A long-running conflict between Maoist insurgents and...

A long-running conflict between Maoist insurgents and government forces in Nepal has become a human rights crisis, endangering civilians and placing the future of the Himalayan kingdom at risk, Amnesty International said.Human rights have been swept aside as both the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and security forces engage in
"disappearances, abductions, torture and unlawful" killings, a statement from the global human rights group said
"Ignoring the rules of war, the police have killed several hundred Maoists who should have been taken into custody and the Maoists have executed scores of police officers who were wounded, taken prisoner or who had surrendered," the London-based watchdog said.
Government officials and the communist rebel group were not immediately available for comment.Amnesty said: "The conflict has had a grave impact on civilians."
Scores of civilians were likely to be among the suspected Maoists killed by security forces and the Maoists have killed civilians believed to be "enemies of the revolution", it said.
The Maoist rebels, who derive their inspiration from the late Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, began their campaign for a communist republic in February 1996. About 3,000 people, including rebels, security personnel and civilians have been killed in the conflict so far - over 1,200 of them since November 2001.
Police had arrested more than 5,000 people and special counter-terrorism measures had undermined basic human rights, the group said. It said the rebels had taken around 500 hostages, tortured scores of people, sentenced people to death in "people's courts" and recruited child soldiers.