REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE IN THE TERAI REGION OF NEPAL

That this House is concerned that the Madhesis minority from the Southern plains, known as the Terai region, will continue to be marginalised in Nepal unless constitutional amendments are passed before local elections in that country; understands that although the Madhesis represent over 33 per cent of the population of Nepal, they hold only 12 per cent of government positions; is worried about ongoing human rights violations being committed in the Terai region, including reported killings of protestors by security forces using excessive force, such as an incident on 6 March 2017 when five people are believed to have been killed and many more injured; notes that local elections in Nepal are due to be held for the first time in 20 years on 14 May 2017, hopefully paving the way for the consolidation of democracy and allowing for provincial and national elections in the autumn; urges the Government of Nepal to investigate the killings, bring those responsible to justice and to amend the constitution to allow for fair representation; further urges political activists and protestors in Nepal to carry out their activities peacefully; and calls on the Government to ensure any funding to the Nepalese security forces is carefully assessed for compliance with international human rights criteria.