News is that Nepal’s ambassador to the UK – Suresh Chandra Chalise has been instructed to get back to work ASAP by the foreign ministry of Nepal. Chalise has been celebrating new year/Christmas holidays in Switzerland since few days ahead of Kumar Lama Arrest by the UK police. Generally traditions are that the ambassador should return to work within 24 hours in cases that involves problem between his two associated countries.
Former Nepal Army colonel – Kumar Lama’s arrest by the UK metropolitan police was widely covered by the international media. The arrest urged Nepal government to protest the incident terming it as “illegal” and “attack on the sovereignty”. While the government has taken it very seriously and almost all political parties in Nepal have released statements condemning the act, one of the important authorities for the incident – Embassy of Nepal in UK (esp. its key person – Ambassador Suresh Chandra Chalise) has seemingly turned his deaf ear towards the incident. Three days passed since the incident and the ambassador is still not concerned to fly back to UK (which takes slightly more than 1 hour time).
Speaking to an online newspaper, officials from Ministry of foreign affairs in Nepal said that “It’s not just a diplomatic blunder; it’s a severe disloyalty of the Ambassador towards the nation”. The government has submitted its protest note to the ambassador demanding Col Lama’s immediate release but officials said that absence of Ambassador has made the government’s lobbying process for his release considerably weaker. “An ambassador could have directly approached the foreign minister in the UK to discuss the issue straight forward but Ambassador’s reluctance to the issue has made the case feeble.” officials added.
BBC reported that two diplomats from the Nepalese embassy were at Westminster Magistrates for the short hearing on Kumar Lama’s case. In absence of Suresh Chandra Chalise, Deputy Chief of Mission Tej Bahdaur chhetri and Colonel Bishwanath Ghimire are handling the case and were present in the hearing.
Some sources however say that Suresh Chandra Chalise’s leave was approved for ten days by the ministry and that Chalise had been in constant contact with the embassy officials. As per my view, I don’t think Suresh Chandra Chalise presence would have speeded the process or made any difference to the case. The arrest has been on basis of the law and we have already seen the protest note not making any difference to British ambassador to Kathmandu, John Tucknott; who told Nepal government that it was the UK’s obligation to act. Nevertheless if Nepal government commits to investigate itself in the case, diplomatic discussions could work out the release process of the colonel.
UK police has claimed “universal jurisdiction” law to prosecute Kumar Lama and has charged him with two counts of torture. He is accused of “intentionally inflicting severe pain or suffering” on two men, Janak Bahadur Raut and Karam Hussain, while he was “a public official or person acting in an official capacity and in the performance or purported performance of official duties”. He was presented infront of Westminster Magistrates court where he spoke once to confirm his identity at the hearing. He has been ordered to remain in custody until 24 January when he is scheduled to face an Old Bailey hearing in London.
Personally, I applaud the move taken by the UK in arresting Kumar Lama. Well nothing personal but at least his arrest sends a warning message to Nepal government to implement Rule of Law and respect Human Rights in the country. This is a result of government’s failure to punish those involved in war crimes and thus failing to implement its signed international treaties. No wonder – the ones that are condemning this act are only political parties in Nepal. Several human rights activists and organisations have supported this act and have rather asked government of Nepal to improve its international image by expressing a commitment to investigate the case.
Thats fine…
If Nepal government can’t punish this man.then i am happy at least UK has taken step to serve
Justice for those victim should be provided in anyway
Kumar lama is serving colonel . He is a head of uno peace keeping mission in Sudan.
it should teach us a lesson, just because we are in power, we cannot do injustice or inhuman act against another human being. I do not know if Lama has done this or not, but if he has been involved in such act, there is no point in protesting against this, simply because he is Nepali.
In time of war, many has committed inhuman act against their own brothers, sisters, friends and neighbors. If there is no punishment, such inhuman act will increase all the more … it must stop.
Be aware you are accountable if not today maybe tomorrow …
I totally agree with the gentleman but the issue is, had the nepalese army been notified earlier, I personally think that the UK government did not have to play hide and seek with the colonel. They had all the information about the colonel. The MI5 or MI6 could have just notified the nepalese army about it. Beside, I only think the colonel is only an escape goat to both the then waring factions, the then government of Nepal and the moists as a whole. I truely think from now onwards both of them will think and rethink before flying off to the United Kingdom. In anycase, this event definitely has made the one and the only true ally of the great britain, Nepal to re-evaluate its stance towards the so called friendship. I personally believe the arrest of the serving top brass armyman certainly did cause a major blow to the friendship between the two states. No wonder the afgans, the pakintanis,the indians etc do not trust the british thesedays. If you can turn disloyal to your bestfriend, how can anyone win the friendship??
This is utter horse crap!
The entire British nation should be held accountable for all the looting and killing of innocent that they have been conducting all over the world since the beginning of time.
I understand justice should be served. But Lama (if he ) committed the crime in Nepal, and if Nepal asks UK to extradite him to Nepal, he should be extradite to him homeland to face the music. If not, then UK may have to look deep and hard to who else it should serve justice to next? Bush? Cheney? Prachhanda? Or maybe the Queen herself? I am sure there has been attrocities in Afgan war and they willingly participated in the Gulf war, which was just a witch hunt if you ask me!!
This is a case of nothing but a bullying tactic to humiliate a poor third world nation!
Look at history, and no nation has looted and killed more innocent people than Britian ( and the other European countries)!
Comments are closed.