Thursday, July 27, 2006

Stop Arresting The Disabled



Disabled people continue protest; nearly three-dozen arrested NepalNews Police arrested nearly three dozen physically challenged people from the protest programme organized by the Federation of Disabled People in front of Singha Durbar ...... scuffle between the police and physically challenged people ...... Three protestors injured in the incident and are undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital. ...... One of their demands is reservation for disabled people in all sectors.
Police arrest nearly two-dozen disabled people Physically challenged people have been continuing their protests saying that the democratic government had neglected their demands. They are scheduled to join the protest organized by Citizens Movement for Peace and Democracy at 4 p.m. in the afternoon. .... the National Human Rights Commission said that it is closely monitoring the demonstration. ...... urged the government not to use unnecessary force that may suppress people's fundamental rights.
I have made this basic point before and I am going to make it again. The April Revolution has earned the people their right to protest peacefully. That should not only be allowed, but also encouraged. One of the overpaid ministers of this government could have shown the decency to walk out and meet and greet the protestors. Could have invited them in for a meet and greet program. Could have engaged in dialogue to see what the grievances are, what can be done to meet them.

It happened to the Kamaiya. It happened to the women. Now it is happening to the disabled. This government has to take responsibility. This is supposed to be a revolutionary government, not a repressive government. Just because the physically challenged are small in number compared to the other groups like the DaMaJaMa does not mean they can be neglected.

Social justice is a matter of principle. It is not really about if or not the group has the large numbers to create the big noise. This act of police brutality is utterly shameful.

..... the ism family: racism, classism, ageism, adultism, elitism, sexism, heterosexism, and physicalism.

In Solidarity With The Kamaiya Movement
Why Were The Women Beat Up?

The Bahun men who have gotten themselves into power have shown the tendency to forget the basic thrust of the April Revolution. Their unhurried approach to the constituent assembly is their hope that people's heightened expectations from April will die down. Their dragging of feet on the peace process is their wish to go back to the days before the king's active reign when they simply refused to see the political utility and importance of a constituent assembly. It is their fantassy to turn the constituent assembly elections into a referendum on the monarchy so they do not have to deal with the issues of social justice. My response: the monarchy is not worth a referendum. End it now.

People should be encouraged to protest peacefully. That is how oppressed groups raise their political consciousness. It is shameful that the National Human Rights Commission should see the protesting disabled and the abusing police as two parties equally at fault. The Commission has lost its fulcrum.

There is indeed a need for a second revolution, another peaceful revolution. Or the Bahun men in power could measure up.

