June 16, 2015, 6:55 pm Amnesty International (AI) today refuted allegation of its Nepal chapter members over its work on two particular cases in Nepal. “While respecting the opinion of individuals and their right to disagree with it, we refute the accusations,” stated a press note of London-based Amnesty International headquarters.
The nine board members of Amnesty International-Nepal has resigned over the weekend, expressing their dissatisfaction on two cases – murder of Krishna Adhikari and Madhesi activist CK Raut – of Amnesty International.
Stating that Amnesty International has always supported the call for accountability for the killing of Nanda Prasad Adhikari’s son Krishna, and for the thousands of other victims of Nepal’s armed conflict, the statement reads that Amnesty International-Nepal had expressed those concerns through media, campaigning activities and meetings with authorities.
With regard to the case of Madhesi activist CK Raut and his supporters, the international human rights watchdog has said that it had called on the Nepali authorities to respect their rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. “As an independent and non-partisan organisation, Amnesty International is concerned with upholding the human rights of every individual, regardless of their political leanings,” it said, adding that the institution does not imply an endorsement of CK Raut’s political opinions.
The human rights watchdog said that it is saddened by the resignation of the board members over the weekend, but stands by its human rights work in Nepal over the past year.
With Nepal still recovering from the devastating earthquake that struck the country in April, independent human rights monitoring is more important than ever, the statement read, adding that it looks forward to continuing its work to strengthen human rights in the country.
Amnesty International has also emphasised on the work it carried out in relation to Nepal in the past two years including research and campaign on the plight of Nepali migrant workers abroad, the impact of uterine prolapse on hundreds of thousands of Nepali women, accountability for conflict related crimes and human rights issues related to the earthquake.
