The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday urged the government to immediately withdraw army from the Tarai districts to create an environment conducive for talks.

“As local administration has deployed army in protest areas after imposing curfews and declaring riot zones, citizens have had to live in fear and cannot exercise their rights,” the NHRC said in a statement. “Therefore, the government and local administration should withdraw army and let disgruntled

parties to put forth their demands peacefully and all sides should find a way out through talks.”

The ongoing Tarai protests started a month back and more than two dozen protesters have died since. There have been incidents where agitators have attacked security forces leading to deaths of at least nine security personnel. In order to quell protests, army personnel have been deployed in several flashpoints, including Tikapur in Kailaili and adjoining villages, where a tense standoff between Tharu and Pahade communities persists. The unrest has spread across the country in a month-from western Tarai, with a sizeable Tharu population, to eastern Tarai, with a big Madhesi population.

The NHRC issued the statement after conducting field study in 20 districts. A high-level team found that security forces used date-expired tear gas shells and deadly weapons. “Protesters who have died or have been injured were shot in the head, chest and stomach and this proves excessive use of force and violation of national and international norms for use of force,” according to the human rights watchdog. The team also found that protesters used homemade weapons and explosives and targeted police stations, which show that the protest is not peaceful. The indefinite strike and the failure of government to address the issue have led to curtailment of human rights, the NHRC concluded.

On Thursday, the NHRC said some former Maoist combatants were involved in

the Tikapur carnage on August 24 in which eight people, including a senior police official and a two-year-old child, were killed.

The national human rights body had also urged the government and the agitating groups to exercise restraint to prevent such incidents. It also appealed to the government to investigate into the incident, punish the culprits and provide relief to the families of the victims.