Nepal Protest Letter

His Majesty
King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Narayanhity Royal Palace
Durbar Marg
Kathmandu
Nepal

Fax +977 14 41 35 77

our ref Nepal.Pro.2 04.06

date: 13 April 2006

contact: Sam Gurney

direct line: 0207 467 1395

email: sgurney@tuc.org.uk

Your Majesty

Arrests and Violent Repression of Strikes

I am writing to convey the deep concern of the Trades Union Congress of Great Britain, representing 6 5 million members in 66 trades unions, at the recent violent crackdown by your police forces of the general strike which had been called for by the Seven Parties Alliance (SPA), a wide ranging political coalition which includes the three national trade union confederations, the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), the General Federation of Trade Unions (GEFONT), and the Democratic Confederation of Nepalese Trade Unions (DECONT). At the time of writing we understand that over 250 trade union leaders and activists reportedly remain in detention.

The general strike was scheduled to last from 6 to 9 April, but was prolonged by the SPA in response to the excessive violence used by your police troops. Immediately after the strike was called for, your government issued a ban on rallies and public gatherings. On 4 April, Surya Mohan Subedi, Nar Bahadur and Gyanendra Kunwar, all from the General Federation of Trade Unions (GEFONT), were arrested. In Biratnagar, 16 people were seriously injured after the police attacked their rally. One of them died later, despite of being transferred to a hospital.

According to information supplied to us, on 6 April, eight trade union officials were arrested: Lalit Basnet, GEFONT Vice-Chairperson and Member of Parliament; Rajendra Bastakoti, Hetauda District President, and Mohan Sing Moktan, Vice-President of the Federation of Agriculture Workers (FAWN); Lila Bahadur Dahal and Raj Kumar Lama from the Nepal Street Vendors' Union (NEST); Narayan Adhilkary from the Nepal Independent Chemical and Iron Workers' Union (NICWU); Raju Acharya from the National Federation of Informal Sector Workers (CUPPEC); and Purna Shrestha from the GEFONT Zonal Office.

On 7 April, the second day of the strike, about 100 people were arrested, six of whom are GEFONT members. On 8 April, Devi Prasad Phuyal (NEST) was brutally beaten by the police and had to be taken to hospital. On 9 April, Chet Badur Magar, Security Guard at the GEFONT Headquarters, was relentlessly beaten and badly injured by the police. He also had to be taken to hospital.

Anjan Shrestha, NTUC member, who suffered an eye injury upon his arrest; Ganesh Pandey, Secretary of the NTUC Yatayat Mazdoor Sangh Center, arrested on 11 April; Hari Raj Poudel, Ex-President of the Nepal Teachers' Union (NTU), Chitwan District, who was arrested on 9 April, together with five other district officials; Manju Bhattarai, NTUC member, arrested on 9 April; Dilla Ram Bhusal, Kathmandu District Secretary of the Nepal Tourism and Hotel Workers' Union (NTHWU), arrested on 9 April; Umesh Mishra, NTUC member, arrested on 9 April; Uttam Tiwari, Sunsari District Secretary of the Nepal Factory Labour Congress (NFLC), who suffered a head injury upon his arrest on 9 April; Hem Bahadur Banjara, Kaski District President of the Agricultural Workers' Union (AWU), who was illtreated and severely injured by the police upon his arrest, and has been transferred to a hospital later on; Tikaram Kandel, Nepal Financial Institute Employees' Union (NFIEU) member ; and Radheshyam Pathak, NTUC Nawalparasi District President, who was arrested on 10 April; Nara Bahadur Khatri, President of the Nepal Independent Food & Beverage Workers' Union (NIFBWU); and Baikuntha Humangain, NEST member.

Your Majesty, the TUC and wider global trade union movement is extremely concerned about the further deterioration of the political situation in Nepal, especially about the arbitrary detentions and the disproportionate use of violence by your police and soldiers to restrict peaceful rallies and demonstrations. We condemn this violence, which has already cost several lives, as well as the arrests of trade union officials, who are only exercising their legitimate right to freedom of association, as guaranteed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 87. Although your country did not ratify this convention, it has an obligation, through its ILO membership, to enforce respect for the principles enshrined in it.

I urgently call on you to take the necessary measures in order to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all the trade union officials and other activists that remain in detention. I also urge you to refrain from the use of violence when dealing with peaceful demonstrators.

Yours sincerely

Brendan Barber

General Secretary

c.c. Mr Ian Pearson MP, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

HE Mr Prabel S J B Rana, Royal Nepalese Embassy