Amnesty International Nepal along with other human rights organizations Accountability Watch Committee (AWC), Advocacy Forum (AF) and Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP), in collaboration with families of the ‘disappeared’ and survivors of human rights abuses, and with the support of OHCHR-Nepal and other human rights organizations, organized an event Ambulance Action under the slogan ‘Prosecutions Now! Save Justice’ on 17 February in Kathmandu. The aim to invigorate public action through the launch event – themed around ‘dying justice’ – the body of justice was taken by ‘ambulance’ to the Army Headquarters, Office of the Speaker of the Constituent Assembly, Police Headquarters and the Prime Minister’s Residence. The ambulance carried a delegation of survivors and family members who lost loved ones. The delegation presented at each destination a ‘prescription’ of what each authority must do to save justice in Nepal.
Before ambulance departing from the Open Air Theatre, speakers including Richard Benet, the Chief of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, Dharmendra Jha, the President of Federation of Nepalese journalist, human rights defender Sushil Pyakurel and members of victim family addressed the program urging government to take concrete action against perpetrators.
The 17th February 2009 was the 5th anniversary of the arrest and killing of Maina Sunuwar by members of the [Royal] Nepal Army. To date, despite years of fearless campaigning by her mother, Devi Sunuwar, Maina’s killers have not been arrested and prosecuted. Maina’s story is illustrative of thousands who are obstructed from claiming justice, either for themselves as survivors, or for their family members ‘disappeared’ or unlawfully killed. Not only does this perpetuate the pain of the survivors and families but it is killing Nepal’s ailing justice system.
Keshab Sigdel, the Vice-chairperson of AI Nepal represented in the program and delegation on behalf AI Nepal.