Nepal, May 5 -- This past week has not been easy for riverside squatters in the Kathmandu Valley. What was framed as a drive to remove encroachment of public land, restore the rivers' purity and protect 'genuine' squatters from seasonal flooding-though logical-raised significant concerns about the basic human rights of the landless people. As the Balendra Shah-led government bypassed the due process of resettlement and rehabilitation, thousands of families became homeless overnight. In a matter of hours, the sick and elderly people had no roof to shelter under; children lost their books in the rubble and mourned the loss of their long-time friends and the schools; pregnant women were hit hard; and countless animals that relied on these se...