2023)

Social justice moving backwards : The leaders of the political parties are the biggest obstacles to achieving social justice, by Pradip Pariyar (kp 06/02/2023)

Ubiquitous protests : The ruling class should be mindful : When people see no hope, they take matters into their own hands (kp 06/02/2023)

Kathmandu District Court sentences Manoj Pandey to 7 years imprisonment in human trafficking case (kh 06/02/2023)

Orientation to religious leaders to check child marriage (kh 05/02/2023)

Rabi Lamichhane and dual citizenship in Nepal : No constitutional provision for dual citizenship, but state offers limited citizenship rights for non-resident Nepalis, by Binod Ghimire (kp 05/02/2023)

12 women rescued from India in two months (kh 04/02/2023)

Business practices in Nepal: Uncovering human rights concerns, by Niyati Adhikari (nlt 04/02/2023)

Poverty Imperils Human Rights, by Lok Nath Bhusal (rn 03/02/2023)

Teenage girl trafficked to India for 'sacrifice' rescued (rn 03/02/2023), Trafficked teenage girl rescued from India : According to police, tantriks in India are demanding young girls—5.4 feet high and without scars or tattoos, by Anup Ojha (kp 04/02/2023)

Lack of citizenship pushes Musahars deep into poverty : In 40 households of Shobhapur, more than 50 individuals above the age of 16 do not have citizenship certificates, by Bharat Jargha Magar (kp 02/02/2023)

Landmark bill to boost women candidacy in polls : Election Commission is drafting a bill to increase women’s candidacy in all three tiers of government by a third, by Binod Ghimire (kp 02/0/2023), Hope amid despair : The proposed bill to field more directly elected women candidates is a silver lining (kp 03/02/2023)

Underpaid Nepali nurses set their sights abroad : The monthly salary of nurses in most private hospitals in Nepal is in the range of Rs10,000 to Rs15,000, insiders say, by Subin Adhikari (kp 02/02/2023)

Nepal’s social protection system reinforcing inequality: HRW (rep 02/02/2023) [see HRW report]

Role Of Informed Citizens In Democracy, by Mukti Rijal (rn 02/02/2023)

UML’s Constitutional Council dominance worries Maoist party : UML nominees head major constitutional bodies including those related to elections, corruption and human right, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 01/02/2023) [The decline of democracy and the rule of law is guaranteed with KP Oli, as evidenced by his machinations of 2020/21, which he continues to refuse to admit! He is also mainly responsible for Nepal's degradation at GANHRI!]

Attorney general challenges high court on cricketer’s release : Demands ex-captain be investigated in judicial custody (kp 01/02/2023), CAN lifts suspension of rape-accused cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane : The executive committee meeting of the nation’s cricket governing body held in Pokhara on Tuesday decided to lift the suspension on Lamichhane, by Pratiksha Kafle (kp 01/02/2023) [Another example of disregard for the rule of law!], What about ‘Gaushala 26’? The survivor has been rendered invisible ever since she filed the case against Sandeep Lamichhane (kp 02/02/2023), Govt moves SC challenging release of cricketer Lamichhane on bail (kh 02/02/2023), Cricket: Sandeep Lamichhane included in national team (kh 02/02/2023) [????? Nepal increasingly an unjust state!], Lamichhane’s place in cricket training camp sparks outrage : The 22-year-old was included in the 20-member closed camp for ICC World Cup League 2 Triangular Series, by Prajwal Oli (kp 04/02/2023), CAN's decision on Sandeep Lamichhane draws flak, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 04/02/2023), Police arrests Tara Baral for allegedly trying to disrupt peaceful demonstration against CAN decision (Photo Feature), by Prasan Gurung (rep 04/02/2023)

Nepal moves up corruption index, slightly : Transparency International report shows the country continues to remain among most corrupt nations, by Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 01/02/2023) [see CPI]

Ruby Khan: An unrelenting fighter for justice, by Anushla Nepal (ae 31/01/2023)

Nepal is a champion country for fair recruitment, but on paper only, observers say : Migrant workers are still paying a huge amount for recruitment fees despite laws to prevent such expenses (kp 31/01/2023)

