NHRN
Kathmandu, December 8:  The South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) has expressed serious concern at the continued denial of democratic rights to large parts of the South Asian family and called for intensive efforts by national communities, severally and collectively, to secure to all people their right to democracy and justice.
In a press statement issued at the end of its two day regional workshop in Kathmandu on Friday, the SAHR, expressed complete solidarity with the people of Nepal in their heroic struggle to establish a genuinely democratic order and hoped that all the steps needed for the adoption of a new constitution and a complete transition to representative rule will be taken without any delay.
It further said, SAHR executive committee took a serious view of Pakistan's drift further away from the people's ideals of democracy, peace and rule of law and pledged full support to the people, especially lawyers, media community and students in the struggle against authoritarianism and in defense of an independent judiciary, civil liberties and the civil society's right to have a say in governance.
Regarding the Bangladesh context, the human rights group said, the problems in holding elections in that country were also noted with concern, expressing hope that the people's aspirations for a return to rule by elected representatives will soon be realised. SAHR, led by former Indian Prime Minister Indar Kumar Gujral, noted with dismay the rapid erosion of principles of democracy and increasing human rights violations in Sri Lanka. "This has resulted in a culture of absolute impunity of state authorities and non-state actors which has led to large-scale displacement of minority groups and increase in disappearances, abductions and custodial deaths," it said.
SAHR expressed distress at continued conflict and threats to life, security and rule of law in Afghanistan and called for due respect for the people's human rights by all parties concerned. Similarly, SAHR called for speedy democratization, effective guarantees for human rights in Bhutan and a fair settlement of the Bhutanese refugee crisis.
In a wide ranging discussion, the workshop concentrated on ways and means of increasing the electoral role of the economically weaker classes, minorities and women across South Asia. Some other issues discussed during the workshop included minimum institutional guarantees for free and fair elections, the need for states' pro-democracy orientation, transparency of the electoral process, the requisites of an independent election commission, the creation of mechanism for effective projection in elected bodies of pluralist societies and post–election accountability of elected representatives. Human rights activists from Afghanistan , Bangladesh, Bhutan , India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the workshop.(nepalnews)