Nepal: UN human rights official condemns killings, urges halt to violence

Urging tolerance and calling on the population to desist from further violence, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (OHCHR) today condemned the killings of a local leader and a member of the Armed Police Force in south-central Nepal.

The police officer was killed in a wave of violence triggered by the death of Mohit Khan, a local leader in Kapilvatsu, and there have been unconfirmed reports of more murders and rising ethnic tensions. Shops have been attacked, cars and homes have been burned and at least one mosque was destroyed by fire.

“We appeal to the population to abide by the curfew imposed by local authorities and to respect places of worship while law enforcement agencies investigate the murder of Mr. Khan,” said OHCHR-Nepal Representative Richard Bennett. “Cool heads are needed; violence simply undermines the genuine efforts to bring about durable peace during this transition period.”

OHCHR-Nepal recommends that the authorities of the Himalayan nation take immediate steps to provide humanitarian assistance to the many people who have been uprooted by the violence.