By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Feb. 25: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concern about the ‘extreme use of force’ in the recent protests against the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact tabled in the Parliament.

Drawing its attention over the violent activities in the demonstrations that have been taking place for the past few days, the constitutional human rights watchdog has urged the security and law enforcement agencies to exercise restraint and use minimum necessary force while policing protests.
Various political parties, their sister organisations and the general public have been protesting against the MCC agreement for the past few days.

Issuing a press statement here on Thursday, NHRC Spokesperson Tikaram Pokharel said the commission has been closely monitoring the protests through various means.
Pokharel said the commission expressed concern about the rising tensions which culminated in clashes on February 20 between the police and demonstrators in Baneshwor, leaving 21 security personnel and some protesters with injuries, while shops and infrastructures of the public were also damaged.

During the monitoring, the commission has found that the security forces have used excessive force to control the protests.
While upholding the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of opinion and expression and right to peace, the NHRC said it was unfortunate how the violent activities took place in the name of protest and disagreement.

“Such actions appear to be contrary to the Articles 19 and 20 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights of which Nepal is a party, Article 19 of 1966 and Article 17 of the Constitution of Nepal,” the release stated.

At the same time, such activities would impede the enjoyment of the legal rights and basic human rights provided to the common man by the law of Nepal, the release added.
Therefore, the Commission urges the government and the concerned bodies to respect the human rights of the citizens to hold peaceful protests, not to use extreme force and to exercise restraint while maintaining peace and security.