PLA should be inducted into security force: Madhav Nepal

General secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal said on Friday problems will arise if Maoist combatants are kept in cantonments for long."The combatants can be integrated into national security wings. Border security force or industrial security force can also be created to absorb them," he said.The registration and verification process of Maoist combatants and their arms would have been easier had the parties agreed to the one-man-one-weapon principle as suggested by security experts, Nepal said while releasing a book entitled "Shanti Vrta: Anterkatha" authored by journalist Subhas Devkota."Following the eight-point agreement on June 16, 2006, Maoist chairman Prachanda had agreed to the one-man-one-weapon principle. He had put the strength of People's Liberation Army (PLA) at 10 to 12 thousands. But they later invited youths to join the PLA as time elapsed," Nepal said.

Nepal urged the parties to speak clearly on monarchy and give others no room for suspicion. He reiterated the party's stance that there was no alternative to proportional representation system of election to address the issues of Madhesis, Janajatis, women and Dalits. He also urged the Maoists to return the seized property and abide by the rule of law.Devkota said he tried his best to cover the untold stories of the entire peace process, including the 12-point understanding, in the book.Dr Shekhar Koirala, Nepali Congress central leader and close aide to PM Girija Prasad Koirala, however, claimed that the peace process had moved ahead faster than had been expected initially.He also admitted having political deadlock among the eight parties when they were close to declaring the date for the constituent assembly election. "Such problems do arise when we reach close to our goals," Koirala said, adding that parties would sort out their differences amicably.

Koirala said the king's power can be further curbed by if the strength of the army deployed inside the Narayanhiti Royal Palace is halved and Gyanendra's property held in the capacity of the king and assets belonging to late King Birendra, Aishworya and their families are nationalised.He also suggested forming a high-level commission to recommend the type of federalism for Nepal. He said concrete measures should be taken within a month to ameliorate the plight of Maoist combatants living in camps.He suggested that top leaders of the eight parties should come up with a package solution to all the pressing issues.

'OLD COMMUNISM OBSOLETE'KATHMANDU: Nepali communist parties should adopt democratic norms and pluralism in keeping with the ever-changing society, Nepal said on Friday. "The conventional communism has become obsolete now," he said at a programme organised by the Madan Bhandari Foundation to commemorate the 14th death anniversary of CPN (UML) leaders Madan Bhandari and Jibraj Ashrit. Nepal said it will be wise to strike a balance of power among various political parties. He called on the Maoists to put people at the centre. — HNS

Source: The Himalayan Times, May 19, 2007

Nepal’s Maoists: Purists or Pragmatists?

Nepal’s Maoists have changed their strategy and tactics but not yet their goals. In 1996 they launched a “people’s war” to establish a communist republic but ten years later ended it by accepting multiparty democracy; their armed struggle targeted the parliamentary system but they are now working alongside their former enemies, the mainstream parties, in an interim legislature and coalition government. Their commitment to pluralistic politics and society is far from definitive, and their future course will depend on both internal and external factors. While they have signed up to a peaceful, multiparty transition, they continue to hone alternative plans for more revolutionary change.

Maoist strategy is shaped by a tension between purity and pragmatism. Although they stick to certain established principles, they have long been willing to shift course if they identify strategic weaknesses. Their changed approach was demanded by recognition of three critical flaws in their original plan: (i) they concluded their belief in military victory had been misplaced; (ii) they acknowledged they had misread the likelihood of determined international opposition; and (iii) they woke up to the failures that caused the collapse of twentieth-century communist regimes.
Despite having an authoritarian outlook, the Maoists maintained a culture of debate within their party; key issues have been widely discussed and hotly contested. From the end of the 1990s, they have moved gradually toward a more moderate stance. They changed positions in acknowledging the 1990 democracy movement as a success (they had earlier characterised it as a “betrayal”), in abandoning the immediate goal of a Mao-style “new democracy” and, in November 2005, by aligning themselves with the mainstream parties in favour of multiparty democracy.

Despite having an authoritarian outlook, the Maoists maintained a culture of debate within their party; key issues have been widely discussed and hotly contested. From the end of the 1990s, they have moved gradually toward a more moderate stance. They changed positions in acknowledging the 1990 democracy movement as a success (they had earlier characterised it as a “betrayal”), in abandoning the immediate goal of a Mao-style “new democracy” and, in November 2005, by aligning themselves with the mainstream parties in favour of multiparty democracy.

The Maoists have cultivated formerly hostile forces, such as the Indian government and the staunchly anti-Maoist Communist Party of India (Marxist), to the extent of alienating their foreign allies. Supporters such as the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement and Indian Maoists had backed their insurgency but have been vocally critical of the compromises made in the peace process. They think their Nepali comrades have betrayed fundamental principles and thrown away the practical advantages they had secured through their armed struggle.

For Nepal’s Maoists, however, the balance sheet at the end of ten years of “people’s war” is more complex. They believe they have secured some lasting advantages, from their own dramatic rise to influence (with a support base and military force hardly imaginable in 1996) to their reshaping of the national political agenda (promoting formerly taboo causes such as republicanism and federalism). But the course of the war persuaded most of their leadership that they could not go it alone and would have to be more flexible if they were to build on these gains.

The peace process has forced practical and theoretical rethinking. Leaders have tried to present a more moderate image as they balance complex equations of domestic and international support and opposition. Maoist ministers have to cooperate with colleagues from other parties and work with the bureaucracy even as they plan a possible insurrection and plot to isolate “regressive” opponents. Ideologically, they define the peace process as a transitional phase in which they can destroy the “old regime” and restructure the state. They justify this by saying their acceptance of a bourgeois “democratic republic” is only a stepping stone on the way to a true “people’s republic”. Leaders argue that they can create a new form of “peaceful revolution” that is true to their communist aims but reflects the reality of Nepal’s politics.

It is tempting to brand the Maoists as either rigid radicals or unprincipled opportunists but neither characterisation explains the whole picture. Their threats to revert to mass insurrection satisfy traditionalists in their own movement and cannot be ignored. But leaders who have fought hard to forge a new approach will be loath to turn their backs on the hard-won advantages they have secured through compromise. They know they face internal opposition but believe they can hold the line as long as the peace process maintains momentum and allows them to achieve some of their headline goals.

Their likely behaviour as the process moves forward, therefore, will depend upon the role of other political actors as much as their own decisions. If the mainstream parties keep up a strong commitment to the constituent assembly process, the Maoists will find it hard to back out. If this route is blocked, the Maoists may find their effort at controlled rebellion slipping into renewed conflict beyond their leaders’ control. If this were to happen, the Maoists themselves would be big losers. But so would the democratic parties and, even more so, the people of Nepal.

Source: Abstract from International Crisis Group, Report on Nepal, May 18, 2007

Nepal again heads for constitutional crisis

Chitra Tiwari

Nepal is heading toward a constitutional crisis June 15 after Chief Election Commissioner Bhoj Raj Pokhrel notified the interim government on April 12 that the commission would be unable to hold elections to a Constituent Assembly for lack of election laws and other technicalities. He asked that the elections be held 110 days after June 14, the date specified by the interim constitution for holding the elections. No new date for the elections has been announced, nor has there been any attempt to amend the interim constitution to allow for a new date. Proceedings of the Legislative-Parliament have been disrupted for more than a month by Madheshi legislators representing southern Nepal near the Indian border, and also by Maoists.

Madheshis live in the flatlands of southern Nepal, a region called Madhesh. They are fighting for equality in Nepal's government and society. While the Maoists have returned to the legislature seeking immediate declaration of a Nepal republic, the Madheshi legislators disrupt proceedings with demands to cancel the Election Constituency Delineation Commission (ECDC), announce the date for the Constituent Assembly elections, and a new census in the Madhesh region, among other issues. Consequently, the interim Eight-Party Alliance (EPA) government that includes the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), formed April 1, has become an April Fool's joke, and seems ready to collapse June 15 when its term ends. The Maoists don't want to be fooled, and their leader, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, says eight-party unity has crumbled, because its basis was the commitment of the other parties -- especially the Nepali Congress party that heads the coalition government -- to hold elections to a Constituent Assembly within the constitutionally scheduled time frame.