In The News

Rayamajhi commission summons army chief, two others NepalNews General Pyar Jung Thapa, his deputy, Lt General Rukmangad Katuwal, and a former Major General in connection with their alleged role in suppressing the people’s movement ...... the commission summoned retired Major General and then head of the Valley Pritana (division), Deepak Bikram Rana ...... The Nepali Army led the Unified Command ..... Home Minister Kamal Thapa used to give directions to security officials from the army headquarters to suppress the movement.
We have not come here with any pre-established formula: Mistura
Senior ADB rep arrives; 'assistance in Melamchi will continue'
High level Chinese delegation arrives
Visiting Indian delegation meets PM Koirala, MK Nepal
Righting the Wrongs of Nepal’s Peace Process - By Anga R. Timilsina the lack of preparedness, transparency and accountability in the peace process. ...... Nepal’s peace process is characterized by an unusual sequencing of priorities, discussing the formation of an interim government and the holding of constituent assembly elections before addressing immediate humanitarian needs in the war-torn areas........ hard-learned lessons from conflict prevention and peace-building of many countries emerged from or undergoing armed conflict. ...... both the government and the Maoists seem to be more concerned about power-sharing arrangements, less about consolidating peace....... “The General Peace Agreement for Mozambique” (October 1992) and the “Agreement on a Comprehensive Political Settlement on the Cambodia Conflict” (October 1991) .... “Haiti’s Interim Cooperation Framework (2006)” ....... three overlapping yet distinct phases: the initial stabilization of a war-torn society; the transformation or institutional building; and the consolidation. ........ establishing effective mechanism for monitoring ceasefire, returning refugees and internally displaced persons, establishing property rights so that ceased property is returned to the rightful owners, establishing community justice or some kind of healing process in order to facilitate the harmonization and reintegration process, implementing demining programs, reviving essential infrastructure (roads, bridges, telephone and water) and services (education and health), strengthening and empowering local governance institutions in order to increase service delivery and facilitate the reconstruction process, and reviving the productive sector of the economy and achieving the macroeconomic stability........... the formation of an interim constitution and an interim government, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR), security sector reform (redefining civil-military relations, establishing civilian oversight of the military, increasing transparency and accountability of the security sector, and revamping promotions and leadership development), civil service reform, and elections to draft a new constitution and form a new government............ Nepal is a unique and intriguing case study ........ the peace process is moving ahead without a comprehensive framework for peace-building. .... Nepal is focusing more on the political aspect of peace-building and ignoring social and economic aspects....... peace-building, which is very complex, involving multi-dimensions: multi-lateral (involvement of many actors), multi-sectoral (security, emergency and relief efforts, governance, democratization, infrastructure building, and long-term development), multi-leveled (national vs. local level programs), and multi-staged (immediate, mid-term and long-term stages) ........ there is an urgent need to have a comprehensive framework for peace and reconstruction signed by both the government and the Maoists....... peace agreements, ceasefire agreements, political settlement agreements, rehabilitation and reconstruction agreements and agreements on the role of the international community including the United Nations ....... community-based rehabilitation and reintegration, return of refugees and internally displaced persons, property rights, justice and reconciliation, healing process, and revival of essential infrastructure and services. Since local bodies are currently run by bureaucrats, the SPA and the Maoists could come up with a plan for a participatory local governance in order to make sure that, at the grass-root level, there is a high degree of inclusiveness and participation of all sectors of society in dialogue and peace-building.......... the Maoists agree to demobilize their army before the formation of an interim government and decommission their arms immediately after the constituent assembly elections. ......... decommissioning of Maoist arms and integrating Maoist army into the Nepali military should be a major component of the comprehensive framework...... How can the Maoist rebels be integrated into the state army and reintegrated into society? What should be the structure and size of Nepal’s military? How the military be restructured in order to accommodate the Maoist rebels? Several ideas have been floated including the formation of a border security force, creation of a civilian development force, and reduction of the Nepali Army’s size by one-third and replacing it by the Maoist rebels. ....... The primary task of the interim parliament should be to craft the mechanism and process for holding the constituent assembly elections ...... peace is a process in itself. .....
Government yet to fill vacant posts of Secretaries
PLA facing acute food shortage: report due to lack of regular source of income since the announcement of ceasefire three months ago ...... combatants of the sixth division of the PLS, stationed at a temporary camp at Gumi of Surkhet district, were no more had to worry for the battle, but for their own ration....... daily exercise of the guerrillas begins early in the morning. After 3-4 hours of hard exercise, these soldiers go to field to help villagers in paddy planting. The whole day they work in the field free of cost to win the heart of local population and return to the camp for the evening drill........ Despite this labourious daily schedule, PLA guerrillas neither have balanced diet nor enough food to eat. The meals contain mainly rice, lentil and seasonal vegetable....... we are facing problem even to feed them twice a day." ...... Until a few months back, it was a different story altogether. There was enough money collected from taxes, extortion, forced donations or looting of banks. Now, the 'donation' has sharply decreased, looting has stopped and whatever money they had has been getting exhausted. People refuse to pay taxes to the parallel people's government set up by the Maoists. Earlier, they were mobile and used to travel from one area to another. Now, they are camped in one place........ they understand the problem. They would have fled otherwise." ....... The PLA guerrillas need about 20 quintals of rice per day and an equal quantity of vegetables and lentil. It comes to around Rs 100,000 a day. On the other hand, they don't have a regular source of income. ...... the government did not allocate any sum to maintain the PLA, "Our PLA helped the seven parties for the reinstatement of the House of Representatives but they forgot us as soon as they ascended to power. They seem to have decided to kill us starving." ....... Maoists have set up similar camps in Sindhupalchok, Makawanpur and Saptari
Leaders call for better understanding between SPA and Maoists should reach a better understanding and consensus on issues related to arms management, interim statute, interim government, an alternative to Parliament and the date for an election to a constituent assembly. ...... democratising the Nepali Army by severing its traditional ties to the King and amending to the Military Law of 2016 BS. ...... Mahesh Acharya suggested that the SPA and the Maoists focus their attention on holding constituent assembly polls at the earliest .... Former member of the National Human Rights Commission Sushil Pyakurel urged both the sides to pay attention to the issue of conflict management. He alleged the parliament gave a clean chit to the chief of army staff (COAS) Pyar Jung Thapa by administering him the oath of office in parliament instead of taking action against him for suppressing the Jana Andolan.

