Friday, May 27, 2005

Rumor Has It The King Is About To Make A Major Move


"Yo hallai halla ko desh ho." Bhupi Sherchan.

Rumor has it the king is about to make a major move on par with 2/1. It can not be in the direction of more autocracy, since he has consistently gone in the direction of democracy since the end of April. So my guess would be it would be good news. But I can't tell exactly what.
He could go ahead and declare the parliament revived and basically agree to the idea that a Constituent Assembly is the only political meeting point for the three political forces in the country.

I still wonder, how exactly will the parliament be revived? Will he use Article 127? And if he will use Article 127, will the parliament stand to be dissolved by him at any moment thereafter? Or what? And if a parliament revived using Article 127 is okay, why is an all-party government formed by the same article not okay?

Could the king go for an interim government like his elder brother did in 1990 in response to the movement then? One can only wonder. I can think of a few options the king has, but there is no telling what exactly he will do. But my guess is whatever it is, it will be a change for the better.

I personally think the political parties should be able to offer an iron clad guarantee for the continuation of the monarchy to get full democracy in return. That could be a meeting point.

Personally I think the proposal I made to the king on May 3 is the best of all options.
It preserves the monarchy, it goes about nine steps ahead of every political party in the country in terms of offering the goods to the people, it totally steals the political and social thunder of the Maoists, something no gun can do, and leaves them the option to become a peaceful party or become irrelevant, just like that, evaporate off, it makes corruption near impossible, it puts Nepal on the political cutting edge. I can totally imagine American progressives pointing their fingers in Nepal's direction, green with envy, and asking out aloud as to why they can not have something as wonderful also in America. I can imagine the CPI and the CPI (M) totally coming around to the concept of total, transparent democracy in India and launching a non-BJP, non-Congress Third Front, immediately. I can imagine the Chinese saying they continue to denouce the western democracies, but that they actually like the Nepali version. The king of Nepal becomes the Samrat of Asia. Alexander and Napoleon used physical force. But conquest today is done with ideas, over the Internet. Plus, we no longer live in an era of emperors conquering physical territory with brute force. We live in an era where the competition is to see as to who can design the best political and social infrastructures so as to best serve the individual. It is about the individual. This is science we are talking about.

This would be a good use of Article 127. The only good use.

Actually I don't think you have to use anything in the 1990 constitution to form an interim government. You just go ahead and form it.

In The News

    • Reconciliation In Coming Weeks Kantipur ..... US Ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty ..... "I hope in the coming weeks we will see an attempt [by the king] to reach out to the political parties, and, if there is such an attempt, I hope the parties will respond." ..... "Whatever change comes, it should be something that the palace and the political parties should be comfortable with." ..... "If you are going to have a reconciliation in this country, both the sides - the palace and the parties - will have to be ready for some give and take." ..... "When Cristina Rocca was here she welcomed the fact that the parties were working together, but we need to see both the sides move forward from there and we hope that the parties' common agenda becomes a tool for negotiating with the government." ...... the king has publicly stated that he believed that restoration of the House would be unconstitutional. "So, it might be difficult to negotiate around that issue, but if that is possible, we welcome it." ...... "Last week was horrible - there were police beating up the Maoist victims, people were getting rearrested in the courts and the government took a series of dumb steps." .... there has been some progress, especially in terms of the release of detainees and the restoration of civil rights. "But there has to be a progress in reaching out to the political parties, and that is the key." ...... Feb 1, said Moriarty, was a setback to the international community's perspective on Nepal because many started to think if the main problem in Nepal was the insurgency or the king. ...... "we have been carefully saying that the goal here is to try and get as many Maoists back into the mainstream as soon as possible." ...... First, that there should be unity among the legitimate political forces in the country. Second, the whole international community should tell the Maoists that they are not going to take over power in Nepal and that the former was not going to allow that to happen...... Finally, the Maoists have to be convinced that they are not going to win militarily and that they have to come back and negotiate seriously....... "I believe that if the palace and the parties don't work together there is a good chance of the Maoists ending up taking over power. Whether that is through military means, through negotiations or terrorism I don't know. But frankly, if everybody screws up, the Maoists are going to win." ..... "While there are two issues tied to it: First, domestic political developments…we want to see clearly the civil liberties coming back and an end to arbitrary use of power and we also want to see the reconciliation process." He, however quickly added, "That sounds cut and dried but it's not because of the other consideration, which is the military balance…which makes us nervous." ...... our twin goals (the path back to democracy and ensuring that the Maoist don't takeover) ..... "If we get very nervous about the Maoist progress, then that will be a factor we will consider." ..... "Are we nervous? Yes. But it is hard to say if we are nervous enough." ..... That's a long way from saying that we look at Nepal through Indian eyes. I have a tremendous ego and I wouldn't be here if I thought that was the case and we would close down our embassy...... if he believed in different versions of democracy, he said the ability of people to elect and change their government, free press, and independent judiciary were all pretty standard...... "We are not believers in different sorts of democracy for different sorts of people because that has always been used to disguise paternalism and authoritarianism"

    • Iran And Nepal: Both Need Freedom Of All Kinds United We Blog Iran is a country being ruled by Islamic fundamentalists. Nepal is a country being ruled by royalist fundamentalists....... (Iran has arrested over 20 bloggers over the last year.) Iranian bloggers who have been released have reported being the victims of torture......

    • Republicans Inside The Royal Palace Prateek Pradhan, Kantipur February 1 putsch ..catapulted undeserving people to the helm of power who are now prepared to go to any length to hang on to the power ..... these people are invoking extremist moves to force the parties to join a republican force ...... Tricky Giri, Khelkhud Shah, Chameleon Pandey and the like won't mind no matter how serious the crisis facing the country or the institution of monarchy is ...... The government has become totally dependent on the army now. Such a harmful trend does not only raise the ambition of the armed forces, but it also seriously hampers the effectiveness of the government...... they are working on nepalization of democracy...... they must be aware that any attempt to undermine people's rights to choose the government and rule the country through their representatives would further resent the constitutional forces and the people. And if so, the King will have no option but to rule the country by tightening the iron fists, whence they will be able to further savor the power....... The attempt is to widen the chasm between the pro-constitutional-monarchy political parties and the pro-multiparty-democracy King...... the ball is in the King's court to recognize and get rid of the pro-republic force occupying stronghold inside the Royal Palace.

    • Republicans Inside The Royal Palace United We Blog KGBs of Nepal ...Tricky Giri, Khelkud Shaha, and Chameleon Pandey ..... royalists with slave mindset are inciting the king to take such measures that will not ultimately harm the Nepali monarchy badly but also put it in a grave risk of extinction....... King Gyanendra’s Boys ...... these very KGBs are the ‘republicans’ in the royal palace that are trying to ruin the future of monarchy....... it is yet to be proven whether their moves are intentional or inadvertent, it is clear that they are helping the pro-republican force ...... It’s not new in Nepal for people to be more royalists than the king himself. The coterie of ultra royalists is trying to keep king in confusion and rule on their own in the name of king........ a “bunker regime" ...... KGBs or parasites or freeloaders ....... “they know that, once they are out of power, they will have to run away from the country. And some of them have already done so in the past.” ...... “Their aspirations will be fulfilled only if they continue to remain in power even in a fluid situation,” Pradhan says, “It simply does not cross their mind that the fluidity will eventually hit hard the longevity of the institution of monarchy.” ........ These parasites “won’t mind no matter how serious the crisis facing the country or the institution of monarchy is. The only intention of these leaders is to hang on to the power by hook or crook.” And they have proved this argument of Pradhan by doing all nonsense things over the last four months. “In a bid to strangle whatever remaining confidence the King and the political parties have in each other,” Pradhan writes, “these people are invoking extremist moves to force the parties to join a republican force rather than reconcile on constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy.” ..........the people inside the Royal Palace are doing their best to weaken the ideology supporting pro-constitutional monarchy within the political parties ......... The longer they keep Narahari Acharya, Lila Mani Pokharel and the like in detention, the stronger the republican voice will grow. The more they play cat-and-mouse game with the student leaders such as Gagan Thapa and Rajendra Rai, the louder their voice will be heard within and outside the political party. The harsher they become with human rights activists such as Krishna Pahadi, the greater will be the local and global influence. They know that unless they do not send the security forces inside the court to manhandle lawyers and journalists, most of these people would not think of the republic set up. ........... the involvement of army in the everyday chores of the country is like turning a tiger into a man-eater by letting them to taste human blood. ......... The choices are simple: safe future for monarchy by being constitutional or the republic system in Nepal. As Pradhan says, the ball is in the king’s court.

