Legal prohibition on cow-slaughter in Nepal infringes indigenous peoples’ rights, UN experts told

Two Nepali non-governmental organizations have submitted an urgent communication to UN rights experts informing that legal prohibition on cow-slaughter in Nepal infringes indigenous peoples’ right to freedom of religion and cultural rights and threatens the secularity of the Nepali state.

Lawyers' Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples and National Coalition Against Racial Discrimination sent in the joint communication on Friday to four UN Special Rapporteurs on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression the Field of Cultural Rights, and the Freedom of Religion or Belief.

“The communication is submitted to raise the issue of the continued prosecution of indigenous peoples under Nepal’s law against cow-slaughter—a law deeply rooted and wholly justified by Hindu (and therefore non-secular principles) and one which historically has been used to carry out the State’s forced cultural assimilation of indigenous peoples and to forge a homogenous identity for Nepali citizens,” the NGOs write.

कांक्रेविहारमा बुद्धको मूर्ति राख्न नदिई धार्मिक तथा सांस्कृतिक अधिकार उल्लङ्घन गरेको भन्दै आदिवासीद्वारा राष्ट्रसंघमा उजुरी

१४ असोज २०७०

सरकारले  सुर्खेतको कांक्रेविहारमा बुद्धको मूर्ति राख्न नदिएर आदिवासी जनजातिका धार्मिक तथा सांस्कृतिक अधिकार उल्लङ्घन गरेको सम्बन्धमा आदिवासी जनजातिका संस्थाहरुले संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघमा उजुरी दिएका छन् ।

आदिवासीका अधिकारसम्बन्धि, सांस्कृतिक अधिकारका क्षेत्रमा तथा धार्मिक स्वतन्त्रतासम्बन्धि संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघका समाधिक्षकहरुलाई सोमबार पठाइएको अत्यन्त जरूरी पत्राचारमा लाहुर्निपसहित आदिवासी जनजाति र बौद्ध संघसंस्थाका प्रतिनिधिहरुले सो उजुरी गरेका हुन् । उजुरीमा ११ जेठ २०७०मा बुद्ध जयन्तीको अवसरमा बुद्धमूर्ति स्थापनार्थ निकालिएको झाँकीमा प्रहरीले गरेको हस्तक्षेपसहित बुद्धमूर्ति स्थापनामा सरकारले गरेका अवरोधहरु व्याख्या गरिएको छ । उक्त हस्तक्षेपमा प्रहरीको निर्मम कुटाईबाट ५३ जना घाइते भएको वा तिनको धनमाल लुटिएको थियो ।

मन्त्रिपरिषद् अध्यक्षसहित सम्बन्धित निकायका प्रतिनिधिहरुसँग पटकपटक भेट गरी मौखिक तथा लिखित उजुरी दिनुका साथै विभिन्न बिरोधका कार्यक्रमहरु गरे तापनि सरकारबाट विवाद समाधानको लागि कुनै पहल नभएको र उल्टै कुनै हालतमा कांक्रेविहारमा बुद्धको मूर्ति राख्न नदिने भन्दै अप्रत्यक्ष धम्की दिइएको उजुरीमा उल्लेख गरिएको छ । यसबाट आदिवासी जनजातिका धार्मिक तथा सांस्कृतिक अधिकारका साथै अन्तरिम संविधानमा प्रत्याभूत गरिएको धर्मनिरपेक्षताको सिद्धान्तसमेत उल्लङ्घन भएको भनिएको छ ।

कांक्रेविहारमा  बुद्ध मूर्ति प्रतिस्थापन गर्न अनुमति दिई आदिवासी जनजातिका धार्मिक तथा सांस्कृतिक अधिकार उल्लङ्घन रोक्न र तिनका अधिकारको सम्मान गर्न नेपाल सरकारलाई सिफारिस गर्न उजुरीकर्ताहरुले संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघका समाधिक्षकहरुलाई अनुरोध गरेका छन् । साथै नेपाल सरकारलाई आदिवासी जनजातिका अधिकार सम्मान गराउन संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघ तथा अन्य सम्बन्धित संस्थाहरुले सहजीकरण गर्न सिफारिस गर्न पनि अनुरोध गरिएको छ ।

उजुरीको मस्यौदा खस नेपाली भाषामा पढ्न यहाँ क्लिक गर्नुहोस् ।

Source: LAHURNIP

Indigenous peoples submit complaint to the UN on violations of religious and cultural rights in Surkhet

1 October 2013

Indigenous peoples’ organizations have submitted a complaint to the United Nations concerning the violations of religious and cultural rights of indigenous peoples due to denial of installation of Buddha idol in Kakre Bihar, a monastery in Surkhet district of mid-western Nepal.

Representatives of indigenous peoples’ and Buddhist organizations, on Monday, emailed the complaint in an urgent communication to the UN Special Rapporteurs on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in the field of cultural rights and on freedom of religion or belief. The complaint details obstructions by the Government to install the idol even after fulfilling all necessary procedures, including police intervention on the rally taken out on 25 May 2013 for installing the idol. More than 50 devotees were reportedly injured or looted of their belongings in the brutal police assault.

Despite holding number of meetings with the concerned authorities, including Chairperson of the Council of Ministers and peaceful protest programs, the Government has not taken any measure to resolve the dispute. Rather there has been indirect threat to prevent installing idol in the area at any cost. This has violated religious and cultural rights of the indigenous peoples as well as the principle of secularism as declared in the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007.

The complainants have requested the Special Rapporteurs to recommend the Government to permit installation of idol in the area, halt violations of and respect religious and cultural rights of indigenous peoples. Further, they have urged the Rapporteurs to recommend the United Nations and other concerned agencies to facilitate the Government to respect those rights.

Click here to read the complaint

Source: LAHURNIP