By Our Reporter
The report on the violent crackdown during the September 8 and 9 Gen Z protests has finally reached the government. The investigation commission submitted the document to Prime Minister Sushila Karki after months of work.
This moment is important for Nepal. Many young people lost their lives during those protests. Dozens of unarmed youths were shot when the state tried to control the anti-corruption movement. Families are still waiting for answers. The country now expects honesty from the government. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has demanded that the report should be made public immediately.
Yet the first signals from officials suggest a slow approach. The government has said the report may be implemented “in stages.” It also hinted that only parts of the report may be made public at first. That idea creates a serious concern. When a tragedy involves the deaths of many citizens, the truth must not come out in pieces. It must come out clearly and quickly.
The commission that studied the crackdown spoke with more than 150 people. These included government officials and eyewitnesses who saw what happened during the protests. After examining the evidence, the commission recommended criminal action against several officials who were in positions of authority at that time. Among those mentioned for possible action are the then inspector general of police Chandra Kuber Khapung, Kathmandu chief district officer Chhabi Lal Rijal, and the chief of the District Police Range Kathmandu Bishwa Adhikari.
The commission also looked into the role of senior political leaders who were in power during the protests. This is where the issue becomes sensitive. Many observers believe that the report may also implicate political figures connected to the newly elected Rastriya Swatantra Party. Because of this, some people fear that the report could be delayed, edited, or partially hidden.
If that happens, it will damage public trust. Nepal has seen this pattern before. In the past, commissions were formed to investigate violent incidents during major political movements. For example, one commission studied the suppression of the 1990 people’s movement. Another examined the crackdown during the 2006 democratic movement.
Those reports were never properly implemented. As a result, the public learned an unfortunate lesson. Investigations were conducted, reports were written, but accountability rarely followed. This is why the current situation matters so much. If the new report meets the same fate, people will lose even more faith in the system.
The government must show courage. It should publish the report in full and without delay. Some officials say that releasing only the “main findings” might be easier. But partial disclosure can create confusion. When information is released in fragments, rumors begin to spread. Citizens start wondering what has been hidden and why.
Transparency prevents such suspicion. Making the entire report public will allow citizens, journalists, and legal experts to study the findings themselves. It will also show that the government has nothing to hide.
There is another reason why transparency matters. The Gen Z protests were driven by young people demanding accountability and clean governance. Many of those youths believed the political system ignored their voices. When the crackdown happened, the shock and anger spread across the country.
If the report is now concealed or altered, it will confirm the worst fears of those young citizens. That would be a dangerous message. Instead, the government should treat the report as a chance to rebuild trust.
Publishing the document quickly would show respect for the victims and their families. It would also demonstrate that the state is ready to accept responsibility for its actions. Officials have suggested that implementation could happen in three phases. Some recommendations might be acted on immediately. Others could require longer reforms or further investigation.
A phased approach may make sense when dealing with legal or administrative reforms. However, the truth itself should not be released in phases. Truth must come first. Only after people understand what happened can the country discuss how to respond. The next government, which is likely to be led by the Rastriya Swatantra Party, will face a major test on this issue. The party rose to power by promising transparency and clean governance. Now it must prove those promises with actions. If the report implicates members of its own political camp, the party must still support full disclosure. Real accountability means accepting uncomfortable facts. Nepal’s democracy has often struggled with this challenge. Leaders frequently speak about justice and reform, but when investigations reach powerful figures, the process slows down. Releasing the report without delay would be a step toward honoring those hopes. It would also show that Nepal’s leaders understand a simple lesson. When citizens demand the truth, the government should not hide it. It should bring the truth into the open and let justice take its course.
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