Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 25:

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called on the Maoists to respect human rights and halt bloodshed and abduction. It urged the Maoists to stop planting bombs in educational institutions and allow displaced people to return to their homes and immediately release the abductees, including students, without any conditions. The NHRC has expressed concern over the lock-out of the house of police constable Jit Bahadur Chaudhari of Madhaulia village development committee, Pokhara, on March 28 thereby chasing away his family. The Maoists abducted Krishna Bahadur Karki, VDC secretary of Athurge, Myagdi, district on June 13. The rebels killed police constable Shiva Thapa and police personnel Karna Bahadur Thega, Om Prakash Chaudhari and a pregnant woman at Siddhartha VDC, Buddha Chowk, Rupandehi district. The building of the Motherland Boarding School in Pokhara was destroyed following a bomb explosion in the school premises on May 27. The Maoists also abducted 11 students of Kalika Secondary School in Bharat Pokhari VDC of Kaski. The students were on their way home. The NHRC in its statement said the Maoists have violated their commitments to human rights principles and international humanitarian law by resorting to such violent activities.

Plea to call off educational strike

Hetauda: Around 30, 000 students are affected as educational institutions in Hetauda municipality and the area behind the Mahendra Highway are lying closed for the last 18 days because of the Maoists. A meeting of the students’ guardians on Saturday urged the Maoists to call off the strike from Tuesday. “We talked with ANNISU-R several times since May 13 but it is yet to agree to call off the strike,” said Samrat Tumbahamphe, vice-president of N-PABSON. — HNS