The conflict victim and their family members repeated the general questions to the state and political party representatives ‘Where are the promises and accountabilities which they have made regarding the conflict victims?’ Speakers of a program organized by various human rights organizations emphasized to establish truth and ensure reparation and justice as soon as possible in the cases of human rights abuses that occurred during the decade-long conflict.
In an interaction held on 17 February 2012 (the 8th anniversary of arrest and death of Maina Sunuwar) jointly organized by Advocacy Forum, Amnesty International Nepal, Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP), Conflict Victims’ Society for Justice ( CVSJ), Human Rights and Democratic Forum (FOHRID), Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) and International Commission of Jurist (ICJ) the conflict victims and their family asked various questions regarding how state is planning to ensure justice while representatives of leading political parties addressed those questions.
Speakers in the program called for accountability for war-era abuses and raised serious concern about state’s reluctance in addressing problems of the victims and their family. On the program, Devi Sunuwar, the mother of Maina Sunuwar expressed her worries about delays on getting justice on the case of killing of her daughter. She added that even if the court has charged army men as guilty, none of the perpetrators have been brought to justice. Likewise, Constitutional Assembly (CA) member of Ruling UCPN (M) Ekraj Bhandari said that victim should get the justice as soon as possible.
On the other hand, CA Member and leader of Nepali Congress Dr. Minendra Rijal, CA member of CPN (UML) Yubaraj Karki and Former Deputy Prime minister and President of Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal Upendra Yadav blamed to the Maoist for the delay in ensuring justice. They stressed that Maoist should be cooperative in this regard.
Similarly, Secretary of National Human Rights commission Bishal Khanal, Member of National women Commission Mohana Ansari, Chairperson of INSEC Subodh Pyakurel and advocate Govinda Bandi suggested to the victims and their family to keep pressing the state for the justice and also called to change their sorrows into power.
In the program, victims and their family members also raised questions to the political leaders about the delay in justice from the floor. “We filed a complaint against enforced disappearances of my father at various national and international human rights and legal fora but all in vain,” said Ram Kumar Bhandari Chairperson of National Network of Families of Disappeared and Missing Nepal (NEFAD) and one of the victim’s family members. He added “When the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in November 2006 declaring an end to the conflict, the government and the seven parties agreed to inform kin of the disappeared about their family member’s status within 60 days. However, as 60 months have passed with no progress on the issue, the plight of those whose relatives have disappeared continues to worsen. They live in limbo, they have been ignored and their tears have never dried”. Manjima Dhakal, daughter of advocate Rajendra Dhakal, who disappeared in 1999, said her family does not want any compensation from the state but wants to know the status of her father. Laxmi Koirala of Gorkha whose husband was killed by then Maoist rebels during the conflict period, said any kind of pardon for any rights violates will be unacceptable.
After hearing the concerns by victims and their families, leader of main political parties repeated as usual that they are committed for the justice to victim’s family. However, the leaders were unable to say about the exact timetable about ‘when the justice is established?’