    • Visiting A Detention Center In Nepal United We Blog Bode, Bhaktapur ..... I was actually reluctantly accompanying my reporter friend and co-blogger Saroj to meet his detained brother Sudeep Sharma.The Agriculture Development Bank’s training center was transformed into an autocratic hell, thanks to Feb 1 Move...... Visibly sick and jaded Urmila told that she will be taken to Bir Hospital for medical check up tomorrow. Bal Krishna, in haste, dropped the Fanta bottle brought for her sister..... Rajendra Pande was a bit furious with the authority. He retorted: “Can’t a politician meet his relatives? Is it his crime to have such relatives?” He said he was there to visit his grandson Sudeep Silwal. An apologetic Assistant Sub Inspector sent for his grandson...... As the political crowd left the venue, a police grilled me asking why I was there.

    • Gagan Thapa Release, What About Others? United We Blog Gagan Thapa (waiving hand) vowed to fight for democracy and constituent assembly..... Yesterday, Supreme Court issued an order that said: “In fact, detainee Gagan Thapa hasn’t been released from the illegal detention as per the court order. That is against the fundamental objective of the constitution and the laws of the country.” ..... home minister Dan Bahadur Shai commented: “The court order didn’t specifically barred police from re-arresting Thapa. So police did no wrong re-arresting him.” ..... A free Gagan Thapa vowed to continue fighting for democracy in Nepal. “Now, our target is constituent assembly,” he said. “The movement should go ahead for that goal. We should do no compromise with the king. We should not listen to his sweet and phony talks about peace and democracy.” ...... arresting pro-democracy political activists will only weaken the regime.

    • Samrat Of Everybody's Heart United We Blog So, I also decided to visit the place to juxtapose the Samrat of my imagination with the Samrat of flesh and blood..... I at last saw Samrat of my heart ..... His characters are so life-like and speak the language of common people of Kathmandu...... Samrat got a Whiting Award in 2001 for his debut book Arresting God In Kathmandu, and his second book Guru of Love was an enormous success. His fans are curiously waiting for his third book that is getting published in a few months.
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Thursday, May 26, 2005

Baburam Bhattarai Press Statement


Dr. Bhattarai has been in the news lately. And he fired a rebuttal of his own. I always look forward to reading his statements. They are tightly written. And they offer a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Maoist organization.


Some observations I make:

  1. He misreads the "movement" as the one for a democratic republic. The parties are agitating only for democracy. He and his party are two months behind schedule. But they continue to have the option to campaign for a democratic republic within the framework of a constituent assembly.
  2. He has written to the Maoist central committee asking for an investigation into the Prachanda "voice" in audio tape format that basically calls Baburam an "Indian agent." Prachanda has not denied his words but he has said new developments have made him look at his comrade differently. But that "flash" is revealing. Looks to me like Prachanda has something in common with the Monarchists after all. The India bhoot is the favorite weapon of the false nationalists in Nepal. My personal concern is the same weapon is also used to incite ethnic hatred against the Madhesis. Maybe Prachanda is just another Bahun after all.
  3. He also takes a swipe at Prachanda's past attacks on his "intellect." I am not about to argue on that point with a man who has a Ph.D. I don't myself.
  4. He says he is "hurt" Prachanda questioned his nationalism.
  5. Differences in opinion and political differences should be talked out politically and within the basic rules of decorum, Baburam insists. Instead Prachanda chose to hit beneath the belt. He resorted to administrative measures.
  6. Prachada, meaning "The Fierce One," perhaps thinks of Stalin, "Man Of Steel," as his role model. Baburam quotes Lenin often and perhaps thinks of him as his role model. Like Trotsky said of Stalin, "He is just a bureaucrat." Lenin spent much of his adult life in libraries. If he had socialized more, perhaps his autocratic instincts could have been blunted.
  7. When Baburam says Democratic Republic, he really means it. Like in India. India is a Democratic Republic. His line is that that is what the Maoists should gun for for now. It is unreal to think in terms of a communist republic given Nepal's current socio-economic conditions. That is Baburam's line. He claims that is also the party's line.
  8. He comes hard on Prachanda for transforming "healthy debates and discussions" into issues of personal enmity. Looks like the two have found some new common ground. They are comrades again. But Baburam is not about to compromise on his basic premise of democracy and freedom of expression within the Maoist central committee.
  9. I personally do not want to see the Maoists formally splitting. Prachanda on his own might become less manageable. Baburam is the best watchdog one can ask for to keep Prachanda's dictatorial instincts in check.
  10. And Prachanda himself is an unknown quantity. I don't want to paint him one way or the other. The fact that he too is for a constituent assembly is important, and shows he is capable of reason.
  11. Baburam sees the common minimum program as (1) democratic republic, and (2) constituent assembly.
  12. He says it is true he has been working to reach out to national forces and forces beyond based on that CMP.
  13. That is good news. That provides some common ground between the seven parties and the Maoists. The seven parties are also for a constituent assembly now.
  14. He is critical of Prachanda's use of administrative measures and an outright use of force.
  15. I don't think he wants to get even with Prachanda, as in also try and send him into "protective custody," but he is uncompromising on the issue of democracy and freedom of expression within the Maoist central committee.
  16. That is good news for the democrats. The democrats can hope to do business with Baburam.
  17. I don't mean to make light of the loss of the Nepali Congress that has lost 1,000 of its workers to the insurgency. But peace making requires painful compromises. It is that or it is losing more workers to the insurgency.
In The News
  • Delhi Bombshell, Baburam In Delhi Kantipur
  • Most Political Detainees To Be Released Tomorrow Alliance For Peace ..... all remaining political detainees across the country to be released tomorrow, with the exception of Janamorcha party members.
  • Nepal Becoming No-Go Zone Embassy .....100,000 people have been displaced since the rebellion...... So far, aid workers in Nepal aren’t being driven out of the country by attacks, like their peers in other conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan
  • Tightened Screw On Press Freedom Reporters Without Borders ..... a new edict adopted by the council of ministers on 18 May ..... a licensing clause banning cross media ownership so that a private company can no longer own a TV station, radio and a newspaper ..... edict now awaits ratification from King Gyanendra
  • Karat denies meeting Nepal Maoists Financial Express, India
  • India and Nepal Maoists deny mutual ties Islamic Republic News Agency Bhattarai earlier had been accused by the Maoist hardliners as being soft on New Delhi after he insisted on fighting the king first before taking on India in the wake of February 1 palace coup..... Bhattarai added, "To call someone a foreign agent immediately after differences over ideological matters is the height of political bankruptcy."
  • India wakes up: we condemn Maoist violence, they have to lay down ... Indian Express
  • Nepal Frees 20 Political Detainees ABC News Thursday's prisoner releases followed an emergency security meeting
  • Nepal police detain 50 protesters Reuters AlertNet, UK .... authorities have freed 700 people so far.
  • Nepal: Time for India to Undo Wrongs Navhind Times It is difficult to understand why India has welcomed the lifting of the emergency as a “first step” towards democracy when people are still being arrested, press censorship is in place and the executive powers of the King remain undiluted..... Has New Delhi forgotten that the entire autocratic panchayat system of Gyanendra’s father, King Mahendra, with its arbitrary arrests and disappearances, functioned without the declaration of any emergency? ..... Monarchists in Nepal have time and again equated Nepali nationalism with anti-Indianism. It was this class which let loose urban terror in Kathmandu reacting to the infamous Hrithik Roshan episode. A patently false rumour was given currency to target Indian establishments and whip up anti-India hysteria. Although instability in Nepal has always been blamed on political parties and external forces (read India), history shows that monarchy and its institutions have been at the centre of all political controversies and upheavals...... While the double U-turn of the Indian foreign policy establishment on arms supply was bad enough, now there is loose talk from the Indian Army about a ‘brother army’ needing ammunition. ...... October 4, 2002, when he dissolved the Parliament. That decision was fundamentally flawed ..... the King’s agenda has to be understood first. His top priority is to delegitimise the political parties ..... help the political parties understand that unless they offer a political and economic solution to the Maoists, the restoration of democracy will fail..... India already has channels of communication open with the political parties. It must also start talking to the Maoists......
  • Senior diplomats bound for Nepal BBC News, UK ..... Indian foreign ministry official Ranjit Rae and Zhou Gang, a senior official of the Chinese foreign ministry, are both arriving in Kathmandu simultaneously.
  • Indian, Chinese diplomats to hold talks with Nepal authorities:- Webindia123, India
  • Nepal tightens media curbsmjournalism.co.za, South Africa ..... prohibiting any news item that causes "hatred or disrespect" against King Gyanendra and his family members ..... provisions to fine up to Rs 1,00,000 and sentence jail term of up to one year ...... government's intention to "totally control free press and to convert it into government's propaganda machinery."
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The Lake Freezes At 32 Degrees Fahrenheit Like Magic

