Saturday, June 04, 2005

Peace First, Then Democracy, Democracy First, Then Social Justice


The king is saying, peace first, then democracy. The Bahuns are saying, democracy first, then social justice. Both are fundamentally wrong.

If you work towards social justice, democracy is automatic, for social justice is enlightened democracy. If you work towards democracy, peace is automatic, for democracy is enlightened peace.

The Maoists also curiously fall in the peace first camp. Or they would be willing to look into my proposed constitution. My proposal allows them to shift their fundamental ideology from "power flows through the barrel of a gun" to "power flows through the ballot box."
The king and the Bahuns are in the way! And the Maoists are not helping any.

I urge all three camps to look into my proposal and participate in a public dialogue around it. Will you accept it as it is? Do you dismiss it outright? Would you like to change parts of it? What parts and why? The document is not set in stone. It can be changed.

June 4
  • Nepal’s army rapped for recruiting children The Tribune, India ..... while nearly 30 per cent of Maoist soldiers were said to be children, the government was also allegedly recruiting them "for various purposes"...... "A generation of Nepalese children was already affected by the conflict; they represented the future of Nepal." ...... forcible use of minors as porters, combatants and human shields, and indiscriminate planting of mines that killed children
  • Former Nepal PM arrives in Delhi NDTV.com, India ..... he is expected to hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other leaders...... also likely to meet UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh .....he has been suffering from some minor health problems
  • Lawyer rally broken up in Nepal BBC News, UK stopped lawyers protesting against the king's seizure of power from marching on his palace..... three lawyers received minor injuries when police baton-charged ...... Up to 1,500 lawyers marched demanding the restoration of civil liberties ..... Lawyers say rule by decree has replaced the rule of law .... BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says the legal system in Nepal does retain independence - since February the Supreme Court has challenged many of the royal authority's actions...... many lawyers have been dismayed by the chief justice's open and firm support for the royal takeover.
  • 'Police beat lawyers with batons after protest in Nepal' Hindu ..... lawyers marched through the center of Katmandu, violating a government ban on protests in the area.
  • Lawyers beaten after protest Hindustan Times
  • Nepal's lawyers snub chief justice:- Webindia123, India In an unprecedented move, Nepal's lawyers delivered a stunning snub to the country's top judge who had voiced support for the royal coup, leaving him out of a conference attended by over 600 judges...... Nepal's independent judges say the chief judge has jeopardised the independence of the judiciary..... Infuriated by the snub, the chief judge "took revenge" by asking all Supreme Court judges to stay away from the NBA meet
  • ICRC Suspends Visit To Detention Centers INSN ...... after the Royal Nepali Army (RNA) allegedly failed to comply fully with the terms of an agreement with the ICRC regarding what are called ‘worldwide working modalities.’ These are carefully worded conditions, set down by the Swiss-based organisation, that virtually abstain from making any direct statement against state authorities or other parties to any conflict. The current difficulties centre on the detention of Nepal’s Maoist insurgents....... Under its standard working conditions, the ICRC is allowed to inspect all the premises of a building where a prisoner is kept, meet every detainee, register their names and speak with them in private. The ICRC will offer detainees the opportunity to exchange messages with their families. It is also allowed to make repeated visits to the same centre to check if detainees have been put under any pressure following visits by ICRC team members........ improving the situation of the detainees and ensuring that they are protected from disappearance, abuse, torture or psychological anxiety........ does not question the right of the authorities to detain someone but underlines that, whilst in custody, they must be treated humanely and according to the spirit and the letter of the Geneva Conventions ...... families of detainees who depend on the ICRC to receive updated information about their relatives in army custody....... the army has responded positively to the decision, reportedly setting up a working group with the ICRC to discuss violations of the Geneva Conventions inside military detention places and to build a sound basis for a better working relationship in the future........
June 3

