“We are concerned by reports from Nepal of continuing political violence. Seven members of the security forces and three protestors were reportedly killed yesterday. The two year-old son of one deceased police officer was also killed. This is in addition to the deaths of five protestors during widespread demonstrations since an 8 August agreement by political parties on redrawing internal state boundaries,” said Rupert Colville, High Commissioner for Human Rights in the press statement issue from Geneva.

The agreement was the product of extended negotiations to draw up a new constitution further to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the ten-year internal conflict in 2006. Since the political agreement was reached, increasingly violent protests and strikes against the proposed delineation have taken place throughout the country.

According to a press release issued by United Nation Information Center, there is a clear risk that the protests and violence will continue to feed off each other in the coming days unless all sides change their approach. The rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly are essential elements in the promotion of democracy and human rights.

Likewise, protests should be carried out in a peaceful manner. We urge the Government of Nepal to create a climate where minority or dissenting views or beliefs are respected, and security forces only employ force as a last resort and in full accordance with the standards laid out under international law for maintaining public order, including detailed guidelines governing the use of live ammunition.* Moreover, protestors should not pursue violent confrontations with the security services.

“We urge political leaders and protestors to sit down together to find a peaceful solution to the current situation before the rising violence spirals out of control.

“We fully support the call of the Nepal National Human Rights Commission for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into all deaths and injuries resulting from the alleged use of disproportionate force by security personnel, as well as into the deaths of the seven security personnel killed on Monday,” said a press release issued from Geneva.  

The conduct of law enforcement officials is addressed by a number of specific international standards and codes, including the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, and the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials.