West piles pressure on Nepal over war disappearances
(August 20, 2009) Western powers pressed Nepal on Sunday for an independent probe
into the fate of people missing during a decade-long civil war, piling pressure on
the government over an issue seen as crucial for lasting peace in the country. The
Red Cross says 1,200 people are still missing three years after the end of the conflict
between the army and Maoist rebels, both of whom were blamed for abuses such as arbitrary
arrests, killings, abduction, torture and disappearances. Ten of Nepal's main Western
donors, including the United States, urged the Nepal army and the Maoists on the International
Day of the Disappeared to end their "long refusal" to cooperate fully on war-time
disappearances and delayed justice. "Effectively dealing with the legacy of the conflict
will allow Nepal's transition to peace to continue on the basis of trust, truth and
reconciliation," a British Embassy statement said. Under a peace deal, the Maoists
and the government agreed to set up a commission to look for the whereabouts of the
people missing in war, but distrust and political conflict between parties have so
far prevented the formation of such a panel.