Nepal PM Prachanda faces mass murder case over comments
Nepal’s ruling CPN (Maoist Center) on Sunday objected to the Supreme Court‘s order to its administration to register writ petitions against Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” for claiming responsibility for 5,000 deaths during the decade-long insurgency in the country. In a press statement, party’s General Secretary Dev Gurung said that the order passed by the joint bench of justices Ishwor Prasad Khatiwada and Hari Prasad Phuyal on Friday has drawn the serious attention of the CPN (Maoist Center).
“We deplore such activities that are directed against the achievements of secularism, inclusiveness, and democratic republic system, guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal,” the statement said.
“At a time when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission for Disappearance are doing its work under transitional justice, such activities will pose a serious threat to the peace process,” it added.
On January 15, 2020, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Prachanda said that as the leader of the Maoist party that led the decade-long insurgency, he would take responsibility for the deaths of 5,000 people and that the state should take responsibility for the remaining deaths.
“I am accused of killing 17,000 people, which is not true. However, I am ready to take the responsibility of killing 5,000 people during the conflict,” Prachanda said while addressing a Maghi festival celebration event in Kathmandu. He added that the rest of the 12,000 were killed by the feudal regime.
Advocates Gyanendra Aaran and Kalyan Budhathoki, who are also conflict victims, filed separate writ petitions at the Supreme Court demanding that Prachanda be investigated and prosecuted for his statement. The administration, however, in November last year refused to register them, claiming that the issue was related to transitional justice and that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was dealing with the cases.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ordered its administration to register writ petitions against ‘Prachanda’ for claiming responsibility for 5,000 deaths during the insurgency. Due to busy schedules and a lack of manpower, the case could not be registered on Sunday and it is likely that the same would be registered after the Holi festival which falls here on Monday.
The rebellion that started on February 13, 1996, officially ended after a Comprehensive Peace Agreement was reached with the then government on November 21, 2006. It is estimated that around 17,000 people lost their lives during the decade-long insurgency. Prachanda waged the armed conflict for a decade in the name of ‘People’s War’.
[with PTI inputs]
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Good decision by Nepal Supreme Court