Kathmandu: As the government looks bent on approving the transitional justice bill with provisions that could potentially absolve those involved in heinous crimes during the 1996-2006 conflict, despite strong opposition from the human rights defenders in Nepal, the United Nations experts have warned that passing the faulty bill into law will place Nepal in contravention of its international human rights obligation to investigate and punish serious human rights violations as well as the ruling of the Supreme Court.
“The UN experts say the bill is in breach the government’s international legal obligations, as well as the rulings of Nepal’s Supreme Court,” reads the statement issued by Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia Division. Though the UN experts have welcomed “some positive aspects” of the bill such as examining the root causes of conflict and recommending institutional reform, as well as guaranteeing victims’ right to reparation, they have warned that adopting such a bill into a law would “place Nepal in contravention of its international human rights obligation to investigate and punish serious human rights violations, as well as the ruling of the Supreme Court.” They have also said that the bill will “curtail independence and impartiality” of the judiciary.
Comment