The unexpected release of 37 hostages taken from Beni (seen being bused out of Kathmandu airport, right) by the Maoists has raised questions about the rebels' motives. Some believe it is a bid to improve their battered image at a time when the UN Commission on Human Rights is readying to debate a resolution tabled by Switzerland in Geneva. "Showing that they are abiding by the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners will go down well, especially as the international community has been critical of the army's human rights record," said one Kathmandu-based diplomat. That the Maoists did not insist on their earlier demand for the release of Matrika Prasad Yadab and Suresh Ale Magar could point to a secret deal with the government who may have asked for a show of goodwill. There is speculation that the two sides may actually be discussing a ceasefire to coincide with the new year. Interestingly, the Maoists contacted the ICRC about their intention to release the hostages. "They called us first and we sent our six-member team to Rolpa for the necessary preparation for the release," Nicolas Bachmann of the ICRC told us.