Dy PM Sherchan in New Delhi for avian meet, Maoists' release Kantipur Publications
PM asks Maoists to abide by Ceasefire CoC
Give arms issue top priority: PM tells govt talks team
‘Maoists started war in Siraha, Saptari’ "The Maoists have started undeclared war in Siraha and Saptari district in the name of fighting their internal rivals," said Renu Kumari Yadav of Rastriya Janashakti Party. "The government should tell whether they (Maoists) are free to start war in select districts." ....... slammed human rights activists for ignoring the violations. "They are ignoring it since only terai people are being victimized." ...... Ram Janam Choudhari of NC (D) demanded that the government table the interim constitution draft [when finalized] in the House to get it endorsed. ...... Ram Chandra Roy of RPP urged the government to resolve the citizenship problem before constituent assembly elections....... drew the government's attention toward continued strikes, agitations and gheraos across the country ...... Lila Mani Pokharel of People's Front Nepal urged the seven party alliance leaders to dissolve the House and expedite the peace process.
‘People ate uncooked rice in Mugu’
दलको प्रस्ताव- राजतन्त्र पनि अन्तरिम प्रमुख दलहरू संक्रमणकालमा राजतन्त्रलाई अन्तरिम बनाउने प्रस्ताव अन्तरिम संविधान मस्यौदा समितिलाई दिने गृहकार्यमा जुटेका छन् । ..... कांग्रेसले 'पछि संविधान सभाले व्यवस्था गरेबमोजिम हुने गरी अहिलेलाई प्रतिनिधिसभा घोषणाअनुरूपको राजतन्त्र रहने' प्रस्ताव गर्दैछ । ...... कांग्रेसले मिश्रति निर्वाचन प्रणाली, राज्यको पुनर्संरचना र प्रादेशिक प्रणालीबारे सुझाव तयार गरेको छ । 'प्रादेशिक संरचनाको आधार भूबनोट, जनसंख्या, भाषा, आर्थिक अन्तरसम्बन्ध र सांस्कृतिक सामुदायिक पहिचानलाई मुख्य बनाउनुपर्ने छ,' मस्यौदा उद्धृत गर्दै स्रोतले भन्यो । .......राष्ट्रिय महत्त्वका सबै विषयमा जनमत संग्रहबाट टुंगो लगाउनुपर्ने पार्टीको प्रस्ताव रहेको ...... कानुनद्वारा निर्धारित समानुपातिक निर्वाचन प्रणाली
प्रधानमन्त्रीद्वारा वार्ता टोलीलाई निर्देशन
नागरिक समाज सडक संघर्षमा
गणतान्त्रिक मोर्चा जरुरी ः बादल 'जनताले गणतन्त्रको चाहना गरिसकेका छन् तर विभिन्न शक्ति यसलाई सफल हुन नदिन लागिसकेका छन्,' उनले भने- 'त्यसैले पनि तत्काल मोर्चा गठन गरी नागरिक समाज साथै सबै मिलेर सडक तताउन जरुरी छ ।'
नागरिक समाजद्वारा प्रदर्शन
नागरिक समाजद्वारा प्रदर्शन

Nepal crown prince gets his marching orders Mumbai Mirror, India shearing the controversial crown prince of his designation as patron of the country’s sports council. ...... stripped King Gyanendra afresh of his position as patron of four national organisations - the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation named after his father, the Lumbini Development Trust entrusted with the development and preservation of the Buddha’s birthplace in southern Nepal, Mahendra Sanskrit University and Tribhuvan University
Cease-fire pact draft prepared in Nepal People's Daily Online, China
Peace Process on Right Track in Nepal: EP Himalayan Times, Nepal
Nepal gears up for tourist boom DailyIndia.com, NY

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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

April Revolution, April Convention



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Queens, New York City
Every April now on
April 6, 7, 8 for 2007
Friday 7 PM to Sunday 11 PM
11 PM to 11 AM: No events
7 PM - 11 PM: Stage Events

Chairperson: Paramendra Bhagat
President: Chandra Prakash Sharma
Hosted by Moonlight

Chief Guests: Upendra Mahato, Jiba Lamichhane. We requested, they agreed.
Chief Host: Kul Chandra Gautam. We have not had a chance to discuss this with him yet, but I am sure he will agree if he can make the time. In some ways he is the most accomplished Nepali on the planet. For future years, this has to be someone who lives in New York City.
Special Guests: Manisha Koirala. She is the most recognized Nepali face on the planet, and that has to be honored. Again, she has not been approached yet. There will be a few others. Perhaps Aditya Jha, the Nepali Sabeer Bhatia.

Core Committee: About a dozen. The Dirty Dozen. They will do much of the work, and will get paid.
Volunteers: Close to a 100 to assist the Dirty Dozen.

Friday Night. Inauguration Ceremony. A sampler of Saturday and Sunday nights. Awards given out. Chieft Guests and Special Guests honored.
Saturday Night. Cultural performances by all the ethnic groups in Nepal.
Sunday Night. Top Concert outside of Nepal. Also awards ceremony.

Goal: To turn this into the top ethnic event in New York City in terms of quality.

Guest Country: Zimbabwe. A country that deserves an "April Revolution."

Dress rehearsal: Dashain Block Party.

  • VIPs.
    • Two Chief Guests. Chief Host. 6 Award Recipients. VVIP. Free buttons.
    • Leaders of the top organizations in America. VIP.
    • VVIP, VIP, Volunteer buttons bigger than rest.
  • Organizations.
    • Participating Organizations.
    • Star Organizations. Members elected its president directly some time during the past year. Number of members is public.
    • Superstar Organization. The best organization based on membership size, transparency, vibrancy, impact, internal democracy.
  • April Convention Awards to people in Nepal. $1000 plus cash award, two way airfare, and lodging, fooding, sight seeing.
    • Politics.
    • Entrepreneurship.
    • NGO Sector.
    • Social Justice: DaMaJaMa.
    • Journalism.
    • Entertainment.
Stay tuned for details.

$35 per person, 10 years and older. Will cover all events. Security guards will ensure noone without buttons are allowed to any of the events.



















ANA Convention: Reflections
ANA Convention: My Hamro Nepal Speech
ANA Convention: Audio
ANA Convention 2006: Photos

Andolan Again




I Support The Civil Society Agitation

The seven party alliance has been dragging its feet on the peace process. That has to change.

