Professionals urge govt to respect rights

Kathmandu, Feb 7-Heads of professional organisations on monday urged the government to free detained politicians, rights activists, lawyers and journalists.

“If people’s freedom cannot be protected despite the Constitution, there is no need to perpetuate the sham democracy in the country,” said president of the Nepal Bar Association (NBA), Shambhu Thapa.

Thapa said that the protest of professionals would continue until the government releases the detainees. “Why does the government want to keep in detention those who were protesting peacefully?” he asked.

Thapa added that the government itself was depicting the nation’s set-up as the worst democracy in the world. He was speaking at a protest programme organised by the Professionals’ Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD) at the NBA office premises.

NBA general secretary Madhav Banskota said that professionals have always wanted peace and democracy and that they would not tolerate the suppression of freedom.

President of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Bishnu Nisthuri said that professionals took to the streets demanding restoration of rights. “If the government won’t respect the rights of the people we will launch more protests,” he added. He urged businessmen to come out clearly against autocracy.

Nepal Medical Association president Dr Sudha Sharma, Teachers’ Unions’ representatives Indra Nepal and Bishnu Prasad Adhikary and Engineers’ Association representative Sagligram Adhikary also warned the government not to detain professionals illegally.