Arrests of Ex Ministers Under Existing Acts Unwarranted: ACHR

The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) today urged the government not to misuse the Public Safety Act and the Public Offences Act against former ministers and uphold the rule of law.

This comes in the wake of the arrests of five former ministers Kamal Thapa, Ramesh Nath Pandey, Shrish Shumsher Rana, Tanka Dhakal, and Nikshya Shumsher Rana yesterday.

“While the dismissal of Inspector General of the Nepal Police, Shyam Bhakta Thapa, Inspector General of the Armed Police Force, Shahabir Thapa, and NID head, Devi Ram Sharma is indispensable to prevent destruction, tampering of evidence and misuse of official powers, the arrest of the ministers under the Public Safety Act is unwarranted,” Suhas Chakma, director of ACHR, said in a press statement today. “The government should have waited for the decision of justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi Commission of Inquiry before making any arrest of the former ministers for alleged violations of human rights."

“The Public Safety Act and the Public Offences Act are instruments of the monarchy of Nepal that have been consistently used to suppress the pro-democracy uprisings. However, the democratic governments of Nepal failed to repeal these draconian acts and are presently using the same acts,” the statement said.

"The Inquiry Commission must bear in mind that all the illegal acts and human rights violations have been done under the leadership of King Gyanendra as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers and investigate the chain of command accordingly,” Chakma said in the statement.