Nepal government scraps panels probing rights abuse

Nepal has not extended the tenure of two crucial committees it formed to investigate human rights violations during its decades-long conflict, throwing into uncertainty promises of transitional justice in the country.
The ‘Truth and Reconciliation Committee’ and the committee on the disappeared were looking into cases of alleged abuse between 1996 and 2006. Their tenure ended Friday.
On Friday morning, sources said, a cabinet meeting decided not to continue with the two panels, but demonstrated its inclination towards amending the laws to expedite ‘transitional justice’. The meeting has decided to offer general amnesty to most of the ‘rebels’ — then Maos — as well as leaders allegedly involved in rights violations, sources added.
The sources cited above said the Cabinet went ahead with the decision despite the panel chiefs advising the government to “not throttle the work already done, including gathering of evidence”.
However, Law Miner Gobinda Bandi prevailed over the Prime Miner and convinced him that only representative cases be tried. He also suggested the victims be paid reparations.