Post by 1949 on Nov 21, 2004 15:12:18 GMT -5
Statement of the Provisional Organising Committee (Europe)
WORLD PEOPLE'S RESISTANCE MOVEMENT
Call for Urgent Action:
New Moves by the Indian State Place the Life of Nepalese Revolutionary Leader
Comrade Gaurav (Chandra Prakash Gajurel) in Increased Danger
On August 20, 2003, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), and a member of its political bureau, Chandra Prakash Gajurel, known to millions of people in Nepal and South Asia as Comrade Gaurav, was arrested by the Indian authorities as he attempted to travel from India to Europe. Since 1996 the CPN (M) has been leading a People's War that has been sweeping through Nepal. The purpose of Comrade Gaurav's trip was to build support in the battle against imperialist intervention in his country and to explain his party's position in the peace talks with the government which were taking place at that time. At the time of his arrest the Indian government claimed he was being held for using a forged passport. Although in India such a charge is considered a relatively minor offence and is usually resolved quickly by paying a fine, Comrade Gaurav has been held in jail for over a year in the city of Chennai without a formal "charge sheet" being filed by the prosecutor and with no trial date being set. During all this time the threat that India would turn Comrade Gaurav over to the hands of the Nepali regime where he would face almost certain torture and very likely death has hung over his head.
Essentially he has been used as a political hostage by the Indian government in its efforts to save the regime of the reactionary monarchy in Kathmandu which has been a loyal servant of Indian interests for decades. In the last year the Indian government has become especially worried because the revolution Comrade Gaurav is helping to lead and which clearly enjoys the support of the vast majority of the population has succeeded in liberating 80% of Nepal's territory and people. The response of the Indian government has been to send millions of dollars of military equipment to the Royal Army of Nepal and to unleash a wave of political repression aimed at the 8 million Nepalese living in India and especially any suspected of supporting the People's War. Dozens of Nepalese revolutionaries have been arrested by the Indian authorities and then, in violation of Indian and international law, summarily turned over to the Nepali regime where they have been further abused, tortured and even murdered.
The most notorious example of such treatment is the case of Matrika Yadav and Suresh Ale Magar, two leaders of the CPN (M) who were arrested in India on Feb. 8, 2004 and then deported to Nepal without any proper legal proceedings whatsoever. At first the Nepali regime denied any knowledge of their whereabouts. Then on Feb. 26 Nepalnews.com reported that a representative of the Royal Army admitted at a press conference that both where in the custody of the army but refused to disclose the location where they were being held. This refusal raised great concern that both were being subjected to torture. Now, on Oct. 30, 2004, Nepalnews.com has reported that the Supreme Court of Nepal has recently ordered the government to reveal the whereabouts of both since such secret arrest without charge is in violation of Nepalese law. According to Nepalnews.com, "The government in its response to the court has claimed that no security agencies have been ordered to detain the rebel leaders." Further the government is claiming that it has "no information regarding the detention of Yadav and Ale Magar." The danger is great that both have been "disappeared". This is especially so when one considers that Amnesty International reported that in 2003 more people were disappeared by the Nepalese regime than by any other government in the world.
In light of all this, recent moves by the Indian government now point to an increased and urgent danger to Comrade Gaurav's life. According to the lawyers representing Comrade Gaurav the prosecution has now presented to the court its final report - the charge sheet - and has formally charged Comrade Gaurav with a violation of the Indian Passport Act. Under this act the maximum penalty is two years in prison or a fine. This opens a number of possibilities for what will happen next. Since Comrade Gaurav has already served over a year in prison, it is possible will release him without further punishment, sentence him to serve the remaining part of the two years or release him on payment of a fine. However, none of these possibilities are likely to lead to his freedom. This is because the Indian authorities have already made clear that upon being released from jail they intend to transport him to the Indian state of West Bengal where he has already been formally charged with two counts of "attempting to wage war against India". Another senior CPN (M) leader, Comrade Kiran (Mohan Baidhya), who was arrested while in India to undergo urgently needed treatment for cataracts is already being held there under the same charges. The Indian government claims that because the CPN (M) has expressed political support for revolutionary parties and organisations in India that all the members of the CPN (M) are "guilty" for any acts carried out by revolutionary organisations in India. This argumentation makes more than obvious that these new charges are politically motivated and have no factual basis. Their only role is to provide the Indian government with a "legal" excuse to continue to hold Comrades Gaurav and Kiran hostage. What is even more dangerous is that after being "convicted" the danger that Comrades Gaurav and Kiran could be extradited or deported to Nepal will increase.
The World People's Resistance Movement calls on chapters and supporters of the WPRM as well as progressive people around the world to take immediate action to protest these actions by the Indian authorities and to step up the struggle to defeat the plans to extradite Comrades Gaurav and Kiran and other Nepalese prisoners to Nepal, and win their freedom. Act now, as tomorrow could be too late!