These Maoists started out as classic Maoists, true. In classic Maoism, power flows through the barrel of a gun. You kill class enemies in the most public ways possible. And so on. To that either you seek a military solution, or a political solution. I think we have decided to seek a political solution.

If you don't want a military solution, or can not have it, and you drag your feet on the political solution, then what message are you sending?

When the Maoists say the House has to be dissolved, the seven party says no, it should not. The more apt answer would be to demand the Maoist local governments should be dissolved at the same time. The seven party alliance has to get more proactive.

Interim Army: You Can Walk And Chew Gum At The Same Time
Direct Elections, One Seat For Every 100,000 People, Reservations, Primaries
Political Decisions, House Dissolution, Maoist Transformation
New Triangle: Maoists, Seven Parties, Civil Society

The Physically Challenged

First the women got beat up. Then the Kamaiya got beat up. Now the physically challenged have been arrested. This is wrong. Why can't one of the ministers instead come out and meet the protesting crowd? Why can't they instead invite this group in for some tea and some talk?

Arrests like these are an insult to the April Revolution.

In Solidarity With The Kamaiya Movement
Why Were The Women Beat Up?

Truth And Reconciliation Commission

It worries me that noone in the seven party alliance has brought this up yet. I can not imagine a permanent peace without this.

Land Reform, Truth And Reconciliation

All human rights abuses and atrocities of the past years by both armies have to be documented. That might still lead to forgiveness, but all stories have to be heard. There is no short cut there.

This is of fundamental importance.

In The News

Civil society activists take to streets, Maoist cadres join in NepalNews Nearly two hundred students, led by ANNFSU (Revolutionary) president Lekhnath Neupane, joined the sit-in led by civil society leaders Dr. Devendra Raj Panday and Krishna Pahadi. The students chanted slogans against the “old parliament”
Arms of Maoists going to the underworld: India the nature of smuggling along the Nepal-India border has changed from "consumer and industrial goods to arms and ammunition, explosives and fake Indian currency notes" ...... now smugglers employ individuals and smaller groups for supplying contraband..... vehicles coming from Nepal, especially empty oil tankers have been used to smuggle in arms into India....... report mentions Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Myanmar borders used for smuggling arms and ammunition into India
Rayamajhi commission grills eight royal administrators
Three members of ‘high level’ UN team arrives in Kathmandu
PM directs talks team to concentrate on core agenda talks team quoted Koirala as saying the talks would be successful as it was going ahead positively ......
Police arrest nearly two-dozen disabled people Police arrested nearly two dozen physically challenged people from the protest programme organized by the Federation of Disabled People in front of Singha Durbar, the main administrative hub of the country demanding their representation in the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee....... the democratic government had neglected their demands. One of their demands is reservation for disabled people in all sectors.....
SC nullifies EC decision to freeze Rana-led RPP’s election symbol
New Highest Railway Opens All-Round Inter-Regional Link Prospects the first regular railway service to Lhasa was flagged off from Beijing . Covering 4062 KM, the train reached Lhasa after 48 hours ...... 4th of July in 1837 when Grand Junction Railway, world's first long-distance railway, was opened between Birmingham and Liverpool in the UK ...... India and Pakistan, two of the eventual major destinations of the Chinese railway ..... the rail service travels through the highest elevation of 5072 meters from the sea level. ....... the world's highest altitude and longest plateau railway-extending 1956 km from Qinghai province's capital Xining to Lhasa in the south-west.......... About 550 km of this railway track run on permanently frozen earth. ...... the railway uses 1686-meter long Kunlung mountain tunnel, the world's longest tunnel built on permanently frozen earth. The train speed on the permanently frozen earth is designed to be 100 km/hour while this will reach to 120 km/hour on normal track ...... Yunnan-Myanmar and Bangladesh and Tibet-Nepal and the heartland of India (that is, India 's Bihar , UP, Delhi , Punjab and Haryana provinces) ...... has brought Nepal closer to Asia 's Far East (that is, Japan , Republic of Korea and Democratic People's Republic of Korea ) via Shanghai ...... Lhasa these days is abuzz with standardization of new lexicon or gamut of words/phrases relating to train services as they did not exist in the Tibetan language before. And one of these phrases is "Mei Kuo Er" or "railway" though "Ri Li" can also be used in Tibetan oral expression for the train. ...... Nepal , a nation which shares with Tibet the most extensive social, cultural and economic ties.