Mausi Bhi Taiyar, Basanti Bhi Taiyar

Looks to me like both the king and the Maoists might be coming around to the agenda of the seven political parties: (1) revive parliament, (2) all-party government, (3) unconditional peace talks with the Maoists, and (4) constituent assembly.

Gaon walon, mausi bhi taiyar hai, Basanti bhi taiyar hai, marna cancel!

For the first time since 2/1 I see peace on the horizon.

Homework time. The parties need to talk to the king. The king should not wait for the street protests to gather momentum. These seven parties are over 95% of the weight of the to-be revived parliament. That is people power. People already voted. They do not have to come out into the streets.

Message To G2: The Lake Freezes At 32 Degrees Fahrenheit Like Magic

G2: Girija, Gyanendra.

Just when things are looking a little better, one has to stay cautious. The ground situation has not changed all that much. And things can always go downhill.

Others are welcome to make their own intelligent guesses, but if I had to guess, I would say the lake is right now at 36 degrees. If the king comes forth and agrees to reviving the parliament, the temperature goes up to 38. If Girija does not play foul and sticks to the common minimum program, the temperature goes up to 40. If the Maoists play ball and get together for a constituent assembly by totally disarming, and peace returns for good, the lake is at 42 degrees. That is comfy.

But 42 is still a country with abject poverty, where a majority are hungry every single day. The water is still very cold.

On the other hand, if the king frustrates the parties and the street agitators, the temperature goes down to 35. If the king further clamps down, say if there are hints of military rule, the temperature goes down to 34. If the Maoists step up their attacks, the temperature goes down to 33.

The thing about 33 is, for the onlookers, it is like water is still moving, you still see ripples and waves. The yes men around the king will keep insisting they still see ripples and waves. And so many end up thinking the temperature is further away from 32 than it actually is. Batista did not see it coming in Cuba.

I have been following the RNA military moves since 2/1. They are fundamentally deficient. They misunderstand the very nature of the war, even the military aspect of it. Most of the army top brass are physically unfit. These are not people who rose up from the ranks. The inherent nepotism that has kept the Shahas, Ranas and Thapas at the helm has not allowed for a whole lot of meritocracy. The universal human desire for money and power coupled with the monopoly the top generals sought and got has led to a whole lot of groupthink.

It would be erroneous to compare RNA's 100,000 men to the Maoists' 12,000 or however many there are. If the RNA were to engage in a traditional war with the Maoists for a little over a month, they end up an army with guns but no bullets. And the Maoists do not have to butcher 100,000 men to capture Singha Durbar. They are not fighting a traditional war.

If the temperature were to get down to 33, they might engineer a few "events." Bin Laden calls them "spectacular," Prachanda calls them "catastrophe." The impact is primarily psychological.

At 32, the lake freezes zipzap. At that point, if Nepal is lucky, Prachanda is more like Fidel Castro. If Nepal is unlucky, the guy is the Nepali Pol Pot.

Look at how Castro marched into Havana. There was not much bloodshed at all.

That is what we are looking at.

Congressia Madhesias

The Nepali Congress has got to be my least favorite political party in all of Nepal. They messed up the 1990s. They let down the high hopes generated by the 1990 movement. They became the new status quo. They thwarted genuine aspirations of the Madhesis and the Janajatis. They turned democracy into a circus. They institutionalized corruption. They hounded smaller parties.

Their track record leaves much to be asked for.

On the other hand, if the Madhesis inside the Congress were to get more assertive, that could herald a fundamental social transformation of the party.

Look at someone like Ram Baran Yadav. He is a medical doctor. That does not necessarily make him the smartest kid on the block. But that does mean he has read a few books. He is a Yadav. That works for great electoral arithmetic in the Terai. Someone like him should be aspiring for the leadership position within the party.

Bimalendra Nidhi might have taken the jump. He has not played second fiddle within the Nepali Congress (D).

Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman

When an all-party government is formed, I see Rajendra Mahto as one of the ministers. Tripathy and Mahto from the Sadbhavana.

Ever since 2/1 Mahto has been generous to me with his time over the phone. I have interviewed him. I have asked him for phone numbers of other leaders I needed to talk to. I have sought his opinions. I have sought clarifications from him on statements made by the parties. But that is not the reason.

Mahto is a major emerging political talent on the national scene. His district Sarlahi is one of the Sadbhavana bastions on par with Nawalparasi and Morang. He is very easy to talk to, as in "sweet," as one of his constituents once described him to me a long time ago. But he is also resolute, and capable of taking firm stands when need be.

He has been a boon to the democratic movement.
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Wednesday, May 25, 2005

A Royal Signal: The Parliament Could Be Revived


The king appointed "the foreign minister, the chief justice and the speaker of the lower house of parliament" to the National Human Rights Commission and got roundly criticized for that. This amazes me. He lifted the emergency and he got roundly criticized. And now he has appointed the speaker of the lower house to something and the guy is getting grilled again.

For the king to appoint the speaker to something, anything, is him saying he disagrees with Paramendra Bhagat (okay, maybe I am not a factor, I just had to put that in) and thinks the 1999 parliament is not dead yet, that it can still be revived, for there can be no speaker without a parliament. If there continues to be a speaker, then the parliament is still there. It is like in one of those sci-fi movies. They put you into a deep freezer in the year 1996 when you are 36, and then when they take you out of the deep freezer in the year 2047, you are still 36, but the rest of the world has aged and changed. I guess it is sci-fi time in Nepal. So when Deuba dissolved the parliament (why, but why!) in 2002, the parliament was three years old, one more year to go. But the dissolution was like putting it into a deep freezer. And so it can still be put on display for one year.

