Tuesday, November 29 2005 15:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A unilateral ceasefire declared by Maoists in Nepal had resulted in a marked decrease in alleged human rights violations but with the three-month-old truce to end in a few days, the country's rights body fears the situation could deteriorate rapidly.

Preliminary investigations by the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRCN) found that the rights situation had improved in all 20 districts of the country it had surveyed so far. Nepal has 75 districts.

"After the ceasefire was declared on September three, violations of human rights by both sides (Maoists and the Government) have decreased," NHRCN Acting Secretary Kedar Prasad Poudyal told PTI on the sidelines of an international Round Table on economic, social and cultural rights.

However, the end of the truce on December three could lead to the "relapse," the official of the independent commission warned.

"We have requested the Maoists to extend the ceasefire but the Government says it cannot believe the rebels. Nevertheless, the offensive from the Government's side has definitely gone down during the last three months," he said.

Nepal has been plagued by numerous cases of alleged human rights violations during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. This had resulted in mass migration, unemployment and trafficking of women, especially to India, Poudyal said.

"It is a very challenging situation for us. But we are trying to improve it by investigating the cases," he said.