Senator Patrick Leahy's Recent Statement on Nepal

 

Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy,
Ranking Member,
Subcommittee On State, Foreign Operations, And Related Programs
Fiscal Year 2006 Foreign Operations Conference Report
Senate Floor
November 10, 2005

Mr. President, I support the Foreign Operations Conference Report for fiscal year 2006 and urge all Senators to vote its passage.

Nepal

Mr. President, another item I want to mention is Nepal.  We have once again put conditions on our military aid because of the King’s undemocratic and repressive actions on February 1, and the army’s continuing involvement in human rights violations.  We detest the tactics of the Maoists, who forcibly recruit children, who engage in extortion, and brutalize civilians.  But the King’s actions have only made a political solution to the conflict in Nepal more elusive, and at great cost to democracy and the rule of law.  The conference agreement provides $2.5 million for a U.S. contribution to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office in Nepal, to monitor and report on human rights violations throughout the country.