On 9 January, Nepal's Forest Office destroyed four kamaiya (agricultural bonded labourers) settlements in Kailali District and Bardiya District in the country's Far Western District.

The settlements destroyed were in Baskota, Athariya, Nanital and Bangai; this was the second time the Forest Office destroyed Bangai. After the last time, the kamaiyas and local government agencies agreed in writing, that they would not be evicted until they could be resettled.

In all cases the kamaiyas were settled in these areas for at least a year. Since the Government's July 2000 declaration making bonded labour illegal, the process of rehabilitation has been slow and ineffectual. Over half of the kamaiyas in five districts have nowhere to live. Many have not been registered by the government, and therefore, are accused of being squatters. Others who were registered and given land certificates, were given such small plots they could not support themselves.

The Government of Nepal is refusing to meet its obligations under international law to end the system of slavery in which the kamaiya and other bonded labourers were trapped for decades. By not ensuring their rehabilitation and reintegration, some will be forced to contract themselves into bonded labour again, others, who have remained enslaved, will feel they have no choice but to remain bonded labourers.

Certain law enforcement branches appear deliberately to be taking advantage of the recently declared state of emergency to carry out human rights violations in the expectation that these will go unchallenged.

Anti-Slavery is urging the Government of Nepal to order an immediate inquiry into the destruction of the four settlements and to make it clear to all Forest Office officials that they may not destroy settlements of former kamaiya, even if these have been established illegally.

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