Kathmandu, March 15

Conflict victims today demanded resignation of office bearers of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for ‘delaying’ investigation into insurgency-era rights violation cases.

Over 58,000 complaints relating to rights violations during the decade-long Maoist insurgency are pending at the transitional justice body for months.

Staging a sit-in at TRC headquarters in Babarmahal this morning, the victims also warned the TRC office bearers against politicising the transitional justice body.

Suman Adhikari, chairman of Conflict Victims Common Platform, told this daily that the victims asked TRC office bearers to resign if they couldn’t perform their duty properly. “The TRC office bearers should carry out their jobs properly, or they should put in their papers,” he said.

TRC Chairman Surya Kiran Gurung has not reported to work since February 12, while TRC Secretary Mani Ram Ojha has been away since February 18.

Other members, who normally report to the office, also have had no business to attend to in the absence of the TRC leadership.

According to him, the victims — representing various organisations— also concluded that the transitional justice instrument fell short of performing its duty during its two-year’s initial mandate.

The TRC’s mandate was extended on February 10 for a year. However, it has not held even a single meeting since. The victims have also asked the TRC to come up with its upcoming work plan within a week.