Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) Madhesh Province Office launched the Nepal Human Rights Year Book 2023 on 19 February at Janakpurdham in Janakpurdham during a press conference regarding the human rights situation of Madhesh province. According to the data presented, there were 668 victims of human rights violations in abuses in the province, in the year 2022.
The statistics in the book further recorded 41 victims of human rights violations (by state) and 627 victims of human rights abuses in 2022.
According to the recorded cases, two men were killed by the state in the incident of human rights violation, while 45 women and 43 men were killed in the case of human rights abuses.
In the year 2022, a total of 24 women were victims of killing by family members, among which three were in Saptari, four from Sirha, five in Dhanusha, three in Mahottari, two in Sarlahi, two in Rautahat, three in Bara and two in Parsa. Two women, one in Mahottari and one in Rautahat, were killed in incidents relating to dowry. The data recorded 229 victims of rape.
In the cases of human rights violation, There was one (male) victim of a beating, one (female) of torture, nine (male) of injuries, 25 (male) in violation of civil and political rights, and one (male) of threats.
A total of nine women, 74 men, and two queers were victims of the assault. Similarly, there was one victim of inhumane treatment, 11 (female) and four (male) of kidnapping, four (female) and 19 (male) of injuries, and one (female) and one (male) of untouchability.
According to recorded incidents in 2022, 196 girls and four boys were victims of child rights incidents. Among them, two were victims of child marriage, four were victims of child trafficking, one of corporal punishment, one of infanticide, 162 of rape, 27 of sexual abuse, with four boy victims.
In 2022, 211 people were victims of a violation of women’s rights. Out of which, there was one victim of attempted trafficking, 20 of domestic violence, 12 of witchcraft, 77 of polygamy, 67 of rape, 27 of attempted rape, four of sexual abuse, and two of trafficking.
During the event, Rajesh Karna, state president of the Nepal Journalist Federation, said that documentation of human rights-related incidents by INSEC and its annual publication is an important task. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive law to improve the human rights situation in Madhesh province.
Shyam Sunder Yadav, Chairman of Madhesh Province Communications Authority, said that since INSEC personnel are documenting human rights incidents despite various challenges, it is an important task for INSEC to thoroughly study the incident and record it.
Kailash Das, chairman of the Madhesh Pradesh Media Council, referring to the data documentation of INSEC, deemed it to be commendable, and emphasized the need for journalists to present such reports to relevant judicial bodies. He said that there are many such incidents if reported adequately will be crucial in access to justice for the victims.
Rajkumar Mahaseth, Province Chairperson of Advocacy Forum, mentioned that the government should be responsible for recording statistics of crimes, and abuses/ violations of human rights. He further said that it is a commendable act of INSEC to regularly document such incidents and make them public. He emphasized that since the judicial process does not initiate by itself, the concerned bodies should be proactive to provide justice to the victims.
Rekha Jha, President of Women’s Human Rights Protection Network, Dhanusha suggested that male victims of domestic violence, should be documented and advocated for by INSEC, and the human rights situation of citizens of migrant workers should also be included in the Human Rights Yearbook.
Rinku Mishra, a Central Member of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, emphasized that the authorities should be serious about the violation of human rights regarding holding more prisoners than the prison’s capacity.
Kamlesh Thakur, the correspondent of Janakpur Today, suggested that INSEC should advocate minimizing the incidents of torture of prisoners by conducting on-site monitoring of the incidents of torture of detainees in police custody.
Meanwhile, Saptari district representative Manohar Kumar Pokharel was selected as the best district representative of the month from Madhesh province this year.