Nepal extends tenure of two transitional justice mechanisms by a year

The Nepalese government on Thursday extended the tenure of two transitional justice mechanisms by a year which were formed to investigate war-era human rights violation cases, officials said here.

A Cabinet meeting decided to extend the term of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Commission of Enquiry on Enforced Disappearance (CEED), which are also mandated to provide justice to the conflict victims, Defense Minister Bal Krishna Khand told media in Kathmandu.

Mandates of the two commissions, which were formed two years ago, were set to expire on Tuesday.

The transitional justice mechanisms were set up after eight years of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) which ended a 10-year civil war in Nepal, though the then rebel Maoists and the then government pledged to establish such commissions within six months after signing the CPA.

The commissions are mandated to launch probe into all cases of human rights abuses committed by both the Maoists and the state forces during the 10-year-conflict (1996-2006). The armed struggle between the Maoists and the state claimed over 13,000 lives and left hundreds of thousands displaced and thousands disappeared.

The government's decision to extend the tenure of the two commissions has come at a time when the government and political parties have drawn flak for failing to ensure accountability for human rights abuses committed during the civil war. Enditem