UN Urges Nepali Government and Maoists to Punish Rights Abusers

The United Nations is urging Nepal's government and the Maoist rebel movement to punish those guilty of violating human rights during the country's decade-long civil war.

U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights told reporters in Kathmandu Wednesday that she wants prosecutions for those responsible for the disappearances, killings and torture during the war.

She also said she is pressing government and rebel officials to ensure human rights are a priority in the country's ongoing peace process.

U.N. representatives are in Nepal to monitor the country's new peace agreement, prepare for the election of a new national assembly, and assist with the disarmament of former Maoist rebels.

Maoist rebels and the government signed a power-sharing agreement last November, ending a decade of fighting that killed an estimated 13,000 people. - VOA News