NHRC to monitor ceasefire, starts dialogue with political parties

Though cabinet vice-chairman Dr Tulsi Giri has strongly opposed the move of human rights organizations for welcoming the Maoist unilateral ceasefire the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has started discussion with the leaders of political parties to transform the ceasefire into sustainable peace.

A NHRC team led by its Chairman Nayan Bahadur Khattri met prominent political leaders and held discussions on human rights and peace process.

They also held discussions on the role the commission can play to facilitate communication between the parties to the conflict.

The team met Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala, Rastriya Janashakti Party president Surya Bahadur Thapa and Rastriya Prajatantra Party president Pashupati Shamsher Rana, reports said.

"We talked about how the commission can play an important role in getting all the parties in conflict to talk to each other to pave the way for the peace process," report quoted NHRC member, Sudip Pathak as saying.

The NHRC is planning to meet with the government and the Maoists to discuss the ways of restoring peace in the country after holding talks with the mainstream political parties and representatives of the civil society.

Meanwhile, the NHRC has decided to send a team to monitor rights situation
and the ceasefire in 10 districts, including Sindhuli, Rautahat, Parsa, Dailekh, and Gorkha.

The team will monitor the incidents of killings, abductions, tortures, displacing individuals and collecting donations and will discus the issue with the stockholders in local level. nepalnews.com pb Sep 24 05