GENEVA - United Nations human rights investigators on Thursday condemned “excessive and deadly use of force” by Nepal’s security forces against protestors and called for the government to exercise restraint. In a joint statement, the five special rapporteurs also asked demonstrators to act peacefully, noting some had attacked police with stones and other projectiles.| No word on whether the UN investigators have a problem with the Maoist rebels' use of force. |
“We strongly condemn the excessive and deadly use of force by members of the security forces against protestors and innocent bystanders,” the UN investigators said in a statement issued in Geneva. “The law enforcement agencies have resorted to indiscriminate firing of rubber bullets -- even on occasion live ammunition -- into crowds, beatings, raids on homes and destruction of property,” it said.
Women, children, journalists and lawyers were identified among the casualties -- which came as police were enforcing a strict curfew in the capital -- according to the statement. It was unacceptable for peaceful protestors, including many human rights activists, to have been arbitrarily detained for participating in the demonstrations, it said.
“We call upon the government to exercise restraint in policing demonstrations and to guarantee fundamental human rights for all, including the right to life, to physical and psychological integrity, to not be arbitrarily deprived of one’s liberty, and to freedom of opinion, expression, association and assembly,” the statement said.
| I suspect they'll tusk-tusk mightily if the Maoists take power and start killing thousands. |