UN urges talks after Nepal violence
The United Nations called yesterday for dialogue and an end to violence in Nepal following clashes between security forces and protesters opposed to a proposed new constitution that have left 19 people dead.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "concerned about reports of violence in recent weeks and saddened by the loss of life".
"He urges all to refrain from the use of force, denounce violence in all forms and engage in dialogue," Dujarric said in a statement.
Anger has been building for weeks in southern Nepal after lawmakers struck a breakthrough deal on a new constitution, spurred by April's devastating earthquake.
In the latest bout of violence, police this week shot dead six protesters in separate incidents in the country's south, home to the Madhesi ethnic minority that opposes the new charter.
The constitution was meant to cement peace after a 10-year insurgency led by former Maoist rebels and to draw a line under centuries of inequality.
But proposals to divide the Himalayan nation into seven provinces have sparked fury among historically marginalised communities including the Madhesis.
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