The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has expressed its concerns over the continuing political violence in Nepal.  

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the OHCHR urged the political leaders and protestors to sit down together to find a peaceful solution to the current situation before the rising violence spirals out of control. The OHCHR made such call a day after eight security personnel and a two-year-old child were killed in bloody incident of Kailai on Monday.

Five protestors have been killed during the widespread demonstrations since the August 8 agreement signed by the political parties on demarcating the federal state boundaries. 

The OHCHR noted that the agreement was the product of extended negotiations to draw up a new constitution. “Since the political agreement was reached, increasingly violent protests and strikes against the proposed delineation have taken place throughout the country,” read the statement.

There is a clear risk that the protests and violence will continue to feed off each other in the coming days unless all sides change their approach, the UN agency has warned. 

Stating that freedom of expression, association and assembly are essential elements in the promotion of democracy and human rights, the OHCHR said protests should be carried out in a peaceful manner and the protestors should not pursue violent confrontations with the security forces. 

“We urge the Government of Nepal to create a climate where minority or dissenting views or beliefs are respected, and security forces only employ force as a last resort and in full accordance with the standards laid out under international law for maintaining public order, including detailed guidelines governing the use of live ammunition,” read the statement.

The UN body said it fully supports the call of the Nepal National Human Rights Commission for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into all deaths and injuries resulting from the alleged use of disproportionate force by security personnel, as well as into the deaths of the seven security personnel killed on Monday.