At the beginning of 2006, pro-democracy political parties and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) intensified their confrontation with the King and army. Mass arrests, severe restrictions on freedom of movement, country-wide strikes and protests culminated in what became known as the People’s Movement 2. This forced the King to relinquish absolute power and restore Parliament in April.
A new Government was announced on 28 April and an indefinite unilateral ceasefire with the CPN-M followed suit. Negotiations began to bring the ten-year insurgency by the Maoists to an end. At the end of November, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed. This foresaw the establishment of a new Interim Government with the participation of all sides to the conflict. In December, an interim Constitution was promulgated, and elections for a Constituent Assembly have been scheduled for mid-2007.
The Citizenship Law was amended and now provides for the acquisition of Nepali Citizenship on the basis of birth and permanent residency. While most stateless people are included, refugees are apparently not viewed 384 UNHCR Global Report 2006 as permanently residing in the country and are not yet subject to this provision.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement also foresaw the demobilization of Maoist fighters under United Nations supervision. With the cessation of hostilities, the security and human rights environment improved significantly. However, at the end of the year, another challenge emerged for the Government in the Terai region bordering India, where the Madhesi community and other groups launched a popular movement to protest their marginalization in national life and called for autonomy. Furthermore, though freedom of movement has improved in the country, security conditions at the local level remain unpredictable.
Major Highlights of 2006:
- In July, the Government of Nepal and UNHCR reached agreement on a census of refugees in camps in the country.
- UNHCR assisted more than 3,300 Tibetans in transit through Nepal, including approximately 2,400 new arrivals.
- The Office protected and assisted some 350 refugees and asylum-seekers in Kathmandu, including 200 new arrivals, and found durable solutions for them where possible.
- In the first such case, 16 extremely vulnerable refugees were resettled in third countries.
- UNHCR supported the search for solutions for the estimated 100,000 to 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nepal.
- The Office prepared for a comprehensive study on statelessness to be carried out in 2007.
#Refugees #AsylumSeekers #UNHCR
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Publisher:
UNHCR
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(2007
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Type / Script:
Annual Report
in English
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Keywords:
REFUGEES, MIGRANTS, BHUTANESE, BHUTAN, MYANMAR REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS, DISPLACED PERSONS, REFUGEE ASSISTANCE, REFUGEE CAMPS, REFUGEE LAW, REFUGEE PLACEMENT, REFUGEE PROTECTION, REFUGEE STATUS, REFUGEE-RECEIVING COUNTRIES, RESETTLEMENT POLICY
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Thematic Group:
UNHCR
:
Refugees and Migration
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Thesaurus:
01.00.0A
- Political And Legal Questions
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Reference Link:
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