Henry Shepherd: Open Source

To: paramendra@yahoo.com
Subject: Questions for Democracy for Nepal
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 21:20:29 -0400
From: "Henry Shepherd"

Hi,

I work for Open Source, a public radio show that uses the Internet to explore current events. Your blog has received extensive coverage (I found it on Global Voices) over the past few days, and I am hoping to learn more about what you are doing. If you can, please respond to this short list of questions:

--What are you trying to achieve with DFN?

DFN is not journalism, this is not simply blogging. This is cutting edge politics. This gets read by a lot of key people in all three political camps. Madhav Nepal, the junta's public enemy number one, who is in jail right now, and is the interim president in waiting, reached out to me when he was under house arrest, before he reached out to anyone else after he managed to "smuggle" wireless internet access into his residence. (April Revolution: Document Every Atrocity)

DFN is politics at the speed of thought. Recently I got 600 page views on one day. That is like addressing a 600 strong crowd in a room during a political gathering. Only many of those are key people calling the shots. My blog is a factor in the democratic camp.

The goal, especially now, is to turn Nepal into a Democratic Republic. An organization also has been born to that end: Hamro Nepal. (Hamro Nepal, Latest) Hamro is "our" in Nepali. The name has the ethnic flavor of a Taco Bell. But Hamro Nepal is also about earning voting rights for Nepalis in New York City. No Taxation Without Representation. With that same slogan they dumped the tea in the Boston harbor.

--How do you collect your information?

The internet is a wonderful thing. I get most of my info online. But I also have a rather extensive personal network. Email, phone calls, political meetings, events.

And there is this thing about imagination being more important than knowledge: Proposed Republican Constitution 2006. Once this gels in Nepal, you are looking at the number one democracy on the planet, more cutting edge than in America.

--Who is your intended audience?

Primarily the political leadership in the democratic camp, namely the seven party alliance, but also the leaders in the diaspora, be they in Hong Kong or New York or Paris.

But I like getting page hits. I don't care where they come from. The more the merrier. The blog is also an aspiring small business, in case you have not noticed.

--How can you describe what is happening in Nepal? Where do you see the nation and its government headed?

You are witnessing a modern day French Revolution. None of us in the democratic camp really expected this on April 5. We have been pleasantly surprised. But now the momentum is on. The Nepali people are out in the streets all across the country. Every town, hamlet, city, from all walks of life. This crowd is out saying, give me liberation, or give me death.

The Maoists are very misunderstood in the west. They want a Democratic Republic. India is one, America is another. America should quit trying to save the monarchy or it should invite the Queen of England back.

I hope this April Revolution will conclude in April. I want the foreign powers to all recognize the seven party interim government once it is declared unilaterally. That government will take the country through peace talks with the Maoists, then constituent assembly elections. It is for a constituent assembly in Iraq that America has spent upwards of $230 billion, 2300 lives, and 30000 Iraqi lives. A constituent assembly is a good thing. A people have to write their own constitution. That is the democratic way.

From those questions, you can probably understand what I'm trying to learn. Please get in touch with me as soon as possible if you are interested discussing your blog and the situation in Nepal.

Are you by any chance trying to get me live on radio? I am up for it. The revolution needs all the publicity it can get right now.

Henry Shepherd
Radio Open Source
henry@radioopensource.org

BBC Calls
Final Act: Disobey The Curfew
"Robin Hood Im Internet"
Justin Krebs

Global Voices Online, Harvard Law School

Revolution In Nepal: Monarchy On Its Way Out
Nepal Movement, Day 3: Shoot At Sight Order
Day 2: Nepal Democracy Movement
Khatmandu’s tense political moves
Nepal: Moriarty Drowns Out Prachanda
Nepal: Money Needed For Movement

United We Blog

General Strike Day X Updates
Bye Bye Brian
Journos Severely Beaten and Arrested
Strike and Nepali Journalists
Wishing for Peaceful 2063
General Strike Day IX Updates
UWB! Founder Talk At UCLA
Nepal in the Throes of Transformation
Talking About Nepali New Year
General Strike Day VIII Updates
Trigger-happy Police Shoot at Lawyers
In Support of Democracy
General Strike Day VII Updates
Curfew Monologues
What Happened in Gongabu?
April 11 Photos
Republicanism Inevitable
General Strike Day VI
State Plays Dirty Game
Hats Off to Democracy Fighters
Around the Capital on Day V
Kathmandu Spring: Where are the Leaders?
April 10 Updates
The Ghattekulo Story
Don’t Be Ruthless, Please!
General Strike Day IV Updates
General Strike Day III Updates
The Kaushaltar Story
Curfew! Clashes! Communication cut-off!
Listening Clinton Speech in LA
Kirtipur & Patan Through Lens
Royal Madness
General Strike Day II Updates
General Strike Day I Diary
On Photos: April Uprising I
Maoists Attack on Sarlahi
The Eve of General Strike
Leaders & Professionals Arrested
LOCKED Future!
Interests of Power Centers
April Uprising: What to Expect?
The Misery of Martyr’s Family
Patan Meet in the Eve of April Uprising
UWB in USA: Mr. Blogger Goes to Washington