If reviving the parliament is an option, and if the king is willing to go for it, and if all the political parties are for it, then of course I support the move. The best news out of it will be all the fundamental rights will get restored. I think the parties need to swiftly move from street mode to dialogue mode. And I really need to emphasize this point, because I am under the impression the Girija types prefer the glamor of street demonstrations and the election campaign trail to actually getting down to business through parliamentary motions and relentless political dialogues. Just look at their pasts.

After the parliament is revived, I really hope Girija does not play bad apple and veer away from the Common Minimum Program of the seven parties. Revive parliament, form an all-party government, hold unconditional peace talks with the Maoists, and go for a Constituent Assembly if you have to. That is the agreement. I emphasize this because the last time there was a movement, the original agreement was that Madhav Nepal would be Prime Minister, but when it looked like the "movement" (don't they love the glamor of the word) might actually succeed, Girija played foul and the entire movement came crumbling down.

After the parliament is revived, Girija might get tempted to do away with the CMP, which will be a huge mistake. The country will see yet another round of civil war. So stick to the CMP until the civil war is resolved.

Plus, I take great personal delight in the release of Gagan Thapa and the free movements of Baburam Bhattarai. Both have much to offer. And Prakash Karat is a name you will hear more and more. The guy will be instrumental in erecting a non-BJP, non-Congress "third force" in India. I think it is great he met with Bhattarai. Karat is trying to get the Maoists to join the mainstream.

In The News
  • Nepal: King Stifles Human Rights Commission Reuters AlertNet, UK ..... committee will now consist of the foreign minister, the chief justice and the speaker of the lower house of parliament (now dismissed by the king). All three have supported the king's takeover..... Adams said. "Instead of simply extending the term of the present commissioners, the king ignored the intent of the statute and imposed his own will." ..... Sushil Pyakurel, one of the most respected members of the commission, left Nepal and denounced the government's obstruction of the Commission's work and the king's assault on civil and political rights...... "With this move against the Commission, foreign donors should see that the king is more concerned about increasing his power than promoting the rights of the Nepali people."
  • HRW criticises Nepal's King Gyanendra's control over NHRC Press Trust of India
  • Nepal journalists protest move to "throttle" media Reuters AlertNet ....a plan by the royalist government to introduce fresh curbs on the media.... amend media laws to ban criticism of King Gyanendra's family members, and introduce longer prison terms or more fines for defamation...... Officials said the planned changes in media laws were to "regulate" the media...... Last week, authorities questioned Kanak Mani Dixit, a leading commentator who, in a newspaper article, had urged the king to be a ceremonial monarch.
  • US calls for Nepal reconciliation BBC News ....the rebels appear determined to launch large-scale attacks...... the parties and the king should begin a dialogue
  • India takes up 'Maoist tape' with Nepal army:- Webindia123
  • Indian spooks host Nepal rebel Times of India, India One of Nepal's top Maoist leaders, Baburam Bhattarai, is being quietly chaperoned around here by Indian intelligence agencies, which recently organised a meeting between him and CPM general secretary Prakash Karat. The Maoist leader is learnt to have sought the support of Indian Marxists....... The meeting took place in the Capital last week ...... Although the meeting was facilitated by intelligence agencies, Karat and Bhattarai have a common link - they share their alma mater, Jawaharlal Nehru University........ When contacted, Karat confirmed the meeting ....... New Delhi could be keen to use Left's influence over the Maoists to get them to join the seven-party pro-democracy alliance in Nepal. Maoists have so far refused to join the campaign to reinstate Nepal's Parliament........ Official sources indicated that Bhattarai was, indeed, being taken around in the Capital by intelligence officials. In fact, the Maoist leader is understood to have readily agreed to come to a meeting place decided by Karat....... When the two met, Karat wanted to know how Maoists see future events unfolding in Nepal, said sources. Bhattarai talked of his belief in the democratic struggle against royalty. In the process, he is learnt to have admitted to the fast widening gulf between him and Prachanda, the supreme leader of the Nepal Maoists and a votary of armed struggle........ Bhattarai has stepped up his networking here following his split with Prachanda........ "While Bhattarai claimed to be in command and said that he along with commander Mahara and Kishan Paykural have been asked to talk to Indian authorities and other Nepali political parties, it is clear that he has lost out in the leadership struggle."
  • Peace Process Needed in Nepal Scoop.co.nz (press release), New Zealand
  • Madan Prasad Khanal: Nepal - Fact And Fiction Scoop.co.nz (press release) democracy was retored in Nepal after three-decades of palace-directed non-party rule, but it was still-born...... The newly empowered political parties often amply rewarded these people, inaugurating a whole new series of patron-client distortions....... The challenge before the mainstream parties is clear. If they think their reading of the public mood is correct, then they should lose no time in joining hands with the Maoists and campaign for a republican Nepal.
  • NEPAL: FNJ, NBA to protest proposed press law Asia Pacific Media Network, CA Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and Nepal Bar Association (NBA), after a joint meeting, has decided to jointly fight the proposed press law.
  • Nepal told to free student leader BBC News, UK judges described the detention of student leader Gagan Thapa and former minister Jaya Prakash Gupta as illegal...... The pair, caught in April after weeks on the run, must be freed by Wednesday....... "The detention is against the spirit of the constitution and against the law," the court order said...... The court also ordered the government not to re-arrest the men, which is what happened after they were released earlier this month....... it is unclear whether the men will be freed by Wednesday.
  • Scribes demonstrate against proposed Press Act in Nepal Hindu, India
  • Nepal releases key student leader BBC News, UK Last week, the authorities freed another prominent student leader, Rajendra Kumar Rai, of a left-wing student group following a similar court order.
  • Amnesty International criticises Pakistan,Bangladesh and Nepal Outlook (subscription), India .... for targeting minority communities and for excesses committed by security forces in the name of national security....... arbitary arrests and detentions continued unabated in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and China...... In tribal areas, arbitary arrests and possible extrajudicial executions were reported during security operations ... in March 2004 in South Waziristan. .... Pakistan.... blasphemy laws continued to be used to prosecute members of minorities ..... Slamming the Bangladesh government for its "failure" to stem a "tide of violence," the report said main victims of violence were minority community members and human right defenders...... nexus between the criminals amd politicians appeared to reinforce institutionalised corruption, violence and impunity for human rights abuses ...... report also slammed the security forces for "systematically" obstructing courts and National Human Rights Commission of Nepal...... China ... serious and widespread human rights violations perpetrated across the country.
  • India denies knowledge of Nepal Maoist leader's meeting:- Webindia123 The Indian embassy said Wednesday it was not aware of any meeting between a top Maoist leader from Nepal and India's communist leaders in New Delhi .... Karat had confirmed he met Bhattarai in New Delhi .....Bhattarai went underground in 2003 after peace talks between the Nepalese government and the rebels broke down. He carries a price tag on his head and is wanted by the Interpol. ..... Earlier, he had caused a similar embarrassment to the Indian government by holding a secret meeting in a hotel in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, with an influential leader of Nepal's largest communist party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist.
  • Nepal's breakaway Maoist rebel leader meets Indian communists ... ReliefWeb (press release) ..... to discuss whether the rebels could join a pro-democracy alliance in the Himalayan kingdom .... Prachanda is considered to be a hardliner who espouses armed struggle..... New Delhi was keen to use the influence of India's leftist parties over Nepal's Maoists to get them to join the seven-party pro-democracy alliance .... India may only give Nepal "non-lethal aid" such as jeeps, night-vision goggles and bullet-proof jackets.
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Monday, May 23, 2005

Maoist Military Victory Vs Roundtable Conference With The Maoists


There are three political forces in the country: Monarchists, Maoists, democrats. So far each has been operating independent of the other, although attempts have been made by each camp to get one or the other to join them. The king in the past has tried to get the democrats to join him against the Maoists. The Maoists have constantly tried to get the democrats to join them to throw away the monarchy. And the democrats, mainly the Nepali Congress, in the past has tried to use the king's army against the Maoists, without success.

