As a small, landlocked country wedged between two
larger and far stronger powers, Nepal
seeks good relations with both India
and the People's
Republic of China. Nepal formally established
relations with the PRC in 1956, and since then their
bilateral relations have generally been very good.
Because of strong cultural, religious, linguistic,
and economic ties, Nepal's association with India
traditionally has been close. India and Nepal restored
trade relations in 1990, after a break caused by India's
security concerns over Nepal's relations with the
PRC. A bilateral trade treaty was signed in 1996.
Nepal
has played an active role in the formation of the
economic development-oriented South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
and is the site of its secretariat. On international
issues, Nepal follows a nonaligned policy and often
votes with the Nonaligned
Movement in the United
Nations. Nepal participates in a number of UN
specialized agencies and is a member of the World Bank, International
Monetary Fund, Colombo
Plan, and the Asian Development
Bank.
Human
rights issues
Police forces sometimes use excessive force in quelling
violent demonstrations. In addition, there have been
reports of torture under detention and widespread
reports of custodial abuse. In 2000, the government
established the Human
Rights Commission, a government-appointed commission
with a mandate to investigate human rights violations.
To date, the Commission has investigated 51 complaints.
The government is sometimes slow to follow the Commission's
recommendations or to enforce accountability for recent
and past abuses.
Some
restrictions continue on freedom of expression. Trafficking
in women and child labor remain serious problems.
Discrimination
against women and lower castes
is prevalent.
Disputes
- international: joint border commission continues
to work on small disputed sections of boundary with
India; India has instituted a stricter border regime
to restrict transit of Maoist insurgents
Illicit
drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
for the domestic and international drug markets; transit
point for opiates from Southeast Asia to the West
Foreign
Relations of Nepal