Fresh bid to withhold information draws flak : Calls grow for revoking decision of chief secretary-led panel that could curtail people’s right to information, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 30/01/2023), Govt's decision to repeal RTI Act condemned (ht 30/01/2023), Government backtracks on information classification : Experts say it happened just because the drafters tried to incorporate unnecessary issues instead of pinpointing certain matters or documents, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 31/01/2023), Not for your eyes : The government tried to curtail the people’s right to know by stamping certain information as confidential (kp 01/02/2023)

Trap of trafficking: How women and girls are lured into trafficking by their own relatives : According to police, a significant number of girls sold into brothels are trafficked by their own family members or acquaintances, by Sushmita Aryal (nlt 30/01/2023)

Man kills son, injures wife by setting fire sprinkling petrol (kh 30/01/2023), Condition of woman allegedly burnt by husband remains stable (kh 31/01/2023)

Post-menopause healthcare : As the population continues to age, support for middle-aged women has become crucial, by Dushala Adhikari (kp 30/01/2023)

Rabi Lamchhane acquires Nepali citizenship again (kh 29/01/2023) [This sounds extremely fast! Millions of young people have been waiting in vain for this for years!]

Migrant workers risk their lives in hopes of better life : Lured with promises of good jobs, Nepali youths fall into human traffickers’ traps, by Rajesh Mishra (kp 29/01/2023)

Man attempts self-immolation in Pokhara (kh 29/01/2023), Two injured as a man tries to self-immolate in Pokhara, woman's condition critical, by Santosh Pokharel (rep 29/01/2023)

Victims’ voice weakened in media: Press Council Chairman Basnet (rep 28/01/2023)

Eternal wait : The Nirmala Kurmi case is yet another instance of the state’s indifference to the plight of its citizens (kp 27/01/2023)

Man arrested on charges of trafficking four Nepali women to Kuwait : They were allegedly sold for 900 dinar for two years and were made to work without pay for 20 hours daily (kp 27/01/2023)

Distressed by debt, yet another businessman kills himself : A note left by the 57-year-old man from Biratnagar mentions failing in business and an inability to clear loans as reasons for suicide, by Binod Bhandari (kp 27/01/2023)

End Corporal Punishment In Schools, by Bijaya Karki (rn 26/01/2023)

Victims of last November’s Doti earthquake spend cold winter months under flimsy tarp : Thirty-four people from eight families have been living under one tarpaulin tent in Uparkada, by Mohan Shahi (kp 26/01/2023)

Unheard plights of street vendors in Kathmandu : Despite their irrefutable contributions to the economy, street vendors are often overlooked and undervalued by policymakers, law enforcement agencies and the general public, by Anjila Shrestha (nlt 25/01/2023)

A painful case: Prem Prasad Acharya’s suicide exposes ills of private sector business, corrupt political system and indifferent state : In his heart-wrenching Facebook status posted before self-immolation, Prem Acharya has stated how the deep rooted cronyism, nexus between businesses and politicians and corruption in the system led him to end his life (nlt 25/01/2023), ‘It’s a murder, not suicide’ : Self-immolation by a young man, who accused the state of failing him repeatedly, could be the tip of a much bigger social problem, experts say, by Anup Ojha (kp 26/01/2023)

Rape-accused Pandey found guilty (rep 25/01/2023)

Rape convict arrested after 23 years (rep 25/01/2023)

Are Police Defying Home Minister’s Orders? (rep 25/01/2023)

If children with disabilities aren’t educated, they won’t be able to participate in society : ‘When we work in inclusive education we have to target the government, the children, the teachers and also the communities’, interview with Pauline Nadim Ducos, Regional Director, Humanity & Inclusion (nlt 24/01/2023)

Lakshmi Ghimire: A powerful presence in province assembly, by Tara Chapagain (ae 24/01/2023)

UNFPA partners with NHRC to advance women’s rights in Nepal (kh 23/01/2023)

Street drama performed to demand justice for Nirmala Kurmi (Photo feature), by Prasan Gurung (rep 23/01/2023), Rights activists staging street drama demanding justice for Nirmala Kurmi arrested, by Upendra Lamichhane (rep 23/01/2023),
Activists demanding justice for Nirmala Kurmi in police net : Days after Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane promised investigation, police arrest Ruby Khan and her friends demanding justice for the disappeared Banke woman (nepalminute 23/01/2023)

Gupsipakha residents move out due to water shortage : Water supply at the integrated settlement built for earthquake survivors has been disrupted since mid-December due to extreme cold weather conditions, by Hariram Upreti (kp 22/01/2023)

Journey of a mother figure to children of prison inmates (ht 22/01/2023)

65 persons acquire naturalized citizenship in Solukhumbu (kh 22/01/2023) [Only Nepali men are considered real citizens by the patriarchal nationalists. Therefore, their foreign wives are given the opportunity to acquire Nepali citizenship. Nepali women are no longer considered real Nepalis if they marry foreigners. Therefore, their foreign husbands are usually denied the opportunity to acquire Nepali citizenship!]

