5) The country's human rights situation is worsening significantly. We are requesting that United Nations and human rights organizations conduct human rights monitoring in Nepal Signatories: 1) Subodh Raj Pyakural, INSEC 2) Govinda Bandi, Nepal Bar Association [Human Rights Committee] 3) Shobhakar Budhadhoki, CEHURBS ? 4) Pradeep Shankar Wagle, Nepal Bar Association [Human Rights Committee] 5) Rajesh Hamal, Advocacy Forum 6) Madhav Pradhan, CIWIN Nepal 7) Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, Mahendra Narian Smriti Pratestan 8) Usha Titikshu, Civic Solidarity for Peace 9) Dinesh Prasain, Collective Campaign for Peace (CoCAP) 10) Samir Nepal, Human Rights Alliance 11) Gopal Siwakoti, INHURED 12) Surya Bahadur XXX, NGO Federation 13) Anil Bhattarai, Nepal South Asia Center (NESAC) 14) Swanaam, Civic Solidarity for Peace All 14 signatories of the document are now under threat of arrest by RNA, who is searching for the activists. They are living underground. *** From an interview with Shankar Pokhrel, Director of Media Relations, CPN-UML, February 5 * Pokhrel has been in hiding since the February 1 announcement. His home has been searched and he is known to be on the 1,000 person list of UML party members whom the RNA has been given orders to arrest. * Since Feb 1, he has stayed in three houses over four days, frequently moving from place to place to avoid his path from being traced by the RNA. * He has been able to communicate with other party members during the brief periods where phones have been restored and the party is gathering information and making a plan at these times. * The RNA has a list of 1,000 people to arrest, divided into three categories. Category A is called "sensitive persons" and consists of people with the capacity to lead the masses, who are spokespeople and ery well-known. Category B is for Central Committee Members and Category C is for general cadre. * The 3 main leaders of CPN-UML are under house arrest. * 10-12 other leaders are in police custody. * 200+ active workers from CPN-UML are also in police custody. * Leaders of Nepali Congress are also under house arrest and in police custody. * This is occurring in districts throughout Nepal. * The CPN-UML held a meeting to form an agenda and address the king's proclamation, and addressed three issues: 1) The CPN-UML has officially declared their opposition to the king's announcement. This proclamation is illegal, non-democratic and unconstitutional. In the name of solving the problem the king is attempting to extend his intentions and authority. 2) The CPN-UML declares their priority for united within all political parties against the announcement of the king. The first priority is to establish unity within all parliamentary (officially recognized) parties. However, the CPN-UML also would like to bring non-parliamentary parties, including Maoists, into a unified platform and struggle for a peaceful revolution against the king. The CPN-UML has invited the Maoists to join "cease terrorits acts and join hand to hand for a peaceful revolution." The CPN-UML has given higher priority to go against the announcement of the king than to oppose the Maoists. They are appealing to the Maoists to "join with the [CPN-UML] in a peaceful way." 3) The CPN-UML is seeking to organize a popular movement against the king by networking with different political parties. * When asked how he felt about many Nepali's comments that they did not regret the suspension of political parties due to corruption and mismanagement by political parties since the beginning of democracy, he said "democracy has done many positive things to strengthen civil society for the public." * Pokhrel also said, "the government is only in the city. If the Maobodi allow the parties to organize in the village they can harness their popular support and organize against the king." * "compared to the political parties, the monarchy has a much worse reputation. Don't measure the political parties based on the word on the street. Today if elections took place 80% would vote for the political parties and 10% would vote for the monarchy." * However, there is very little support for the leaders of the political party. "The present cabinet has only 2% of the popular vote." This distrust of party leaders is the reason why many Nepalis are expressing support of the king's decision. * "Over the last 14 years we have made a lot of mistakes, which we are now realizing. Now there is lots of dialogue within the party and we are going to go forward with a new path." * "Our first mistake was that we made a lot of compromises with the monarchy. We knew it was a mistake, [catering to the king's wishes], but we weren't able to communicate to the people [that we were acting on the king's command]" * When asked if CPN-UML had to choose between the king and Maoists today, Pokhrel responded, "the question is not 'to whom we choose', but 'when will the Maoists and King choose the people?' We would choose ourselves!" * Pokrel said that "the Maoists are more capable of changing" than the King, i.e., the Maoists are more likely to make compromises and come forward to work for a peaceful resolution, so they are more likely to work with the Maoists than the king. * "The Maoists are in a good position after February 1. Because of the king's announcement lots of people will go to the Maoists and join forces." * When asked if CPN-UML members would join the Maoists, Pokhrel responded, "We are trying to make a movement. If we are not able to make a strong movement [due to suppression from the monarchy], many will join the Maoists. But no one will join the monarchy." * When asked if he had plans to flee the country to escape arrest, he said, "We are Nepali people. We don't need to leave. We operated underground for years during the Panchayat regime, and we will survive now." * Before Feb 1, Pokhrel was the Director of the Education Department for CPN-UML. Since Feb 1, he has been named Director of Media Relations for CPN-UML. He is the former president of the Nepal National Free Students Union. He is 41 and has two daughters. Michael Hutt (Note, the details included in this email on BBC jounalist Netra KC have been denied by Mr. KC himslef) Newuser