KATHMANDU, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Nepal's Maoist-led government must investigate and prosecute soldiers and guerrillas responsible for human rights abuses during a decade-long civil war, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Thursday. Government troops and the Maoist fighters were accused by human rights groups like Human Rights Watch of extrajudicial killings, disappearences and torture during the conflict, which started in 1996. More than 13,000 people were killed before a 2006 peace deal ended the Maoist insurgency aimed at overthrowing the monarchy. "The Maoists claimed they took up arms because of the denial of justice," said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch. "Now that they are in government, we hope they will show the courage to bring perpetrators to justice." The Maoists and the former government that signed the landmark deal also agreed to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a separate panel to investigate cases of people who went missing during the conflict. No such bodies have yet been formed. The peace deal has already resulted in the end of the 239-year-old monarchy, with the Himalayan nation becoming a republic this year. Maoist chief Prachanda was elected prime minister in August and is now heading a coalition government whose main responsibility is to oversee the preparation of a new constitution and cap the peace process. But despite such significant changes, nothing has been done to punish rights abusers, Adams said, warning that human rights must not be allowed to fall off the new government's agenda. "Peace with justice has to be the goal. Peace with justice is possible," he said. Human Rights Watch detailed 62 cases of killings, disappearances, and torture between 2002 and 2006, mostly perpetrated it said by security forces, but including a couple of cases involving the Maoists. "The families of those killed and disappeared have filed detailed complaints with police seeking criminal investigations but the Nepali justice system has failed miserably to respond to these complaints," the New York-based group said. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Bappa Majumdar and Paul Tait)
Police arrest Tibetan protesters near the Chinese consular office in Kathmandu September 11, 2008. Tibetans living in Nepal were protesting against the Chinese actions in Tibet. REUTERS/Deepa Shrestha (NEPAL) ...
