Nepal: UN Urges Restraint

Nepal: UN Urges Restraint Amid Latest Political Developments

New York, May 3 2009 10:10AM The United Nations human rights office in Nepal today urged all parties to exercise restraint after the country's Prime Minister reportedly fired the Army Chief. According to media reports, the main opposition party has warned of street protests in response to the move by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

"Organizers of rallies should ensure that participants act in a peaceful manner and within the law," according to a news release issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal).

"Police should prevent violence and respond with restraint and the minimum force required to maintain order, should it be necessary," the Office stated, adding that all sides should respect the rights of journalists to carry out their professional activities.

In a report released last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that progress has been made in Nepal's peace pr ocess, including steps towards drafting a new constitution, but warned that differences among key political parties continues to impede the consolidation of peace.

A decade-long civil war, claiming some 13,000 lives, ended in 2006 with the signing of a peace accord between the Government and Maoists. After conducting Constituent Assembly elections last May, the nation abolished its 240-year-old monarchy and declared itself a republic.

ENDS

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