INSN

Udayapur: report
COCAP: Thursday report
Nespec-Udayapur report & photos
April 12: Day in Photos
Gyanendra’s time is up
Democracy Now! on Nepal
Jutta ko Mala
Two articles by Baburam Bhattarai
Growing Peoples’ movement
Mass uprising shakes Nepal’s royal regime
Book Review: Nepal beyond the monarchy
Widespread protests erupt against Nepal’s King Gyanendra
Nationwide protests continue despite government warning
FNJ: minister directs KTV to cease broadcast
Joint statement by HR organisations
CPN(M): statement
Nepalese Democratic Forum, Belgium: report
COCAP: Situation Update 4/5-4/12
CPN(UM): statement
FNJ: security infiltrates peaceful gatherings

Samudaya

Jorpati: No stones
Agitation for Democracy, Part 1
Agitation for Democracy, Part 2
Agitation for Democracy, Part 3
Patan, Part 1
Patan, Part 2

Phalano

Day 10, Day 9, Day 8, Day 7, Day 6, Day 5, Day 4, Day 3, Day 2, Day 1.

April 12, 2006

Press Statement

The meeting of the topmost leaders of the seven political parties is held today in the afternoon in Kathmandu. The decisions of the meeting are made public through this communiqué:

1. The peaceful joint movement launched under the leadership of the seven political parties for an end of the autocratic monarchy and for the establishment of full-fledged democracy is becoming more effective and forceful. It is our conclusion that only the joint peaceful mass movement can fulfill the objective of the ongoing movement. In this movement, the participation of broad masses of the people including the leaders and activists of political parties, mass organizations, media workers, professional and community organizations and human rights workers has been widening. In the course of the movement six brave persons has got martyrdom. Thousands of people are arrested and wounded. We pay our heartfelt homage to the martyrs and extend our thanks to all those who have participated in the movement. We cordially appeal to all workers, peasants, women, youths, students, intellectuals, civil servants, employees of all public and financial institutions, teachers, university teachers, doctors, engineers, industrialists, business person, journalists, human rights workers, writers, litterateurs, artists and brothers and sisters of all caste, language, religion and region to participate more effectively in a peaceful and non-violent way in the movement.

2. We vehemently condemn the brutal repression and killing of the autocratic regime and express our high respect to the immortal martyrs of the mass movement. We reiterate our commitment that the government formed after the establishment of the democracy shall erect the statue of the martyrs, provide education and employment to the members of the martyrs and shall take appropriate steps for the persons mutilated during the movement.

3. We would like to cordially appeal to all hospitals, nursing homes and health centers and health workers to provide treatment either free of charge or in concession to the wounded sick persons caused due to the government’s suppression during the ongoing movement. We would like to assure that the democratic government shall pay all expenses made by all health centers during the movement.

4. The regressive royal regime is threatening to take action against the employees taking part in the democratic movement. We appeal to all employees to participate in the movement without fear discarding all those undemocratic and anti-people orders of the autocratic royal regime. We would like to express our commitments that all the employees who are either expelled or victimized shall be reinstated unconditionally with an honor and the right to the trade union shall be established after the restoration of democracy.

5. We express our commitment that all those industrialists taking part in the democratic movement shall be exempted from the bank interest for the period of the movement by the democratic government and the government shall bear the liability arising there from.

6. We seven agitating political parties are also in favor of the welfare and prosperity of the army and police. We believe that they are for the service of the people. However, the present regressive royal regime is trying to protect itself and fulfil its vested interest using the security forces for the suppression of the peaceful mass movement. Therefore, we would like to urge to all security forces to refrain from resorting to suppression against the movement. We have directed to all local committee of the seven parties to keep record and collect the names of those who have resorted to brutal suppression. against the mass movement. We would like to make it clear that the government established after the restoration of democracy shall take stern action against those involved in the suppression on the participants of the peaceful movement.

7. At present, the autocratic royal government is hatching the conspiracy to turn the movement violent and bloody planting plain cloths armed security personnel and state protected vigilantes intending to link up the movement with the violence while the peaceful movement is reaching at its climax. It is evidently seen from the incident in Nepalgunj the other day where the United Nations human rights workers caught the security personnel with proof. We have received information about similar incidents from different parts of the country. We would like to request to the people to continue their cooperation and beg pardon for the inconvenience caused due to the on going program of general strike at this historical juncture while the mass movement is heading towards a success.

8. There can be no permanent peace in the country unless the end of autocracy and establishment of full-fledged democracy. We have made a 12-point understanding with the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) ( November 22, 2005 and March 19, 2006) to bring permanent peace and to restore democracy in the country ending the present conflict. Accordingly, we are fully honest and committed to resolve the present conflict through the peaceful mass movement. We are fully confident that this objective can be achieved by the peaceful joint mass movement that is conducted on the basis of the seven political parties’ declared goals, program and code of conduct.

9. We would like to thank to all friendly countries and international communities for their solidarity to our peaceful mass movement and we cordially expect their similar cooperation, support and solidarity in the days to come.

10. The New Year 2063 is beginning and the year 2062 is departing forever. On this occasion, we would like to extend our cordial best wishes to all Nepalis for their happiness, peace and prosperity and wish for an end of the autocratic monarchy and establishment of full-fledged democracy in the country.

Girija Prasad Koirala Amrit Kumar Bohara Sher Bahadur Deuba

President Acting General Secretary President

Nepali Congress CPN (UML) Nepali Congress (D)

Amik Serchan Narayan Man Bijukche Bharat Bimal Yadav

President President Vice-President
Jana Morcha Nepal Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party Nepal Sadbhawan Party (A)