Victims and Human rights community expressed that Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons cannot give an output in absence of proper mechanism, resources, amendment to the Acts. They also warned that if the political parties do not take the issue seriously, the process can get complicated in the coming days.
Speaking at the Interaction on 17th July 2016, Suman Adhikari- Chair of Conflict victims’ common platform (CVCP) Nepal said that the timeline for complaints should be kept open so that none of the victims are left out.
Govinda Sharma Bandi, human rights activist and advocate said the political forces are not interested to deliver justice and the irony is that they hold the charge of the process. The challenge now is on how to bring the transitional justice process into the stakeholder’s domain. Bandi also stressed that if Nepal fails to deliver justice in the country, international interference will take over.
Chairperson of Nepal Bar Association Sher Bahadur KC said that Nepal should ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Hon’ble Sushil Kumar Shrestha, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee for Social Justice and Human Rights, admitted that political parties are not taking the issue seriously and the process has still been confined to a round table discussion of few without victims.
Hon’ble Anup Raj Sharma, Chair of National Human Rights Commission concluded the interaction highlighting that TRC Act needs an amendment in consultation with victims and stakeholders and added that Torture and enforced disappearance should be criminalised. He also said provision of Special court for the issue would help expedite the process.
The program was organised to mark the 18th International Justice Day jointly with Conflict Victims’ Common Platform (CVCP) Nepal, INSEC, Advocacy Forum, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and other human rights organisations in the country. Charan Prasai, prominent Human Rights Activist and Chair of Accountability Watch Committee chaired the program. Conflict victims, Human Rights community, media attended the event.