Burma Option Or Pakistan Option

I skim through the news today, and looks like the king is actively looking at both options. I think he would have preferred the Pakistan option whereby he makes hay in Nepal and the international community largely supports him, or turns a blind eye at the least. That not forthcoming, he has been touting the Burma option today. That is a tough stance for a country that is essentially India-locked. This withdrawal symptom only adds to the image of the autocrat he has been garnering. The Burma option is not an option for any faction in Nepal.

Looks to me like the democrats have their organizational work cut out for them. As I have said earlier, the two-word mantra of Democratic Republic to bring all forces except the Monarchists together. And if the Monarchists keep acting up, then skip the second phase two-word mantra of a Constituent Assembly, and just stick to the Democratic Repubic until it is realized.

The Nepali people will have to earn their democracy plain and simple. It is an uphill climb, but worth it. The seeds of freedom reside in every heart.

• Nepal 'can solve' Maoist crisis Hindustan Times, India Gyanendra seemed intrepidly unmindful of possible international sanctions while disbanding democracy ..... the present cabinet set-up that he surveys has, it seems, completely ignored India, and in the process the UK and the US ..... Nepal on Tuesday ruled out 'international mediation' to resolve the Maoists crisis. It also said that it is capable to meet its defence needs...... asserted that 70 per cent of its defence procurement and spending was financed by internal sources......
  
• Nepal says arms cut unfortunate, could help rebels San Diego Union Tribune ....poorly-equipped Nepali army..... "We are the ones fighting for democracy in Nepal. If they don't provide us with military aid, it will indirectly benefit the Maoists," he said...... the vice-chairman of the ruling council, Tulsi Giri, and Gurung said they had no information on the suspension of arms supplies...... The Maoists have imposed a nationwide transport blockade to mark their protest against the royal power grab, disrupting road transport and supplies of foodgrains and vegetables in the mountainous nation for the past 11 days.
• External powers must act to save Nepal Financial Times ..... in crushing fledgling democratic institutions and locking up mainstream politicians, journalists and human rights activists, it is the king who has strengthened the rebels' hand......
  
• Maoists rule Nepal highways Calcutta Telegraph Maoists have crippled Mahendra Raj Marg, Nepal’s main highway and link to India..... last week, 65 tankers carrying petroleum products from Gonda and Allahabad in India took 11 days to cover 10 km along Rupardih-Nepalgunj road in western Nepal..... Over 18 trucks on way to Kathmandu with food and other essentials offloaded their material after seven days of waiting near Nepalgunj..... Last night, Maoists detonated a bomb at the Kohalpur-based power substation of the Nepal Electricity Authority and disrupted power supply to four adjoining districts — Banke, Bardia, Surkhet and Dailekh...... the Nepalgunj-Kohalpur and Nepalgunj-Surkhet roads are eerily deserted..... Nowhere does the Mahendra highway look so desolate as when it leaves behind the mini industrial zone of Nepalgunj and enters the hilly jungle terrain.
• Nepal defiant on military aid cut BBC News Nepal says it will approach other countries for military supplies if India and the United Kingdom stopped such assistance...... Nepal could approach its giant communist neighbour China and India's traditional rival, Pakistan......
  
• Uneasy days ahead for Nepal's crown Times of India, India Growing international pressure, the regrouping of democratic forces and renewed protests and blockades by Maoist insurgents have imperilled the survival of the institution of monarchy in Nepal. ..... public opinion in Nepal is sharply polarised on the issue ..... the continuation of monarchy is being openly questioned for the first time in the country's history. ...... the Nepali Congress (is) publicly demanding the abolition of monarchy ..... Nepali political leaders who fled to India in the wake of the king's action have demanded convening of a constituent assembly elected by the people to decide the future of monarchy ..... Pradeep Giri of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) also stressed on the creation of an elected constituent assembly as the top priority of the political parties. ..... The acceptability of a constituent assembly has kindled the possibility of a grand alliance of the Maoists with political parties, though fundamental ideological differences between them persist. ..... the Maoists are said to have extended their control to over 60 of the country's 75 districts where their writ is supreme...... Chaos and instability work to the advantage of Maoist insurgents who are shrewdly moving into the space previously occupied by notoriously fractious political parties. ...... "If the king is adamant on using Royal Nepalese Army as a tool in dealing with the Maoists, he runs the risk of a popular uprising," warned security expert Major General (retd) Ashok Mehta. ..... "The only way to deal with the Maoists is through a legitimate political authority. This could take the shape of an all-party government. Let's face the fact: the king is not a legitimate political authority," Mehta said...... the political parties have already formed a broad political front ..... The international isolation of the king is near complete ..... there are reports of France, Denmark, Norway and Germany doing likewise...... Unless he changes course, he will be dumped into the dustbin of history
• Nepali parties decide to launch united fight Sify five political parties of Nepal have decided to launch a united agitation for restoration of democracy in the Himalayan Kingdom as they sought to mobilise the support of Indian parties in this respect...... The Nepali Congress, Nepali Congress (Democratic), Sadbhavna (Anandi), Janmorcha and the MCP (United) have passed a resolution, deciding to work under the leadership of former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala for ending emergency in their country..... efforts were on to bring other parties in the fold...... leaders who attended these meetings included Sujata Koirala, daughter of G P Koirala, and her cousin Shekhar Koirala (both Nepali Congress), Pradeep Giri (Nepali Congress-D) and Rajendra Mahto of Sadbhavna (A)
• Journalists slip information out of Nepal International Journalist's Network One example is a Web site named Radio Free Nepal: http://freenepal.blogspot.com/. ..... the king has begun shutting off Internet sites .....