Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission Anup Raj Sharma has said the formulation of the acts is a must for the transitional justice bodies to function.

Sharma said the amendments to the transitional justice act was required to proceed with the cases. “The act is incomplete,” said Sharma. “The newly formed transitional bodies cannot function without amendment in line with the Supreme Court order.”

The SC had ordered the government to criminalise disappearances and torture before formation of the commission. It has been 11 months since the two commissions—Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons—were formed. However, the commissions have not started their works yet.

Speaking at a function to mark 14 years of commemoration of Mukti Nath Adhikari, a teacher of Lamjung district who was hacked to death by the then Maoist rebels in the Capital, Sharma said that the NHRC was ready to support the transitional justice process. He also suggested the transitional justice bodies win confidence of the victims.

“We have a condition that the transitional justice process should be victim-centric,” he said.

Rights defender Charan Prasai said the transitional justice bodies should guarantee the victims’ right to know the truth. “The commissions should work to ensure that incidents of rights violation do not occur in the future under the garb of politics.”

Rights activist Kapil Shrestha said the state of impunity has tainted Nepal’s image before the world.

“We hope the commissions would work towards ensuring rights to victims,” he said. The programme was organised by Muktinath Adhikari Memorial Academy and Amnesty International Nepal.

NHRC wants probe into Tarai protest deaths

KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission has asked the government to probe into the deaths during the Tarai protest and punish the culprits.

Issuing a statement on Sunday, the national rights body also asked the government to compensate the families of those killed in the protest and provide free treatment to the injured.

At least 54 people, including nine security personnel and six children, have been killed in the protests so far.

The NHRC said prolonged protest has added challenges in security and rights situation in the region.

A monitoring team comprising of NHRC Chairman Anup Raj Sharma, commissioner Mohna Ansari and Acting Secretary Bed Prasad Bhattarai had visited various Tarai districts, including Bara and Parsa, last week to take stock of the situation.

 The NHRC team had held meetings with leaders from both agitating and ruling parties, human rights activists, district and regional administrators, security officials, and the families of those killed in the protest.

“Prolonged agitation, loss of lives and properties, and the border blockade have impacted daily life and basic human rights of general people in the Tarai-Madhes,” the NHRC statement said.

 The commission has also warned the political parties against increasing divisive mentality among the people of Tarai as a result of the protest. It has suggested holding a meaningful talks to resolve the crisis and avoid widening gap between the Tarai-Madhes and rest of the country.