Nepal: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2019

Locals of Tikapur have expressed deep dissatisfaction after lawmaker-elect of Madhes-based Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) from Kailali constituency-1, Resham Chaudhary, the main accused in the Tikapur carnage, was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on January 3, reports My Republica.The victims criticized the oath-taking ceremony and the preparations for Chaudhary’s release from Dillibazar jail prior to the court verdict in the case, calling it a serious violation of the law. Eight people including a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and a two-year-old toddler were killed after agitating Tharuhat activists clashed with Police while attempting to breach a prohibited zone in Tikapur Municipality on August 24, 2015. Read less...

Ruling coalition partner Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN), on January 5, drew the attention of Prime Minister (PM) K P Oli in initiating the constitution amendment process as demanded by the Madhes-based political parties, reports My Republica. Deputy Prime Minister Upendra Yadav took such move after mounting pressure from another Madhes-based party - Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) - and the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) drawing the Government’s attention on the issue.Submitting an 11-point memorandum to the PM at his official residence in Baluwatar, FSFN Chairperson Yadav demanded endorsement of the constitution amendment bill from the ongoing parliament session. Reminding the prime minister that the Government has a comfortable position in parliament with two-thirds majority for statute amendment, the party has sought Oli’s initiative to push forward the amendment process. “The formation of a progressive government in Nepal was itself an achievement,” reads the memorandum submitted to the prime minister. The second point of the 11-point memorandum has demanded immediate homework for the constitution amendment and its endorsement within the ongoing House session to institutionalize the political achievements including federalism, democracy, republic and proportional inclusion. “The prime minister was positive toward our demands and he also assured us of amending the constitution if it is necessary,” said FSFN General Secretary Ram Sahaya Yadav. Read less...

Lawmakers from the main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC) and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) ended House obstruction after Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara ordered the Government to answer the lawmakers’ queries and make Justice Girish Chandra Lal-led commission’s report on Madhes agitation violence public, reports The Himalayan Times on January 9. The NC lawmakers had been demanding that the Government respond to lawmakers’ questions. On Sunday (January 6), NC lawmakers had stalled House proceedings after the Prime Minister (PM) refused to take questions from the opposition. On January 9, RJP-N lawmakers also threatened to disrupt House proceedings, if the Government did not agree to make the Lal commission report public.It was only after Mahara directed the Government to respond to the opposition’s questions that the NC ended House obstruction.Lal-led probe commission had submitted its report to the then PM Sher Bahadur Deuba on 15 December 2017. The Government had formed the commission on 18 September 2016 to investigate killings and violent incidents that took place during protests in the Terai. The commission began its investigation on 17 October 2016. Read less...

The fate of the long-delayed transitional justice (TJ) process remains unclear as the extended deadlines of two key commissions formed to settle conflict-era cases is expiring in less than a month, reports My Republica on January 14.The extended terms of both commissions - Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) - mandated to ensure justice for the conflict victims is expiring on February 9 without any of the two TJ bodies accomplishing the jobs assigned to them. Although the CIEDP reportedly completed preliminary investigations into nearly 85 percent of the total complaints registered with it, the TRC, which has received more than 60,000 complaints, is lagging far behind in investigating the complaints.The Government is pushing amendments to endorse a bill named Transitional Justice Related Act-2018 which was opposed by a larger section of conflict victims and stakeholders in June last year. A group of Government officials and lawyers had drafted the bill to revise the previous TJ-related act, the CIEDP, TRC Act formulated in 2014. Backed by the Government, those same legal experts have been working to finalize the amendment draft. Ramesh Dhakal, a Government secretary involved in finalizing the draftsaid, “We are working to finalize the previous draft amendment by incorporating suggestions and inputs put forth by various stakeholders… The future course of the TJ bodies will be determined as per the same legal arrangements.”The TRC has completed preliminary investigation on 7,000 complaints of the total 63,000 complaints filed at the commission. Nearly 85 percent of the over 3,000 complaints registered at CIEDP have been verified and forwarded for reparations so far. Read less...

Kathmandu-based diplomatic missions including the United Nations (UN) have urged the Government to clarify to the public regarding its plans to take the transitional justice process forward in 2019, reports My Republica.In a press release on January 24, Kathmandu-based diplomatic missions of Australia, Germany, European Union, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, and United Nations said "Noting the looming expiration of the mandates of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP), as well as the upcoming fourth anniversary of the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that affirmed certain requirements for transitional justice processes, we encourage the government to clarify to the public its plans to take the transitional justice process forward in 2019." Further, saying that they support a number of principles for transitional justice in Nepal, the diplomatic missions stated "We support a Nepali-designed, Nepali-led process that is consistent with the 2007 and 2015 judgements of Nepal’s Supreme Court and the country’s obligations under international law."The international community have also stressed on the broad public trust in the transitional justice process. "Nepal will not be able to bring closure to the wounds and grievances that persist from the conflict era, nor be able to complete the peace process," the release said. The international community also urged the government to engage in broad-based, meaningful consultation with conflict victims, civil society and wider stakeholders that allows space and time to discuss and address issues raised before action is taken, and helps shape a course of further action that reflects the will of the people."These members of the international community are also united in the view that any solution should have the needs of victims at its heart," the release said.The diplomatic missions, in their release, are of the view that only the peace process move forward on a strong foundation if the needs of the victims are properly addressed."Supporting Nepal in establishing a credible transitional justice process and ensuring the stability and prosperity of Nepal remain priorities for the international community. We are committed to working with the Government of Nepal and all other stakeholders to advance a transitional justice process that engenders broad public confidence," the release stated. Read less...

