Kathmandu, July 2: Expressing deep dissatisfaction with the recent developments in Nepal’s transitional justice process, a coalition of conflict victims has submitted a letter to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), urging the international community to refrain from supporting what they call a flawed and politically driven mechanism.

The letter was sent on Tuesday to the OHCHR headquarters in Geneva, coinciding with the Nepal visit of Rory Mungoven, OHCHR’s Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, who is currently assessing the human rights situation in the country.

While Mungoven held separate meetings with officials from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP), and conflict victim representatives, his call for cooperation with the newly formed commissions was met with resistance.

Prominent victim rights advocates—Ram Bhandari, Suman Adhikari, and Geeta Rasaili—submitted the letter, along with a “white paper” outlining their concerns. The document highlights procedural flaws, lack of transparency, and exclusion of civil society and victims from the appointment and consultation processes.

In their letter, the activists argue that the commissions lack both legitimacy and independence due to partisan appointments made through political bargaining. They demand the process be restarted through an inclusive, transparent, and victim-centered mechanism that adheres to international human rights norms.

Suman Adhikari noted that they reminded Mungoven and the OHCHR of their international obligations via email correspondence. “The current commissions were formed through a politically biased process that disregarded legal procedures,” he said.

The activists called on development partners and the global community to withhold support from any institution that does not uphold principles of justice and inclusion. “Backing such commissions only perpetuates impunity and undermines the rule of law,” the letter stated.

The attached white paper outlines the timeline of recent developments, particularly criticizing the formation of a government-appointed recommendation committee last December. It states the committee was composed of individuals with past records of failure and that its recommendations were made without public hearings or transparency regarding selection criteria.

The victims concluded by urging the UN and development partners to align their support with the values of justice, accountability, and human rights, warning that failure to do so would erode trust and embolden impunity.

People’s News Monitoring Service