Nepal donors resume peace and aid talks Hindustan Times, India
Nepal King's aunt received undue medical assistance Zee News
Nepal Naxals aiding underworld? Times of India
Nepal King seeks solace on the Internet Hindustan Times, India After losing his grip on the government and the army and living with the threat of losing his crown, Nepal's King Gyanendra has turned to a new avenue for solace - online gambling. ..... Suffering from depression and fluctuating blood pressure after he was forced to hand over power to a multi-party government and endure the curtailing of his purse and privileges by parliament, the headstrong king is also haunted by insomnia that is keeping him up till late at night ...... he has been playing online poker and blackjack till almost three o'clock in the morning ..... The king is using his international credit cards for the gambling, entering their details online, a move most Internet savvy credit card users avoid to prevent online fraud. ..... though the businessman king engineered a coup with perfect precision last year to seize power, his subsequent actions showed a lack of astuteness and business sense. ..... shutting down services of the state-owned telecom company to help his son-in-law's private telephone firm make a quick profit and trying to borrow money from a shady organisation in a scheme that would have ripped off the apex bank in the country, Nepal Rastra Bank, for billions...... Palace employees have to stay up as long as the playing monarch does to bring him coffee and water.... There are about 900 employees in the royal household....... the king plans to go to another palace in Nagarjuna ..... It would be the first time the king would be leaving the palace since April ..... Chinese vice foreign minister Wu Tawei is leading a 10-member team on a three-day visit to discuss with Nepal's new government "ways to assist in the recent political transformation". ...... visit signifies China's complete desertion of the king, who last year praised Beijing as Nepal's "all-weather friend"
NEPAL: Rebels not ready to disarm until peace process completed ... Reuters AlertNet, UK
Nepal Parliament Asks Govt to Ratify Rome Statute Nepal human Rights News, Nepal
Nepal Police arrest & detain 21 Tibetans for illegal entry Phayul, Tibet

Probe Commission grills ex-zonal administrators Kantipur Publications
'Maoists' arms being smuggled into India from Nepal'
Civil societies' role important: Indian leaders Dubbed 'Nepal Chetana Yatra', the unique road mission from New Delhi to Kathmandu was flagged off outside veteran leader Chandra Shekhar's 3, South Avenue Lane residence by Janata Dal United {JD (U)} leader Sharad Yadav and Rastriya Lok Dal leader Ajith Singh..... The automotive 'Yatra' also includes BJP's Pankaj Choudhary and socialist leaders Kamal Morarkia and Ravindra Manchanda. ... Commenting on the Maoist supremo, Tripathi quipped, "He is Pushpa Kamal, he does not need to be Prachanda."
Hundreds hit out at govt to speed up peace process
Maoist cadres approach police for their security . Maoists had kept them in prison since eight days accusing them of indulging in 'cultural crime' i.e. maintaining sexual relations with consent. .... He said their colleagues had chased them all the way. ..... Human rights activists tried to negotiate with Maoist cadres as the latter encircled the police office demanding that the duo be handed back. They agreed go back after agreement was reached that they would not be tortured and dissatisfaction and faults, if any within the party would be discussed. ..... The agreement was reached after Maoist leader Agni Sapkota exerted pressure on the local administration and human rights activists insisting that the rebels should be allowed to take away their cadres. At least 12 Maoist cadres had reached the police office. ... Man Bahadur, a resident of Padampokhari-3 of Makawanpur is a platoon commander with Third Bethan Smriti Brigade. Over 50 Maoists were under his control. Muna, who hails from Banakhu VDC-1 of Kavre district, had joined PLA two years ago.
Tales of abuse and exploitation in Lebanon Smiling she added, "I don't have any money. I don't know how I'll pay the Rs 28,000 I borrowed for my trip to Lebanon." ..... Rina Siwakoti, of Jhapa, who returned after six years of "some domestic" service in Beirut, said none of the Nepali "house maids" working in and around Beirut were happy....... And once in Beirut, a monthly paycheck of $350 (Rs 26,250) too. "But we had to pay [Dahal the agent] $100 from our monthly salary," Prem Bahadur said. What's worse is that the guys in their twenties had to work for 16 hours every day -- and not for 8 hours as promised by the agent. ...... Indra Dhimal, 38, of Jhapa, who worked and lived there for nearly 13 years. They made $ 300 (Rs 22,500) a month. ..... She reached Beirut on June 16, and was making $ 110 (Rs 8,250) a month. ...... Radha Rai, 25 [Menaka's distant cousin], who spent five years in Beirut , confessed she used to steal food in order to survive.
Govt to form foreign employment department
Travel, trekking open to foreign investment
Helen Shah received $57,735 more in aid
सांस्कृतिक अपराध' मा माओवादी दण्ड
प्रचण्डको पत्रले परिस्थिति बिगार्दैन’
प्रतिनिधिसभाद्वारा सरकारलाई निर्देशन
नागरिक आन्दोलन आजदेखि ३० जिल्लामा बुधबारै सडक संघर्षका कार्यक्रम हुने आन्दोलनले जनाएको छ । माग पूरा नभए संघर्षलाई सहर र टोलटोलसम्म पुर्‍याउने योजना छ । आन्दोलनले सात दल र माओवादी आठबुँदे सहमति कार्यान्वयन, शान्ति वार्ताको निष्कर्ष, संविधानसभाको मिति तोक्न, प्रतिनिधिसभा विघटन गर्न, युद्धविराम आचारसंहिता अक्षरशः पालना गर्न र दमनकारी प्रमुख सैनिक अधिकारीहरूलाई कारबाही गर्न माग राखेको छ ।
नागरिक समाजको कार्यक्रममा नजान निर्देशन तनहुँ, साउन ९ - नागरिक समाजले आयोजना गरेको दबाबमूलक कार्यक्रममा सहभागी नहुन कांग्रेस जिल्ला कार्यसमितिले आफ्ना कार्यकर्तालाई निर्देशन दिएको छ । ...... आफ्ना कुनै पनि कार्यकर्तालाई त्यसमा सहभागी नहुन कडा निर्देशन दिएको हो । .... कांग्रेसको यो निर्णयले कार्यक्रममा गम्भीर असर पुगेको स्थानीय आयोजकमध्येका एक नेपाल पत्रकार महासंघका जिल्ला सभापति प्रदीप काफ्लेले बताए । 'कार्यक्रममा मुख्य गरी सञ्चरकर्मी, मानव अधिकारवादी र कानुन व्यवसायी सहभागी हुने निधो थियो,' काफ्लेले भने- 'अधिकांश मानव अधिकारवादी र कानुन व्यवसायी कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ता पनि भएकाले यो निर्णयले निकै असर पार्‍यो ।'
आज चार बजे रत्नपार्कमा

