Nepal human rights body for ceasefire

Nepal's National Human Rights Commission has urged the government and Maoist rebels to begin peace talks to resolve the long-running insurgency.

The Commission called for an immediate ceasefire by both sides to create an atmosphere conducive to dialogue.

In a report coinciding with International Human Rights Day, the commission said the thousands of people killed during the six-year-old insurgency had been deprived of their fundamental right to life.

Violence in Nepal has continued to escalate, despite repeated statements from both the government and the rebels that a negotiated solution must be reached.