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Anti-Slavery International, the world's oldest human rights organisation,
welcomes the decision by the government of Nepal to free 20,000
people in slavery by abolishing the local bonded labour practice
of 'haliya'. The organisation also calls for official support
to help the freed labourers find alternative livelihoods and to
protect discriminated people from becoming victims of slavery in
Nepal.
The government of Nepal unexpectedly announced on 6 September that
they have abolished the haliya system of bonded labour. The
haliya system is an agricultural bonded labour practice in
the Western hills of Nepal that affects seasonal labourers.
Bonded labour is a form of slavery. Haliya also refers to
the bonded labourers and the literal translation means 'one who
ploughs'. Labourers have to work as haliya to pay off loans to their
moneylender-landlord. Once in debt they lose all control over their
conditions and through exorbitant interest rates and other charges
become trapped and unable to pay off their debt.
The Nepal government also announced they had cancelled the debt
of the haliya who previously worked the land of their moneylender-landlords.
Many work for years, sometimes even generations, in the vain attempt
to repay their loan.
Enrique Restoy of Anti-Slavery International, said: "Anti-Slavery
International welcomes the decision by the Nepal government to abolish
haliya and the cancellation of debts, which have trapped
20,000 people in slavery."
The previous government of Nepal abolished 'kamaiya' another
form of bonded labour in 2000. Enrique added: "It is important
that the new government learns from previous attempts to end bonded
labour in Nepal and establishes an effective legal framework to
back up this decision, protect former bonded labourers from slipping
back into slavery and prosecute anyone who carries out the practice.
"The government also needs to guarantee that freed labourers
have official support to find alternative work and give them access
to productive land to grow food to support their families. An official
monitoring system should be set up to check on the success of the
rehabilitation."
Haliya predominately affects Dalits in western Nepal.
Dalits is the self-preferred term for 'untouchables' in the
Hindu caste system. Enrique said: "Time and time again we
see that discrimination lies behind slavery. Dalits in Nepal are
for more likely to be trapped into slavery because they are offered
poor wages, typically do not own land and are victims of underhand
money lending practices."
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