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Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Congress Unification: Not Possible, Unnecessary


Interim Parliament

Koirala Congress 71, UML 68, Deuba Congress 40, Maoists 40, Civil Society 25, People's Front 5, Sadbhavana 5, DaMaJaMa Organizations 16. Total: 270.

50% of the seats reserved for the DaMaJaMa. These MPs will not necessarily be MPs from the 1999 House. So each party will prepare a list such that 33% of their seats go to women, and overall 50% to the DaMaJaMa.

What do you think?

Congress Unification: Not Possible, Unnecessary

It is better to have two parties than to have one that has two clear factions. A unified Congress was too much bigger than the second largest party, the UML. Now there is a better balance of forces.

I believe Nepal has entered an era of coalition governments, kind of like India has. And the UML and the Maoists and the Jana Morcha will likely be natural allies. So it is curious to see the political competition between the UML and the Maoists right now.

But then, you never know. It is possible to imagine a coalition between the UML and the Sadbhavana. Each election will throw up a slightly different coalition perhaps.

Arms Management: Abolish The Two Armies

That is the best option.

Interim Army: You Can Walk And Chew Gum At The Same Time
Two Armies: What To Do
Okay For Maoists To Join Government Before Arms Management
International Sanctions On Nepal Army Have To Continue
Bodyguards For Prachanda And Baburam
Bahun, Chhetri, Sunni
Abolish The Monarchy, Abolish The Army
Monarchy, Army, Federalism
40 Seats For Maoists, 25 For Others
Shobhakar Budhathoki: Transitioning The “Royal” Nepal Army
Pyar Jung's Toys
Dissolve Parliament Only Two Months Before Constituent Assembly Elections
We Took Care Of The King, Pyar Jung Is Small Fry
Dismantle The Two Armies
Reciprocate The Maoist Ceasefire Immediately
Army Under Parliament, Now

In The News

SC nullifies EC decision to freeze Rana-led RPP’s election symbol NepalNews
House asks government to sign Rome Statute the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court ..... MP Parshu Ram Meghi Gurung said signing of the Rome Statute will help to bring criminals to court for punishment....... Minendra Rijal of Nepali Congress (Democratic) said signing of the Statute was necessary at the present situation to discourage unjustifiable killing of innocent people and end the state lawlessness in the country........ Oli said adoption of the Statute will also bind the criminals absconding from punishment by the court...... The statute was prepared and adopted in April 1998 in Rome, Italy and came into enforcement from June 15, 1998. 58 countries are signatory to this statute so far...... Melamchi still 'five years away'; locked project offices opened Nepal : New Portrait of Chinese Pragmatism? pragmatism remains the pivot of Chinese foreign policy ...... Indications of a chill in bilateral relations emerged amid reports that Prime Minister Koirala’s government had moved toward reopening the Office of the Dalai Lama in Nepal . ........ During his meeting in Geneva with Deputy Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing protested the proposed resettlement in the United States of 5,000 Tibetan refugees in Nepal on the basis of official Nepalese travel documents........ Beijing expressed its inability to provide duty-free access to Nepalese exports from July 1 as agreed during the royal regime. ...... The rise in public disturbances within China amid a growing urban-rural economic divide has goaded Beijing toward preventing bolder and coordinated demonstrations across villages and provinces....... its increasingly assertive South Asia policy..... elements of cooperation, competition and confrontation...... For those within the country and abroad tempted to conclude that the Maoist political leadership, neck-deep in the peace process, had reached the point of no-return, the rebels’ northern option must have come as a stunning revelation....... The Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized Washington for attempting to play up a “non-existent Chinese military threat.” ....... The contours of a containment strategy were also evident in the Bush administration’s reorganization of the State Department bureau responsible Central and South Asia . Of the 13 countries falling under the bureau, eight border China
“We can work something out.” we actually have an agreement amongst the contending parties. That is often a huge, huge consideration because all too often you find yourself in a situation where one party, or in the case of Darfur, a couple of parties, have not signed up and therefore you don’t have a viable concept for resolution. In the case of Nepal because all the parties have come together on this we should be able to work something out fairly successfully....... in some we observe, in some we certify, in some we monitor, in some we actually help run the elections. ......
Acharya to lead a publicity campaign for republic order Acharya is backed in his drive by intellectuals like Krishna Khanal, student leaders Chandra Bhandari and Gagan Thapa ....... They will meet in the third week of every month till the CA election to assess the progress of the campaign. ...... “It is wrong to assume that going for a republican set up is the agenda of the Communists. Republican order was reported in ancient Greece. Even we had the republican order, prior to 750 BC.”
Some procedural errors in talks: Leaders General Secretary of the CPN-ML, CP Mainali .... the Maoists' proposal of merging their armed forces with the State's would be unacceptable at the national and international levels.......