Last Sunday, thousands of Maoists and their supporters formed a 3-mile-long human chain around Singha Durbar, a palace that houses the offices of Cabinet ministers as well as the Legislative-Parliament, seeking the immediate declaration of a republic by parliamentary decree. Participants turned over a petition with 1.5 million signatures to House Speaker Subash Chandra Nemang, demanding the immediate declaration of a republic. Prachanda, the Maoist leader, says the new basis of eight-party unity must be an agreement to have the Legislative-Parliament declare Nepal a democratic republic and then set the new date for elections. However, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala insists that declaring the republic must be left to the first session of the Constituent Assembly, as stipulated in the interim constitution.

The politicians are blaming each other for the government's failure to hold elections by the agreed date. All the leftist parties, which make up a majority in the interim legislature, accuse Mr. Koirala, 85, of dillydallying for fear his party will emerge from the elections in the minority because of the growing leftist influence in Nepal. His supporters say the Maoists are no less responsible for the government's failure to hold the elections because of their failure to abide by agreements to return the seized property of those who supported the royal regime. Under the 12-point agreement between the seven parties and the Maoist rebels, signed in New Delhi in November 2005, the Maoists agreed to return properties seized "in an unjust manner." What is a "just" or "unjust" manner remains a subject of debate. Local Maoist cadres have refused to return the seized properties of several hundred rich landowners, but allowed small landholders to return to their villages.

The Maoist rank-and-file say distributing land of rich landowners was a way to empower the landless poor, and so returning the land to its previous owners will disappoint their constituency, make the people feel cheated, and might lead them to switch sides, reducing the support base of the party. They have begun asking their own leaders how could they kill the spirit of the revolution by returning the land?

Nepal watchers say that with the exception of Mr. Koirala, who continues to insist the elections will be held sometime in November, all other parties and civic leaders now suspect the election of a Constituent Assembly will never take place -- recalling that a similar promise in 1951 never materialized, because of monarchical machinations.

Barsha Man Pun, also known as Ananta, deputy commander of the Maoist People's Liberation Army, threatened on May 5 that if there cannot be Constituent Assembly elections, and the Legislative-Parliament fails to declare the country a republic, "We, too, are not bound to stay in cantonments or continue to stick to our previous agreements."

Analysts say declaring Nepal a republic through parliamentary decree requires a political will on the part of the Nepali Congress party, but its leader, Mr. Koirala, is speaking tongue-in-cheek because of his love for ceremonial monarchy, since the latter could be an effective shield for Mr. Koirala's party against the communists. In fact, the late B.P. Koirala, founder of the Nepali Congress party, the first elected prime minister in 1959, and elder brother of the current prime minister, realized this long ago when he said that his and the king's neck were "welded together." Constitutional analysts say the interim constitution needs to be amended right away to allow the government to fix a new date for Constituent Assembly elections and to allow the Legislative-Parliament to abolish the monarchy. Maoists think they see a conspiracy in delaying the elections hatched by "international forces in league with domestic monarchical reactionaries placed within the seven parties." They think the intent is to keep intact the network of monarchical old boys and characterize Mr. Koirala as the long hand of the United States.

Meanwhile, civil unrest and violence in the countryside are on the rise, prompting the U.S. State Department to issue a travel advisory on May 7, saying: "Violent clashes between Maoists and indigenous groups have taken place in recent months in the Terai region, along the southern border with India, in one case resulting in 27 deaths. Ethnic tensions in the Terai region have spawned violent clashes with police, strikes, demonstrations and closures of the border with India. The U.S. Embassy strongly recommends against non-essential travel to this region. Clashes between Maoists and groups who oppose them also recently have extended into Katmandu." The ethnic civil unrest has spread throughout Nepal, a country inhabited by nearly 90 ethnic groups. A coalition of hill tribes has demanded federal restructuring of the state on ethnic lines, with the right to self-determination and proportional representation in the interim constitution before elections to the Constituent Assembly. It has called for nationwide protests starting May 17 and a general strike on June 1, 10 and 11.

The Madhesis have been agitating since mid-January, demanding autonomy. They have clashed with police as well as former Maoist militias now called the Young Communist League (YCL). The clashes have claimed nearly 60 lives, including those of 27 Maoists, and damaged Nepal's economy. Analysts say the peace process in Nepal has become a hostage of the government's failure to hold elections. The Maoists have refused until Nepal is declared a republic to cooperate the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) for the second stage of verification of their cadres, a new date for election is scheduled, living conditions in the U.N. supervised cantonments are improved and salaries and job guarantees to the combatants are assured. The U.N. representative Ian Martin says the Maoists' obligation to allow verification is unconditional and that the UNMIN cannot accept its linkage to any precondition. Analysts say the rising civil unrest, political bickering, parliamentary disruptions, and a decreasing level of political communication within the Eight-Party caucus indicate a diminishing chance for elections to a Constituent Assembly anytime this year. The situation appears to be ripe for yet another uprising that could settle the leftover issues of last year's unfinished revolution, namely, abolition of the monarchy and the passing of power to the Maoists, now rechristened "republican democrats."

Source: The Washington Times, May 19, 2007

Unacceptable

Prachanda and his rag-tag army committed the first blunder by declaring an armed rebellion back in 1996. Even if we agree on their claim that they raised awareness in the rural areas, the loss of human lives, infrastructures and economic deterioration do not justify the so-called people's war. The compulsion they confronted to join the mainstream politics also proves the point. Thankfully, the obdurate king helped them by not inviting the political parties until things turned unmanageable. The Maoists would have, otherwise, joined the mainstream in much weaker position. Alas! Even after joining the government at equal strength as that of UML, the Maoist leadership has not realized its myopic vision in handling the home-grown goons called Youth Communist League (YCL) which is ruining its political achievements, and also risking the sovereignty of this country. So, the second blunder the Maoist leadership has made is the unleashing of YCL.

Comrade Prachanda and his followers are turning deaf ears to the fact that the YCL activities are not directed at cleaning the society but at cleansing rules, norms, system and civilization of this country. The manhandling of chief district officers, vandalizing of district administrative blocs and attacking on other government officers are nothing but sheer highhandedness, disrespect to the rule of law, and typical to an autocratic and criminal mindset. The YCL cadres have gone beyond control. Not only in Mahendranagar, they have committed such crimes in various other districts and even in Padma Kanya College. Their assertion has been unabated because they have won the psychological war with the leadership. These people are taking the advantage of fissure in the Maoist leadership. Prachanda and Baburam look timid and helpless in controlling YCL because they do not want to lose them to the trio -- Kiran, Badal and Gaurav -- who is growing strong within the party.

If the Maoist leadership has consciously unleashed YCL to do whatever and attack whomever, their strategy is absolutely wrong and will have a detrimental effect on the Maoists themselves. Maybe, they are trying to manage the level of fear that general public had on them before they laid down their weapons. But if they achieve that goal, the CA elections will not take place. If they fail to achieve the goal, they will land on their face in the CA elections. Their acts will also cost the country dear because the feeble administration is simply unable to cope up with the pressure from separatists, fundamentalists and criminals operating in terai. It is high time the Maoist leadership reconsidered its stance and mulled seriously over the future of this country. At the moment, the YCL activities are unacceptable and the Post strongly condemns them.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 17, 2007

Maoist cadres break Kings' statues

The statue of late King Birandra at Dhamboji Chowk in Nepalgunj has become the latest target of continued vandalism carried out by the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL).
Tuesday morning, a group of activists of the YCL and All Nepal National Independent Student Union (Revolutionary) dismantled Birendra’s statue. They also announced to erect statues of martyrs in place of the late King’s statute. Last week, YCL members had brought down the statue of late King Tribhuvan in Nepalgunj. Police arrested Bhakta Singh Bohara, Kalu Pandey and Ram Kumar Gupta in connection with the vandalism. The YCL members also vandalised the statues of King Birendra in Ram Bazaar and Birat Chowk and King Mahendra's statue in Ratna Nagar in Pokhara Tuesday morning. Similarly, the Maoist cadres also brought down the statue of King Mahendra at Kalimati Chowk in Kathmandu today.

Meanwhile, CPN (Maoist) chairman Prachanda and CPN-UML leader Bamdev Gautam held discussions in Pokhara this morning on a broad range of issues including establishing a republican set up and forging a leftist alliance. In the meeting, the Maoist supremo requested UML leader Gautam to garner support for the republican proposal that Maoist MP’s tabled at the parliament Sunday and intensify homework for a leftist unity. Gautam is learnt to have taken this request by Prachanda in a positive light and has promised that he would put this before his party’s high command.

