Human Rights should not be compromised: Tom Koenigs

Kabul, Feb 19 (UNI) The UN Mission for Afghanistan has reiterated the need for avoiding civilian casualties in there ongoing conflict saying human rights should not be compromised.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Special Representative of UN Secretary General, Tom Koenigs said, ''Human rights should not be compromised by conflict. Everything should be done to avoid humanitarian tragedy and civilian casualties.'' Afghanistan is not a post conflict country but a country in conflict, the UN's senior-most representative in Afghanistan said, adding that Afghanistan was a country in a post devastation phase facing a war.

The country had made great progress, Mr Koenigs said. He pointed out the freedom of media as one of the important freedoms in the democratic progress of the country.

Mr Koenigs, however, cautioned that the efforts to amend the law by the Religious Affairs Commission in Parliament were reversing the gains. There were efforts to amend the law in a way that would harm freedom of the media, he said.

On the issue of reconciliation resolution, Mr Koenigs said Afghanistan was at the beginning of the process and it was necessary to have the victims speak out, find out the truth and only later would trials and the issue of forgiveness follow. Only the victims could give this forgiveness, he said.

On the situation in Musa Qala, Mr Koenigs said the UN was of the opinion that the ceasefire agreement was valuable and necessary intent to bring peace. ''We still believe in ceasefire agreements and locally brokered peace deals as a way out of the armed conflict.'' Mr Koenigs expressed complete disagreement with the statements of the Governor of the North West frontier province Ali Jan Mohammad Aurakzai who said the Taliban were entering a movement of liberation.

Pakistan needed to clarify whether statements reflected government policy or just the governor's opinion, he said.

UNI