18 years of the peace agreement: Victims still awaiting justice

KATHMANDU: The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed 18 years ago on Nov 21, 2006, aimed to uncover the causes of conflict and offer justice and reparations to the victims.

The agreement between the government and the CPN (Maoist) sought to address human rights violations and crimes against humanity, with the goal of ensuring peace and normalizing the society impacted by the decade-long armed conflict.

In 2015, after prolonged delays, the government established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission for Investigation of Disappeared Persons (CIDP) to address these issues.

However, these commissions, formed eight and a half years after the agreement, primarily focused on collecting applications from survivors and initiating reparations but struggled to make substantial progress on other matters.

The 12-point CPA, signed by then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and CPN (Maoist) leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda,’ laid the foundation for the peace process that ended the conflict.

It also paved the way for the promulgation of the Interim Constitution, the election of the Constituent Assembly, and the drafting of Nepal’s new Constitution.

Despite these achievements, the survivors of the conflict continue to await justice, reparation, and relief, with the causes of the conflict still needing to be fully addressed to prevent future recurrence.

In 2024, the government initiated a new step by forming a recommendation committee to appoint office-bearers for the TRC and CIDP. The committee, headed by former Chief Justice Om Prakash Mishra, is currently processing applications.

The establishment of these commissions followed the enactment of the Transitional Justice Act, which was passed with political consensus, laying the groundwork for the survivors to receive justice.

To date, 63,718 complaints have been filed with the TRC, with 3,000 placed in abeyance. The CIDP has received 3,243 complaints, of which 2,496 are under investigation.

The Bill (Third Amendment), 2081, to amend the Commission for Investigation, Truth, and Reconciliation of Disappeared Persons Act, 2071 has been enacted, signaling progress in the peace process.

Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, Ajaya Kumar Chaurasia, expressed the government’s commitment to concluding the remaining tasks of the peace process promptly. He acknowledged that while many aspects of the CPA have been completed, the final steps in providing justice to the victims are still ongoing.

CPN (Maoist Centre) Chief Whip Hitraj Pandey noted that the peace process was initially meant to conclude within six months, as outlined in the agreement.

However, due to various challenges, it has taken much longer than anticipated.