Conflict victims have taken exception to the nine-point agreement reached last week between the ruling CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist), complaining that it would give amnesty to human rights violators of the decade-long insurgency.

“A month after the commissions for investigating war-era crimes began registering complaints, our issues were used to prolong the tenure of the government,” said Duhani Chaudhary of Baijapur-5, who lost her husband and brother-in-law during the armed conflict. “I demand that the killer of my family should be booked at any cost and that my complaint be not rejected.”

According to her, security forces detained her husband Dhaniram and brother-in-law Jorilal on September 29, 2004 and buried their bodies after killing them. Rights activists have also corroborated the incident, calling it a serious crime against humanity.

Ramlaun Chaudhary of Baijapur-3, who was jailed for 14 months during the conflict, also rued the deal between the coalition partners. “I was arrested from home on the charge of being a Maoist and jailed for 14 months,” he said. 

“My body suffered due to the inhuman treatment during incarceration,” he said, adding that conflict victims will never get justice unless the perpetrators are booked.

Several cases against UCPN (Maoist) leaders are sub judice in Banke and Bardiya courts. The regional office of the National Human Rights Commission in Nepalgunj has also recommended that the government book offenders in some of the cases. But the UML-Maoist deal attempts to settle all the cases in reconciliation rather than punishing the guilty. But the law bars transfer of cases from courts to transitional justice mechanisms. Besides, the Supreme Court has ruled that serious cases of human rights violation cannot be withdrawn.

“Everyone has to follow the rule of law. The government and the political parties cannot make a deal against human rights,” said Murari Kharel, director of the NHRC’s Nepalgunj office.

Former chief of the Nepalgunj Appellate Bar Sunil Kumar Shrestha said that giving amnesty to convicted criminals will give rise to lawlessness. “This could give birth to new cases of rights violation in the community. The pain of victims is not something to be dealt with politically.”