Ilam, September 5

A team of National Human Rights Commission today reached Ilam district to take stock of the situation amid ongoing protests.

The team, including NHRC member Govinda Sharma Poudel and Regional Chief Koshraj Neupane, held a meeting with Chief District Officer Bishnu Kumar Karki as well as the district chiefs of security agencies.

The team also met with representatives of agitating groups, including Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal, Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities and Sanghiya Lumbuwan Party Nepal. CDO Karki informed the team that no untoward incident had taken place in the district so far.

Sharma said the agitators’ issues were political and should be settled through dialogues. He maintained that the protesters should put forth their demands peacefully, adding, “NHRC’s aim is to make sure that no violence takes place.”

He said the commission had directed the government to investigate into the Tikapur incident in which nine people were killed on August 24. “The weapons used in Tikapur incident are currently being used in the ongoing Rautahat agitation,” he said.