KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 30
Five conflict victim organisations have sought an immediate meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, stating that they are the rightful stakeholders of Nepal's longstanding Transitional Justice process. So far, he has met only two former warring sides.
The organisations have requested a meeting with Secretary Guterres who is on a fourday tour of Nepal. Today, five organisations, in relation to the conflict victims, wrote an email to the UN representative in Nepal asking for a meeting with Secretary General Guterres.
"We are happy that Nepal's peace process and Transitional Justice form a prominent part of your current visit's agenda," reads the letter. "We have been gratified by your public call for our Transitional Justice process to follow precepts of international humanitarian law, judgements of Nepal's Supreme Court and the needs of conflict victims."
The conflict victims have expressed their distress that the victims of Nepal's decade-long conflict have not been included in Guterres' itinerary. They have requested for a meeting to discuss and listen to the perspective of victims.
"As far as the peace process is concerned, we note that your scheduled meetings have been with the leaders of the former warring sides but not citizens who were victimised by actions of the state on the one hand and the rebels on the other," states the letter.
"For this reason, Mr Secretary General, between now and the time of your departure on Wednesday morning (November 1), we request you to find time for a meeting so that victims' representatives may share with you our collective pain, experience of the TJ process thus far, our efforts for credible TJ process and suggestions."
According to the letter, as the Secretary General is aware that Nepal's peace process has the possibility of succeeding where so many other matters have failed and stand as an example for post-conflict societies for this, it is important to ensure success to that end with immediate provision of reparation to the victims, and a principled truth, justice, reparation and reconciliation process that includes accountability for heinous crimes. "While our own government has not been enthused to arrange a meeting between us, we hope that this request for an appointment by the victims, regardless of the source of our pain, will be considered positively by you," reads the letter.
Similarly, victims' communities are also going to organise a peaceful demonstration tomorrow at 11:00am in front of Kathmandu District Court to draw the attention of the government and the Secretary General. Chairperson of Conflict Victims National Alliance Gopal Shah said, "This government is the perpetrator and it is going to use all the tricks to distract the secretary general's attention from the TJ Bill that has been pending in the Parliament.
However, we are not going to rest until justice is delivered."
He further said, "From a human rights' perspective, this is the government of perpetrators. The governments led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sher Bahadur Deuba would certainly not want this meeting as they're the major reason behind it."
"They are the ones who have violated human rights and committed heinous crimes. Hence, they will do everything possible to formulate laws in their favour. Therefore, we are going to demonstrate peacefully in front of Kathmandu District Court to draw their, as well as the secretary general's attention to conclude the peace process."
Rupesh Shah, chair of Nepal Society of Families of Disappeared and Missing in Nepal; Surendra KC, chair of National Network of Disabled Conflict Victims; Srijana Singh, chair of Conflict Victim Women National Network; Gopal Shah, chair of Conflict Victims National Alliance and Kalyan Budhathoki, acting chair of Conflict Victims Common Platform have signed the letter and submitted it to the UN representative office.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 31, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