दमनको जिम्मेवार राजा ः रानाभाट Kantipur Publications
जातीय मुक्तिको मुद्दा
प्यारजंगको सफाइमा गिरिजाप्रसाद
मनुवादी जालोभित्र महिला
जनताका प्रश्न

Righting the Wrongs of Nepal’s Peace Process Nepalnews.com, Nepal
SPA Taskforce Sets Agenda For Summit Talks With Maoists Himalayan Times
The Bipolarity That Really Matters In Nepal
NewsBlaze, CA
The Background of Maoist Strategy NewsBlaze
Nepal Alliance Leaders Admit Procedural Errors in Peace Talks
Nepal human Rights News, Nepal

Rayamajhi commission grills four including ex-CJ, RanabhatNepalNews
Government dissolves military secretariat "security coordination office" under the Ministry of Defense will now take care of the security arrangements within the royal palace. ..... around 3,000 security personnel—including military police-- are stationed at the royal palace providing security to the royal family round the clock. ......
Dozen students arrested from protest in front of Education Ministry
Transport strike cripples eastern Nepal
70 percent people in favour of voting rights for NRNs a opinion poll survey has said that seventy percent respondents expressed the view that Nepalese living in other countries should get a chance to vote at the CA election. ...... the task of out-country voting is not a difficult task if the government makes a political decision as the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), which has expertise in out-country voting has expressed its willingness to assist Nepal in its historical moment of making a new Nepal. ..... placing ballot boxes in the different areas in the countries like India, South Korea and some gulf countries, where the number of Nepalis living is high and by placing the ballot boxes in the embassies in rest of the countries. ...... though the process is costly, the IOM will find donors for funding so the country need not pay any money for the process ..... more than three million Nepalis abroad ...... seventy one percent of the respondents among the illiterate groups said that they are not aware about the CA election. Majority of the ethnic groups, 64%, also said that they are not aware about the CA election......... Thirty one percent farmers, 32 percent ethnic groups and 46 percent illiterate groups are ignorant about the technical aspects of the CA election. They don’t know the differences between this election and past elections held in Nepal ....... 60%, have expected peace from the Constituent Assembly elections ..... More than 42% respondents said that there should be new voters registration. ..... For free and fair election, 46% respondents said that the Maoist party has to be disarmed under the supervision of the United Nations before the election.
SC seeks clarification from government for not suspending security chiefs for not taking action against the Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS), Gen. Pyar Jung Thapa, acting Inspector General of the Armed Police Force (APF) Bashu Dev Oli and APF DIG Dilip Shrestha for their role during the Jana Andolan (people’s movement) II. ...... accorded top priority to the case, asked the government to furnish replies within 15 days. .....
Prabasi Nepali service committee submits 27-point memorandum to govt.

Members of National Assembly demand to activate upper house NepalNews Of the total 60 members of the upper house, the tenure of 18 members is yet to complete.
Agitating freed Kamaiyas call off protests over 35,000 freed Kamaiyas...... the agitating freed Kamaiyas have also announced the reopening of padlocked land reform offices in Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts...... agreed to form a high level commission within a month to expedite the process for their rehabilitation...... Deuba in July 2000 had freed a total of 35,621 Kamaiyas. Despite the government's commitment to provide them land, over 19,477 Kamaiyas are yet to get any land
Differences with the Maoists should be resolved before forming an interim government: Oli Krishna Prasad Sitaula, has said that the interim government should only be constituted after management of Maoist arms. ...... Maoists have been saying that they will join the interim government once the interim constitution is adopted and the issue of arms management will be discussed later.
Ensure NRN's right to vote in elections of the CA: Lawyers He said that the fate of monarchy should be determined before the election of the constituent assembly.
Royal ministers admit making cash handouts to journos
Probe panel grills three ex-ministers; interrogation of ex-CJ, Ranabhat on Monday

