EU, UN in Cahoots with Nepal Maoists

[Guest guest]

NEPAL: External Players are getting active. Update 76

 

by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan

 

This is the best season of the year for a visit to Kathmandu and it

is not surprising that many delegations visit Nepal ostensibly to

help restore democracy, but in actual fact they tend to further

exacerbate the situation by giving unsolicited advice particularly

when none of the three major actors in the drama are willing to come

down from their perch.

 

The European delegation that visited Kathmandu recently went to the

extent of declaring that there "is a strong risk of political

collapse in the country" which in other words meant that Nepal is

becoming a "failed state." Such a statement made within the country

during the visit is a breach of diplomatic conduct and could have

been avoided.

 

External Players always come into play when the country is in

turmoil. This is true in Nepal too where the political infra

structure is in a state of collapse. External Players think that a

third country involvement would solve the problems. Pressure is also

building up to bring UN intervention.

 

Visit of Indian delegation:

 

On the invitation of the seven agitating political parties, seven

members of four political parties from the ruling coalition

government in India made a three day visit to Nepal from September

29, 2005. The delegation was led by Sitaram Yechury, a senior

politburo member of the CPI (M).

 

The delegation was welcomed with stones by over 150 protestors

supporting the government. They were wearing black cloth tied in

their heads and shouted slogans "Down with foreign Interference"

and "Indian politicians had no right to interfere in Nepal's internal

affairs." This was interference and in any other country, such a

delegation invited by the protesting parties would have been sent

back from the airport itself. Most comic was the response of

G.P.Koirala on interference who said that even if it is interference,

it is the King who was responsible for bringing Nepal to this

situation.!

 

Sitaram Yechury on arrival said that they are lending support and

solidarity for democracy which they think is important not only for

Nepal but also for the region and the world. It is not clear who gave

them the licence to work for democracy all over the world.

 

The visiting delegation was feted with high tea by Girija Koirala and

a dinner by Madhav Nepal of UML. In one of the meetings Yechury said

that they are not there "to interfere in internal affairs of Nepal,

but to extend solidarity and moral support to the Nepalese People's

movement for restoration of democracy." If going all the way to Nepal

to render moral support to the agitating parties is not interference,

what else is ? Another member D.Raja was more modest and said that

they had come on a fact-finding mission at the invitation of the

seven party alliance.

 

The representatives are from the ruling coalition government at the

centre in Delhi and by openly supporting the seven agitating

political parties, isn't India sending a wrong signal to the King or

was it meant to put pressure on the King? Isn't India opting out of

any future role in bringing the King and the political parties

together?

 

Visit of ICJ delegation:

 

The ICJ ( International Commission of Jurists) while visiting

Kathmandu in the first week of October called on the government to

declare a cease-fire, in line with the unilateral declaration of a

cease-fire by the Maoists. The response of the Minister of

Information was "Why should the government reciprocate the unilateral

cease-fire when we have not declared war against the Maoists?"

 

The General Secretary of the ICJ said "If both the sides really

desire peace, they should now not only declare an indefinite cease-

fire but also commit themselves in a human rights code of conduct

which could be monitored by the UN office of the High Commission for

human rights.

 

European Union and its delegation:

 

On the eve of a visit of its representatives, the European Parliament

has called for tougher action against Nepal. Actions proposed by them

were

 

* withholding military aid

 

* to monitor all aid and impose smart sanctions to pressurise the

King to hand over power to a democratic government and to explore all

avenues for peace talks.

 

* Closely scrutinise all development aid to ensure that it is used

for poverty alleviation and not diverted elsewhere.

 

* called on the government to conduct parliamentary and local

elections together in April 2006

 

* to send an observer mission to monitor the above decisions taken.

 

A three-member EU delegation led by Tom Phillips, Director of South

Asia and Afghanistan in the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office visited

Nepal on behalf of EU Presidency on 7th October. The team met most of

the political leaders as well as the foreign minister, finance

minister and the Senior vice Chairman Dr. Giri.

 

The team appeared to have come to the conclusion that an independent

third party is necessary to solve the problems facing Nepal. A

solution according to them will require the assistance of an

independent and credible external partner and the active support of

the international community.

 

Here again the idea appears to be to involve the UN in some form in

the conflict. The Nepali Congress has also joined the chorus to

involve the UN. Ram Sharan Mahat a senior NC leader declared on the

same day that "Elections to the constituent Assembly held under third

party involvement will decide the country's political future and

monarchy." Mahat also quoted Indian leaders that they would support

the idea of UN involvement in Nepal if political parties came up with

an unanimous view on the subject.

 

Informal Cease fire?

 

It looks that an informal cease fire is holding. The Maoists are

resorting to softer options of whole sale kidnapping of teachers,

students and other members of civic bodies for indoctrination. With

the Dasain festival already on from 4th October, the seven agitating

parties have suspended street protests for a month. Informal contacts

are being made by the political leaders with the Maoists. While both

the Nepali Congress of Girija Koirala and the UML leader Madhav Nepal

have agreed on the restoration of the parliament as a first step

towards restoration of monarchy, the Maoists are still dragging their

feet on the first step. One of their senior leaders in a public

meeting at Budha Nagar said on 28th September that they are against

restoration of Parliament as the King would then play "another game"

in the name of revival of the House.

 

A list of Maoist related incidents is given as an Appendix. The

number of violent incidents has certainly come down due to the cease-

fire but kidnapping of innocent civilians is continuing regularly.

The students and teachers unions affiliated to the Maoists have

already announced a series of protest and publicity campaigns from

mid October to mid November.

 

Matrika Prasad Yadav, Politburo member and Suresh Ale Magar,

alternate central committee member who were informally handed over to

Nepalese authorities by the Indian intelligence a few years ago have

finally been brought to surface before the court in Patan on charges

of having been involved in the killing of the IG of Police.

 

Appendix:

 

Incidents

 

Date Incidents

 

September 2005.

 

25 . Security Forces announced that 12 Maoists surrendered

to them at Dhading.

 

29. 200 civilians were abducted from Salyan district from

various places in a coordinated action by the Maoists.

 

October 2005.

 

02. Maoists abducted 300 civilians from different VDCs in a

coordinated action in the early morning hours in Panchatar district.

 

150 teachers abducted from various schools of Gorkha

district were released on condition that they would support the

Maoists in their People's War.

 

05. 73 Maoists ( 68 from Gulmi and 5 in Dhading)

surrendered to the security forces.

 

06. Three Maoists and two members of security forces were

killed and many injured in a clash at Dandakharaka in Makwanpur

district.

http://saag.org/notes3/note278.html