Nepal’s politicians, army resistant to investigating war crimes

NEW DELHI: Nepali political parties and security forces who are accused of war crimes during the country’s decade-long civil war are hampering efforts to bring justice to tens of thousands of victims and their families, a study said on Friday.

More than 17,000 people were killed and more than 1,300 went missing during the conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels in the Himalayan nation.

The war ended more than 10 years ago but families and victims are still waiting to find out what happened to their loved ones and see those responsible punished.

The study, by the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), found there was a “widespread misunderstanding” of transitional justice in Nepal, with policy often motivated by the interests of political leaders and the army.

“Authorities promote, at best, a version of transitional justice that is limited to an ill-defined notion of truth and an emphasis on forms of reconciliation and relief for victims wherein protection of perpetrators is privileged over victims’ right to remedy.