With the government side failing to make any conciliatory overture towards offering justice to the people affected by the decade-long war so far, the conflict victims have themselves drafted an advocacy paper on reparation process to be presented to the two transitional justice bodies.

Conflict Victims Common Platform (CVCP), an umbrella body of 13 organisations advocating for the justice of war-era victims, has prepared the paper with the support from different human rights organisations, highlighting the fact that reparation should be based on the need of individual victim, not imposed by the government.

The 100-page document sets the base for providing reparations to thousands of conflict victims. It says that reparation is the right of the conflict victims and ‘one-size fits all’ policy does not imply on it.

The CVCP had held several interactions with the stakeholders across the country before finalising the report.  

CVCP Chairperson Suman Adhikari said the concerns of the victims have been taken into consideration before finalising the advocacy paper.

“It will be presented to the government and the two transitional justice bodies on May 4,” he said. “We hope this will provide a guideline for the transitional justice bodies in finalising the reparation policy.”

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) are currently working on reparation policy.

The TRC has already held consultations with the victims from the seven provinces. It is currently collecting feedback from the victims of rape. The advocacy paper prepared by the CVCP offers separate recommendations of reparations based on the nature of crime including unlawful killings, enforced disappearance, rape and torture.

Several short-term and long-term reparation measures for the victims have been recommended.

It also proposes quota reservation for the victims in government jobs, public apology by the top political leadership, observing National Sorrow Day to commemorate the war victims, and giving martyr status to those who lost their lives in the conflict.

Issuing identity cards to the conflict victims, short- and long-term livelihood programmes, rehabilitation of the displaced, employment for the victims, free education for the victims’ children, free health services, and skill and professional training are other recommendations.

Conflict victims say reparations should be based on the UN’s Basic Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Remedy and Reparation for Victims adopted in 2005. 

It says: “Reparation is intended to promote justice by redressing gross violations  of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law. Reparation should be proportional to the gravity of the violations and the harm suffered.”