 Speakers at an interaction programme organized in Pokhara on 23 August 2006 stressed that the government should immediately ratify the International Criminal Court (ICC) to end impunity and minimize crimes against humanity.
Participants at an interaction programme, 'International Criminal Court: Ratification and Implementation' organized by INSEC, western regional office Pokhara, stressed that ICC should be immediately ratified for national welfare and ending impunity. Speaking as Chief Guest of the programme, Thakur Prasad Sharma, Judge, Appeallate Court, Pokhara, said it was necessary to ratify ICC as it would not affect the jurisdiction of the national court and end impunity by minimizing crime against humanity. Stating that criminal activities undertaken by senior officials for vested interest and prolonging their regime fall under the jurisdiction of ICC, Sharma said that victim can directly file application at UN once the ICC is ratified by the government. Adding that some powerful countries have not ratified ICC fearing of loosing their power, he said ICC can take action against anybody promoting impunity. He therefore voiced the necessity of ratifying ICC.
Another speaker, human rights activists Tek Nath Baral was of view that ICC should be ratified gaining full authority to take action against crimes against humanity.
However, Maoist district secretary Karan showed concern on the directive proposal passed by the House of Representative on ICC and said that it was time to move ahead in a new way through dialogues.
Advocate Tilak Acharya had presented the concept paper on the topic of the programme.
Commenting on the concept paper, Agni Thapaliya, registrar at the Appeallate Court Pokhara, said that as ratifying ICC would not create environment to punish the suppressors of the Jana Andolan, there was no immediate attraction on ICC. Another commnetor sub-Attorney General Yubraj Subedi said that taking all the criminal cases to ICC would challenge the existance of national court, so it was necessary that problem unsolved by the national judicial mechanisms only is taken to the ICC.
District vice-secretary of CPN UML Shreenath Baral kept his view that the head of state involved in national crime should be trialed before ICC immediately after its ratification. In the programme, Shoviat Bahadur Adhikari, president, Nepali Congress (Democratic), Kaski; Gangadhar Parajuli, central vice-president, Federation of Nepalese Journalist; Rabindra Banstola, president, FNJ, Kaski; Prakash Thapa, DSP, Armed Police; Khagraj Acharya, president, Human Rights Organization of Nepal, Kaski; Milan Shrestha, National Human Rights Commission, western regional office; Bishnu Baral, president, Civil Society Enhancement Council; Bijaya Subedi, secretary, woman section, GEFONT; Sarita Timilsina, HRERLIC, Kaski and adovocates Bhawsagar Subedi, Bhupnidhi Pant, Ram Prasad Ghimire, Bishwa Ghimire, Fanindraraj Koirala and Gyaneshwor Parajuli stressed that persons involved in crime against humanity should be punished as per the law and that the law remains the same for all.
In the programme chaired by Jivanta Wagle, regional coordinator, INSEC, western regional office, Pokhara, Ganesh Shrestha of same office had given welcome remarks. The programme that saw participation of 70 persons was moderated by Laxman Dutt Pant, documentation officer at INSEC, Pokhara.
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