Conflict Victims Common Platform splits

Kathmandu, January 27

Conflict Victims Common Platform suffered split today as conflict victims associated with it formed a separate group called Conflict Victims’ National Network led by Gita Rasaili.

Vice-chairpersons of CVNN are Gopal Bahadur Shah and Sabitri Shrestha. Fadindra Luitel, Sabitri Khadka and Nagma Mali are general secretary, secretary and treasurer of the new group respectively. There are 21 members and seven provincial coordinators in CVNN.

CVNN issued a press release, stating that it would make additional contribution to the campaign aimed at ensuring justice for conflict victims.

Adviser to CVNN Ram Kumar Bhandari said 50 victims gathered from across the country and formed the new network.

"CVCP brought a charter of demands a few months ago proposing to settle transitional justice issues through a new mechanism consisting of conflict victims, political leaders and security officers. It also proposed to dissolve the existing Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons. Now in the face of growing criticism, CVCP has corrected its stance, saying it only wants restructuring of the existing transitional justice mechanisms,” he added.

He said if any political mechanism was created to settle transitional justice then the victims would not get justice. He said some human rights activists who were close to the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) had wooed the CVCP to soften its stance. “We cannot accept any proposal that would grant amnesty to serious human rights violators,” Bhandari said.