October 30, 2004
World People's Resistance Movement (Europe)
www.wprm.org Contact WPRM Europe at: wprm@wprm.org
link
WORLD PEOPLE'S RESISTANCE MOVEMENT
Call for Urgent Action:
New Moves by the Indian State Place the Life of Nepalese Revolutionary Leader
Comrade Gaurav (Chandra Prakash Gajurel) in Increased Danger
On August 20, 2003, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), and a member of its political bureau, Chandra Prakash Gajurel, known to millions of people in Nepal and South Asia as Comrade Gaurav, was arrested by the Indian authorities as he attempted to travel from India to Europe. Since 1996 the CPN (M) has been leading a People's War that has been sweeping through Nepal. The purpose of Comrade Gaurav's trip was to build support in the battle against imperialist intervention in his country and to explain his party's position in the peace talks with the government which were taking place at that time. At the time of his arrest the Indian government claimed he was being held for using a forged passport. Although in India such a charge is considered a relatively minor offence and is usually resolved quickly by paying a fine, Comrade Gaurav has been held in jail for over a year in the city of Chennai without a formal "charge sheet" being filed by the prosecutor and with no trial date being set. During all this time the threat that India would turn Comrade Gaurav over to the hands of the Nepali regime where he would face almost certain torture and very likely death has hung over his head.
Essentially he has been used as a political hostage by the Indian government in its efforts to save the regime of the reactionary monarchy in Kathmandu which has been a loyal servant of Indian interests for decades. In the last year the Indian government has become especially worried because the revolution Comrade Gaurav is helping to lead and which clearly enjoys the support of the vast majority of the population has succeeded in liberating 80% of Nepal's territory and people. The response of the Indian government has been to send millions of dollars of military equipment to the Royal Army of Nepal and to unleash a wave of political repression aimed at the 8 million Nepalese living in India and especially any suspected of supporting the People's War. Dozens of Nepalese revolutionaries have been arrested by the Indian authorities and then, in violation of Indian and international law, summarily turned over to the Nepali regime where they have been further abused, tortured and even murdered.
The most notorious example of such treatment is the case of Matrika Yadav and Suresh Ale Magar, two leaders of the CPN (M) who were arrested in India on Feb. 8, 2004 and then deported to Nepal without any proper legal proceedings whatsoever. At first the Nepali regime denied any knowledge of their whereabouts. Then on Feb. 26 Nepalnews.com reported that a representative of the Royal Army admitted at a press conference that both where in the custody of the army but refused to disclose the location where they were being held. This refusal raised great concern that both were being subjected to torture. Now, on Oct. 30, 2004, Nepalnews.com has reported that the Supreme Court of Nepal has recently ordered the government to reveal the whereabouts of both since such secret arrest without charge is in violation of Nepalese law. According to Nepalnews.com, "The government in its response to the court has claimed that no security agencies have been ordered to detain the rebel leaders." Further the government is claiming that it has "no information regarding the detention of Yadav and Ale Magar." The danger is great that both have been "disappeared". This is especially so when one considers that Amnesty International reported that in 2003 more people were disappeared by the Nepalese regime than by any other government in the world.
In light of all this, recent moves by the Indian government now point to an increased and urgent danger to Comrade Gaurav's life. According to the lawyers representing Comrade Gaurav the prosecution has now presented to the court its final report - the charge sheet - and has formally charged Comrade Gaurav with a violation of the Indian Passport Act. Under this act the maximum penalty is two years in prison or a fine. This opens a number of possibilities for what will happen next. Since Comrade Gaurav has already served over a year in prison, it is possible will release him without further punishment, sentence him to serve the remaining part of the two years or release him on payment of a fine. However, none of these possibilities are likely to lead to his freedom. This is because the Indian authorities have already made clear that upon being released from jail they intend to transport him to the Indian state of West Bengal where he has already been formally charged with two counts of "attempting to wage war against India". Another senior CPN (M) leader, Comrade Kiran (Mohan Baidhya), who was arrested while in India to undergo urgently needed treatment for cataracts is already being held there under the same charges. The Indian government claims that because the CPN (M) has expressed political support for revolutionary parties and organisations in India that all the members of the CPN (M) are "guilty" for any acts carried out by revolutionary organisations in India. This argumentation makes more than obvious that these new charges are politically motivated and have no factual basis. Their only role is to provide the Indian government with a "legal" excuse to continue to hold Comrades Gaurav and Kiran hostage. What is even more dangerous is that after being "convicted" the danger that Comrades Gaurav and Kiran could be extradited or deported to Nepal will increase.
The World People's Resistance Movement calls on chapters and supporters of the WPRM as well as progressive people around the world to take immediate action to protest these actions by the Indian authorities and to step up the struggle to defeat the plans to extradite Comrades Gaurav and Kiran and other Nepalese prisoners to Nepal, and win their freedom. Act now, as tomorrow could be too late!
October 30, 2004
World People's Resistance Movement (Europe)
www.wprm.org Contact WPRM Europe at: wprm@wprm.org
link