A delegation led by NHRC Chairman Dr. Kedar Nath Upadhyaya separately met with and submitted memorandum to Chairman of UCPN (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, President of Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala and Chairman of CPN-UML Jhalanath Khanal and urged them to honor international humanitarian laws. [break]
Upadhyaya drew the attention of the political leaders to establish Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to facilitate transitional justice.
NHRC spokesperson Gauri Pradhan, after meeting Dahal, said that delegation urged not to drop court cases filed against even those associated with various movements.
The Maoist led-government and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) signed a four-point-deal that paved way for Maoist Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai to become prime minister.
The second point of that agreement reads: "All the court cases against those involved in the Maoist insurgency, Madhes movement, Janjati movement and Tharuhat movement will be dropped and they will be given general amnesty."
“Cases of serious human rights violation such as murder, rape and abduction should not be dropped,” Pradhan said. “There is an opportunity for government to rethink on amnesty issue.”
The NHRC has already submitted a letter to Dr. Baburam Bhattarai urging him to scrap the decision.
The memorandum also includes issues of freedom of NHRC and its autonomy, transitional justice mechanism and politicization of criminality. One of the points of the memorandum reads, “There is a need to provide full autonomy to NHRC as our recommendations to punish the guilty have not been implemented yet.”
Maoist Chairman Dahal, during the meeting, said that his party will initiate to form the TRC at the earliest and look into the cases registered during Maoist insurgency.
Similarly, talking with the members of the delegation, NC president Koirala and CPN-UML Chairman Khanal assured that transitional justice will be ensured through TRC as directed by Comprehensive Peace Accord.
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