Prachanda had left for Pokhara yesterday evening on a personal visit while the UML leader is there to attend a party function. After the meeting which went for half an hour, Prachanda along with his wife and few aides left for the idyllic village of Ghandruk in Kaski where he will remain for the next couple of days. The talk of forging unity between Nepal's left parties is gaining momentum of late as they have become united in their criticism of Nepali Congress (NC). Despite differences between the Maoists and CPN-UML, they have lately agreed to align and form a joint committee to sort out and solve the problems among their cadres at the grass root level.

Source: Nepal News, May 15, 2007

Prachanda warns against undermining Maoist strength

Maoist chairman Prachanda has warned 'domestic and foreign reactionaries' against undermining the strength of the Maoists and misconstruing their flexibility for weakness. Addressing a meet of All Nepal People's Health Workers in Lalitpur, on Saturday, Prachanda said his party had abandoned some of its positions for progressive march, which, he warned, should not be misread as their weakness. "There is no justification for our People's Liberation Army to suffer in cantonments if the parliament does not announce republic," he said. Prachanda added that responsibility of any consequence resulting from PLA's march out of cantonment will rest on seven parties.

At another meeting held to welcome the merger of Bhim Bahadur Kathayat-led Loktantrik Ganatantrik Morcha with the Maoists, Prachanda said that all forces were trying to push the Maoists to the wall. "We have said we will not return to war if things move ahead through the peace process. But some reactionaries are trying to suppress us by taking this as our weakness and thinking that we will not return to war," he said. "It will be a blunder on their part. We will leave no one. Wherever you go, we will be there," he threatened.

Prachanda reiterated the need to forge larger communist unity. "We have no ego. We want communist unity based on new thought. Those against the unity in the UML must be exposed," he said. Prachanda also recalled that he had two rounds of talks with late Prince Dhirendra. "Birendra (late King) and Dhirendra were liberal and nationalist," he said. Prachanda also revealed that his party used to take advantage of disputes among parliamentary parties in the past. Sitting ministers had aided Maoists in the past, he said without taking any name.

At the programme, Kathayat was welcomed by Prachanda and Dr. Bhattarai into the Maoist fold. Kathayat's outfit is the latest to merge with the Maoists. Two days ago, another Republic Front led by Dr. Ram Man Shrestha had merged with the Maoists. Likewise, Keshab Nepal-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-2006) had merged with the Maoists a few months ago. The Maoists are planning to induct another leftist outfit led by veteran communist leader Krishna Das in a few days.

Even as Prachanda has been reiterating his call for larger communist unity, Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of UML – the largest mainstream communist party – has once again scoffed at the idea. On Saturday, Nepal ruled out the possibility of unity with the Maoists in near future. "Owing to different viewpoint of looking at Marxism, international situation and domestic reasons, unity is impossible at this point," Nepal said.

Source: Nepal News, May 13, 2007

Republicanism new basis for 8-party unity: Prachanda

LALITPUR, May 12: Chairman of Nepal Communist Party-Maoist, Prachanda has warned that his party would be compelled to take harsh decision if the flexibilities that they have shown for the establishment of republican democracy were taken as their weaknesses. In an interaction programme, organised here today by All Nepal People?s Health-workers? Association on ?Nationality and Role of Health-workers in the Movement for Republican Democracy?, Chairman Prachanda said Maoist is the party that takes decision after scientific analysis of the situation and decisions to be taken would be on the side of the people. Stating that there were efforts to intentionally dillydally the election to constituent assembly, he said the base for the new unity among eight political parties would be the declaration of republic by the parliament. ?Unity among eight parties is still essential to root-out monarchy,? he said ?and the unity to be forged hereafter should be based on new foundation and thus we have forwarded the proposal to declare republic from the parliament.?

?Maoists are not easily accepting order of seven political parties being deaf and dumb,? he added ?they are impatient to make more achievement with lesser damage.? Stating that Nepali politics could not be free from foreign interference and influence, he said his party has been working to liberate the country form foreign authoritarianism. Alleging that the government could not be serious for the sensitive fields like public health, he indicated the need of national health policy for overall reform in health sector. On the occasion, representative of civil societies Dr. Sundar Mani Dixit said Nepali people had suffered from sporadic movements and stressed that such movement should be ended.Prof. Dr. Mathura Prasad Shrestha said political leadership should not ignore people?s desire for change. Dr. Sharad Wanta said healthworkers should also be engaged in the movement for establishment of republican democracy.

Meanwhile in Bhaktapur, CPN-Maoist Central Member and Kathmandu Valley Bureau In-Charge Hitman Shakya said declaration of the republicanism from the Legislative Parliament would be the only alternative if the Constituent Assembly (CA) election could not be held within the stipulated time frame. Speaking at the political training programme organised the Young Communist League-Nepal, Bhaktapur District Committee here yesterday, he said the establishment of the republicanism was the only wish of the Nepali people. Stating that regressive forces in and outside the country are hatching their conspiracies not to be the CA elections successful, he said new direction to the country should be given by ending such conspiracies. At the programme, Bhaktapur District Secretary Diwakar appealed all the people to be prepare for Jana Andolan-3 in order to fulfill their strong desire of establishing democratic republic. He said the alliance of the eight parties has been broken up due to the inability to hold CA elections within the specific duration and pointed out on the need of new political agreement to move ahead. On the occasion, various leaders of the Maoists had expressed their views.

Source: The Rising Nepal, May 13, 2007

Nepal's Maoist Militia In Mufti

John Child

The Young Communist League has been called both a youth service corps and a gang of neo-Nazi thugs. It is neither. It is the Maoist militia, reorganized for the final phase of their war.In January 1921 the second convention of the Communist International passed a resolution forming the Young Communist League as an integral part of the worldwide Communist struggle, because, the resolution stated, "youth are a part - an essential party - of the revolutionary movement." The YCL still draws idealistic leftist youth to branches in the US, Canada, England, and South Africa, where they volunteer for liberal service organizations, hand out leaflets, and stage small demonstrations.

The Nepal YCL, formed in January 2007, just days before Maoists joined the interim parliament, share a few things in common with their counterparts in other countries: They have protested and issued statements, and they have put forward a public-service face, nabbing smugglers and the leakers of a national school exam paper, cleaning up garbage, clearing out the touts that plague Kathmandu airport, and directing traffic.
From there, Nepal's young Communists part company with their international comrades. In Kathmandu, company owners and managers have been beaten and abducted over "donations" and labor disputes. According to complaints from the business community, extortion has risen to new heights. From rural Nepal, new reports surface almost daily of YCL bullying reporters, trashing government offices, fighting with police and break-away Maoist factions, abducting people, and seizing land.

The pattern is familiar to Nepalis: This Maoist militia has a new name and wear civvies, but their job is the same. On April 29 Maoist supremo Prachanda said that the Maoists' republican drive would encompass, "street, parliament, and government." It's clear which part of the Maoist organization will be in the streets.
And the YCL will have some official support for their activities. On the same day that Dahal spoke, Maoist Minister of Information and Communications Krishna Mahara issued instructions to government media to report positively on the Maoists and to "shun news critical of the party or the YCL."
Less than two weeks later Mahara was forced to admit in a press conference that violent acts "committed in the name of YCL or others are always deplorable." The next day Prachanda promised that YCL cadres would not participate in "unruly or violent activities," and Prime Minister Koirala said he would come up with a stronger plan to reign them in.

If Nepal's YCL members were like their idealistic counterparts in other countries, promises and plans might work. But this YCL isn't composed of excitable youth. It's the product of the Maoist leadership, doing their bidding and following their plan. Public opinion could force the Maoists to tone down the YCL's campaign a bit, but their war isn't over yet.

Source: News Blaze, May 12, 2007

Nepal: People’s Third Movement In The Offing

Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

Some political parties particularly the Nepali Congress (NC) and Nepali Congress-Democratic (NC-D) had been conspiring against the peace process, and had already called off the election for a constituent assembly that would have put back the derailed democracy on track. These political leaders posturing as the democrats had been trying every possible ploy to preserve the monarchy, as if they would not survive without monarchy. They had already let the army play the discarded national anthem to honor Gyanendra, let the army chief meet the king in secret, and had increased the difference between the pro-republican and pro-monarchists. These leaders were not for peace, as it had revealed by their activities. They had no love for the country but only for power. The possibility of return of chaos in Nepal again had been looming.

