NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION 4. (2 March 2004), the Commission asked the CPN-Maoists not to repeat activities such as forcing school children to participate in their activities, pressurizing teachers to teach their Janbadi Education (people’s education) and conducting militia activities in school premises, and asked them to desist anything that infringes the right of the children to education and that affects their security. 5. (10 April 2004), a team of NHRC, including its commissioners Dr. Gouri Shankar Lal Das and Sushil Pyakurel, made on-the-site inspection of the places where those arrested by police during the peaceful demonstration of the political parties were kept and apprised His Majesty’s Government about to follow the principles of human rights. 6. (12 April 2004), the CPN-Maoists were called to apply humanitarian law into practice and to honorably release the 42 policemen, including an assistant inspector they had kidnapped after attacking the Area Police Office in Pashupatinagar of Ilam district. 7. (19 April 2004), in the context of the arrests and ill-treatment rendered to the media people by the security forces while collecting news of the agitation of different political parties, the National Human Rights Commission called on His Majesty’s Government to respect the rights of the media to collect news and to ensure their safety. 8. (21 April 2004), the NHRC discussed with different organizations working in the field of human rights to monitor the practical implementation of the announcement made, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, by the then Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa on 26 March 2004, to protect ‘human rights and international humanitarian law’ Details on the above mentioned subject matter are included in Annex 4. 3.6. Activities on Protection of Human Rights 3.6.1. Important Decisions Taken by the Commission for the Protection of Human Rights 1. (24 July 2003), The Commission has been giving continuity to the task of monitoring human rights as per the mandate granted it by law. At present, there is a cease fire in the country, and a process for talks between the government and the Maoists has been established. There has even been an agreement between the two sides on a code of conduct to be maintained during the cease-fire. Since matters relating to human rights have been mentioned in the code of conduct, the task of monitoring whether these provisions have been observed becomes the routine work of the Commission. In the current context, if on the one hand talks have not been able to proceed due to differences between the two sides, and on the other hand, there have been complaints of human rights violations by both the sides at the Commission. As a result, the monitoring of human rights has become a challenging task. Against this background, the Commission has been emphasising on the need for a separate human rights accord with human rights monitoring mechanisms. Having prepared such a draft, it has sent it to both the sides. And during meetings with the Commission, they both have expressed their commitment to human rights. Against this background, since seriousness on both the sides about human rights and positive cooperation from them would make the monitoring work of the Commission easy, it was decided to work towards creating such an environment. 26