New Protests to Begin in Nepal OhmyNews International, South Korea The Civil Movement for Democracy and Peace (CMDP) in Nepal has announced that it will hold a series of protests beginning July 26 to address the delay in holding elections for the Constitutional Assembly. It has accused the government of failing to include Maoists in major decisions and making an issue out of weapons management..... "This government is back to the pre-movement era when they fought each other for posts. They have forgotten the mandate of the nineteen days people's movement. ..... "Parliament has declared Nepal is without discrimination... The ground realities show discrimination everywhere. Let them put words into action. The present parliament can never speak in favor of Dalits as there are no Dalit representatives [in Parliament]," said Suman Pariyar, who is a Dalit and a graduate student at Tribhuwan University. Dalits make up one fourth of Nepal's population........ This political maneuvering by the present government, which is what all past governments did, is unbearable to them.
Nepal to announce monetary policy to mop up excess liquidity People's Daily Online, China
Chinese Arms to Nepal's Maoists? NewsBlaze, CA
China's 'secret deal' with Maoists? Daily News & Analysis Wang, who arrived in Kathmandu on a Thai air flight from Bangkok, was met by two Chinese intelligence agents who flew from Lhasa by Air China and the group proceeded to a resort in popular tourist destination Dhulikhel, where they met Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal, his deputy Baburam Bhattarai and former member of parliament and Maoist spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara. ....... The Chinese officials and the Maoist leaders then visited Kavre district near the capital to watch the guerrilla army, the People’s Liberation Army, practising its manoeuvres. ...... The international community says the poll would not be free and fair unless the guerrillas disarm. ...... Last year, when King Gyanendra established direct royal rule, Beijing stepped up arms sales to the royal regime and made a whopping profit while Nepal’s major donors curtailed assistance and India, the US and UK suspended military supplies. But when King Gyanendra’s government fell after 15 months due to nationwide protests, China, realising it had backed the wrong horse, rushed its envoys to Kathmandu to woo the opposition parties as well as the Maoists. ....... With recruitment and buying of arms stopped, the hemmed-in army can only watch with mounting unease the Maoist guerrillas stepping up their recruitment and donation drive, taking advantage of a ceasefire.





H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General of the United Nations
New York.


Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

This is to draw your attention to the letter sent to you by the Government of Nepal on 2 July 2006 and to register our strong protest and disagreement over certain crucial points of the letter.

Firstly, the letter was written & sent unilaterally and secretively without any consultation with us in utter violation of the spirit of ongoing negotiation between the Government of Nepal and the C.P.N (Maoist). We came to know about the letter through the media after nearly three weeks, and hence this delay to register our disagreement over it.

Secondly, and more importantly, the content of the letter, particularly as stated in points nos. 3 & 4, is in complete violation of the 12-point Understanding of 22 November 2005 and 8-point Agreement of 16 June 2006 reached between the two sides. For your kind recollection, clause-3 of the 8-point Agreement clearly states: "To request the United Nations to assist in the management of the armies and arms of both sides (emphasis added) and to monitor it for a free & fair election to the constituent assembly". Against this, the said letter self-professedly and provocatively talks of "Assist in the monitoring of the combatants of the Maoists and decommissioning of their arms" and "Monitor to assure that the Nepal Army is inside barracks" etc. Such arbitrary and unilateral application of two different yardsticks to the two armies is highly objectionable and totally unacceptable to us. Particularly any talk of "decommissioning" of arms of only the PLA before the election to the constituent assembly is just unthinkable. As everybody knows, the so-called Nepal Army is still loyal to the autocratic monarchy and its democratic restructuring and keeping under credible international monitoring is more imperative & important for free & fair election to the constituent assembly.

We would like to reiterate our appreciation to the United Nations and to you personally for the positive role played so far in favour of democracy, peace and progress in Nepal and expect the same in future. We shall be happy to co-operate in any manner with the UN team planning to visit Nepal soon.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.




……………………
Prachanda
Chairman
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
24 July 2006


Full text of the letter written by the Nepal govt. to the UN

July 2, 2006

Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

I have the pleasure of informing you that the government of Nepal has taken a decisive step to consolidate achievement of the successful people's movement that restored democracy and made the people of Nepal supreme and sovereign once and for all. This has set in motion Nepal's determination for real and lasting peace based on the national unity and reconciliation and move towards stability by strengthening and institutionalizing the democratic process in the country.

On June 16, 2006, the Seven Party Alliance and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) concluded an eight-point agreement covering steps that are needed to create conducive environment to elect a Constituent Assembly to ensure permanent peace in the society. Earlier, on May 26, the government reached an agreement with the CPN (Maoist) on the 25-point code of conduct to be observed during the ceasefire between two sides.

In view of the firm commitment of the United Nations to promote sustainable peace and security, economic and social development and human rights around the world on the basis of fundamental principles of respect for sovereignty of nations, mutual cooperation and peaceful resolution of conflict, the government of Nepal decides to request the United Nations for the following:

1. Continue monitoring of Human Rights through the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal.

2. Assist to monitor the code of conduct during the ceasefire.

3. Assist in the monitoring of the combatants of the Maoist and decommissioning of their arms in order to ensure a free and fair election to the Constituent Assembly.

4. Monitor to assure that Nepali Army is inside barrack and is not being used for or against any side in order to ensure free and fair elections to the Constituent Assembly.

5. Observe the election process to the Constituent Assembly.

As we plan to hold the election of the Constituent Assembly by end of current Nepali year (mid-April 2007), I will be grateful if you could start extending the necessary support of the United Nations on the above mentioned issues at your earlier convenience.

I would like to take this opportunity to express sincere appreciation and gratitude of the government of Nepal to the United Nations and to you personally for the consistent support for a democratic process and continued interest in the peace-building in Nepal. Please accept Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration.

Girija Prasad Koirala
Prime Minister

H. E. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General
The United Nations
New York



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