On April 24, 2007 while Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was celebrating the first anniversary of the People’s Movement at ‘Shainik Manch’, Kathmandu, and civil society leaders and other political leaders were at Basantapur, Kathmandu for celebration for commemorating the anniversary of the people’s movement, and Gyanendra still holding the title of a king but without any portfolio was performing worship offering the blood of five animals and birds such as water buffalo, goat, sheep, rooster and duck to the almighty goddess Dakshinkali about 25 km to the south of Kathmandu. On that occasion, the Nepali Army played the discarded former national anthem. It looked more like the mockery of the king than a salute but it also might be the indication of the secret deal Girija had with Gyanendra. Some civil society leaders demanded an explanation from the government for such an unusual behavior of some ministries.

On Thursday, April 27, 2007, speaking at an event held by Sanchar Samuha Nepal, NC legislator Binaya Dhwaj Chanda said, "Playing national anthem in honor of the king, who has been rejected by the people and the parliament, was a serious mistake on the part of the government; the action should be protested.” [1]
On April 30, 2007, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala sought clarification from Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rukmangad Katuwal about his ‘meeting’ with King Gyanendra after the ministers during the cabinet meeting on Sunday April 29 raised the question of the ‘secret meeting’ between CoAS Katuwal and King Gyanendra who had been stripped of all powers. CoAS Katuwal refused to speak to journalists after his meeting with Koirala. However, the Nepali Army (NA) refuted media reports that the army chief had met with King. "There is no process whereby the Chief of Army Staff can meet with anyone without government approval," a statement issued by the NA said. The meeting between the Prime Minister and the CoAS was a regular meeting to brief the Prime Minister about the security situation of the country added the NA statement. [2]

Prime Minister Girija must be posturing by questioning the army chief about his widely hyped meeting with the king probably to counteract the Nepalese people’s growing disenchantment of his love for the monarchy at the same time letting the army to play the discarded national anthem in honor of Gyanendra.
On April 26, 2007, addressing a function held to mark the eighth-death anniversary of the first-elected communist Prime Minister, Manmohan Adhikari, Speaker Subhas Chandra Nemwang said he was ready to declare the country a republic from the parliament’s rostrum if all the parties decided to this effect and urged the parties to resolve their differences soon so that the interim parliament could start its business smoothly. Speaking at the same function, CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said that the eight parties must reach a consensus on deciding the future of monarchy either by referendum or through the interim parliament, as constituent assembly polls were uncertain. General Secretary Nepal said that it was possible to declare the country a republic through the interim parliament if all the constituents of the eight parties were ready to do so. [3]

On April 27, 2007, sharply reacting to the readiness of the Speaker to declare Nepal a republic, Peace and Reconstruction Minister and General Secretary of the NC, Ram Chandra Poudel speaking at an event in Nepalgunj said, “The House does not have authority to declare republic as it has already been agreed that the first meeting of the constituent assembly will take a decision on monarchy.” [4]
Nepalis could imagine the intellectual power of Mr. Poudel based on his strong statement about the authority of the House. Probably, he must have forgotten in the rush to protect the monarchy that the revived House had in its Declaration of May 18, 2006 stated “5.1 The rights to make, amend and annul the laws on the heir to the throne shall be vested in the House of Representatives.” And he ignored the agreement the eight parties in the interim government had reached to add a provision in the interim constitution by the second amendment for removing the monarchy by a two-third majority if the King was found to be conspiring against the constituent assembly elections. In addition, the interim legislature even if it was not elected represented the whole nation while the eight parties represented only their party members. They have no authority to speak for the whole nation. All these things indicated the intellectual bankruptcy of Mr. Poudel. Any morally strong person in his place would have resigned from the cabinet.

Then, Finance Minister and NC Member, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat took the turn to declare that the legislature had no authority to declare Nepal a republic. On April 29, 2007, speaking at a village awareness campaign held by the NC in Aambhanjyang, Makwanpur Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said, “the eight parties have already agreed in writing that the first meeting of the constituent assembly would decide the fate of monarchy. The parliament cannot declare a republic, against the norms and spirit of the interim constitution.” [5] The intellectual such as Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat had either betrayed his intellectual status or got the order from the party-high command to take the stance on not declaring Nepal a republic.
The NC did not agree to declare Nepal a republic through the legislature and did not want to hold a referendum on the monarchy but stuck with the CA polls that were called off and put to uncertainty. All these things made further clear that the NC wanted to prolong the state of no republic no king to hold on to power as long as possible not willing to understand or deliberately allowing to create an environment conducive to revive the already almost dead monarchy.

On Saturday, April 28, 2007, senior leader of the CPN-Maoist and former commander-in-charge of the Maoist militia, Ram Bahadur Thapa “Badal” addressing the mass rally held by the CPN-Maoist in Pakhribas, Dhanakuta said that the CPN-Maoist was making necessary preparations for the third Jana-andolan for declaring Nepal a republic. He said that foreign and national reactionary forces were undermining the republican set-up. He claimed that the upcoming third Jan- Andolan would finish off the political leaders who had collaborated with the reactionary forces to hatch the conspiracy. He further said that the CPN-Maoist was determined to set up a “Loktantrik” Republican state as Nepalese would not get justice and be free in the real sense of words without a democratic republic. [6]
On April 28, 2007, addressing a training program launched by the Gorkha-Kathmandu Ganatantrik Manch in Banasthali, Kathmandu, Maoist second-in-command, Dr Baburam Bhattarai said that his party would launch a peaceful agitation for an indefinite period if the interim parliament failed to declare the country a republic by the third week of May. His party would announce a series of protests if the interim parliament did not declare republic by that time. “Our efforts will be to generate a consensus among the eight political parties on declaring the country a republic through the interim parliament. If that does not happen, we will forge unity among the leftist and republican forces and declare the country republic by simple majority of the interim parliament,” said Dr. Bhattarai. He further said that the peaceful agitation would be focused on declaring the country a republic; the monarchy must be uprooted to bring an end to the feudal system of economic relations in the society; however, the NC and the NC-D were opposed to the idea, saying that the interim parliament had no rights to take any decision on the monarchy and the constituent assembly would decide on it; they argued that in the interim constitution promulgated on January 15, 2007 there was no constitutional provision for doing so; even if the provision of removing the monarchy by a two-third majority was added to the constitution, the left parties would not have adequate number of votes to overthrow the monarchy without the support of NC and NC-D. [7]

On April 27, 2007, speaking at a Face-to-Face program held by Sanchar Samuha Nepal in Kathmandu, NC student leader Gagan Thapa said that the eight-party government had lost the mandate of people, and the need for again launching a movement for declaring Nepal a republic. ANNFSU vice-chairperson Ram Kumari Jhankri said that the constituent assembly polls would be disrupted if the government failed to take actions against those found guilty by the Rayamajhi Commission. Former president of the Nepal Students Union (NSU) affiliated to the NC, Guru Raj Ghimire said that it was a mistake to administer oath of office to former Chief of Army Staff Pyar Jung Thapa (after the people’s movement) and appoint Rukmangad Katuwal to Chief of Army Staff (after the retirement of Thapa); both of them were found guilty by the Rayamajhi Commission and added that the top leaders should learn from their previous mistakes in a bid to chart new Nepal. [8]
The young generation should takeover to abolish the monarchy totally. The old generation leaders were for preserving the monarchy. Some newspapers started off writing the monarchy was already abolished need not talk about it anymore. Former Minister Nilamber Acharya said that the monarchy was already dead ignoring the palace was still occupied by the so-called king and queen. So, this might be another ploy of Gyanendra to prolong the life of the Shah dynasty as much as possible bribing some journalists and politicians.

On Sunday, April 29, 2007, Chairman of the Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF), Upendra Yadav went to New Delhi, India to garner the support of the Indian political leaders for the political movement of the MPRF. Upon arrival in New Delhi he said, “We have come here to garner moral support for our demands for declaring Terai a federal autonomous region, establishment of a republic, proportional representation at all state machineries, after the government failed to practically address these demands.” Senior leader of the NC-D, Pradip Giri was acting as a mediator between the Indian leaders and Yadav for their meetings. In the press conference held by Yadav, Pradip Giri said that the MPRF movement was more democratic than the Maoist movement. On Monday, April 30, 2007, Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula suffering from an ear ailment arrived in New Delhi afternoon for treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). [9]
So, it was not baseless that the Maoists’ accusation of the NC and NC-D were trying to neutralize their influences in the Terai assisting the MPRF in acting against the Maoists. According to the human rights activist, Mathura Prasad Shrestha, MPRF leader Upendra Yadav was a village-level leader only.

