BIKRAM RAI

The International Day of the Disappeared was marked in the capital with some 40 relatives of people disappeared during the armed conflict coming together to demand truth and justice. Debisara Oli from Bardiya fainted while watching a clip at the National Human Rights Commission of the exhumation of a body. Her husband is among at least 1,400 relatives of people who are still listed as missing five years after the war ended.

National Network of Families of the Disappeared & Missing Nepal (NEFAD) was established by the relatives of those who were disappeared by either sides during the armed conflict. It organised a series of interactions and briefings for three days in the capital for people like Debisara so that their plight is heard by the government. Many relatives expressed their dissatisfaction over the lack of progress on cases of their disappeared relatives. They raised a collective voice against collective amnesty provision in the agreement between the Maoists and the Madhesi alliance as well as the watered down content of the bill on disappearances. They were also critical of a Maoist lawmaker who publicly spoke out against relatives of victims raising their voices for justice, and for making a distinction between those disappeared by the state and those disappeared by their party.

"If collective amnesty is granted then it will be our turn to revolt," said Ratna Bahadur Ghimire from Jhapa whose 19-year-old son was disappeared by the police in Biratnagar eight years ago. "All the relatives of the disappeared people will come together to oppose any pardon for those responsible for war crimes."

The co-ordinator of NEFAD, Ram Kumar Bhandari also had his father disappeared by the army. "It is only the victims who can forgive, or decide whom to forgive," he said, "it is not up to the victimisers to decide on pardon." Bhandari said if left unaddressed, the grief of the relatives of the disappeared could turn to revenge.

At one interaction on Tuesday Amnesty Nepal's director Rameshwor Nepal accused the Maoists were not doing enough for the victims. He said, "They are telling victims' families, we got rid of the king, that is your sacrifice, that is your justice. This is just irresponsible and unacceptable."