Civic Leaders Condemn Government’s Brutal Eviction of Squatters Using Military Force

April 19, Kathmandu — Civic leaders have accused the government of employing military forces to carry out brutal and terrorizing evictions of squatters. On Saturday, 54 civic leaders issued a joint press statement condemning the government for violating fundamental and human rights during the clearance of squatter settlements.

“The state forcibly removed squatters without any prior notice, without dialogue, and without appropriate alternative arrangements, deploying municipal police, Nepal Police, Armed Police, and even the Nepal Army, in an inhumane, cruel, and terrorizing manner,” the statement reads. “Thousands of citizens have been left vulnerable, humiliated, and uncertain, with no options provided.”

The statement highlights the disruption caused to the education of thousands of children, who now face psychological stress due to fear, instability, and an uncertain future. Pregnant women, mothers who have recently given birth, newborns, and elderly citizens have been placed in holding centers under risky conditions, with minimum human dignity disregarded. The eviction has also resulted in the loss of employment for many affected individuals.

Demolition extended even to schools and religious sites such as temples, gompas, and churches. The government did not issue any formal decision regarding the eviction of squatters, and even after forcibly clearing the settlements, it has failed to disclose plans or procedures for identifying squatters, arranging land and housing for them in the future, managing the holding centers, or specifying how long they will be kept there.

“This is not merely a landlessness issue; it is a grave manifestation of the state’s policy and implementation failures, institutional apathy, and deepening ethnic and class discrimination,” the statement adds. Furthermore, the statement claims that independent media access has been restricted at the so-called holding centers.

The civic leaders have called upon the National Human Rights Commission to monitor the situation and have appealed to the Supreme Court to enforce its orders and maintain public trust in the justice system. They have urged the government to immediately halt all unconstitutional actions involving the use of military force.

The full text of the press statement follows: