Nepalgunj, March 26:

Various human rights organisations here have expressed concern about the violation of people’s rights during Maoist operations in Banke and Bardiya in the name of armed retaliation against the government in the last week of March.

In a joint press release issued today, they said civilians have been shot at and trapped in ambushes laid by Maoists during a series of violent incidents in Banke and Bardiya.

The human rights bodies have said that such activities have violated people’s right to live in peace.

The release said incidents like the bomb blast carried out by Maoists in the Mahendra Multiple Campus in Nepalgunj where students were appearing in examination, seizure (later released) of six trucks of the World Food Programme and explosion of an ambush aimed at a passenger bus in Piprahawa on March 23 have violated the Geneva Convention.

Similarly, two hotel entrepreneurs were injured when the Maoists opened fire at security personnel at the DDC chowk in Gulariya.

It also condemned the abduction of the Ram Babu Regmi from Bardiya’s Kalika in the last week of February. The press release was issued by the Informal Sector Service Centre, Human Rights Protection Forum Banke, Advocacy Forum, Force Nepal and the Janajagriti Nepal Human Rights Cell.

They have urged the Maoists to abide by the Article 3 of the Geneva Convention.