Nepal has mixed record on LGBT rights: Report (ht 22/01/2023)

The agony of a stateless citizen : Being without a citizenship at 21 has cost me my ambitions that I had dreamed of since I was 16, by Vivek Baranwal (kp 21/01/2023)

Ruling coalition fails to ensure inclusiveness in Cabinet : Political parties won’t ensure inclusion, unless it’s made mandatory by amending the constitution, says expert, by Tika R Pradhan (kp 21/01/2023) [This reflects the basic non-inclusiveness of all political parties! Nepal is still not a democracy, but an oligarchy dominated and controlled by male Khas Arya.]

Students of Hulakdanda see no recourse but to quit studies after Grade 8 : The closest secondary school from Manthali Municipality Ward 6 is at least three hours walk and daily commute is impossible, students say, by Tika Prasad Bhatta (kp 21/01/2023)

Delayed bill: Crash victims’ kin miss out on millions : As per the proposed law, domestic airlines must pay a minimum of $100,000 for injury or death of a passenger, by Sangam Prasain and Prithvi Man Shrestha (kp 20/01/2023) [Obviously, since then, Messrs. Oli, Dahal and Deuba have been more concerned with their political intrigues than with the ratification of this bill!]

Building gender-responsive policies : Policies fail to address gender inequalities if they are developed with a ‘gender-neutral’ mindset, by Labisha Uprety (kp 20/01/2023)

Step at a time : Politicians and ministers should take practical steps to wean the state off remittance (kp 20/01/2023)

Such a long wait for justice : The new Parliament must take concrete steps to conclude the transitional justice process, by Suman Adhikari (kp 19/01/2023) [One should not expect anything. The parliamentarians are only forced into absolute obedience to their incompetent party leaders.]

“Freedom of Expression should be utilized in national interest”, interview with Rekha Sharma (kh 19/01/2023)

26pc women in new Cabinet, by Bal Krishna Sah (ht 18/01/2023) [All of them are Khas Arya. Only four of them are full-fledged ministers, i.e. 20 per cent. This is again a clear violation of the inclusion provision of the Constitution in several respects. Moreover, most of the male ministers are also Khas Arya!]

Rural women turning self-reliant (kh 18/01/2023)

aitadi local unit changes names of Dalit settlements to assuage caste discrimination : Residents say name change is a good step but attitudes towards Dalits have not changed, by Basanta Pratap Singh (kp 17/01/2023)

Parties snub inclusion principle in top provincial posts : All chief ministers are male. Constitution is silent on what should be done if the authorities fail to ensure proportional representation, by Nishan Khatiwada (kp 16/01/2023) [This is not a trivial offence, but a serious violation of the Constitution, the fundamental law of the land, and should be punished accordingly. In an increasingly conscious society, the social balance is in danger!]

Uphold Spirit Of PR Election System, by Sangita Subedi (rep 16/01/2023)

Space of exclusion: No women, no Dalits, no Janajatis in chief ministers of Nepal’s provinces : Experts say the tendency of the political parties to repeatedly undermine constitutional obligation to proportional inclusion could pose a threat to federalism itself, by Dhanu Bishwakarma (nlt 14/01/2023)

Journalists who perished in the Maoist armed conflict in Nepal, by Nagendra Upadhyaya (rep 14/01/2023) [The one who claimed responsibility for many of these crimes has just become PM for the third time!] Resolve transitional justice at the earliest (rep)

Lack of care, alcoholism contributing to high infant mortality in Raute community : In Karnali, almost half the Rauti children die in infancy, according to the provincial planning body, by Tripti Shahi (kp 14/01/2023)

Nepali media need to integrate human rights in election reporting: Study (ae 13/01/2023) [see report by Media Action Nepal]

US rights group says President Bhandari’s inaction deprived many Nepalis of citizenship : The Human Rights Watch expresses concerns over lack of progress in transitional justice process (kp 13/01/2023) [The President's "inaction" was a deliberate breach of the Constitution and should be named as such!]

