UN asks Nepal to stop using force

New York: The United Nations on Thursday asked the Nepal Government to stop its excessive use of force against

pro-democracy demonstrators.

In a statement, it said that severe beatings, indiscriminate attacks on bystanders and seriously unacceptable detention conditions should be discontinued.

Simultaneously, the UN has asked the protestors to use only peaceful methods and stop throwing stones at police and

attacking individual officers.

"It is time for the Government and all commanders of police to recognise that this level of violence against civilians is not acceptable and is against the obligations of the State," Nepal representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Ian Martin said.

He also said that violent provocation by the demonstrators was wrong.

"I urge the Government to reconsider its position on the right to peaceful assembly," he said.

In his second statement in four days over the protests against King Gyanendra's suspension of parliamentary rule, Martin gave security forces clear instructions to act only with the minimum necessary force in policing demonstrations.

"I urge demonstrators and demonstration leaders to only use peaceful means of protest," he said.

He said this in view of the fact that security forces had sometimes shown restraint in the face of provocation and violence by demonstrators throwing rocks and bricks, destroying public property and attacking individual officers, resulting in many injuries.