Police intervene in protest staged by conflict victims

KATHMANDU, March 24: Police on Thursday intervened in a protest program staged by the victims of decade-long armed conflict in front of the prime minister's official residence in Baluwatar and took some victims and rights activists into custody for some hours.

Victims with the banner of Conflict Victims Common Platform gathered in front of PM's official residence on Thursday to mark the International Day for the Right to the Truth which is organized on March 24.

"We have arrested five protestors including right activists while they tried to obstruct the busy road near the prime minister's residence in Baluwatar. They were kept at the Metropolitan Police Circle Office, Kamalpokhari for an hour," said Lokendra Shrestha, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) at the circle office.

However, victims have claimed that the police disrupted a peaceful protest suddenly and left few injured.

"While we were carrying out peaceful protest demanding justice to conflict victims, police interrupted and arrested us. Police manhandled us all of a sudden and left few injured," said Ram Kumar Bhandari, a conflict victim who was arrested during the protest.

"We want justifiable answers from the authorities about the status of the kin missing during the decade-long conflict. We also condemn the police action on Thursday," he added.

About 200 protestors including right activists with placards and banners were staging a sit-in demanding for truth and justice on the cases of human rights violation during the conflict era.

The victims were seeking action against the perpetrators of war crimes. They wanted the concerned authorities to inform the families about the whereabouts of the enforced disappeared persons. The victims have also raised voice against government apathy toward arresting perpetrators like Bal Krishna Dhungel, who is already convicted by the Supreme Court.

"It has already been a year since the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP). However, the commissions are yet to establish their credibility before they can establish the truths of the cases of serious human rights violation of conflict era," stated a press release issued by the victims.

"If the commissions fail to establish the truths, serious questions would loom over their existence," said the statement.

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