Dahal government faces global pressure to right war-era wrongs, by Pratik Ghimire (ae 13/01/2023)

Nepal sees no progress in Transitional Justice: Report. “Nepal restricting free assembly, expression rights of Tibetans under Chinese pressure” (kh 12/01/2023) [see Nepal: Events of 2022, HRW World Report 2023], New government, new commitment on transitional justice : Successive administrations have listed transitional justice among their top priorities but the delivery is dismal, by Binod Ghimire (kp 12/01/2023) [The one who declared to be responsible for the death of 5,000 people during the time of the uprising without drawing any consequences is PM again. What should we expect?], 16 years since conflict ended, Nepal not serious in investigating wartime crimes, abuses : “Women and members of marginalized communities, including Dalits, are disproportionately the victims of rights violations, and also find it hardest to seek redress” (nlt 12/01/2023),
Int’l community keenly interested to see Nepal’s transitional justice process moving forward: US envoy, by Kosh Raj Koirala (rep 12/01/2023), They still hope : All that the conflict victims are now looking for is a sense of respectful closure (kh 13/01/2023) [Nepal continues with the rule of unlaw!], HRW report paints dismal picture of rule of law (ht 15/01/2023)

Human rights issues inadequately covered during elections (ht 12/01/2023)

No public transport for Nepalis living with disabilities : For disabled-friendly transport to become a reality, state help is a must, commuters say (kp 12/01/2023)

Ward chair accused of committing racial discrimination (kh 11/01/2023)

Red Cross Society initiates constructing makeshift houses for quake victims (kh 11/01/2023)

I have given instructions to arrest ‘fugitive’ MP Mahato: Home Minister Lamichhane (rep 11/01/2023), Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane directs police to arrest lawmaker Laxmi Mahato Koiri : On Tuesday, Home Minister was criticized for his indifference to arrest the murder-accused lawmaker Laxmi Mahato Koiri though the latter was present in the parliament (nlt 11/01/2023)

Unopposed PM: Maoist chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal wins vote of confidence from nearly all members of parliament : Addressing the house session before the confidence vote, PM Dahal dubbed the support as 'unprecedented' and justice done to him by political parties (nlt 10/01/2023) [And what about justice for the victims of the Maoist insurgency?]

‘We have failed to build pressure on transitional justice’ : Mandira Sharma, a senior international legal advisor at the International Commission of Jurists, on the state of transitional justice in Nepal, interview with Mandira Sharma (kp 09/01/2023)

Women activists stage protest demanding justice for Nirmala Kurmi in capital (ht 09/01/2023)

NHRC recommends investigation against 130, including Upendra Yadav in 2007 Gaur carnage (kh 07/01/2023), Rights body recommends Yadav, others be probed for 2007 Gaur killings : As many as 27 individuals linked with the Maoists were killed and 115 others left injured, by Binod Ghimire (kp 08/01/2023)

NEST to organize mass protest on January 9 against KMC’s harassment to street vendors (rep 07/01/2023)

Nirmala Kurmi disappearance: A probe going nowhere : The woman was in her 40s when she went missing, but an Indian death certificate obtained by police as hers shows the deceased was in her mid-30s, by Pinki Sris Rana (kp 07/01/2023)

Power sharing, inclusive politics in Nepal: Honour the constitutional principle, by Yagya Bahadur Karki (ht 06/01/2023) [When will the arrogant high-caste macho males at the top of the state and political parties finally be punished for their constant disregard of the constitution and laws? A permanent ban from political office should be the minimum punishment! This is not a trivial offence, but malicious intent!]

Improved but unstable : While there has been an increase in news media outlets, there has also been a surge in fake news, by Bhanu Bhakta Acharya (kp 06/01/2023)

Court clears six people of rape charge, by Khagendra Adhikari (rep 06/01/2023)

Two Indians arrested in connection with Nirmala Panta rape and murder case (rep 06/01/2023)

Rinzin Wangdi: A Bhutanese political prisoner from Sharchop community : Initially Wangdi was sentenced to 25 years and three months imprisonment but later seven years and three months were added as punishment for being in contact with another dissent prisoner, by Ram Karki (nlt 06/01/2023) [This is obviously part of Gross National Happiness!]

