Kathmandu, March 22:

Survivors of human trafficking today demanded that the provision of providing compensation to the survivors be included in the Human Trafficking Bill, which has been tabled in the parliament.

The demand came at the conclusion of a three-day ‘National Consultation on Access to Justice for Trafficked Persons’, organised jointly by the Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women (GAATW), Wom-en’s Rehabilitation Centre and the Alliance Against Trafficking in Women in Nepal (AATWIN).

After consultations, 23 survivors of trafficking, lawyers, human rights advocates, police personnel, public prosecutors and participants concluded that compensation is essential, as the survivors suffer gross rights violations. The survivors need compensation also to restart their lives.”

The current Bill has the provision of imposing fine on the traffickers. Fifty per cent of the fine will go to the survivors and 50 per cent to a State fund for providing rehabilitation and services to the trafficked persons. Demanding that 100 per cent of the fine collected from the traffickers be paid to them, the survivors said the money generated by the traffickers through the trafficking be collected in the fund.

“Trafficking survivors, their families and community workers have to face social stigma, discrimination and threat from traffickers,” Dr Renu Rajbhandari, president of the WOREC, said.

Eleanor Taylor-Nicholson, programme officer at the GAATW, said: “Since Nepal is developing an anti-trafficking law, the recommendations will put pressure on the government to bring out a strong policy, make a conducive environment to deliver justice and provide compensation to the survivors of trafficking.”