The stalemate continues as each camp seems to think it can gain more ground by refusing to enter into dialogue. Seeking dialogue has been thought of as a sign of weakness.

The king has expanded his personal power base as seen in increased state allowances to the royal family and his current direct rule. The Maoists have broken up the scant state structure in much of the countryside and can be said to be in de facto control. Both the guns have expanded their power bases at the expense of the democrats.

The democrats, on their part, have done nothing much to steal the political and social thunder of the Maoists. And they have not come anywhere close to republicanism so as to hit back at the monarchy ideologically.

So far the Monarchists are center stage. It is as if the insurgency has been a boon to them. Royalist ministers talk as if they expect the king's direct rule to stay on for at least three years, perhaps beyond.

The king, on his part, seems eager to soothe the rough edges, make cosmetic changes, but make no basic compromise. Chances are he will not be able to fool the international community, his target audience. Instead he is alienating the two forces he will end up having to do business with as things hot up.

The king seems to be counting too much on the fact that the Maoists might have been quite a menace, but they are nowhere close to taking over any of the district headquarters, let alone the national capital.

That is where the newly launched democratic movement comes in. The parties don't have guns. But street demonstrations can go a long way. If the king will not listen to reason, he will perhaps listen to the streets.

The Monarchist strategy seems to be do deal with the Maoists politically only if their military victory is imminent. By then, it might be too late. And that strategy does not take into account the democrats, a force slow to warm up, but once it does, it is the strongest.

