The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and Tarai Human Rights Defenders Alliance (‘THRD Alliance’) on Monday jointly released a report on the anti-constitution protests from August 16, 2015 to February 5, 2016 in which over 40 people died. The report also demands an independent investigations, prosecutions, and reparation in the cases by both side and measures as required by law.

AHRC and THRD Alliance claimed that their report has been based on credible eyewitnesses and documentary evidence. The report mainly focuses on the use of force by the Government of Nepal against protestors and bystanders. They also urged the Government of Nepal to fulfill its obligation to address the long-identified institutional and systemic problems in law enforcement agencies.

The two rights bodies concluded in the report that the security forces engaged in a consistent pattern of excessive use of force, resulting in the deaths of 34 people and three others died in situations where the police could have intervened to stop their killing by counter-protesters. They investigated the protests and deaths in Tikapur (Kailali), Birgunj (Parsa), Janakpur (Dhanusha), Jaleshwar (Mahottari), Rajbiraj, Bhardaha (Saptari) and Rangeli and Dainiya (Morang) districts. While not investigating the two incidents in Tikapur (Kailali) and Bhagawanpur (Mahottari) in which protestors were responsible for the killing of eight police and one APF officer, the AHRC and THRD Alliance condemn these killings in the strongest terms.

No member of the security forces has been held responsible for these serious human rights violations in Tarai till date, according to these organizations. Prosecution into killing of security personnel alone will once again reconfirm the deep-rooted problem of impunity in Nepal, they argued.

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