Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

One of the key unresolved issues of the Nepal peace process is the fate of the
former Maoist combatants who have been living in cantonments since 2006. At the
request of all the major parties, the Pool funded a project to assist the multi-party
Technical Committee to develop key documents outlining how demobilisation and
integration of the combatants into the Nepalese security forces could be managed.
This project should help pave the way for an agreement on this critical issue.
In Sri Lanka, the Pool has helped build the foundations for sustainable peace by
encouraging public debate over constitutional reforms; supporting moderate,
pragmatic voices within the Sri Lankan diaspora; and supporting the police to
engage better with local communities. The Pool also supported a UNICEF project to
reintegrate suspected child soldiers from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam back
into society.
Reports of human rights abuses on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir
continued in 2010. Some of the human rights concerns in Pakistan also exist in
Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In Indian-administered Kashmir there were violent
protests during the summer of 2010. More than 100 civilians were killed and a
number of security forces personnel were injured during clashes from June to
September. There were allegations of excessive use of force by security forces
against protesters and that protesters themselves had used violence. In response,
Indian Prime Minister Singh said that violations of human rights abuses by security
forces in Kashmir would not be tolerated and he instructed security forces to respect
human rights. The Indian government sent a cross-party delegation to Indianadministered
Kashmir in September, and in October it appointed three interlocutors
to engage with a wide range of interested parties to help resolve the situation in
Indian-administered Kashmir. These interlocutors have made a number of
recommendations to the Indian government including releasing prisoners held
without charge; allowing peaceful protest; and exercising proper crowd control.
Officials in our high commissions in Islamabad and New Delhi regularly discuss the
situation in Kashmir with the Indian and Pakistani governments and with our contacts
in Indian and Pakistan administered Kashmir. We continue to encourage India and
Pakistan to seek a lasting resolution which takes into account the wishes of the
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