27 people killed in Terai unrest; protests not peaceful: NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission, the national rights watchdog, has said that 27 people have been killed in the recent unrest in the Terai region.
A preliminary field report publicised by the commission on the Terai unrest said 21 protestors were killed in the course of agitation, 3 were killed by the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, two by unidentified people and one by the Maoists.
The commission further said that the agitation in the Terai region is not peaceful as claimed by the protestors.
“The protestors brutally murdered one sub-inspector of police, looted weapons of police and also vandalised public properties, so the protest is not peaceful as claimed by the protestors,” the national rights watchdog said in its report.
The NHRC also rapped the protestors for creating obstacles hampering the work of hospitals, ambulances, journalists and rights activists, adding, “Some journalists have been displaced from their workplace due to threats from protestors.”
The NHRC has recommended the government to immediately address the demands of Madhesi people by holding talks and maintain law and order situation in Terai districts.
The NHRC also asked the government to provide appropriate compensation to the families of deceased, provide treatment to the injured and also provide appropriate compensation to the damages incurred during the protests.
The NHRC also asked the government to file a criminal case against the Maoist who killed Ramesh Kumar Mahato in Lahan and take legal action against security personnel using excessive force against general people in peaceful demonstrations.
Similarly, the NHRC also requested the demonstrators to hold their protest programmes peacefully, allow journalists to disseminate information freely and not to take domestic weapons in course of their agitation.
The NHRC has urged the protestors to immediately stop acts of vandalism, call off the protest programmes like strikes and not create obstacles that affect the work of rights activists, health workers and ambulances.
The NHRC also cautioned the protestors not to give communal form to the ongoing protest programmes.
Speaking at the report release programme, Yagnya Prasad Adhikari, Deputy Director of NHRC informed that the NHRC is continuing its monitoring work in coordination with other organizations as well.
Adhikari further said that a large number of people outside the city areas had also participated in the protest programmes.