US: Maoists Must Give up Arms

[Guest guest]

US: Talks possible only if rebels give up arms

 

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Dec. 15: The United States of America has reiterated that

the Maoists are terrorists, and the constitutional forces can hold

dialogues with them only if the rebels lay down their arms.

 

Speaking via digital videoconference from Washington D. C, Stephen J.

Blake, Director of the South Asia Bureau's Office of India, Nepal,

Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Bhutan Affairs at the Department of

State, said that the Maoists are terrorists because they continue

their atrocious activities like kidnapping and extortion even during

the period of cease-fire they declared. "They have a poor track

record of human rights violations."

 

Congressman James Walsh ®, another speaker in the discussion

on "Congress, US Foreign Policy and Nepal" organised by the American

Center at the American Library this evening, said that the Maoist

revolution in Nepal is a bad thing as there can be no private army in

democracy, adding that dialogues with the Maoists would be possible

only if they lay down their weapons.

 

Both Walsh and Blake had been in Nepal for some time in the past and

are aware of geo-political and socio-economic situations of Nepal.

Walsh was a Peace Corps volunteer from 1970-72 and visited Nepal many

other times later and Blake served as a consular officer at the US

Embassy in Kathmandu from 1994-1996.

 

Expressing concern about Nepal's present political situation, they

suggested all the concerned to come together to hammer out solutions

to the crises.

 

Walsh, who was involved in the peace process of Northern Ireland,

said that US policy vis-à-vis Nepal has always been consistent and

that he wanted to see a democratic and peaceful Nepal. "But we can't

force for that to happen."

 

Stating that the United States does not dictate policies in any

country, he said it is the Nepalese people who can decide what they

want.

 

Responding to a query whether it is peace or democracy that America

wants to see restored in Nepal, he said both peace and democracy go

hand in hand.

 

Blake suggested to first solve the current political problem that

would give constitutional forces strength to deal with the Maoists.

 

Stating that President George Bush has placed high priority on

democracy and human rights in the world, he said that the present US

government is trying to find the best way forward.

 

http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.php?

file=2005/12/16/topstories/main6