An Appeal For Solidarity And Support

URGENT: Women Human Rights Defender Disfigured and Murdered

The National Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders (NAWHRDs) requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Nepal.

Introduction:

NAWHRDs is shocked and appalled about murder of Ms. Uma Singh, journalist of Radio Today FM and a member of Women Human Rights Defender Network, Dhanusha and a resident of Ward Rajyoula Village Development Committee of Janakpur Municipality in Dhanusha district. She was severely mutilated by a group of armed men and later died on the way to a hospital in Kathmandu.

On 11 January, 2008 around 7:45 PM, around 15 group of armed unidentified group entered her residence and attacked her with sharp weapons. Her entire body was disfigured and left to die. She was taken to the district hospital in serious condition. Later, she died on her way to the hospital in Kathmandu.

She was an active journalist and a Women Human Rights Defender working on the issues of human rights and women's human rights. Her tool of advocacy was through the radio from where she raised the issue of Violence Against Women in the community and spoke about it openly with defiance. She was displaced from Siraha district after being affected by Conflict and settled in Dhanusha district.

Dhanusha district lies in the central development region. The respective district has witnessed increasing cases of violence against women. The major trends and patterns of violence are murder, rape and physical battering with numerous cases of dowry based violence.  There has been at least 100 documented cases of Violence Against Women in the past 3 years.

The situation of  Women Human Rights Defenders fighting for injustice towards women and creating support mechanisms for women to access justice also faces threats of all forms such as Murder, Attacks against Personhood and Reputation, threats (such as death threats, warnings, psychological harassment, Attacks and Intimidation of office staff and family members).

The After Effects:

The NAWHRDs has been informed by the WHRD district network, Dhanusha that they have started their campaign demanding an urgent intervention of the government to conduct an investigation into the murder of Ms. Uma Singh and that the government should guarantee security of WHRDS ".

The state is accountable to ensure women's human rights. It is a gross violation of human rights when a woman faces domestic violence to such an extent that it leads to death. It is even worse when there is a creating of such an atmosphere where women fighting for the rights of the other women are unsafe and insecure and their security is not guaranteed.

This example is a clear indication of the rampant culture of impunity and it is very sad that the state mechanisms have failed to protect and promote human rights of all citizens. There is no rule of law, the state structures is a complete façade and it lacks accountability.

CALL TO ACTION:

Please write to the names of the following persons given requesting that:

1. Demand the authorities to proper investigation of the incident and the steps to penalize the perpetrator;

2.  To engage with the National Human Rights Commission Nepal, Government of Nepal and   Office of the High Commission of Human Rights Nepal to ensure that the due process of law is respected;

3.  Stop intimidation and harassment of other Women Human Rights Defenders who are fighting for Justice;

4.  Immediate assurance that the Women Human Rights Defenders do not face violence and threats ;

5.  Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human  Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially its Article 9 that states that Right to Remedy/Justice for violation of Rights;

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal

Prime Minister's office
Singha Durbar
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: + 977 1-4428220

2.Mr. Bam Dev Gautam
Home Minister
Singha Darbar
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Fax: +977 1 4211232
Email: moha [at] wlink [dot] com [dot] np

3. Mr. Janardan Sharma

Minister for Peace and Reconstruction
Peace Secretariat
Singh Durbar,
Kathmandu, Nepal.
Fax: +977 1 4211186 and 4211173
E-mail: info [at] peace [dot] gov [dot] np

4.Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare

Singha Durbar
Kathmandu, Nepal
Fax: 977-1-4241516
E-mail: mowcsw [at] ntc [dot] net [dot] np

5. Ms. Nainkala Thapa

Chairperson
National Women's Commission
Bhadrakali Plaza
Kathmandu, Nepal
Fax: 977-1-4256783
E-mail: nwc [at] htp [dot] com [dot] np

6. Mr. Kedar Nath Udadhaya

Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission ( Headquarter - Kathmandu)

Harihar Bhawan, Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal
G.P.O. Box: 9182, Kathmandu, Nepal
Fax: +977-1-5547973
E-mail: nhrc [at] nhrcnepal [dot] org

7. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal ( OHCHR)

Museum Road, Chhauni, G.P.O. Box 24555, Kathmandu
Telephone +977 1 4280164, 4280326, 4280542
Fax +977 1 4670712, 4670713, 4671256 (security)
Email registry [dot] np [at] ohchr [dot] org (registry [dot] np [at] ohchr [dot] org)Spokesperson Marty Logan. mlogan [at] ohchr [dot] org

8.  Mr. Richard Bennet

Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal ( OHCHR)

Museum Road, Chhauni, G.P.O. Box 24555, Kathmandu
Fax: 977 1 4670712, 4670713

 9. Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ( Prachanda)

Chairman Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
Lalitpur
Nepal
Fax: 977-1- 4784045 

10. Mr. Jhala Nath Khanal

Member Secretary
Nepal Communist Secretary ( UML)
Fax: Fax: 9771-1 425184, 4112241 

11. Mr. Lilamani Pokharel

Janamorcha Nepal
Kathmandu
Nepal
Fax: 977-1- 4251841

12. Ms. Margaret Sekaggya

Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Att: Melinda Ching Simon
Room 1-040, c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 93 88
Fax: +41 22 917 9006
E-mail: MChingSimon [at] ohchr [dot] org

13. Ms. Yakin Erturk

Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women
Room 3-042
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9615
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN)

14. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women

c/o Division for the Advancement of Women, Department of Economic and Social Affairs

United Nations Secretariat
2 United Nations Plaza
DC-2/12th Floor
New York, NY 10017
United States of America
Fax: 1-212-963-3463

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Jyotsna Maskay
Executive Director
Programme Coordinator for  Women Human Rights Defenders Campaign
WOREC
P. O. Box 13233
Balkumari, Lalitpur
Nepal
Phone: 977-1-5006373/74,
Fax: 977-1-5006271
Email: worec [dot] whrd [at] gmail [dot] com
Website: http://www.worecnepal.org/