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14 August, 2005ICEM News release No. 20/2004
The 20-million-member ICEM has called for more global exposure to the pro-democracy mass movement against the absolute monarchy of King Gyanendra in Nepal. The global trade union federation said despite a remote location with barely any international press coverage to the growing insurrection, the royal government in Nepal is trampling human and labour rights on a daily basis.
Binda Pandey, left, arrested on 21 April (photo: Gefont)
Today, 22 April, marks the 22nd consecutive day that thousands of Nepalese citizens have taken to the streets to defy a government ban on protest and mass assembly. Some 4,000 have been arrested, including trade union leaders of GEFONT-the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions-as well as another national union, the Nepal Trade Union Congress.
The political situation grows ever more dangerous as Nepal plunges closer to full martial law with royal authorities declaring riot zones and curfews now for the entirety of Katmandu and Lalitpur cities. The monarchy's troops and security forces have responded to peaceful sit-ins and marches by violently arresting the leaders of the trade union federations and political parties after dispersing mass assemblies with tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges. Those detained are held in crowded facilities, undergoing severe questioning and void of any charges brought upon them.
Binda Pandey, ICEM Vice-President, speaking at
the ICEM Congress in Norway last August
The vast majority of Nepal's populace is seeking an end to the October 2002 proclamation dissolving the country's elected House of Representatives and government, and replacing it with executive powers solely vested in the monarchy. Gyanendra has installed a loyalist as prime minister, Surya Bahadur Thapor.
The list of trade union leaders who in April have been detained and then released a day or two after arrest numbers 30, including ICEM Vice President Binda Pandey who has three times been arrested-once on 10 April, held until 11 April, again on 13 April, and again once more on 21 April. Pandey, who also serves as ICEM Women's Committee vice chair, is an officer of the Nepal Independent Chemical and Iron Workers' Union (NICIWU) and is education secretary of GEFONT.
"Dozens of the demonstrators are being injured and hundreds are being arrested every day," said Pandey. "Mass participation is occurring every day and as that happens, suppression by the authorities grows each day as well."
Besides Pandey, many other trade union leaders have been arrested including GEFONT Secretary General Bishnu Rimal, Vice Chairman Lalit Kumar Basnet, Treasurer Binod Shresthathus far in April been arrested include Secretary General Bishnu Rimal, NICIWU Member Radhika Khanal, ICEM-affiliated Garbage Cleaners' Union Central Member Madan Deula. The top leaders of NTUC including President Laxman Basnet, Deputy General Secretary Prem Singh Bohara, and Vice Presidents Puskar Acharya and Bam Bahadur DC have also been held.
On 18 April, royal authorities arrested 160 journalists who gathered despite a no assembly ban in a Katmandu central square protesting the detention of 70 working journalists who had been rounded up on 16 April.
Five major political parties inside Nepal have unified over the call to reverse the absolute powers of the monarchy. The two major trade union centers, cutting across all segments of work that employ much of Nepal's 24 million populace, also have unified and are in concert with the political coalition seeking an end to the monarchy's abolishment of Nepal's Constitution and its implementation of emergency decrees banning free speech, assembly and other means of peaceful dissent. In a recent joint declaration, the two trade union centers issued a joint plea for "all working people and trade unions in every level for a nationwide go-ahead against this inhumane act of the government which has kicked all norms and limitations of constitution and rule of law."