Kathmandu, January 31

Conflict Victims Common Platform issued a press release today stating that the government’s recent decision to give martyr’s status to some people who were killed during conflict was against the spirit of the peace agreement.

CVCP, through the press release, stated that its attention was drawn to the government’s decision to give martyr’s status to 56 people, including Bandarmudhe blast victims and some other people who were killed by Maoists in Syangja, Kaski, Sindhupalchowk, Sunsari and Khotang.

“Previous governments’ decision to give martyr’s status to all those who were killed during conflict remained merely a declaration but incumbent government has repeatedly given martyr’s status to some victims,” read the press release. It said the government’s decision to give martyr’s status was unilateral.

The spirit of the peace agreement is to accord equal respect to all the victims of conflict but all the governments formed so far have given martyr’s status to some and ignored other victims, further stated the press release.

“Government’s discriminatory practices against the conflict victims on the issue of giving martyr’s status have undermined the respect for conflict victims,” CVCP added.

The press release also stated that the trend of declaring martyrs haphazardly should stop and all victims should be declared martyrs without any prejudice and bias.