KATHMANDU: Eighteen years ago, on November 21, 2006, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed to address the root causes of conflict and offer support and reparations to victims.
The goal of this agreement, made between the government and the then-rebel group CPN (Maoist), was to uncover the truth about severe human rights violations and crimes against humanity, hold the offenders accountable, and restore peace in society after the turmoil of armed conflict.
After a long delay, the government established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission for Investigation of Disappeared Persons on February 10, 2015.
These two commissions were created more than eight years after the CPA was signed. They began accepting applications from survivors and initiating reparative actions, but progress on other issues has been limited.
The CPA was signed by then-Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and CPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to end a decade-long armed struggle.
Following this agreement, significant milestones were achieved, including the promulgation of the Interim Constitution, two rounds of elections for the Constituent Assembly, and the drafting of a new Constitution.
However, it remains crucial to deliver justice, relief, and reparations to survivors, which are still outstanding issues in the homegrown peace process.
It is also vital to clarify the causes of the conflict to prevent its recurrence in the future. Recently, the government began moving forward by establishing a ‘recommendation committee’ on April 12, 2024, to propose candidates for leadership positions in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission for Investigation of Disappeared Persons.
Former Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra leads this recommendation committee, which is currently in the application phase. While the government and relevant political parties agree on the importance of timely justice for victims, concerns linger about delays in enacting the necessary laws over the past decade.
The Transitional Justice Act was previously enacted through political consensus, laying the groundwork for survivors to seek justice.
To date, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has received 63,718 complaints, though it has set aside 3,000 applications for later review.
Meanwhile, the Commission for Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons has registered 3,243 complaints, with 2,496 under active investigation.
After considerable effort, the Bill (Third Amendment), 2081 to modify the Commission for Investigation, Truth and Reconciliation of Disappeared Persons Act, 2071 has been enacted.
Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Ajaya Kumar Chaurasia stated that the government is striving to complete the remaining aspects of the peace process promptly.
“Although many elements of the CPA have been fulfilled, the pursuit of justice for victims through truth investigation remains unfinished,” he noted, emphasizing that progress on transitional justice is ongoing and victims will soon receive justice.
However, CPN (Maoist Centre) chief whip Hitraj Pandey remarked that the peace process was intended to be completed within six months according to the agreement, but various factors hindered its expected advancement.
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