Kathmandu, February 13

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission members are at odds over timing of their visit to key places where serious human rights violations were recorded during the decade-long Maoist insurgency that ended in November 2006.

All five TRC members were supposed to visit at least two important sites — Madi of Chitwan and Kotbada of Kalikot — where rights violations were observed from both the warring Maoists and the State.

Thirty-eight people were killed and 75 were injured when Maoist rebels ambushed an overcrowded bus in Bandarmude of Madi, Chitwan, on June 6, 2005.

Likewise, 17 youths from Jogimara of Dhading, who were working as contract labourers to build a runaway in Kotbada of Kalikot were killed by the Nepali Army in February 2002.

“The field trips were to convey the message that we are on the same page in relation to addressing conflict-era cases,” TRC spokesperson Madhabi Bhatta told The Himalayan Times.

An interaction with Bandarmude victims was arranged for tomorrow. TRC Secretary Narendra Man Shrestha had publicly mentioned it and the Local Peace Committee of Chitwan was instructed to coordinate.

The programme was not fixed in Kalikot due to snowfall in the hill district.

It was supposed to be held after the Madi event.

The transitional justice body comprises five experts who were picked on the basis of their political affinity.

Among the five members, Chairman Surya Kiran Gurung and Spokesperson Madhabi Bhatta are considered close to Nepali Congress. Shree Krishna Subedi, who had once defended incumbent Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation from UCPN-Maoist Agni Sapkota, who was charged with murder, was appointed from the Maoist quota. Two other members — Leela Udashi and Manchala Jha were appointed from the CPN-UML.

At the eleventh hour, TRC members had a heated debate on embarking for Madi.

According to sources, Chairman Gurung and Spokesperson Bhatta suggested that the set date should not be rescheduled, while the other three members Udashi, Jha and Subedi were for putting off the visit.

Due to differences, the Madi event was put off.

Talking to THT, Shrestha said TRC members couldn’t decide when to visit Madi to get the views of Bandarmude-victims, and others.

He, however, didn’t elaborate why the TRC members failed to come up with a decision on the visit.

However, sources claimed that Subedi, who is close to the Maoists, and Udashi of UML, wanted either to cancel the Madi programme or put it off for ‘ some time’ because of pressure from ruling parties.

“They fear an interaction with victims might create a backlash against the Maoists,” a source told The Himalayan Times. It can be recalled that Minister Sapkota, during an interaction with TRC members, had alleged that the TRC was biased against his party and its leaders.

It should be recalled that the international community and human rights defenders had questioned the possible impacts of TRC members’ political connections on their work when the body was set up in February 2015.

Responding to THT’s query, TRC member Subedi dismissed the notion there was a political reason behind putting off the interaction with Bandarmude victims. Instead, he claimed it was ‘postponed’” due to the sudden demise of Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and other technical reasons and assured that it would be held later.

According to him, when the programme was scheduled, the TRC regulations were not endorsed by the Cabinet. But, now, the regulations have been endorsed and he and some other colleagues wished to call for complaints from conflict victims before embarking on field trips.

Earlier, TRC members had visited — either individually or jointly — 52 districts and interacted directly with people affected by the Maoist insurgency.