KATHMANDU, MAY 27

Although the government is preparing to hold consultation with conflict victims and other stakeholders in all seven provinces over the issues of transitional justice, conflict victims continue to accuse the government of delaying, diluting, and denying justice to them.

Conflict victim Suman Adhikari presented a working paper at a consultation meeting with conflict victims and rights activists organised by Forum for Women, Law and Development, saying that the government's track record on the issue of transitional justice was so poor that conflict victims can not trust the government's intention. 'The government had said that it would address transitional justice within two years but the two transitional mechanisms have been in existence for more than seven years and yet they have done nothing on the issue,' Adhikari added.

He said conflict victims did not have confidence in two transitional justice mechanisms – Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons and hence the government should start the transitional justice process afresh.

He said the issue that were subjudice at the court should not be brought to transitional justice mechanisms.

Since the transitional justice issues were mentioned in the government's policies and programmes, conflict victims have now some optimisms but we still have to see how the government moves ahead and implement its pledges, Adhikari said. Project Coordinator of Transcultural Psycho-social Organisation Nepal Ratna Maya Lama said that many victims of conflicts, particularly women victims of sexual violence who cannot share their pains with family members for fear of being rejected by the family need psycho-social counselling but there had not been sustained efforts to address their needs.

Advocate Anita Thapaliya said that there should be no amnesty in serious crimes and all the principles established by international law, should be non-negotiable in the discussion with government representatives.

She said that there should be no statute of limitation in serious crimes.

Advocate Goma Mahara from Dang said that both types of conflict victims who suffered at the hands of security personnel or Maoist combatants had joined hands to raise their issues.

Conflict victim Bhagiram Tharu said conflict victims had lost hope of getting justice as the government delayed transitional justice process. He said some conflict victims did not want to raise the issue of justice. Participants formed five discussion groups and presented their findings about how conflict victims should move ahead now.

A version of this article appears in the print on May 28, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.