Government renewed TADO

Kathmandu, April 4-The government on monday renewed the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities Control and Punishment Ordinance (TADO) making it much more draconian than before.

A stringent provision among the added ones provides for treating anyone establishing contact with the Maoists or providing information to them as a terrorist. This is the fifth time that the government renewed the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities Control and Punishment Act that had lapsed in 2004. The ordinance states that those who were accused of having contacted Maoists in the past will now be labelled terrorists.The Ordinance also says that those people who would give direct or indirect financial and physical support to the Maoists or provide them shelter would be labelled terrorists. Earlier TADO did not have this provision.

Now on, those who are accused of sheltering or aiding or providing information to the Maoists will be treated on a par with ‘terrorists’. Another additional provision is that the government can prosecute anyone as co-accused under TADO even if it does not prosecute the main accused. The Ordinance also says that up to three-year jail term would be slapped on the co-accused and life term for the main accused.Section 10(7) of the Ordinance states that anyone obstructing the security forces from searching homes or property would be jailed for a month or fined Rs 500 or could face both.

The ordinance also states that TADO cases would be tried in camera as before, but documents related to the trial would be given to the lawyers of the accused. The government would not prosecute anyone if he or she surrenders to the security forces, but if anyone indulges in terrorist activities after surrendering to the security forces, the government would prosecute him or her for offences he or she had committed before surrender also.