NC vice president Sushil Koirala issued a threatening warning to the Maoists saying the continued lack of discipline of the Maoists could trigger a civil war in the country. "Sometimes they carry weapons, sometimes they take out rallies. What happens if the Nepali Army, too, loses its discipline? There will be civil war," NC vice president Koirala said at the event held by Nepal Peasants Association. Speaking at the same function, NC General Secretary Kul Bahadur Gurung condemned the Maoists' demand for the immediate announcement of Nepal a republic. He said republic cannot be declared based on whims. In another event, NC legislator Sujata Koirala warned that if Congress, too, lost its cool, democracy could again be endangered. On Monday, April 30, 2007 talking with the media people in Charikot of the Dolakha district, Mohan Baidya 'Kiran’ accused the NC of conspiring with MPRF to sweep the Maoists away from Madhes (Terai). [10]
While Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, one of the architects of the ongoing peace process in Nepal was in India for medical treatment, the NC hawks had started off firing salvos against the peace process, and made preparations for another conflict with the advocates of republic probably in conjunction with the Nepali Army.
The enemies of the peace had been trying to undo the peace process widening the difference among the political parties although such difference was a trivial matter compared with the benefits of peace. Nepalis wanted peace but the politicians were for grabbing power and staying on power at any cost to the people. Nepalis did not want Nepal become a slaughter house as had been Iraq since 2002. Therefore, all peace-loving Nepalis make their call to Girija and his clique instead of preserving the most reviled monarchy at any cost to the nation continue the peace process setting the date for an election for a constituent assembly immediately for keeping the aspirations of Nepalis for peace, democracy, republic, proportional representation, autonomy and federalization alive. The intensified activities of the king were the threat to all democracy-minded Nepalese people. So, Nepalis needed to eliminate the monarchy at the soonest possible.

Footnotes:
[1] The Himalayan Times, April 27, 2007, “Army's 21-gun Salute to King Draws Flak”
[2] Nepalnews.com pb Apr 30 07, “PM seeks clarification from CoAS on his ‘meeting’ with King”
[3] The Himalayan Times, April 26, 2007, “Speaker says House can declare republic”
[4] Nepalnews.com mk Apr 27 07 “Parliament cannot announce republic, says Poudel”
[5] The Rising Nepal, April 30, 2007, “House cannot declare a republic”
[6] The Rising Nepal, April 29, 2007 “Third Jan-Andolan in the offing: Badal”
[7] The Himalayan Times, April 28, 2007, “Declare republic by third week of May: Bhattarai”; Nepalnews.com sd Apr 29 07, “Maoists threaten to unleash indefinite agitation”; Ekantipur.com, April 28, 2007, “Stage set for indefinite pro-republican stir: Baburam Bhattarai”
[8] The Rising Nepal, April 28, 2007, “Student leaders demand action against suppressors”
[9] Ekantipur.com, April 30, 2007, “Home Minister Sitaula, MPRF Chairman Yadav in Delhi”
[10] Nepalnews.com sd Apr 30 07, “Congress and Maoist leaders trade charges”

Source: Scoop Articles, May 14, 2007

YCL challenge

Whether or not the Maoist leadership accepts it, the Young Communist League (YCL) can make or break the party, CPN (Maoist). Soon after its inception by comrade Prachanda on February 1 this year, the Maoist leadership has been hell bent to impose YCL in every aspect of people's life. The leadership is not willing to hear anything against the highhandedness and illegal acts their youths are being involved in. Comrade Prachanda even roared from various podiums that the media was trying to pose YCL as terrorists. It is understandable that the Maoist leadership does not wish to irate the YCL because it is comprised of not only militiamen and supporters but also the guerrillas who have been deliberately kept out of the cantonments. The only thing they have failed to understand is, if so many of the young people remain unemployed, and without any source of income, they are destined to become corrupt and disillusioned by the ideology.

Prachanda and Baburam have conceded many a time in their interviews that their party had been overwhelmed by the new members at a point of time, when goons, gangsters, hooligans and mobsters all entered into the party. The criminals and opportunists did so to take benefit of the party's strength to terrorize and extort the general public. Now the same thing has happened to YCL and they are acting innocent. In the name of expanding the party network, the YCL leaders have welcomed local gangsters with open arms. So, knowingly or unknowingly, the YCL has attempted to provide security umbrellas to all sorts of criminals and local goons. The direct interference in people's lives, the illegitimate attempt to discipline the public, forceful takeover of others' property, encroachment in revenue collection mechanism et al have made the Maoists unpopular. At the same time, the seven-party leaders and foreign forces have been apprehensive that they (Maoists) are creating a parallel government and attempting a forceful takeover.

Not that the YCL members are involved only in wrongdoings. They have been involved in many positive aspects like cleaning localities, cleaning rivers, planting trees, managing traffic etc. And they are also into somewhat debatable works like widening of the roads, demolishing houses, mediating in social feuds etc. If the Maoist leadership really wishes to make YCL popular among the people, it has to segregate the criminal elements from the League. The criminal elements will leave the party if they are devoid of the opportunity to extort money. In order to do so, the YCL should be employed only in pure social works, which will heighten the image of the party among the public and the criminal elements will also slip off from the League. Moreover, the income and expenditure of the League should be transparent so as to win the heart and mind of the people.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 6, 2007

Maoists all set for action replay

Dina Nath Mishra

It would have surprised me if Maoists of Nepal had not behaved as they behaved in the first week of May 2007. A small group of Nepalese policemen was surrounded by hundreds of Maoist gorillas at night in Suiya village in mid-western market district of Bankey and the ill armed policemen were taken captive. They smashed doors and windows and torched furniture. They were lead by a local Maoist leader Nand Kishore Pandey. It revived memories of days before peace pact of November 2006. This attack left Nepal in tatters and raised doubts over the success of India and UN aided peace process.

It may be recalled that the peace treaty was signed by seven political parties and the Maoists in November 2006. Maoist violence has continued in Nepal for about a decade. Only on April 1, 2007 Maoists joined the Government in Nepal and within a month on May 1, 2007 Maoist president Prachand thundered that they would burst in the Cabinet, in the Parliament, on the streets and also into the cantonment. They demanded that Nepal be declared Republic immediately else they would start urban-centre agitation and bring about the rule of the labours to demolish the monarchy. The May 1 rally and attack by the Maoist gorillas happened on the same day. They did it to make the threat look real, but Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's establishment did not take it seriously.

The Koirala Government's response to the Maoists demands look reasonable. It said that it is only the Constituent Assembly, can declare Nepal a Republic, his Government is not empowered to do so. Let elections be held and let the elected Constituent Assembly declare as they decide and deem fit but the Marxists have adopted the policy of brow beat and dictate. They have their own agenda. Those who have even little knowledge of Marxist history can hardly believe in Maoists intentions of entering into the peace treaty. Marxists of any variety CPI, CPM, Naxalites, Maoists in India or anywhere in the world believe in violence. In West Bengal, they killed large number of Congress leaders. In Kerala they killed hundreds of Sangh Parivar workers and the killings still continue. The Nandigram massacre too continues. They adopt joint front strategy and then start marginalisation of their allies by any means including violence. Umpteen numbers of examples may be cited from the history. In fact anywhere in the world, this strategy has been worked out. Now the same is being practiced in Nepal.

The UN in Nepal has been established at the request of the Government and the Maoists for the peace process and disarming Maoist gorillas. The first phase of disarming them is over. Still, Maoists possess high quality armaments, as these have not been fully deposited in the cantonment under UN observer. The Maoists complain of ill maintained cantonments and put pre-conditions to hoodwink Nepal and the UN. They want early elections as they believe that with the help of gorillas they would out number the political parties. The UN in its report has said that a little delay in holding elections would not be a disaster. Meanwhile, problems of deprived people may be addressed, that is the problems of Madhesis. In terms of population Madhesis account for about 50 per cent. Their contribution to the revenues of Nepal is much more than proportionate. Most of them are not Nepali citizens. Their representation in Army, police and Government establishments is negligible. They are the most neglected in Nepal.

