Nepalese victims of war crimes, activists and police scuffle in front of government offices in Kathmandu yesterday.


AFP/Kathmandu



Former Maoist rebels or security forces who committed crimes during Nepal’s civil war could be granted amnesty except in rape cases under planned legislation, a senior lawmaker said yesterday.
The government late Wednesday introduced a bill in parliament to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a Commission on the Disappeared, aimed at healing wounds from the decade-long conflict.
Those found guilty of serious crimes during hearings by the commissions could receive a pardon except for cases of rape, said Ramesh Lekhak, a member of the ruling Nepali Congress party who drafted the bill.
“No amnesty will be granted to those accused of rape,” Lekhak said.
“The commissions will investigate (other) cases and recommend whether they qualify for amnesty,” he told AFP, adding that any offer of amnesty would still need the victim’s approval.
“Our focus is on reconciliation. But the victim’s consent will be mandatory to pardon the accused,” he added.
The conflict between Maoist guerrillas and the state ended in 2006, leaving more than 16,000 dead. Rebels, soldiers and police were accused of serious human rights violations including killings, rapes, torture and disappearances.
Victims’ rights groups accused politicians of bowing to demands from Maoist lawmakers to include an amnesty in the bill, despite recommendations from a government-appointed panel against one.
“We do not trust that such a commission will be able to give us justice,” said Ram Kumar Bhandari, coordinator of the National Network of Families of the Disappeared and the Missing.
“This has turned into an issue of political reconciliation,” Bhandari told AFP.
Police arrested more than a dozen activists who staged a demonstration outside government offices in Kathmandu against the bill, which is set to be debated in parliament next week.  
“The protesters were arrested for crossing into a restricted zone... 20 people have been taken into custody,” police spokesperson Ganesh KC told AFP.
The Maoists and the government agreed to set up commissions focused on peace and reconciliation when they signed a peace deal.   
An earlier Maoist-led government in 2013 passed legislation that sought to grant amnesty to those responsible for major human rights violations. But the Supreme Court rejected the provisions in a ruling last January.
Although the court has issued arrest warrants over several cases of rights abuses during the war, there have been no prosecutions so far.



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