gefont chairman arrested

GEFONT Chairperson Arrested

GEFONT Chairperson Mukunda Neupane has been arrested by the Royal administration today from the frontline of the protest rally organized by Seven Party coalition for the restoration of full democracy & peace. Along with him, several senior leaders of CPN-UML and NC as well as other parties of the coalition have been arrested. Activists from mass organizations and political parties in a large number exceeding more than 300 persons are arrested today on September 5, 2005.

The number of persons injured because of the violent attack of the police force is as high as 65 based on information till now. The rally broke the unconstitutional prohibition order of the autocratic government headed by the king. It is to be noted that in the ongoing movement for democracy in Nepal, more than 400 leaders and activists were arrested from the joint protest on september 4 in the heart of the capital city.

Altogether 78 persons were injured in the massive attack by the autocratic Royal administration. GEFONT by its press statement has demanded immediate release of Chairperson and other leaders & activists. The press statement has condemned the barbaric action of the autocratic Government which has violated all norms of constitution and human rights. The press statement has also challenged the government that its action will compel the entire masses of workers to flow in the streets of capital city to jam everything.

Date: September 5, 2005

300 Nepalese workers held at detention centre
Web posted at: 9/7/2005 3:25:31
Source ::: The Peninsula

Rajendra Panday

Doha: There are 300 Nepalese workers at the detention centre awaiting their fate to be decided, a Nepalese diplomat said yesterday.

According to Rajendra Panday, first secretary at the Nepalese embassy in Doha, invariably all these detenus are those who were rounded up during identity (ID) card checks.

"We came to know of the number of our people detained when we recently visited the deportation centre," he said.

The authorities concerned did not inform the Nepalese embassy about these arrests.

Residence permits of these workers were not regularised for no fault of theirs. "We have taken up the matter unofficially with the authorities and are trying to convince them that if a worker's residence permit is not stamped, it is basically the fault of his sponsor," said Panday.

The authorities should actually question the employer and not a worker if he is found with irregular work permit.

Normally, workers whose residence permits are not regularised for more than six months are deported, he remarked.

The embassy has been getting a lot of calls from Nepalese workers about these raids.

On the labour front, Panday said that an encouraging development was that cases of default in salary payments to Nepalese workers were declining due to a tougher posture adopted by the labour department and the police.

Labour officials have become quite strict and are asking companies to produce salary sheets every six months. "That's one thing that seems to have had a positive impact as far as workers are concerned," said Panday.

Asked as to how many workers are employed with the contracting company whose employees recently launched a strike demanding pending salary arrears, Panday said the number ran up to 200. He said he himself visited the workers.

About another company whose workers are said to be facing starvation at their labour camp in the industrial area, Panday said the firm employs some 70 Nepalese workers and they were eating in a common mess.