The Human Rights and Peace Society has expressed its concern over the government’s decision to dole out Rs200,000 each to the former Maoist combatants disqualified for integration into the Nepal Army for being underage or late recruits during the UN verification in 2007.

A team of the rights organisation, including founder-chairman Krishna Pahadi, chairman Ramkrishna Baral, adviser Govind Khanal and the organisation’s Kathmandu branch chairman Bhagwan Pudasaini, on Thursday, met with the Speaker Devraj Ghimire and drew his attention to the issues including the completion of the transitional justice process.

During the meeting, the representatives of the organisation demanded that the government withdraw its decision to provide cash relief to the disqualified members of the then rebel Maoist party.

The group also drew the attention of the Speaker for the immediate ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to end impunity.

According to a statement issued by the organisation following the meeting, the rights group also submitted a memorandum to the Speaker stating that the amendment bill on transitional justice registered at the parliament should be passed only after ensuring that its provisions give justice to the victims and punishment for the perpetrators, in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law and the verdict of the Supreme Court on the issue.

Likewise, the delegation also drew the attention of Speaker Ghimire to revoke the public holiday announced by the government to mark the beginning of the Maoist’s People’s War in the upcoming calendar year.

“Attention has been drawn to halt any kind of compensation (regarding the incidents of Maoist insurgency) that would burden the state coffers until the transitional justice is brought to a logical conclusion in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement,” reads the statement.