Why can't CIAA probe Cabinet decisions, asks apex court, by Ram Kumar Kamat (ht 05/01/2023), Govt and CIAA : The govt must take policy decisions only in the public interest confined to the existing laws (ht 06/01/2023)

Harsh laws, stiff penalties : Multiple loopholes need to be closed to prevent trafficking of Nepali women and girls (kp 04/01/2023)

Nepali recruitment agency directors handed slavery order by UK court (rep 04/01/2023), UK’s court hands slavery and trafficking risk order to a Nepali agency : Resham Gurung and Pravin Rimal, the directors of a recruiting agency, denied the accusations saying they do not have a licence to send workers to the UK, by Pawan Pandey (kp 06/01/2023)

Three Nepali women escape their coercive Chinese employers in Laos. They still feel unsafe back home : The women were previously taken to Laos to work at a call centre. More than two dozen Nepalis are still languishing at the centre, police say, by Anup Ojha (kp 04/01/2023)

Living on the margins amidst a harsh winter, by Govinda Mahato (ae 04/01/2023)

Mass Communications Academy concerns threat against journalist Mahato (kh 04/01/2023)

Bhaktapur Municipality adjusts entry fee in line dollar price (kh 02/01/2023) [Such entry fees are questionable if tourism is to be promoted, but making the amount of the fees dependent on the visitors' country of origin is discriminatory!]

Identity politics going through a churn : The November elections were not in favour of the parties that have long relied on it, by Binod Ghimire (kp 02/01/2023)

53 cases of press freedom violation (ht 01/01/2023), Nepal reports 45 cases of press freedom violations in 2022 : In the last one year, a total of 45 incidents of press freedom violations occurred in Nepal, where 120 journalists were directly affected, according to a report (nlt 03/01/2023)

444 women, girls from western Nepal go out of contact after reaching India, third countries (rep 01/01/2023)

Note of Appreciation and Concern to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Kathmandu, 31 October 2023

Saudi Arabia: Migrants workers who toiled in Amazon warehouses were deceived and exploited, by Amnesty International, 10 October 2023

2022 Report on International Religious Freedom: Nepal, by US Department of State, 15 May 2023

Amnesty International Report 2022/23, Nepal, March 2023)

2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nepal, by US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, March 2023

South Asia State of Minorities Report 2022 : Weakening Human Rights Commitments
and Its Impact on Minorities. The South Asia Collective, February 2023

Nepal’s Social Protection System Reinforces Inequality: Expand the Child Grant; Include Informal Workers, by HRW, 1 February 2023

Media, Elections and Human Rights : A Study on Media Coverage of Elections from Human Rights Perspectives, by Media Action Nepal, 2023

Nepal: Events of 2022, HRW World Report 2023

GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS (GANHRI).
Report and Recommendations of the Session of the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA)
Geneva, 03 - 07 October 2022

State of Gender Equality and Climate Change in South Asia and the Hindu Kush Himalaya, by ICIMOD et al., 29 September 2022

What German Football Can Do to Remedy Abuses in Qatar : Football Association Pledges to Press FIFA to Compensate Migrant Workers, by David Fischer, HRW (12 August 2022)

Nepal: Amend Transitional Justice Bill : New Draft Falls Short of Promised Reforms to Protect Victims’ Rights. Statement by AI, HRW, ICG and TRIAL, 22 July 2022

Custodial deaths in Nepal : Towards a Framework for
Investigation and Prevention, by Advocacy Forum-Nepal. Kathmandu, 26 June 2022

From Exclusion to Inclusion : Crafting a New Legal Regime in Nepal, by Bipin Adhikari et al. Kathmandu: Social Science Baha 2022

2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nepal. US Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 12 April 2022

The State of the World's Human Rights. Amnesty International’s Annual Report 2021/22, Nepal chapter, March 2022

World Bank. Women, business and the law 2022. Nepal data.

