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12 April, 2006
For the urgent attention of His Majesty
King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Narayanhity Royal Palace
Durbar Marg
Kathmandu
Nepal
By fax: +977 14 413577 and +977 14 228235
Brussels, 12 April 2006
King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev,
I am writing, in name of the 20 million members that the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) represents in 122 countries worldwide, to protest in the strongest possible terms against the violent response by your security forces to this week’s many demonstrations in Nepal. I particularly object to the brutal repression against numerous trade union members and leaders in your country.
Over the course of the past week, as your regime’s oppression of the Nepalese democratization movement has become more aggressive, we have been informed of the arrests of many hundreds of protesters and democracy supporters, including scores of trade unionists. Most of these took part in protest actions against your government. Others did not even get that far as they were arrested in anticipation to prevent them from doing so.
Estimates are that 2,300 people were arrested yesterday alone, with at least an additional 1,300 still held in detention since Monday. Amongst these detainees are many members and leaders of GEFONT, NTUC and DECONT, as well as of at least one of ICEM’s affiliates in Nepal, the Nepal Independent Chemical and Iron Workers’ Union (NICIWU).
Together with the wider international trade union community and hundreds of other organizations and countries from around the world, I am calling upon you to end the violence by your security forces in Nepal. In addition, all trade union leaders and members that have been arrested over the last few days, weeks and months must be released immediately.
Yours sincerely,
Fred Higgs
General Secretary
Cc:
Mr. Ramesh Nath Pandey, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Narayan S. Thapa, Ambassador of Nepal to the Benelux and European Countries - By Fax: 02-344.13.61