KATHMANDU, JUNE 6
Today marks the 17th year of the Badarmude bomb blast in Chitwan, where the Maoist cadres had laid an ambush and detonated a bomb targeting a bus carrying civilians, resulting in the death of 35 civilians and three off-duty security personnel.
The blast that took place on 6 June 2005 left more than 70 people injured, of which six have lost their lives.
The victims have been waiting for truth, justice and reparation, but have been forced to live with the feeling of helplessness in the face of unbridled impunity for the past 17 years.
Issuing a joint press release, Advocacy Forum-Nepal and Accountability Watch Committee have demanded justice for the victims.
Many governments came to power, but none have taken the initiative to address the demands and needs of victims who are still scourged by physical and psychological trauma and are facing eco-nomic deprivation for the past so many years. The promises made by the government and the political leadership of the Maoists in the past are yet to materialise," read the press release.
Presently, the government is holding consultations to amend the transitional justice law in a bid to bring the stalled transitional justice process back on track. Advocacy Forum-Nepal and Accountability Watch Committee said these consultations were expected to yield some fruits in amending the law and addressing the pain, suffering and anguish of victims in cases similar to that of the Badarmude blast.
"This is one of the cases where we have alleged gross violation of human rights, including war crime. We stand together with the victims demanding an impartial and independent investigation, prosecution of the perpetrators, and reparation to the victims to ensure sustained safety and security of the victims and their family members," they said.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 7, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