World Report 2022 - Nepal chapter, by Human Rights Watch

Gender Sensitivity in Nepali Media, report by Media Action Nepal, 2022

2020 Civil Society Organization Sustainability Indey for Asia, by USAID, November 2021 (Nepal, pp. 38ff)

Media in Nepal : Safety of Journalists, Sustainability and Gender Inclusiveness, report by Media Action Nepal, 2021

Misleading News in Media : A study of newspapers and online news portals of Nepal, report by Media Action Nepal, 2021

Code of Conduct : Improving conflict sensitive reporting & journalist safety in South Asia, report by Media Action Nepal, 2021

Vulnerability to Human Trafficking in Nepal : From enhanced regional connectivity. World Bank Group, December 2021

COVID-19 pandemic worsens disparities in young children’s development and learning in Nepal : One out of five children developmentally off track, press release bi UNICEF, 19 December 2021 [see also Child and Family Tracker, ECDI Survey, UNICEF, August 2021]

Impacts of protecting life in global health assistance policy in Nepal. Report by CREJHPA, September 2021

Unprepared and Unlawful: Nepal’s Continued Failure to realize the right to health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Briefing paper by International Commission of Jurists, 13 September 2021

Nepal Multidimensional Poverty Index 2021, by NPC et al., 18 August 2021

Violations in the name of conservation : "What crime had I committed by putting my feet on the Land that I own?" Amnesty International, 9 August 2021

Challenges for Dalits in South Asia’s Legal Community. Chapter I: Dalit Justice Defenders in Nepal, by American Bar Association - Center for Human Rights (18/06/2021)

Nepal: "Struggling to breathe".  The second wave of Covid-19 in Nepal, by Amnesty International (14/06/2021)

HRW report “I Must Work to Eat” - Covid-19, Poverty, and Child labor in Ghana, Nepal, and Uganda, by Human Rights Watch (26/05/2021)

South Asia: Urgent action needed to combat deadly COVID-19 surge across region (Amnesty International 13/05/2021)

Youth Anxiety, Aspiration, and Activism: Survey Report, by Niti Foundation and ILO, April 2021

Nepal Child Labour Report 2021, by International Labour Organisation and Central Bureau of Statistics, Nepal

Nepal 2020. Excerpt from Amnesty International Report 2020/21 (07/04/021)

2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nepal. US Department of State, 30 March 2021

Nepal Human Rights Year Book 2021, by INSEC, Kathmandu 2021

Annual Report 2020, by NHRC. Lalitpur, February 2020

Nepal: Human Rights Commission’s Integrity in Jeopardy : Lack of Transparency in Appointments Undermine Effectiveness, Public Confidence, common statement by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Commission of Jurists, 1 March 2021

World Report 2021 : Nepal - Events of 2020, by Human Rights Watch, January 2021

Report on Employment Relationship Survey in Nepal. UNICEF, January 2021

Nepal Human Development Report 2020, UNDP and NPC, 13/12/2020

The Government of Nepal has been using the Covid-19 Pandemic to Exercise Control, to Commit Human Rights Violations and to Deny Justice to Victims of Human Rights Abuses, by AHRC, 09/12/2020

राष्ट्रिय मानव अधिकार आयोगको वार्षिक प्रतिवेदन (२०७६–२०७७), National Human Rights Commission, 07/12/2020

No Law, No Justice, No State for Victims : The Culture of Impunity in Post-Conflict Nepal. Report by Human Rights Watch. 20/11/2020

Nepal : Justice stalled for conflict victims. Amnesty International submission for the UN universal periodic review, 37th session of the UPR working group, January 2021 (Amnesty International 23/10/2020)

आयोगको २० वर्ष आयोगका सिफारिशहरु र कार्यान्वयन अवस्था (२०५७ जेठ–२०७७ असार), National Human Rights Commission, 15/10/2020

The NHRI Nepal Joint Submission for The Third Cycle Universal Periodic Review of Nepal, 2020. Submitted by National Human Rights Commission, National Women Commission and National Dalit Commission, March 24, 2020 (revised 07/09/2020)

Child & Family Tracker: Tracking the Socio-Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Children and Families in Nepal. Baseline Findings, by UNICEF Nepal and Sharecast, August 2020 (Powerpoint presentation)

Costing Study on Early Childhood Education and
Development (ECED) in Nepal: A Case for Investment in ECED, by UNICEF Nepal and The World Bank, 2020