In The News
  • New libraries spring up in Nepal's furthest corners Christian Science Monitor Foreigners come to Nepal expecting a land of magic, mountains, and Brad Pitt...... until the 1960s, access to education was limited to the royal family and its retinue....... It costs about $20,000 to build each library and to supply it with 3,000 to 5,000 books written in Nepali and English..... the Jhuwani library's new computer center, where a dozen terminals and workstations were arrayed in as orderly a fashion as they would be in any suburban high school classroom in the United States.
  • Nepal’s civil war: from security to politics Open Democracy, UK some sort of political rapprochement between the wayward and outdated Nepali political parties and the monarchy might take place .... these parties and their leaders have nothing much to offer except “protest and demonstration”, which in the present circumstances is only going to strengthen the rebels ..... India.. fears that in a few years some of its own states (Bihar and Andhra Pradesh) will be as red as Nepal.....prioritises stability rather than democracy in Nepal..... The Maoist movement is not going to wither away. It is a real political problem that needs real work to solve and the solution will only come through negotiation...... A new factor in this situation is the Nepali diaspora and a new generation ..... diasporas now play a great role both in fomenting and containing the conflict..... The fundamental characteristic of the Nepali state, since its very formation in 1768, is that of conflict within the ruling class...... all the achievements went swiftly downhill when the first Nepali Congress government poured cold water on the spirit of the people’s movement ...... Not one post-1990 government completed its term in office ..... The social alienation based on caste, religion, ethnicity, gender and uneven and centralised development policy all helped fuel the movement...... Charismatic leaders like Baburam Bhattarai ..... These young people, indoctrinated by a Maoist rhetoric of a utopian, just society, took up arms against their own clans while the ruling class in Kathmandu remained in deep slumber...... Central governments in Kathmandu regarded the situation as a law-and-order rather than a political challenge, and started to suppress the movement. They never tried to correct their own mistakes and bring Maoists into the mainstream..... Nepali political parties and governments..... failed to establish good relationships with Nepal’s bureaucracy, monarchy and security forces (all of which have grossly discredited the image of successive governments)...... For the government, it is terrorism; to the Maoist it is liberation from feudal rule; for some others it is a case of “revolutionary romanticism”...... the insurgency as a communist revolution or as an ethnic alliance against high-caste, Hindu-dominated political elite...... not an ideological war because Maoists have always been willing to come to terms ...... the assertive royal palace backed by the army ...... Rebellion was inevitable, given an environment of rampant corruption and injustice coupled with extreme poverty. ..... the excessive behaviour of post-1990s political leaders..... the role of the international community – particularly the US, Britain and India – in fuelling hostilities by supplying arms, cannot be dismissed. ...... The Maoist movement seems to have been supported by various clandestine revolutionary groups from neighbouring countries and beyond; and the international community’s ever-increasing interest in Nepal prompts speculation as to whether interference has worsened or helped mitigate the conflict..... Civil society, political parties and even the king have failed to bring these actors into a common platform to address the Maoist problem ..... unholy compromise between elected politicians and selected elites ..... parliamentary political parties (who in theory believe in representative democracy, but have neglected to assimilate social movements into the system) ...... the only chance for peace in Nepal lies not in “stability” but in a genuine democratic politics.
  • Largest Anti King Rally In Nepal SouthAsia Network Police in riot gear were posted around the market, but did not intervene.
  • Maoists bomb top army man's house in Nepal Sify, India Brigadier General Deepak Gurung's house in Kawasoti village, Nawalparasi district, southwestern Nepal, was "badly damaged in the bomb attack" ..... three suspected Maoists riding a motorcycle carried out the bombing before escaping ..... Maoists also attacked Gurung's house two years ago
  • ‘Land pooling started for 2nd int’l airport’ Gorkhapatra the government would build the second international airport of the country in Bhairahawa within three years ..... Gautam Buddha international airport .... the government would initiate development programme in Lumbini and the people would find it a different place within a year. .... no heritage sites of the Kathmandu valley would remain in dilapidated state in five-year time. ..... About the condition of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC), he said that it had been affected by cancer
  • NEPAL: Rally organisers ask resignation of Gorkhapatra editor Asia Pacific Media Network, CA In a democracy, people are allowed to criticize. But to denounce one’s nationality and the head of one’s state is not a democratic value, he reportedly said....... Sujata Jost spent thousands of dollars to spread rumors about Nepal. On Sunday’s demonstration, she spent $50 a head to bring each person there .... Ganga Chaulagain, who has denied the quote
  • King’s army grapples with desertion Calcutta Telegraph, India ..... suspicions that the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) is manned by straw soldiers...... The king’s army is grappling with desertions forced by threats from Maoist rebels. For any army in the middle of a war, desertions are a corrosive danger...... “He told me that he had quit the RNA because it did not pay him enough to meet the extortionate demands of the Maobadi,” Mukarji said...... evidence from Nepal on the weakness of the RNA has been mounting...... estimated the total number of desertions by RNA soldiers at “between 200 and 300 a month”..... ..... “the insurgency has riven families”....... Mehta estimated that the Maoists’ army had a strength of 8,000 to 12,000 fighters but only 4,000 weapons. “They have the power of intimidation, the power to strike fear but very little fire-power.” ..... RNA .... some of its best and most important fighting units are stationed inside the Narayanhiti compound in Kathmandu and are effectively a palace guard....... the RNA has improved its defensive tactics but it is not taking the battle to the Maoists. ..... Of late, the Maoists have targeted the families of Royal Nepal Army personnel. They have extorted money, locked up the houses and seized the property of RNA personnel. As a result, the families of RNA personnel have been impelled to flee their villages overnight to safer places ...... The violence against the families of RNA personnel has increased especially in the insurgency-hit districts ...... The RNA says altogether 292 families of RNA personnel have fled their villages since February 1
  • The Nepal Problem The Asian Wall Street Journal .... now more than 100 days since King Gyanendra unleashed his assault on democracy ..... instated emergency powers that made Nepal effectively an absolute monarchy ..... The Maoist rebellion has continued largely unabated ..... the only bright note of the 100 days was that the Maoists and the royal government both agreed to allow the United Nations to deploy a relatively robust human-rights monitoring mission in the field ..... Nobody wants Nepal to collapse under a Maoist onslaught, and the king has done everything he can to paint himself as the last bastion of defense against the Maoists...... One hundred days of royal rule have proven that the king was being honest when he said he did not have much of a plan
  • Statement By 25 Human Rights Organizations INSN ..... should the regime appoint members of the NHRC, they would engage in pleasing the current regime, completely undermining the indispensable norms of the Paris Principles such as independence, impartiality, efficiency and professionalism...... attempt of the regime to enforce the “Amendment to Nepal Acts related to Media Laws” that aim to curtail free and fair news reporting and publication..... demonstrate the actual end of the “state of emergency.”
  • When A Family's Future Is On The Line The Washington Post My father-in-law has vowed that if the Maoists ever try to force his grandchildren into their ranks, “I have a sword, I’m an old man, and I’m not afraid of dying.” ..... my father-in-law, a village priest, had chanted through much of the 26-hour flight to ensure the plane stayed in the air .......My mother-in-law had never before seen a traffic light, but was soon asking trenchant questions about American life: Why was it that only women seemed to work as store clerks? Why are all the road workers black? ...... Soldiers were coming by day and warning, “You’re either with us, or with the terrorists.” Rebels came by night and said the same thing. ....... An entire village of low-caste potters’ huts near our village was reportedly burned to the ground....... There must be countless Washington families who have gone through these same tense moments: Rwandans, Sudanese, Peruvians, Guatemalans. ...... my mother was in elementary school when the Nazis swept through Poland, where most of her family still lived...... when armed men are bent on violence, there’s nothing a relative half a world away can do....... The mob went on its way, the soldiers still marching beside them.
  • Syangja: Maoists Preparing To Take Students INSN Maoists are training the students in different schools of village areas in the name of giving janabadi (people’s) education...... a Maoist cadre had ordered girl students to cut their hair and wear jeans pants ...... A student said they would come and select the strong students and take those students with them. ...... he just said it is a time of war between two rifles, so the people may need to bear risk and in the war for their right they may need to pay a high price at any cost also
  • Mass Meeting Pamphlet INSN
  • Fear Of Freedom Or Freedom From Fear CK Lal Nepali Times Madhab Nepal ... he wants the future of monarchy to be a topic of national debate. ..... Sher Bahadur Deuba ....He was persuaded that a chronically squabbling parliament was a hindrance to fight the Maoist menace...... Whatever you may say about Girija Prasad Koirala, at least he has been consistent in his main demand – restoration of parliament as a point of departure for progressive changes in the polity. Now, seven mainstream parties representing 95 percent of parliamentary strength have supported this demand. The Europeans, Indians and the Americans welcomed this new-found unity among the parties and have finally realised the folly of supporting the needless political experiments of the last three years...... the head-in-the-sand attitude of Kathmandu’s ruling elite about February First persists ..... flex administrative and financial muscle to muzzle the media in excesses that transcend the Panchayat. ..... 22 May 2002—the day Deuba dismantled parliament and announced elections he knew could never be held. ...... The royal takeover is defended by fanning fears of a Maoist takeover. ...... a democratic and progressive Nepal is sure to emerge from this churning........ it’s time to restore due process under the constitution through a reactivated lower house.
  • Parties Protest Nationwide NepalNews.com ...... reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representatives, formation of an interim government to hold peace talks with the Maoists and hold constituent assembly elections to draft a new constitution, if necessary...... Though security was on high alert, there was no intervention during the rally...... thousands participated in peaceful protests in Biratnagar, Jankapur, Birgunj, Jaleswor, Gaur, Malangwa, Pokhara and Dhangadi.
  • Trouble In The Mountain Kingdom Humanscape.org .....India is a key player in Nepal and has, by oiling the monarchical-army machinery from late 2001, contributed to the crisis..... investing so blithely on the force that is on the losing side of history ...... 1 February 2005 can only be described as a royal military-palace coup...... The king was not constrained by the constitution of 1990 since its provisions were not adequate to prevent a monarch from defeating its very spirit and letter...... the Maoists seemed to only get stronger ...... Nepal registering the highest number of newly recorded disappearances in the world, rapes, extra-judicial killings, torture, displacement, illegal arrests and detentions ...... state actors registered the victory in accumulating the figures ...... The Maoists had guns, but were ideological and political. The RNA had only guns and the aim of preserving status quo. It was not an equal battle...... The problem is with the structure of the RNA. It is an unprofessional fighting force, with a feudal structure, fit for ceremonial functions, at best as a palace army..... The Nepali official language is only known to 42 per cent contributing to a 60-70 per cent failure rate in the school leaving certificate...... the biggest obstacle to the peace process is the monarchy-army. ......
  • Of Holes In Socks And Blank Newspapers Humanscape.org Take a good measure of emergency flour. Sift thoroughly to remove all resistance. Knead with exhortations of national security. Grill and set aside. Wash a dozen journalists and wring thoroughly. Don’t forget to strip away fundamental rights before you pop them into boiling water. Add a liberal measure of censorship guidelines. Sprinkle a dash of detentions. Grate a generous amount of intimidation. Stir in a few threats to withdraw advertisements and licenses. Simmer on low flame. Garnish with rhetoric of ‘tackling the Maoist problem’. Serve hot.
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Sunday, May 22, 2005

Streets Filling Up


This is great. The first day of the movement has been heartening. Just when things are heating up in Bihar as well.

I have also noted with interest Manisha Koirala's father's ouster from the Congress. The guy apparently gave an interview suggesting there is nothing in the 1990 constitution that allows for a reinstatement of the parliament, which apparently happens also to be my line. Forget the 1999 parliament, and forget the 1990 constitution.

There are three camps. If you are not for the king's move of 2/1, you are against peace and for terrorism, the Monarchists will tell you. If you are not for reviving the parliament, you are against democracy, the democrats will tell you. If you are not with Prachanda, you are against the Maoist party, the Maoists tell the Maoists like Baburam.

These hardliner stands are great for group cohesion in the three camps, but they are a major disservice to the cause of peace. All three camps will have to soften if peace is to be possible.

And if the Gulf News story reported in the Telegraph is to be believed, Baburam is back go doing business on behalf of his party. That is great news. Baburam is back in the swing. The guy is a progressive more than he is a textbook Maoist. He is capable of having a moderating influence on the Maoists without selling away the basic progressive thrust of the party. He is reasonable. It is possible to talk to him.

The letter by the three human rights organizations to Prachanda is meaningful. Human rights monitoring, to which both the army and the Maoists have agreed to, is the only and best hope to end the conflict on the table for now. That option has to be exploited to the fullest.

