Kathmandu-based Western ambassadors conveyed this message to the Maoist leadership recently after media reported that Agni Sapkota, who faces a human rights violation charge, was one possible Maoist pick for ministers in the Jhalanath Khanal government. [break]
“As media recently reported that Sapkota was a probable Maoist minister, Western ambassadors met Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to convey their message that anyone becoming a minister from his party should have a clean human rights record,” a diplomatic source privy to the meeting told Republica.
Dahal had assured the visiting envoys that he would take their concerns seriously.
As the names of would-be Maoist ministers came out on Thursday, some Western embassies were busy checking their human rights records.
“We will not accept persons with a questionable human rights past,” one Western diplomat had told a meeting of human rights defenders last week.
According to another diplomatic source, as news about Sapkota becoming a minister came out, one European ambassador even sent a text message to someone close to Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal, voicing his expectation that the prime minister would appoint only those who have not come under question.
Sapkota has been accused in the murder of one Arjun Lama during the conflict period, and the Supreme Court in 2008 ordered the authorities to file a criminal case. The court order is yet to be implemented.
The human rights community is equally concerned over possible appointment of human rights violators as ministers.
“We demand that those implicated should not be given such responsibility,” said Sushil Pyakurel, a former member of the National Human Rights Commission.
Subodh Pyakurel, chairman of INSEC, a human rights NGO, told Republica last week that he has asked the prime minister not to appoint human rights violators to his cabinet.
But Surya Thapa, the prime minister´s press advisor, said the party involved should take this concern into consideration while recommending names for ministers.
“The prime minister will have little discretion to stop such a person from becoming minister if the party concerned recommends that person,” said Thapa.
kiran@myrepublica.com
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