Kathmandu, August 26

After completing preliminary study, the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons has started conducting detailed study into complaints of conflict victims.

CIEDP is studying 100 such complaints, to begin with, said CIEDP Spokesperson Bishnu Pathak. Of the total 3,093 complaints, CIEDP has approved 1,300 for detailed study, while it is yet to decide on 1,400 to 1,500 plaints. Once everything is finalised, CIEDP estimates that 2,200 to 2,300 complaints will be taken up for scrutiny.

“This is because we have also received complaints of cases of disappearance that fall beyond our jurisdiction, such as incidents that took place during the Popular Movement of 2006,” said Pathak. “We are forwarding some complaints to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission as they come under its jurisdiction. While some of the complaints will be scrapped, the others will be kept as ‘pending’.”

While carrying out detailed study, the CIEDP will verify signatures of complainants, story telling by the complainants, and record the statements of alleged perpetrators as well as victims and witnesses.

“We are currently recording the statements of alleged perpetrators,” said Pathak, adding that the alleged perpetrators include the former king, prime ministers, ministers, CDOs, and local police station chiefs, among others.

In some cases where information is insufficient, public hearing either of the victims and witnesses only or all victims, witnesses and alleged perpetrators, will be carried out.

Complex cases will require exhumation of burial sites, and ante-mortem data collection. If the victims’ kin are not identified even after all these investigations, DNA tests will be carried out, said Pathak.

Meanwhile, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is holding internal consultations to set up offices in all the districts. “We have realised that the offices set up in each of the seven provinces are not enough to address more than 60,000 complaints that we have received. So we are planning to expand,” said TRC member Madhabi Bhatta. “However, we are yet to take a formal decision.”

TRC had, in July, set up its offices in all seven provinces. It deputed its member Manchala Jha to oversee operations in Provinces 1 and 2; Lila Udasi in Provinces 3 and 7, Madhabi Bhatta in Provinces 4 and 6, and Shree Krishna Subedi in Province 5.