Recently Madhesis revolted against their poor conditions. Most of the political leadership, which is responsible for their plight, is now lending their ears. Their independent leaders have risen to the occasion and they look more united. Meanwhile, the UN has said in its report that their grievances and demands may be addressed before elections. This reason alone may take a lot of time but unless it is done, including settling the question of citizenship, no worthwhile representation of these people is going to be there. As far as the monarch is concerned, he has been stripped of his powers. In no way is he a threat to the present establishment. Declaring Nepal a Republic at this stage appears to be the Maoists alibi for an agitation. Unless the Maoists are fully disarmed and the elections are free and fair, the UN is bound to fail in its objectives. But Maoists are not in a mood to listen to the reason.
The US annual report on nations has declared the Napali Maoists as a terrorist organization. Their terrorist activities are still fresh in the minds of the people. General public has gone cynical. The Maoists are a terrorist group and they can't lead democratically. The UN has a Herculean task. The threatened Maoist agitation may further deteriorate the already complicated political scenario.

Source: The Dail Pioneer, May 6, 2007

Former Maoists declare war on Indian gang

Kathmandu: A group of former Maoists have declared war on an Indian gang preying on businessmen in the border towns of Nepal, warning that they would attack gang members lodged in a key prison if it did not stop criminal activities.
The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), a band of former Maoist guerrillas that was recently banned as a terrorist organisation by the US government, has decided to take on the gang of Indian warlord Chhotelal Sahani, that has been unleashing terror in Nepal's frontier town Birgunj and its neighbouring areas.
Though Sahani was captured by the Indian police and is now behind bars in Bihar's Motihari district, people calling themselves his henchmen have continued to extort businessmen, resorting to broad daylight attacks on those who refused to pay up.
Last week, a Birgunj businessman of Indian origin, Vijay Shankar Hada, was shot by miscreants. He is currently under treatment in Kathmandu's Maharajgunj Teaching Hospital.

A month ago, Hada is said to have received threatening phone calls from a man calling himself Sanju Baba, allegedly the right hand of Sahani.
Most of the extortion calls are made from mobile phones with Indian numbers.
Though the beleaguered businessmen have been urging both the Nepal and Indian governments to crack down on the marauding gangs, the security situation continues to be lax in the border towns.
A private radio station, Himalayan Broadcasting Corporation, Sunday said more than 20 businessmen had wound up their activities in Birgunj and shifted either to India or capital Kathmandu.

With the government failing to combat the menace, the JTMM, who are demanding an autonomous state for people of Indian origin in Nepal's southern terai plains, has now taken it upon itself to play Robin Hood.
Pahal Sinha, a JTMM leader in Birgunj, has issued a warning asking the Sahani gang to stop its activities in the town, the radio station said.
Else, it has warned that it will take revenge on the gang members awaiting trial or imprisoned in Birgunj jail, the report said.
The plummeting law and order situation in the plains last month caused Nepal's Election Commission to say it would not be possible to hold the elections for a constituent assembly on June 20, as promised by Nepal's eight-party government.
Though Nepal's 10-year Maoist insurgency formally ended last month with the Maoist guerrillas joining the government, criminal gangs, bands of former Maoists and other armed groups have kept the plains simmering.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service

YCL friends or foes of Nepali people??

KATHMANDU, May 7 - The Young Communist League (YCL), a newly created Maoist body, on Sunday seized "illegally imported" mobile phones and electronic goods worth more than Rs 30 million in Kathmandu.
The goods include: 1,415 mobile phone sets, 25 LCD monitors and 30 photocopy machines, 288 units of memory cards, 387 units of chargers and 265 units of earphones.
At least seven people, including three drivers, Navin Shrestha, Dilip Balami and Shekhar Bhattarai and others on board - Mahesh Karki, Mohan Karki, Shiva Raj Kandel and Navin
Shrestha - were also taken in. They have been handed over to Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Hanumandhoka for further investigation.

Jwala, Kathmandu district chief of YCL, told The Kathmandu Post that the goods were brought into the country via Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and were captured at Shahid Gate. "We later handed over the goods to the Revenue Investigation Department (RID)," he said.
Laxman Kumar Pokharel, deputy director general of RID also confirmed that the YCL cadres had handed over the handsets, LCD monitors, photocopy machines, memory cards, chargers and earphones to RID stating that the group had captured three vehicles full of mobile phone sets and other electronic goods at Shahid Gate. "We are currently investigating the matter," he said.
Sources informed that the goods were brought into the country in the name New Hariyali Traders, Siddhi Binayak Traders and New Cyber International. "These companies had produced invoices for only two handsets, a charger and an adapt0r worth Rs 31,708, while releasing the goods," the source informed.

YCL threat displaces locals

Nine people including political leaders, activists and business entrepreneurs from Kusumba bazaar at Sanoshree VDC in Bardiya district have been displaced from the area due to threats by cadres of Maoist youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL).
Former Member of Parliament Khag Raj Sharma and former chairman of Sanoshree VDC Tanka Oli are among those displaced. They are staying in the district headquarters, Gulariya. YCL cadres threatened them in revenge for the local business community and others had protested against Maoist-called frequent banda (general strikes), according to local businessman Dhana Nath Yogi.
Oli said he came to the district headquarters for security "after YCL cadres threatened to kill us". "The Maoists blamed us for campaigning against their agitation," Oli said.

However, Maoist area in-charge "Akash", refuted the charges. "This is a propaganda meant to disparage this organization (YCL)," he claimed.
Meanwhile, cadres of Thrauwan National Liberation Front (TNLF) burnt an effigy of Chief District Officer (CDO) Shiva Prasad Nepal. Chunnu Devi, Treasurer of the Front, said they would stage sit-in protests at the offices of land revenue, district administration and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), if the authority did not immediately release all YCL members detained by police on Saturday.
Also, Jhak Bahadur Malla, regional YCL chief, said they would launch nationwide agitation from Monday onward, if the government did not release them immediately without condition.
However, CDO Nepal informed that the administration was planning to sue them for arson charges.
Curfew lifted

The local administration lifted curfew order in Sanoshree VDC of the district effective from 5 am on Sunday. Following clashes between Armed Police Force personnel and YCL cadres, the local administration had been imposing curfew in the area for security reasons since Monday.
Parties concerned
In Kathmandu, issuing separate statements on Sunday, various political parties have denounced the violent activities including arson, vandalism, beating and other excesses carried out by YCL members at Sanoshree in the name of freed kamaiyas (bonded laborers) and landless squatters. "Continuation of such activities by the wings of the ruling party (CPN-Maoist) is itself unreasonable behavior," said a statement issued by the Nepali Congress (NC).
Likewise, issuing a separate statement, NC-Democratic denounced Maoists for issuing threats against nine local political activists including five members of NC-D. Also, National Human Rights Foundation (HURFON) denounced vandalism by the YCL.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 6, 2007

Time to be right

At a time when the trust deficit among the alliance partners seems to be spiralling after the deferral of the constituent assembly polls, Monday’s Maoist attack on a police post in Banke sends a wrong signal to the public. Reports indicate a dispute between a Maoist district member and a police constable over the latter’s attempt to conduct a security check on the former ultimately developed into this untoward incident. Thankfully, there was no casualty, and four of the policemen who had gone missing during the Maoist attack are reported to have come into contact. Accusations and counter-accusations have surfaced. But the attack cannot be justified by the nature of the dispute, and Maoist cadres should also understand that they have now become a part of the government and their responsibility has increased. This certainly stresses the need for them to adapt their ways to the new situation fully and soon.

The Maoists and the other constituents of the eight-party alliance should tackle such unfortunate incidents as this through consultation and talks. There are also sporadic reports of activists of the Maoist-aligned Young Communist League (YCL) resorting to high-handedness such as physical action over disputes with others. This week they also clashed with the Armed Police Force in Bardiya over a difference concerning the use of a building. There have also been reports of clashes between workers of other political parties and YCL cadres from time to time. Though informed comment on individual cases can only be made after an independent verification of the facts, the number of reports alleging the YCL’s wrongdoings should, by itself, be enough to draw the serious attention of top Maoist leaders, who should identify areas of YCL misconduct and take corrective action.But other parties should also self-introspect whether their cadres have been in the wrong or where. Rival parties have almost always taken the sides of their sister organisations or cadres even if they were wrong and tend only to blame the others for wrongdoing. As for the YCL, it has done good work too — its cadres have been involved in social work as represented, for example, in their “New Kathmandu Valley Campaign” launched to make it clean and organised, and under which they have, among other things, helped to widen the road along the Kalanki-Soaltee section, facilitated garbage disposal, planted trees at certain places along the Bagmati and Vishnumati.

