Nepal passes key bill to deal with rights violations cases

Nepal's Parliament has passed a bill for setting up commissions to deal with the cases of human rights violations during the decade-long Maoist insurgency claiming nearly 16,000 lives.

The Bill on Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances was passed in Parliament yesterday by a majority vote with some amendments, officials said.

A provision for establishing Special Court has been made to deal with conflict related serious rights violation cases.

"We have addressed the amendment proposals that enrich the content of the bill," Narahari Acharya, law minister, was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post.

The endorsement of the bill was a significant step towards concluding the armed conflict that claimed 16,000 lives.

This endorsement has paved the way to set up the much talked about commissions to deal with the cases of human rights violations during a decade-long Maoist insurgency.

The government and the then CPN-Maoist had signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on November 21, 2006 after the Maoists came to the peace process ending the decade long war.

The bill has undergone some amendments as demanded by Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist parties before its endorsement.

The bill requires the government attorney to file cases forwarded by the TRC. It also mandates reparations for victims of their families as per the priorities.

The bill had been a major bone of contention between ruling alliance Nepali Congress and opposition UCPN-Maoist as the Maoist party had pressed for inclusion of provisions for blanket amnesty for conflict era rights violations.

Lawmakers belonging to Madhesi parties withdrew their proposals for amendment to the bill after the government pledged to form a separate commission within two months to recommend implementation of accords reached between the past governments and the Madhesi parties.