Six human rights defenders calls for victim-centered conclusion of peace process

DIGNITY REPORTER

KATHMANDU: Six Nepali human rights defenders have urged the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to ensure a victim-centric ending of Nepal’s homegrown peace process.

Issuing a note of appreciation and concern to the UN Secretary-General the six citizens, who have been raising their voice for the victims of the Maoists-led people’s war, have alerted the UN Secretary-General against the perpetrator-friendly ending of the peace process. 

“We need to be alert, Mr. Secretary-General, to the possibility of national and international 'spoilers' wanting to foist a perpetrator-friendly ending to the peace process in the name of elapsed time and geopolitical expediency,” states the note issued by them on October 31.

The signatories of the note are Dr. Gauri Shankar Lal Das, Former Commissioner of, National Human Rights Commission; Dr. Bimala Rai Paudyal, Member of Parliament, Former Foreign Minister; Hira Bishwakarma, Scholar and Social Activist; Sushil Pyakurel, Former Commissioner, National Human Rights Commission; Tika P. Dhaka!, Political Scientist, Former Advisor to the President of Nepal and

Kanak Mani Dixit, Writer and journalist. 

Secretary-General Guterres wrapped up his four-day-long Nepal visit on November 1. 

In their note, the Nepali citizens have said they are hopeful that the UN Secretary-General’s position on the prerequisites for Nepal's transitional justice process will help guarantee a just and proper conclusion.

“We were most heartened by your public acknowledgement and appreciation of Nepal's homegrown peace process, and your highlighting the importance of the precepts of international law as well as Nepal's Supreme Court judgements in order to bring Nepal's transitional justice process to a just and humanitarian closure.”

They have also said the visit of the Secretary-General would not be complete without meeting the victims of the conflict.

“In this connection, Mr. Secretary-General, allow us to note with sadness that your visit was incomplete for not having met with the victims of Nepal's decade-long conflict.” 

They have noted that it is the victims, as the main stakeholders, who ensured through years of lonely struggle that opportunistic politicians and other players did not derail our transitional justice process. 

“While you did meet the two erstwhile warring sides, you were not able to meet the victims of conflict even though representatives of five organisations had submitted a letter on the morning of 30 October seeking an appointment.”