Mr. Gopal Siwakoti 'Chintan' - a human rights and environmental activist as well as Executive Director of INHURED International and General secretary of National Concern Society (Rashtriya Sarokar Samaj) - was arrested on 14th June 1998 at 15:30 hours from his office. While no arrest warrant was presented nor was the reason for his arrest given, he was taken into custody at the start of National Concern Society's regular Sunday Interaction Program which was to be on the "Suppression of Maoist Insurgency: Its Constitutional and Legal Validity and the Right to Information thereof". This program was organized to inform the general public of the Maoist activities prevailing in several districts of Nepal for last few years and discussing whether or not the actions taken by the minority government headed by Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala are valid from the perspectives of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution Kingdom of Nepal 1990 and those of International Convention on Human Right.
The organizers of the interaction program had invited human right activists, political leaders, concerned officers of His Majesty's Government's Home Ministry as well as the Inspector General of Police to present their views on the issues and events surrounding the Maoist Peoples' War and the counterinsurgency operations by the police. Such interactions have been held in the past on a variety of national issues which are well-attended by MPs, Speakers of Parliament, lawyers, professors and journalists.
Instead of participating in a healthy debate, Kathmandu District Superintendent of Police Mr. Krishna Bahadur Thapa and Deputy Superintendent of Police Madhav Bahadur Thapa came and arrested Mr. Chintan and detained him at the Police office. There was no notice from the Police or Home Ministry that this interaction programme should not be held. The general public that had come to participate in the discussions was also not permitted by the police officers to to enter the program hall.
This is a gross violation by the government of the basic fundamental right: freedom to assemble and express views as well as the right to information as guaranteed by the Constitution. Inhured International and Rashtriya Sarokar Samaj condemn this unlawful and undemocratic action by the Home Ministry and the Police. We ask for the immediate release of Mr.Chintan.
Chandra Mani Adhikari Indu Tuladhar
Secretary Secretary
National Corncern Society INHURED International
Please fax the following for the release of Gopal Shiwakoti Chintan and for upholding the basic norms of human rights guaranteed by the Constitution:
1. Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Fax: 0977-1-227286 (tel: 228555)
2. Hon. Govinda Raj Joshi, Home Minister Fax: 0977-1-240942 (tel: 228031)
3. Mr. Achyut Krishna Kharel, Inspector-General of Police Fax: 0977-1-415593 (tel: 412432)
4. Mr. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Leader, Nepali Congress Fax: 0977-1-227747 (tel: 227217)
5. Hon. Man Mohan Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition, House of Representatives, and Chairman, Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist & Leninist (CPN-UML) Fax: 0977-1-278084 (tel: 278081/278082)
6. Hon. Bam Dev Gautam, MP & Secretary-General, Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist & Leninist (CPN-ML) tel/fax: 223827
7. Hon. Surya Bahadur Thapa, MP & Chairman, National Democratic Party. Fax: 417341 (tel: 423722)
8. Hon. Lokendra Bahadur Chand, MP & Chairman, (New) National Democractic Party Fax: 0977-1-411633 (tel:223044/223089)