In The News
  • Bihar Assembly dissolved Times of India
  • Despite cold vibes, Indian diplomat on way to Nepal Indian Express, India
  • No end in sight to Nepal's woes Bangkok Post .....the country has far from regained the normalcy King Gyanendra promised to bring within 100 days ..... Gyanendra had ``achieved a fantastic way of exercising control over almost every aspect of life'' ..... 1,516 individuals are still detained. Among the most prominent is Sher Bahadur Deuba ...... Other prominent detainees include student leader Gagan Thapa and former minister J P Gupta, who were re-arrested on May 5....... the problem ultimately has to be solved by the Nepalese ..... the crisis is an opportunity for the Nepalese people to come out and say what they want
  • Opposition protests around Nepal BBC News Protesters want the reinstatement of the dissolved parliament and the formation of an all-party government...... Biratnagar, Janakpur and Pokhara...... The opposition parties argue that an all-party government would create an environment for holding peace negotiations with the Maoist insurgents..... opposition leaders say restoration of peace is not possible unless people's democratic rights are restored first.
  • More than 10,000 rally in Nepal's capital; largest anti-king rally ... Santa Fe New Mexican
  • Manisha’s royalist father gets party boot Calcutta Telegraph Prakash Koirala was today expelled from the Nepali Congress for toeing the royalist line ..... the party was founded by Prakash’s father B.P. Koirala and is now headed by his uncle and three-time Prime Minister, Girija Prasad Koirala ...... the toughest action taken by the party against a senior leader after the expulsion of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on May 26 2002 ...... forced to act after Prakash gave an interview to the English daily The Himalayan Times yesterday opposing the party’s demand for reinstatement of the House of Representatives. He argued that such a move would be against the spirit of the constitution and suggested a round table conference to discuss the issue ...... He also said that since the Supreme Court has quashed a writ challenging the dissolution of the House of Representatives, there was no point in pursuing the idea any further...... a member of the Central Working Committee
  • Nepal's army gears up to better rights record:- Webindia123, India Dogged by allegations of human rights violations and the spectre of a permanent embargo on foreign military aid, Nepal's army has announced a clutch of "positive steps" ..... welcomed the setting up of a monitoring office in the capital by the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and was ready to provide access to detention sites ...... "We also hope they would show up the human rights abuses committed by the Maoist insurgents and help push them towards peace talks"...... Besides the UN agency, it said its detention sites were also open to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as well as Nepal's National Human Rights Commission...... the army said it would have a national central registry of detainees to keep track of people under arrest...... The army's home page on the Internet has a human rights section through which complaints can also be made anonymously...... the RNA said tainted soldiers will not be sent to UN missions.
  • Maoists say Prachanda tape is 'propaganda':- Webindia123 ..... the rebels issued a statement that described the tape's contents as "witless propaganda". ..... Prachanda issued a statement Sunday, admitting it was his voice on the tape but clarifying it was an earlier tape and not relevant to the current times.
  • Nepal Army plays tape saying India in league with Nepal Maoists Newindpress
  • Nepal Democracy Movement: A scene from the rally. Pic by Chandra ... United We Blog, Nepal .....In an encouraging beginning of Jana Andolan 2062, at least five thousand pro-democracy activists rallied in heart of Kathmandu demanding restoration of democracy and civil liberties in Nepal. Activists from all seven political parties of the recently launched United Front ..... Riot police were stationed on all the corners- on way to Dillibazzar, on way to Ghanta Ghar, on way to Baghbazzar and on way to Jay Nepal Hall....... In front of Democracy Wall in Baghbazzar, a truck full of riot police was parked. Police were moving around....... A big truck and at least 50 police were standing at the Bhotahitti Chowk...... Being in the rally is always a strange experience for me. I mean you feel aroused, energized. Blood starts circulating fast...... all most all participants of the rally were hard core political activists...... Did that mean the rally had no public support? ...... “Well, they definitely don’t have public support,” shop keeper Prabin Tuladhar, 35, told me...... “The rally is not different to that of 2046,” he told me, “people didn’t come in the beginning at that time too. I think the momentum will gain momentum in the days to come.” ..... Yogesh Upadhaya of CPN UML was on the microphone. He spoke of the need of unity among democratic forces and continue fighting for full democracy. Then spoke Hari Bol Bhattarai, a NC leader. “The King should be constitutional. Parliament should be restored. People should rule over themselves.” ...... KP Oli, a CPN UML heavyweight walking in Ason Chowk talking with someone over the cell phone.
  • Democracy protests in four Nepali cities CBC Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Janakpur and Pokhara ..... the political parties have demanded the monarch reinstate the dissolved parliament to allow a multiparty government to negotiate a political settlement with the insurgents...... more than 10,000 protesters gathered at Asan..... Hundreds of police in riot gear were posted around the market, but did not intervene...... future rallies, including one planned for Friday, would be bigger ..... The king lifted the emergency at the end of April and rallies are now allowed
  • Prachanda's Statement INSN
  • Delhi Sniffs King's Ploy Telegraph ...a report in Gulf News that some key Maoist leaders, including Baburam Bhattarai, held meetings with CPI leader A.B. Bardhan and his CPM counterpart Prakash Karat recently ..... the army, prompted by the king, was “trying to play hardball” ..... Neither the king nor his close aides took the Indian statement lightly. The palace, unhappy with critical reports that have appeared in the Indian media in the past few weeks, feels these reflect the view of the government.
  • Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists Write To Prachanda INSN .....an ongoing wave of human rights abuses by Maoist forces over the last few months casts serious doubts on the credibility of your repeated public commitments to that effect..... in a press release of 5 April 2005 the CPN (Maoist) publicly called for an international human rights monitoring presence in Nepal ...... the CPN (Maoist) also pledged to cooperate fully with any such mission, if established, and to be answerable for any human rights abuses by CPN (Maoist). On 12 April, you personally reiterated the pledge to fully support and cooperate with any human rights monitors ..... On 16 May 2005, Shanker Sarki, a soldier, who had returned home from Congo where he had served in the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces, was abducted from his home in Dhangadi, Kailali district by 12 armed Maoist cadres in civilian dress and killed...... Specifically, we call on to publicly to prohibit CPN (Maoist) forces from engaging in targeting civilians and civilian objects and carrying out indiscriminate attacks, arbitrary killings, torture and other ill-treatment, taking hostages and recruiting child soldiers. We also call on you to remove from their post any CPN (Maoist) cadres who are responsible for human rights abuses....... With reference to your interview of 18 April, we remind you that the civil war in Nepal falls under the purview of international humanitarian law. Among the fundamental protections during internal armed conflicts are those contained in Common Article Three in the four Geneva Conventions of 1949, regarding the treatment of persons taking no active part in the hostilities. This article prohibits, among other things, summary executions, torture and other ill-treatment, the taking of hostages, and punishment without fair trial. Credible information indicates that CPN (Maoist) forces routinely violate Common Article Three by engaging in brutal and abusive activities against civilians and others not taking active part in hostilities....... Common Article Three binds both states parties and insurgent groups. Adherence is not based on reciprocity ...... arguments set out in the interview published on 18 April that RNA abuses “outnumber” abuses by your forces or that your ideology justifies your actions in no way exempt you and your forces from your obligations under international law....... mechanisms to allow transparent and independent investigations by the UN teams in areas under (CPN) Maoist control ...... each side is responsible for the conduct of its own forces
  • India Should Talk To Maoists: Gen. Mehta Nepalnews.com it is true that India is trying to talk to (Nepali) Maoists ..... Speaking in Nepali language ..... “As India is holding dialogue with Nepali (parliamentary) parties, there should be no problem in holding dialogue with the Maoists” ..... even from the point of view of `balance of power’ (within Nepal) it was important that the Maoists army did not disintegrate...... Indian authorities have been saying, of late, that Maoist problem has emerged as the no. 1 internal security problem in the country.
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Saturday, May 21, 2005

Democratic Solidarity With The Nepali Congress


In my last blog entry, I have explored the possibility of a democratic coalition minus the Nepali Congress. I will have to revise that. If the NC chooses to stand by its demand to revive the parliament, it has every democratic right to do so. Instead the NC cadres should be used to create pressure to compromise with the king on the idea of an interim government, which is what I have stated in an earlier blog entry.

