The Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee of the House of Representatives on Friday formed an 11-member sub-committee to study and prepare a report on the bill to amend the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act.

Lawmakers Subas Nembang, Mahesh Kumar Bartaula, Ramesh Lekhak, Jeevan Pariyar, Sushila Pariyar, Sushila Thing, Santosh Pariyar, Goma Labh Sapkota and Purna Bahadur Gharti are members of the committee.

Likewise, Ranju Kumari Jha, Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan and Sher Bahadur Kunwar have been named as members of the sub-committee, according to lawmaker Mangal Prasad Gupta, who presided over the meeting as the eldest member.

Gupta said the sub-committee has been mandated to submit a report to the committee within three weeks by holding clause-wise discussions within the sub-committee and consult with the stakeholders on the bill to amend the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act.

According to him, the sub-committee can select its coordinator and formulate work procedures on its own.

On March 9, the government registered the bill to amend the Act in the House of Representatives.

The amendment bill, which retains most of the “controversial provisions” from the previous bill that couldn’t get through the parliament last year, was presented in the lower House on March 19.

The new bill, like the previous one, has not listed murder as a serious human rights violation, thereby leaving it as a crime fit for amnesty. It has instead listed cruel murder or murder after torture, rape, enforced disappearances and inhumane or cruel torture as serious rights violations. Those involved in serious rights violations will get prosecuted and not be considered for amnesty.

Murder, sexual violence, physical and mental torture, extrajudicial custody and other crimes, however, have been listed as cases of violations and are amnestiable if the victims give their consent.