Nepal urged to extend transitional justice panels' mandate

As the mandate of Nepal's transitional justice commissions set up to probe war crimes is set to expire, international rights bodies have asked the government to extend their tenure "indefinitely" to ensure justice for the victims of the country's decade-long civil conflict.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have also urged the United Nations and donors, who played a major role in post-conflict peacemaking and rights protections, to request the Nepal government for the amendment in line with international norms and extend their mandates.
"In spite of delays caused by political parties, the two commissions have succeeded in accumulating a body of evidence of wartime atrocities that can lead to justice, accountability, and reparations for survivors," said Brad Adams, Asia director at the Human Rights Watch.

"The victims and their families who showed great courage to appear before the commissions did so expecting the commissions to complete their work. It is time for Nepal's political parties to prove their commitment to justice and truth."
The mandates of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) are set to expire on February 10.
According to officials, the two commissions have registered over 60,000 complaints of conflict victims on which they plan to start comprehensive investigation after extension of the mandate.

More than 16,000 people were killed during the decade- long armed conflict that ended after the government signed a peace deal with the rebels in 2006.

Former Maoist rebels and security forces have both been accused of carrying out torture, killings, rape and "forced disappearances" during the civil war.
The government is likely to decide on the extension at a Cabinet meeting later this week.