And I still think the RPP, RJP, and the Mandal Sadbhavana should be invited in. All three are for constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy. The last time major protests were launched, Deuba's Congress was kept at bay because Girija said so. Guess what, the king was able to exploit that split. This time the king is being given an opportunity to tap on someone like Surya Bahadur Thapa. Better to have Thapa in your democratic camp. Thapa is the civilian version of King G: he is cunning as hell. Can't afford to have him at large.

In The News
  • Nepal displeasure to India, Britain on opposition alliance issue Xinhua, China On May 16, the Indian government and European Union had separately welcomed the forging of alliance among seven opposition parties in Nepal.
  • Nepal expresses "concern" to India over statement alliance Outlook (subscription) the common position announced by the parties, who represent over 90 percent of dissolved parliament........ The seven party alliance has announced fresh stir beginning May 22 to restore democracy and fundamental rights urging King Gyanendra to reinstate the Parliament and form an all party government.
  • Nepal warns parties against anti-king slogans Reuters AlertNet, UK Nepal's royalist government told political parties on Saturday it would not tolerate public criticism of King Gyanendra during pro-democracy protests........ After widespread condemnation, the king lifted emergency rule but he continues to hold unlimited power, many political leaders are still in jails and civil liberties remain suspended........ Earlier this month, Nepal's Maoist rebels said they supported the political parties in their campaign to restore democracy....... The government said the Maoist rebels might infiltrate the rallies and the political parties would be held responsible for any "untoward incidents" during the protests.
  • Nepal Army plays tape saying India in league with Nepal Maoists Newindpress, India the Royal Nepal Army raised a new roadblock by making public video tapes it said suggest New Delhi's links with the Nepal Maoist faction led by Baburam Bhattarai......... ‘‘India was clearly suggesting that the two leaders would be released only after their man Dr Bhattarai was reinstated in his earlier posts,'' Prachanda said....... Bhattarai was head of the ‘People's Government' and later of the western regional command of the Maoists....... Prachanda claimed that ‘‘we received a message from the Indian authorities for a dialogue, but we said we would welcome them in our territory with full guarantee of their safety and security.''...... Hours after the RNA released the tapes, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu issued a statement, denying Prachanda's claims about the Government of India. It also questioned the authenticity of the audio-visual tapes played by the RNA....... New Delhi has already sent a batch of thermal imagers. Radio sets, jeeps and trucks will be sent in the coming weeks. India has also agreed to service some of the Insas rifles being used by the RNA. The RNA act of releasing the tapes has stumped New Delhi........ $40 million package for RNA includes training at the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare school. Supply of Cheetah helicopters, Insas rifles and sophisticated surveillance equipment.......Senior Maoist leaders like C P Gajurel and Mohan Baidya arrested in India and still in custody.
  • Resume arms supply, Nepal urges India Hindu Nepal said it was short of bullets for 5.56 and 7.62-bore weapons and would have to dig into its final reserves if India did not start replenishing its stocks.... the 32,000-strong "first-line" troops of the Royal Nepal Army need at least 65 lakh rounds of ammunition for its two main types of standard issue weapons.
  • Nepal on its knees for arms Calcutta Telegraph Royal Nepal Army (RNA) is now delving into its reserves of ammunition for its standard issue India-supplied INSAS 5.56-mm and 7.62-mm combat weapons. The stock of ammunition for these guns could run “dangerously low” in less than a month....... The Maoists have declared that their armed insurgency has entered a phase of “strategic offensive”. Consequently, military authorities expect the Maoists to attack RNA establishments. Given the RNA’s level of training, the usage of ammunition is high....... The RNA has two battalions of special forces equipped with American and Belgian guns but the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56 mm and the old 7.62 mm self loading rifle (that is being phased out from the Indian Army) are its primary weapons....... The RNA, which is in the middle of an expansion programme, also needs more INSAS rifles, mine-protection vehicles, field guns and bulletproof jackets.
  • Nepal foreign secy raps Indian envoy Times of India India's envoy here sought Nepal's support for his country's bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, but a top Nepalese official used the occasion to blast New Delhi......... "Development of multi-party democracy must be an essential part of any acceptable and sustainable resolution of the conflict," the EU said.
  • Nepal rights official chooses 'self-exile' in Delhi:- Webindia123, India
  • Nepal tightens grip on media, new law passed Deccan Herald, India Tightening its grip on the media despite lifting of emergency, Nepal's Royal government has passed strict laws aimed at curbing press freedom, prohibiting any news item that causes "hatred or disrespect" against King Gyanendra and his family members..... the government's intention to "totally control free press and to convert it into government's propaganda machinery."....... The law, which is yet to be made public, prohibits publishing any item that "causes hatred or disrespect against the King and his family members." It bans publishing items that promote or help terrorists, terrorism and destructive activities and prohibits broadcasting news-based programmes by private FM radio stations, besides restricting license to a single individual to operate only two options out of radio, television and newspaper.
  • Nepal to support Egypt for Security Council permanent membership Xinhua, China
  • UML Democracy Bulletin 10 INSN
  • Press Release By Six Parties After Meeting Natwar Singh INSN .....delegation handed him over a copy of their consensual road map for restoration of full democracy and peace in Nepal. Mr. Singh was happy and expressed full support to the proposed road map. The meeting lasted for more than 45 minutes in a happy and relaxed ambiance. ....... delegates reminded Mr. Singh of 1951 commitment of then Prime Minister of Jawahar Lal Nehru for the elections of the sovereign constituent assembly. Such an election for a constituent assembly has to be preceded by restoration of the dissolved House of Representatives. The HoR will set up a national government competent to hold peace talk with the Maoists. The delegates assured the Minister that such peace talk could be held meaningfully and peace would be restored in Nepal along with a fundamental restructuring of the nation state of Nepal......... The Minister reiterated his faith and trust in the capabilities of political parties. He asked them to be in touch on permanent basis. He expressed happiness at the unity of political parties........ Pradi Giri – Nepali Congress (D), Rajan Bhattarai – CPN (UML), Dr. Shekhar Koirala and Mathura Prasad Ghimire – Nepali Congress, Hridayesh Tripathi and Rajendra Mahto – Nepal Sadbhawana Party (A), Chandra Dev Joshi – United Left Front, Ganga Paudel – People’s Front
  • Gorkhapatra's Creative Journalism INSN “The bringing of 100 to 150 Nepalese to Washington yesterday wasn’t merely a shameful act, but also severely to be condemned. In a democracy, people are allowed to criticize. But to denounce one’s nationality and the head of one’s state is not a democratic value.” ....... “Former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s daughter Sujata Jost spent thousands of dollars to spread rumors about Nepal. At yesterday’s demonstration, she spent $50 a head to bring each person there, and because Sunday was a holiday, there were a few Nepali laborers present” ......“Those who bankrupted the nation by committing corruption through the Lauda, Dhamija, and Chase Air scandals, and those who helped the corrupt people in high positions, are trying to reincarnate. But nobody is ready to believe these corrupt people.”
  • Musharraf gives tacit backing to Nepal King's power grab Outlook (subscription), India Musharraf has said the monarch's action should be seen in the light of failure of the previous governments to contain the Maoists' "menace." ..... The General said he has good relations with the King ...... he believed that systems should change if they failed to resolve problems faced by the country....... "Nation is not made for democracy, democracy is made for the nation. If the nation is suffering, something has to be done" ..... Chamberline and Nepolean were responsible for establishing democracies in Britain and France
  • 50 Maoists killed in Nepal clashes Daily Times ... the rebels said only six guerrillas were killed in the fighting, including their eastern area commander.
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