Provide security to journalists, rights defenders: NHRC to govt

KATHMANDH: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday has written a letter to Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai expressing its concerns to rising security threat to journalists and human rights defenders.

The rights body worte to the Prime Minister after the journalists and rights activists lodged complaints at the NHRC stating security challenges were increasing on them in the recent days.

“Displacement of the journalists from Dailekh some days ago, thrashing Kavre-based journalists while reporting, issuing threat to journalists and the incidents of cases filed by the rights activists in the NHRC have proved the pathetic condition of journalists and rights activists in Nepal,” the letter states written to the Prime Minister.

The NHRC has also said that such incidents were disappointing in a democratic system as the Human Rights Declaration, 1948, Nepal’s Interim Constitution-2063 B.S and many other international conventions have guaranteed such rights to the people.

The NHRC has urged the government to improve the situation of human rights in the country by ending anarchy.