Human Rights Commission to Release Investigation Report on Gen Z Movement; Expectations from New Government
Image Source, Reuters
The investigation report on the Gen Z Movement, prepared by the high-level inquiry commission led by Gauribahadur Karki, has not yet been made public, stirring public interest. In response, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has announced that it will soon release its own investigation report regarding the incidents.
Indications are that the government, formed after the Gen Z Movement with a new mandate, is preparing to make this report public.
The report, which took nearly six months to finalize, was compiled by a team under the leadership of NHRC member Lily Thapa and submitted to the Commission’s Chairperson last Friday.
“The report will only be made public after the Commission’s full assembly approves it, which won’t take much time—I believe this will happen within seven to ten days,” stated NHRC spokesperson Tikaram Pokharel.
Some participants of the Gen Z Movement are currently protesting on the streets, demanding the release of the Karki Commission report. The planned release of the NHRC report has also drawn their attention.
“It has been 12 days since the high-level inquiry commission submitted its report to the government. We hope that the release of the NHRC report will encourage the government to make the Karki Commission report public,” said Tanuja Pandey, a participant of the Bhadra Movement.
Sudip Pathak, a former NHRC member, noted that although most of the Commission’s reports are public, implementation of recommendations often remains weak.
“The Commission has conducted investigations into various human rights violations and, except for the Madhesh movement, most reports have been published,” he stated.
“However, delays or failure in implementing recommendations have resulted in ongoing criticism that the Commission’s suggestions remain unfulfilled.”
Contents of the Report
Image Source, NHRC Nepal
The report reportedly concludes that serious human rights violations were committed by the state during the Bhadra Movement period and holds the then Prime Minister, Home Minister, and certain security officials responsible, according to media disclosures.
However, NHRC officials have declined to comment on these leaked details, stating that the Commission’s full assembly is yet to review and approve the report.
“Since the matters have been examined and recommendations have been made by the committee, the Commission will deliberate and then forward its decisions to the Government of Nepal,” explained spokesperson Pokharel.
Officials revealed that it took six months for the investigative team to prepare the report.
They also took statements from several prominent figures, including KP Sharma Oli, who was prime minister during the Bhadra Movement, and Balendra Shah, former Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor.
“Compared to the Karki Commission, the NHRC team held consultations at many stages during the Gen Z events,” added movement leader Pandey.
According to Nepal Police statistics, 76 people died and many more were injured during the Gen Z Movement.
Next Steps
Officials emphasized that the report must be approved by the Commission’s full assembly before moving to the recommendation phase.
According to spokesperson Pokharel, the full assembly meeting is expected to be held within this week.
“Once approved, the recommendations will be sent to the government. The Commission’s constitutional liaison office is the Prime Minister’s Office, and we will forward it there,” he explained.
Experts say that from the Prime Minister’s Office, such recommendations typically move to the Office of the Attorney General.
“If further investigation is required, these reports are sent to the police,” noted former commission member Pathak.
History of Implementation
Pathak observed that the state of implementation of the commission’s recommendations has not been satisfactory.
“Many recommendations get stuck moving from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Attorney General’s Office,” he told the media.
“Unless the responsible bodies or individuals are held accountable for ignoring recommendations, completing them will remain difficult.”
Spokesperson Pokharel acknowledged that while the Commission’s recommendations are binding, the government has shown indifference towards their implementation.
“The Supreme Court has declared in a verdict that recommendations made by constitutional bodies are binding on the government and must not be ignored on any pretext,” he said.
“Discussions are ongoing with the government to ensure the implementation of the recommendations, but no concrete results have emerged so far.”
Expectations from the New Government
Image Source, Reuters
Tanuja Pandey, a leader of the Gen Z Movement, expresses confidence that the incoming government will commit not only to releasing the Karki Commission report but also to making both commission reports public and ensuring their implementation.
“The state should not view the reports separately because both commissions’ reports hold equal importance and legitimacy,” she said.
“These reports complement each other and must both be implemented.”
Former NHRC member Sudip Pathak also emphasizes that the new government should take both reports seriously.
“In my opinion, within at least a month or 100 days, the government should study these reports and move towards implementation,” he stated.
Spokesperson Pokharel revealed that the NHRC is preparing recommendations on human rights matters, including the Bhadra Movement report, which will soon be sent to the new government.
“We expect the new government to not be indifferent toward human rights issues as past governments have been. We are compiling a schedule of priority human rights concerns the upcoming government should address, and these suggestions will be forwarded within a few days,” he added.
