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Document - Nepal: CPN (Maoist) abuses are unacceptable in the
9 April 2001
AI Index ASA 31/009/2001 - News Service Nr. 65
Nepal: CPN (Maoist) abuses are unacceptable in the "people's war"
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) should immediately stop killing of people not taking active part in the conflict, including combatants taken prisoner, Amnesty International said today following several attacks on police stations in the context of the "people's war". The organization also appealed for captives not to be tortured, to be treated humanely, and to be allowed to communicate with their relatives.
The execution-style killing of eight police officers who were among 28 who surrendered to members of the CPN (Maoist) at Toli, Dailekh district, early Saturday morning is in clear violation of minimum humane standards applicable in the "people's war" in Nepal.
Amnesty International is also seeking information from the leadership of the CPN (Maoist) about scores of people currently held captive by the armed opposition group. The organization has urged the CPN (Maoist) to inform the captives' relatives of their fate and give them the opportunity to communicate with them through the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"The CPN (Maoist) leadership should publicly pledge that it will respect basic human rights and abide by international humanitarian principles," Amnesty International said.
* These standards are laid down in particular in Article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, which forbids governments and armed opposition groups alike to torture, to deliberately kill civilians taking no part in the fighting, to harm those who are wounded, captured or seeking to surrender, or to take hostages.
For more information on the conflict see http://www.web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/index/asa310012000
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