Kathmandu, 17 Feb 2016: Commemorating the 12th death anniversary of Maina Sunuwar, the participants stressed to ensure prosecution to the perpetrators involved and jusice to the victim family. On 17 February 2004, a 15 year old girl Maina was illegally detained, brutally tortured and killed by the then Royal Nepalese Army and buried inside the compound of Panchkhal Army Barracks in Kavre district.
Participants mainly the conflict victims, human right lawyers, civil society leaders, relatives of Maina and representatives from national and international human rights organizations expressed solidarity on Devi’s (Maina’s Mother) relentless struggle for truth and justice.
Devi Sunuwar said, “It’s been already 12 years that we are fighting for justice for our beloved daughter Maina Sunuwar. During the course many subsequent governments changed but no one listened our voice for justice. The government has formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission on Enforced Disappearance. However, we have not trust on these unilaterally formed commissions that has completed first year few days back without doing any substantial work for conflict period victims. So, there seems no end to fight for justice.”
In the program, speakers advocate Pushpa Raj Poudel and Govind Sharma “Bandi” who hold depth knowledge of Maina Sunuwar case stated that the culture of impunity posed serious threat to democracy and rule of law in Nepal. Likewise, Suman Adhikari a chairperson of Conflict Victims Common Platform (a loose network of conflict victims) demanded to amend the TRC Act in line with the verdict of Supreme Court. He mentioned that the conflict victims have no confidence and trust with the TRC and CIEDP commissions. In addition, he criticized that the commissions are formed to protect the perpetrators rather providing justice for the conflict victims.
Expressing solidarity with Maina’s family, the four organizations Conflict Victims’ Society for Justice (CVSJ), Advocacy Forum (AF), International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and Maina Bal Bikas Samitee jointly organized the program and called on the government to implement the decision of supreme court in relation to the case and ensure justice to the victims.
For background of the case, please read AF’s publication “Maina Sunuwar: Separating Fact From Fiction” for a detailed analysis of the case.
