Major Activities (June 1996 – 1998)

  • June 1,1996. HURPES was established. A well attended press conference to launch the organization, received wide media coverage. In attendance were many journalists as well as Representatives of many major Human Rights Organizations.
  •  June 11, 1996. HURPES organized a demonstration in Katmandu, against nuclear testing conducted by China. Due to police interference and mass arrests of HURPES members the demonstration was not completed. The members were not charged and were released the same day.
  •  June 18, 1996. HURPES organized a demonstration in Kathmandu, to protest the arrest and subsequent torture by Indian authorities of Bhutanese refugee peace marchers in India. Submitted a memorandum to the Indian Prime Minister through the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.
  • August 1996. Demonstration organized in Kathmandu demanding ratification of Second optional protocol to the ICCPR, aiming to abolish death penalty in Nepal.
  •  August 6, 1996. Organized a talk program on "Human Rights are Women's Rights"
  •  August 13, 1996. A talk program on "Human Rights in the Context of 21st Century" was held and presided over by Ross Daniels , the then chair of Amnesty International, International Executive committee .
  • August 1996. Annual General Meeting of HURPES  Chitwan district.
  • September 1996. Annual General Meeting of HURPES  Nawalparasi district .
  • October 1996. Annual General Meeting of HURPES  Kaski district .
  • October 1996. Annual General Meeting of HURPES  Bardiya district.
  • November 1996. Annual General District meeting held in the Kathmandu district.
  • November 26, 1996. Press conference held to launch a HURPES campaign against torture.
  • November 27,1996. Discussion program with representatives of various political parties in Kathmandu.
  • December 5,1996. A discussion program against torture in Kathmandu was attended by NGOs and HROs.
  • December 10, 1996. Organized a huge open air meeting in Kathmandu on the occasion of human rights day. More than 8000 people attended.
  • January 1997. Organized a talk program on refugee issues in Kathmandu .
  • Organized a huge open air meeting on "Human rights and Peace" in Kathmandu in. Jan 1997. Participation of more than 12000 people.
  • February 1997. 5 members of HURPES fasted for 6 days for the cause of Human Rights and Peace in Nepal. The fast ended when the Government agreed to implement the demands of the HURPES , Signed by two ministers one being the home minister.
  • April 1997. Organized a seminar on "Human Rights are Women's Rights" in Chitwan.
  • April 1997. Program in Morang district and formation of HURPES in the Morang District committee.
  • April 1997. AGM of HURPES , Dang District.
  • April 1997. Program in Salyan and formation of HURPES Salyan district committee.
  • May 1997. organized a  meeting by HURPES, to decide how the 50th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights would be celebrated.
  • June 4, 1997. Tianenamen Square Anniversary (China).HURPES  Organized a demonstration in Kathmandu where the demonstrators were arrested en masse before the start of the demonstration and released the same evening without any charge.
  • Oct 25, 1997. Organized a press conference in connection to launch the research mission.
  • November 5-6, 1997. Organized a 2-day workshop on human rights in Kathmandu .
  • November 1997. Conducted research on the human rights situation in the Maoist insurgency affected areas (15 districts) in Nepal. The Norwegian Human Rights Fund contributed $ 7,000 U.S. for this project.
  • December 10, 1997. Organized a peace march on human rights day in Kathmandu.
  • Press conference and release of a 95- page report "Nepal series of violence and human rights violation in the context of Maoist peoples war''
  • January 1997. Election observation in the by-elections in 4 constituencies of the House of Representatives.
  • Street Drama performed 4 times to raise human rights awareness.
  • 1996-1997. Several meetings with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister, the Home minister, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, the Women and Social Welfare Minister,  the Labor Minister, the Education Minister, the Environment Minister, the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Election Commissioner, in connection to human rights and peace issues. The meetings concentrated on the issues of the formation of National Human Rights Commission according to its Act, ratification of international instruments by the government and their follow up, opposition of the proposed harsh laws contravening international instruments and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, incorporation of human rights education into curricula, formation of a judicial committee to probe into the allegations of torture and other human right violation cases and to bring to justice the perpetrators of such cases of human rights violation, to express concern over the detention of children, to urge for the implementation of HURPES's recommendations for the eradication of torture, election reform process, and the initiation of peace process.
  • Imparted  two training programs to police officers.  HURPES members were addressed as guest speakers in several dozen programs organized by other human rights organizations regarding human rights issues, including national conferences , training, seminars.
  • Besides these, the district committees of HURPES have organized different programs addressing various aspects of organizational concerns.
  • Issued more than 40 press statements on the issues of human rights violations including torture, extra judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detention.

Joint Activities (1996-1998)

  1. May 1997. HURPES was member of the National Election Observation Committee. The HURPES members made local election observation.
  2. HURPES was a member of a 3-member committee formed to organize several programs to protest the  arrest of a Bhutanese dissident leader in India.
  3. April 1997. Organized a demonstration and sit-in in front of Indian Embassy, in Kathmandu, demanding the release of Bhutanese leader arrested in India.
  4. April 1997. Demonstration in front of SAARC Secretariat demanding  the release of the Bhutanese leader who was arrested and detained in India.
  5. April 1997. Signature campaign for the release of the Bhutanese leader.
  6. April 1997. Demonstration in front of Indian Embassy for the release of the Bhutanese leader. Mass arrest of the demonstrators including HURPES members.
  7. May 1997. Twenty-four hour fast in support of the demand for the release of the Bhutanese leader.
  8. May 1997. Demonstration and submission of memorandum to the Indian embassy for release of the Bhutanese leader.
  9. June 5, 1997. Arrest of human rights activist including HURPES for their protest [demanding release of Bhutanese leader].
  10. August 1997. Organized a demonstration and planned to observe 24-hour fast in front of  the Indian embassy, demanding  the release of the Bhutanese leader. Arrest of demonstrators including HURPES members.
  11.  January 20, 1998. Arrest of HURPES members and other demonstrators while protesting in front of Indian embassy.  The cause was the Bhutanese refugee issue.