Concern Mounts Over Potential Rights Abuses in Nepal

International concern has been mounting over potential rights abuses in Nepal since King Gyandendra fired his cabinet and cut off communications with the rest of the world two weeks ago

By Kenneth Chan, Wednesday, February 16, 2005

International concern has been mounting over potential rights abuses in Nepal following the Nepalese king's dismissal of the government and declaration of emergency rule suspending civil liberties, including press freedom. Since King Gyandendra fired his cabinet and cut off communications with the rest of the world two weeks ago, foreign leaders have criticized the move and urged the king to return to "a democratic path."

Nepal, best known for its famed Mount Everest, has been in turmoil since 1996 when Maoist rebels began an insurgency to oust the monarchy and install a communist republic in the picturesque nation known as the Land of Everest. So far over 11,000 lives have been lost in the conflict pitting government forces against the Maoists.

According to the Associated Press Gyandendra—who pledged to restore democracy in three years—said he assumed direct rule on Feb. 1 as squabbling parties had failed to bring peace to the impoverished Himalayan nation where the nine-year revolt has become increasingly bloody.

While the recent action taken by Gyandendra has resulted in the suspension of many freedoms—including freedom of the press, the right to assemble peacefully and freedom of speech—mission agencies, such as Gospel for Asia report that the ruling could also affect church services, distribution of Gospel literature and other missionary activities.

"We are especially concerned about our missionaries, students and church leaders there as they continue to share the Good News of Jesus Christ under increasingly difficult conditions," Gospel for Asia President Dr. K.P. Yohannan said Sunday.

Gospel for Asia reportedly has more than 350 missionaries, 200 churches and three Bible colleges in the “mountain kingdom.”

Yohannan said the missionaries working in Nepal are accustomed to restrictions, as any Gospel worker who leads someone to Christ faces the possibility of a six-year prison sentence.

Yet as the "exceptionally bad" situation of Nepal has become even worse after the Feb. 1 coup, Yohannan asked for the Christian community, to continue remembering GFA Nepal missionaries in their prayers, as well as all Christians in the nation.

"As believers all around the world bring these needs before the throne of God, I am convinced that the Good News of Jesus will spread unhindered in this land," Yohannan said.

"Our prayers are with all of the people of Nepal living in fear and uncertainty about their future."

According to a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report, Nepal had "the highest number of new cases of disappearances of any country in the world" in 2004. Meanwhile human rights groups say both the Nepal government and the Maoists commit atrocities, abducting, torturing and killing people.