Timid steps towards reconstruction
2017 saw the first parliamentary elections in Nepal since the end of the civil war, 11 years ago. Hailed as a step towards greater representativeness, the polls were unfortunately clouded by clashes between opposing parties’ militants.
Slow progress was also made in the field of transitional justice. The first criminal convictions for war-related crimes, in the iconic case of murdered youth Maina Sunuwar, were a particularly welcome development. It is now up to the judiciary to enforce the pronounced sentences.
Murdered teenager becomes a figure of hope in Nepal