Nepal promotes Major General with human rights slur

After months of dilly-dallying, the Nepali cabinet on Thursday agreed to promote a senior Nepal Army officer who was alleged to have played a role in disappearance of 49 persons during the country’s civil war.

Updated on: Dec 24, 2009, 16:41:36 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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After months of dilly-dallying, the Nepali cabinet on Thursday agreed to promote a senior Nepal Army officer who was alleged to have played a role in disappearance of 49 persons during the country’s civil war.

On Thursday, the government promoted Major General Toran Jung Bahadur Singh to the post of Lieutenant General, second only to Chief of Army Staff General Chatraman Singh Gurung.

The move comes amidst appeals to the government from National Human Rights Commission, UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and several countries not to promote the ‘tainted’ officer.

Major General Singh is alleged to have played a role in the disappearance of 49 persons for their suspected help to the Maoist guerrillas. He was the commander of the 10th Brigade of the army’s Bhairavnath Battalion at that time.

Although a military court had absolved Singh of any wrong-doing and his promotion was suggested three months ago by Defence Minister Vidya Bhandari, the government had put the issue in the back-burner till date.

In another move, the cabinet proposed to recommend the name of former prime minister and chairman of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the 10-year-old civil war.

Information minister Shankar Pokharel stated that the cabinet also decided to review of the work of the United Nation Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) before extending its tenure for a fifth time.

The tenure of the UN body set up in 2007 to monitor arms and ammunition of Nepal Army and the19000 former Maoist combatants living in barracks will expire on January 23 next year.

Pokharel informed that a high-level committee headed by Defence Minister Vidhya Bhandari has been formed to start the process of “democratization” of the armed forces.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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