Friday, April 27, 2007

Police, CDO did not act on time :NHRC
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said lack of coordination between civil police, the Armed Police Force and the chief district officer (CDO) was the main reason behind the failure to avert the Gaur carnage.
In a report released Thursday, NHRC said the number of civil police personnel was too small to contain the scuffle that erupted between cadres of the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) and the Maoist-affiliated Madhesi Mukti Morcha (MMM), and added that the higher authorities had failed to send reinforcements despite repeated requests.
The report further said that things took a nasty turn as the CDO remained out of contact at the time and the civil police and district-based APF personnel failed to coordinate mutually for intervention in the violence between the two parties. It alleged that failure on the part of the local administration to take the initiative for ensuring beforehand adequate peace and security at the program venue and other parts of district headquarters was the reason behind such a high death toll.
At least 29 people, mostly Maoist cadres, were killed while 30 others were critically injured in the Gaur incident on March 21.
The report has recommended to the government, the agitating MPRF and the CPN-Maoist to avoid such untoward incidents in future. The national human rights watchdog has asked the government to take action
against the chief district officer who, according to the report, failed to execute his duty, and also urged stepped up
efficiency in avoiding such incidents.
The NHRC likewise urged the MPRF not to take any action which is against the law of the land and asked it to help the government take action against the guilty. The report has alleged that the CPN-M was responsible for provoking MPRF cadres by organizing mass meet at the same venue and time.
According to the report, most of the MPRF cadres were carrying bamboo sticks. It was also found that the MPRF chased the Maoists, who were comparatively small in number, and took them under their control before killing them in brutal fashion.

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