But, if any YCL cadres, and for that matter anybody else, are engaged in criminal activities, the government should show the courage to bring them to book. The public will not support the wrongdoers. But the practice of indulging only in criticism without matching action won’t help. The growing distrust between the political parties over certain major political issues, particularly the one relating to monarchy v republic, is threatening to break the eight-party alliance. Then much worse things are likely to happen. Displaying statesmanship in such a critical hour is a must, as it will test the leadership of the major constituents of the alliance.

Source: The Himalayan Times, May 3, 2007

NEPAL: CRACK IN THE MAOISTS’ CAMP?

Niraj Aryal

Amidst the communists’ hue and cry for the formation of broader communist alliance, there is also a some what disturbing report for the entire Communists’ paraphernalia coming from the Maoists’ camp itself that the party is on the verge of a vertical split. However, it is highly likely that this news may also be dubbed as a false one and termed as a conspiracy against the Communists in Nepal initiated by reactionaries or call them the royalists seeing the prospect of communist unity. Analysts however would always differ to such comments visualizing the past history of the communists in Nepal who more so prefer to divide rather than unite sometime in the name of preserving the National interest or at times to their presumed closeness to the monarchy in Nepal. For example who could forget the incident wherein Bam Dev Gautam-the mini-Prachanda, still thriving under the UML flag had once preferred to divide the party in the name of preserving country’s interest, however later joined the UML camp compromising National interest fearing his political evaporation.

C.P.Mainali, the CPN-ML leader, is no different than his comrade in arms residing in other set of communist faction- who preferred to remain out of the UML unlike Gautam, but is continuously facing party split for toeing allegedly the royal line. The Maoist party too, no different than the rest, could not remain aloof of this virus plaguing the entire communists in Nepal resulting into a division in their camp. The issue remained the same, Prachanda who is known for his fiery nationalist speeches, while in Jungle in the not so distant past, had rejected Dr. Baburam’s proposal to use his Delhi connection to acquire power in Sighdurbar. He instead opted for his royal connection to achieve the same target.

In an interview to a weekly newspaper Rabindra Shrestha (who was expelled from the Maoists camp for publicly criticizing Baburam and Prachanda) had claimed that the Maoist politburo meet had decided to take action against Baburam and raised the issue of meeting King Gyanendra. Later failing to achieve the target, Prachanda had to hold-back his decision to opt for Delhi connection to arrive in Kathmandu, which he did as per the suggestion of Dr. Baburam.
The Maoist party suddenly feeling the excessive pressure from India, which they had agreed to obey before the agreement with the SPA in New-Delhi, is now feeling uneasy with the growing Indian influence coming through Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, analyst claim. The issue remains the same and that is in the name of preserving the national unity crack is building up in the Maoists camp. Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal not for nothing urges from his eastern-hill sojourn that preserving national interest and establishing a republic should be a major agenda.

Source: Telegraph Nepal, May 2, 2007

MAOIST ATTACK POLICE POST IN BANKE

The Maoist Party affiliated Madhesi group known as Madhesi Mukti Morcha attacked a police post in Shriya VDC of Banke district, Tuesday. Reports say that locals in the area have been living under continues threat after a group of two hundred Maoists’ men led by Nanda Kishor Pandeya- the Maoist area incharge attacked the border area police post in Nepal.

The Maoists after setting fire to stuffs belonging to the police post detained the police post incharge Mukesh Kunwar for over fourteen hours, reports citing locals in the area claims. Later the Maoists released Mr. Kunwar and handed over three weapons looted from the post. The Maoists had looted two-hundred rounds of bullet, seven weapons, food items and other electric equipments from the police post, a local preferring anonymity revealed. Other security personnel stationed at the post fled the area fearing their lives- who were rescued by the locals, reports say. After this incident the locals have been demanding additional security to the concerned authority.

Source: Telegraph Nepal, May 2, 2007

Prachanda threatens to launch fresh pro-republican movement

KATHMANDU, May 1: The Maoists will revolt from parliament, government and the street if Nepal is not declared a republic, said Maoist chairman Prachanda on Tuesday. "The Maoists will explode in the parliament, government and even in its cantonments and no one would stop it," he said at a programme organised to mark the May Day. He warned that if the reactionary forces assume the liberation of the Maoist as its weaknesses, it would begin the next movement. "The Maoists are not so easy for the reactionary forces to take on and they could come openly to see how tough we are."

Repeating that the basis of the 12-point-agreement has already lost its relevance since the failure to hold the constituent assembly elections in stipulated time, he said, a new basis should be found. This could only be the announcement of the republic through the interim legislature parliament, he said. Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, leader of the Maoists, said that that the Maoists had initiated an urban rebellion and added that the final battle was yet to be waged. "The laborers will lead the final battle." The Maoists have participated in the government to work for the people, if the government halts the progress towards a forward looking path, we will not be bound by the discipline of the government, he said. Matrika Yadav, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation, said that the Maoist ministers will not allow the meeting of the cabinet to proceed until the country was declared a republic.

Other leaders highlighted the rights of the laborers and demanded reform of the laws related to the laborers.Meanwhile, RSS reports from Bhaktapur, president of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Narayan Man Bijukche has said that a socialist republic was essential for the rights and well-being of the worker and labourer community.Speaking at a people's assembly organized by the Nepal Revolutionary Workers' Association on the occasion of the 118th International Labour Day here today, he emphasized on the need for a justified wage for the workers and labourers who make their ends meet by working.Central member of the Party, Prem Suwal stressed on the need of decentralization and making the local bodies autonomous for sustainable and overall development.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 2, 2007

NEPAL: NGOs concerned at lack of action to release child soldiers

KATHMANDU, 1 May 2007 (IRIN) - Local child protection agencies in Nepal are concerned over the lack of action to trace and release child soldiers in the country, children’s rights activists told IRIN on Monday. “We are very frustrated over the lack of any action to find the child soldiers, who are in dire need of rehabilitation,” activist Sanjaya Aryal, a member of the Children Associated with Armed Forces and Groups (CAAFAG) task force, told IRIN in the capital, Kathmandu. CAAFAG comprises over 14 local and international child agencies advocating the release and rehabilitation of child soldiers. Aryal said there was substantial evidence of child soldiers still being sheltered inside various Maoist cantonment sites all around the country but rights groups face difficulty getting information about these children.

Agreement breached

Following the signing of a historic peace accord in November 2006 between the Maoist rebels and Nepalese government, the decade-long armed conflict came to an end and one of the key agreements in the peace process was to release child soldiers from the Maoists’ army and militia groups. But child rights defenders say that most of those children categorised as CAAFAG have not been released by the Maoists. The Maoist leaders, however, denied there were any child soldiers among their units. Activists are now pinning their last hopes on the second phase of arms registration, supervised by the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which they hope will confirm CAAFAG’s charges by next month.

No free access to Maoist areas

The crucial problem for the activists is a lack of data due to the Maoists’ unwillingness to allow them free access to their cantonments, children’s rights activists say. “The second phase of arms registration is the key to finding the child soldiers, and releasing and protecting them,” Durga Khadka, chief of the Child Protection Unit of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), told IRIN. Khadka said her organisation found a large number of child soldiers during their monitoring mission in December in nearly five Maoist cantonments. The population of child soldiers may have barely reduced, given that they are still being used in several Maoist activities, she added.

Maoist youth wing

Now another major concern is that child soldiers are being used in the political activities of the Maoists especially following the formation of their Young Communist League (YCL), a recently formed Maoist youth wing, in which many members are said to be under 18, including former child soldiers, according to local child rights protection NGOs. ”If these children are not released by the Maoists, they could never get the chance of ever starting their lives as children but end up being misused by political parties,” said Tarak Dhital, an activist from Child Workers in Nepal, a local NGO working on the protection of children. Dhital added that with the approach of the national elections for the Constituent Assembly (CA) in the country they could be used for political campaigns and might never be rehabilitated and reintegrated. “We will not stop our campaigns until these children are found, rehabilitated and sent back to their families,” added Dhital, who is also member of the CAAFAG task force.

Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, April 26, 2007

United States Issues Country Report on Terrorism

Daya Gamage – US Bureau Asian Tribune

Washington, D.C. 01 May (Asiantribune.com): “Working with allies and partners across the world, through coordination and information sharing, we have created a less permissive operating environment for terrorists, keeping leaders on the move or in hiding, and degrading their ability to plan and mount attacks,” according to the 2006 Country Reports on Terrorism, released April 30. The State Department prepared annual report to the Congress includes analyses from the National Counter Terrorism Center, and the report admits that there was a 25% increase in terrorism worldwide in the year 2006. ‘Asian Tribune’ in the following columns presents the overview of the South and Central Asian Region with selected countries in South Asia for the benefit of the South Asian readers and expatriates of those countries living in Western nations. The US State Department gives the following overview of the South and Central Asian Region: “Terrorism remained a problem in the region, directly and indirectly threatening American interests and lives. To varying degrees, U.S. cooperation with regional partners on counterterrorism issues continued to increase, but much is left to be accomplished.
“Despite considerable progress in Afghanistan, the Taliban-led insurgency remained strong and resilient, particularly in the Pashtun south and east. Although the insurgency absorbed heavy combat losses, its ability to recruit foot soldiers from its core base of rural Pashtuns remains undiminished.

“Pakistan executed effective counterterrorism cooperation and captured or killed many terrorists. In August, close cooperation between Pakistani, British, and American law enforcement agencies exposed the London-Heathrow bomb plot, leading to the arrest in Pakistan of Rashid Rauf and other conspirators believed to be connected to the case. However, the United States remained concerned that the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan are a safe haven for al-Qaida, the Taliban, and other militants.
“Terrorists staged numerous attacks in India, including a series of commuter train bomb attacks in Mumbai which killed over 200 people and injured more than 700. Despite challenges associated with its law enforcement and judicial systems, India achieved major successes this year, including numerous arrests and the confiscation of explosives and firearms. Neighboring Bangladesh continued to arrest extremists, but the deteriorating political situation in Bangladesh may increase the opportunity for terrorists to find refuge or transit.
“In Nepal and Sri Lanka, terrorism carried out by the Maoists and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) posed a severe challenge to those governments. On an encouraging note, in November, the Maoists signed a peace agreement with the Government of Nepal that provided, under certain disarmament conditions, that the Maoists could be admitted into an interim government. In Sri Lanka, the LTTE continued attacks including targeted assassinations against political and military opponents.
“A sustained commitment to counterterrorism by Central Asian states resulted in relatively few terrorist attacks. Yet terrorism and the underlying conditions and porous borders it exploits still pose a significant threat to the region. In May, terrorists attacked border posts in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan but were subsequently killed and captured by joint operations in the Ferghana Valley. With U.S. support, Central Asian states have undertaken to improve the capabilities of their border forces and build new border posts to impede terrorist movements and interdict drug smuggling, some of which financed terrorism in the region. The sheer length of the border and local corruption remained obstacles in Central Asia's efforts to control its borders. More widely, popular grievances over governance and poor economic growth enhance conditions terrorists and other extremists could exploit to recruit and operate in the region.
“Central Asia's most notorious terrorists are the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) and a splinter group, the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU ). However, radical extremist groups such as Hizbut-Tahrir (HT) may also present a danger to the region. HT, an extremist political movement advocating the establishment of a borderless, theocratic Islamic state throughout the entire Muslim world, has followers in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and the Middle East. The United States has no evidence that HT has committed any acts of international terrorism, but the group's radical anti-American and anti-Semitic ideology is sympathetic to acts of violence against the United States and its allies. HT has publicly called on Muslims to travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight Coalition Forces.”

Nepal

Through April 2006, Nepal's primary counterterrorism focus remained the Maoist insurgency but the focus shifted dramatically after Nepal's political parties, the Maoists, and civil society led a popular uprising against the King. King Gyanendra was compelled to restore parliament and cede his authoritarian powers to a government run by an alliance of the seven main political parties. The Maoists declared a unilateral cease-fire on April 27. The government followed suit on May 3, formally lifting its designation of the Maoists as a terrorist organization. Months of negotiations resulted in a comprehensive peace agreement on November 21 that formally ended the insurgency.

The agreement also provided that the Maoists would be admitted into an interim government once Maoist combatants were in camps and relinquished their weapons under UN monitoring.
From January to November, Maoist rebels were responsible for the deaths of 165 security personnel and 46 civilians. During the same time period, the government killed 182 suspected Maoist militants. Nepal's National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) reported that murders by Maoists lessened after the cease-fire in April, but still totaled 28 from May until November. Security force killings of Maoist insurgents were also significantly lower after the cease-fire, totaling nine during the same period.

Despite the cease-fire, Maoist rebels continued to conduct abductions, extortion, and violence. In the Kathmandu Valley, Maoists took advantage of their dramatically increased presence and the government's reluctance to upset the peace process to expand their use of extortion and efforts to undermine trade unions and student groups affiliated with the political parties. They also continued forced recruitment of schoolchildren, with thousands targeted after the signing of the initial November 8 peace accord. On September 20, and again on December 19, the Maoists declared nationwide transportation strikes. Both events were accompanied by the stoning of vehicles, and each lasted only for the declared period, demonstrating Maoist command and control.

This year also saw the beginning of a disturbing new trend with the activation of the separatist Maoist-splinter terrorist group called the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), which aimed to bring about the secession of the southern Terai plains from the rest of Nepal. This group was responsible for the assassination of a Nepali Member of Parliament in September.
"Imperialist" United States and "expansionist" India were the targets of considerable Maoist venom, especially in the period leading up to the April uprising. A trip by Maoist Supremo Prachanda to New Delhi on November 18, however, seemed to mark the culmination of a shift in the Maoist view of Nepal's large neighbor to the south. At the end of the year, the United States was the only country to maintain its designation of the Maoist insurgency as a terrorist organization. Several countries, including India, were waiting for the Maoist entry into government to authorize open contacts at all levels. The United States provided substantial antiterrorism assistance and training to Nepal's security forces, including courses on crisis management and critical incident management.

Maoists give May ultimatum to Nepal government

Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas, who joined the seven-party government this month, have now given a fresh ultimatum to their coalition partners, saying they would call an indefinite closure if the country was not declared a republic by May.Dr Baburam Bhattarai, one of the top leaders of the formerly outlawed party, said at a programme in the capital Saturday that if the interim parliament failed to abolish monarchy by the first week of the Nepali month of Jeth - May 21 - his party would start a new, unarmed movement on the streets, including continuous strikes.Accusing foreign governments, that he did not name, of trying to sabotage elections, Bhattarai said Maoists will also step up efforts to forge unity with other pro-republic and communist parties to wrest a victory in parliament.When the Maoists signed a peace pact with the government last year, both sides had agreed to hold an election to decide if Nepal should remain a monarchy or become a republic.

However, with the Election Commission having ruled out holding the exercise on June 20, as pledged by the government, the guerrillas have begun pressuring their coalition allies to turn Nepal into a republic through parliament.A new clause says Nepal's 238-year-old monarchy can be abolished if two-third of the MPs agree, feeling that King Gyanendra and his supporters are trying to sabotage the election.But the plan is being opposed by prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and his Nepali Congress, the biggest party in the alliance, who want to leave the decision to the election.The seven-party, Maoist alliance, formed to oppose King Gyanendra's regime, has started fissuring after the fall of the monarch.While the rebels are accusing Koirala of trying to protect the king, the Nepali Congress says the guerrillas are violating the peace pact and still continuing extortion and intimidation.

The Nepali Congress says the rebels called a transport strike in Birgunj town near the Indian border Saturday to foil a mass meeting called by his party.Besides the infighting in the ruling alliance, the Terai plains in southern Nepal have been rocked by continued violence since January, resulting in the death of over 70 people so far.Various ethnic groups, some of whom are armed, are carrying out different protest programmes in the plains, demanding autonomous states for different communities.A part of the plains has been crippled by an indefinite closure called from Monday by an ethnic group, the Chure Bhawar Ekta Samaj.A Samaj activist - Mangal Bahadur Gumachhane - was killed in police firing Saturday as security forces tried to lift the blockade on a leading highway.In a separate incident, a former Maoist was killed by a rival faction in the plains.

Source: IANS, April 29, 2007