Members of the international community,on January 24, urged the Nepal Government to make public its plan to take the transitional justice process forward in 2019, reports The Himalayan Times. In a joint statement, they said they supported a Nepali-designed, Nepali-led process that was consistent with the 2007 and 2015 judgments of the Supreme Court and the country’s obligations under international law.“We are united in the view that without broad public trust in the process, Nepal will neither be able to bring closure to the wounds and grievances that persist from the conflict era, nor will it be able to complete the peace process,” read the statement undersigned by the embassies of Australia, Germany, Finland, France, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United Stated (US), delegation of the European Union and the United Nations (UN) in Nepal.“To achieve this, we encourage the government to engage in meaningful consultation with conflict victims, civil society and other stakeholders that helps shape a course of further action that reflects the will of the people.” the international community said. Read less...

The Nepali Congress (NC),on January 24, termed the decisions made by the Constitutional Council (CC) in absence of main opposition party leader ‘anti-democratic’ after the council recommended names of five individuals for chairperson posts in constitutional commissions in NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s absence, reports The Himalayan Times. According to NC Spokesperson Biswo Prakash Sharma, as an opposition party leader is statutory member of the council, decisions made in absence of main opposition leader breach the established procedure and culture. Likewise, the agenda of expiry of the extended tenure of incumbent working committee of its student wing, Nepal Student Union (NSU), was also discussed in a working committee meeting held by the party on January 24. Read less...

Angered by the decision of the ruling coalition parties to endorse the disputed National Medical Education Bill by force in Parliament amid its objection, the NC, has decided to intensify protests against the Government across the country, reports My Republica on January 28.A Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the party on January 27, decided to hold protests in all district headquarters on February 4. The meeting decided to take such a step against the Government’s move to endorse the disputed medical education bill with force and for going back on the agreements reached in the past with medical reforms crusader Govinda KC. The CWC meeting denounced the Government move to endorse the bill with force, “undermining the voice of the main opposition party in parliament.”“While taking serious note of the move of endorsing the bill on Friday (January 25) against established parliamentary practices and norms using marshals, the meeting strongly denounces such step,” said a press statement issued by the party after the meeting. Read less...

Police arrested one person in possession of arms and ammunition from Lal Bakiya river banks in Isnath Municipality of Rautahat District on January 29, reports The Himalayan Times. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Armed Police Force (APF) arrested Nakul Patel (47) of Tikuliya under Gaur Municipality in the District. The APF team recovered one Italian-made 9 mm pistol, one home-made gun, one magazine each and 5 rounds of bullets along with other ammunition from the possession of Patel. Read less...

Police detained 50 cadres of Nepali Congress (NC) when they were staging a protest in front of the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar in Kathmandu on January 29, reports My Republica. The NC cadres were taken by the Police when they were staging the protest to express solidarity with the hunger strike launched by Govinda KC. The detained NC cadres have been kept at Nepal Police Club in the capital. Read less...

Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli speaking on the occasion of 18th Armed Police Force Day, said that the meeting of the Council of Ministers on January 28, had declared 2,807 security personnel of Nepali Army, Armed Police Force (APF), Nepal Police and National Investigation Department ‘martyrs’, reports The Himalayan Times. The PM said that the Cabinet decision of declaring Police personnel martyrs has developed the culture of respecting all and also the culture of reconciliation as well as given priority to the need to respect and provide relief to martyrs’ families. Praising the progress made by APF in a short period, the PM said, that since some issues of the peace process were still to be resolved, it was high time the wounds of conflict were healed, and “Activities that disrupt peace, spread violence in society, terrorise people and hamper national integrity would not be allowed.” Read less...

The Government has decided to extend the terms of the two transitional justice (TJ) bodies for a year and is also planning to change the office bearers, through an amendment of the existing law, reports My Republica on January 30.The Government forwarded an amendment bill to the National Assembly (NA) on January 22, after endorsing it at the cabinet on January 21. The bill has proposed term extensions for the two commissions –Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) – for a year at first and another year if needed. The twice-extended terms of the two TJ commissions are expiring on February 9 without having concluded their investigations into conflict-era crimes. Conflict victims had been pressing the Government to restructure the two commissions and change the office bearers. “Irrespective of any other provision in the law, the government shall extend the terms of the chiefs or members of the commissions with the extension of term of the commissions or appoint fresh eligible persons,” reads the new provision in the bill. Read less...

The National Medical Education Bill was endorsed by the National Assembly (NA), on January 31, amid protests from the main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) demanding revisions to the bill to address the demands of Dr Govinda KC, the upper house of parliament paved way for its implementation, reports My Republica.Dr KC has been staging a fast-unto-death for the last 23 days to protest the bill in its present form.The bill will come into effect after its authentication by President Bidya Bhandari. Read less...