Friday, June 03, 2005

Contents And Links

Ram Chandra Poudel And The Supreme Court Judges
40% Of Americans Can't Point Out The Pacific On A Map
Op-Ed Piece Sent To The New York Times
So Much For Hindutva, Hindu Kingdom, And Hindu King
Make It Official: International Conference In Delhi
Deuba: The Common Sense Meter
For Democrats Reinventing Self More Important Than Any Alliance With Maoists
A King Who Intends To Stay The Course
King G And The Concept Of Democracy
Nepali Maoists, Bihari Maoists
Power Through Political Dialogue
The Monarchists Digging Heels
1000 Multifarious Uses Of Article 127
Full Democracy Soon?
CPI (M), CPN (M)
Prachanda's Meaningful Statement
Constituent Assembly Will Still Be A Lot Of Work In The Form Of Political Dialogue
Sangram Morcha: A New Political Party (1993)
Activist Judges Could Save The Day
Proposed Constitution
ICG Report: Lasting Peace
Seeking Common Ground
From The Blogosphere
Badri Mandal: Sadbhavana's RPP Face
My Audio Clips: Reflections
Girija Koirala, Bamdev Gautam In Delhi
The Hardliner Democrat Approach
The Bombing Of A Bus
Power Does Not Necessarily Flow Through The Barrel Of A Gun: Maoists
The Maoists And The Democrats Giving The King Veto Power
Peace First, Then Democracy, Democracy First, Then Social Justice
Rabindra Mishra, An Unprofessional, Disrespectful Journalist
A King Who Wishes He Were A Politician
Reorganized UN, Proposed Constitution, Methods
Prachanda Press Statement
Common Minimum Program: Constituent Assembly
Rumor Has It The King Is About To Make A Major Move
Baburam Bhattarai Press Statement
The Lake Freezes At 32 Degrees Fahrenheit Like Magic
A Royal Signal: The Parliament Could Be Revived
Maoist Military Victory Vs Roundtable Conference With The Maoists
Streets Filling Up
Democratic Solidarity With The Nepali Congress
Absolute/Relative Power And Money
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Scapegoating Deuba Shows King's Desperation
The Emotional Structure Of The Conflict
Phone Talk With Hridayesh Tripathy
Laying The Grounds For A Weak Movement
Comrade Gonzalo Of Peru: A Profile
The Maoists Have Been Reading My Emails, Blog Entries
Dinesh Prasain Tour: Report
100 Reasons To Revive Parliament
Baburam: Prachanda's Best Bet, Litmust Test, And Only Option
Madhesi Rights: Abhi Nahin To Kabhi Nahin
Lifting Emergency: Was It A Major Step?
Pradip Giri: DaMaJaMa
Prachanda's Letter Bomb Of 5/1
The Seven Dwarfs
Girija, Deuba, And The Rest Of Them Clowns
To: His Majesty The King
Proposed Constitution
Email From Arzu Rana Deuba
Tibetans And Madhesis
Streets Filling Up For The First Time
There Might Still Be Room For Monarchy If The King Gets On Best Behavior
This Is Huge: Emergency Over
Changing Gears
Gagan Thapa Arrested, Deuba Re-Arrested
India's U-Turn: Nuanced As Predicted
India's U-Turn: Are Proponents Of Democracy Strong Enough?
The State Of Emergency Expires At The End Of April
The King Will Only Respond To Internal Pressure
"Urgent: Disappearance Of My Father" by Sarahana Shrestha
Prachanda: A Profile
How To Move Towards A Common Minimum Program?
The Nepali Diaspora Contradiction: Would You Like Some Tea?
Prachanda Is Angry
Hindu International (HI)
The Dinesh Prasain US Speaking Tour
The Twins Gyanendra And Prachanda Are Watching Closed-Circuit Television
Uttar Ram Tamata
I Don't Feel Sorry For The King
A Victory For The Democrats, Monarchists, Maoists
Shortcut To A New Constitution, Shortcut To Peace
Nepali Maoists And The US Perspective
Reviving Parliament: Not An Option
To: Benazir Bhutto
News Clips April 2, 4
This Inadequate, Improper, Insufficient 1990 Constitution
Phone Marathon II
To: George Soros
Phone Marathon: Called Up Delhi
Koirala Disappoints: He Is The Same Worn Out Record
Koirala Is Out: Expect Some Action
The Monarchists, Not The Maoists, Are Like The Al Qaeda
King Gyanendra: A Profile
News Clips March 27,29,30
Online Coverage Of The Maoists
Nepal Communist Party (Progressive)
The ICG Report
To: Prachanda, Baburam, Mahara, Badal And The Rest Of The Maoist Leadership
News Clips March 21,23,25
The Junta Is Defiant: Is It The Burma Option They Have In Mind?
Prime Minister-Elect Prasain: "You Have The Power!"
Doing Business With Baburam Bhattarai
Nepali Times: Managing To Stay In Print
Shaubhagya Shah: Autocracy 101 At Harvard
"I’m sorry Mrs Sunuwar"
eDemocracy, 4S Campaign, 24/7 Vigil For Democracy: Take Over Tundikhel
Baburam Bhattarai On A Democratic Republic
Time For The Nepali Congress To Take A Stand On The Constituent Assembly Question
Response To The Panchayati Ghost Tulsi Giri
Indo-US-EU Alliance Needs To Do A US-In-Haiti In Nepal
Are The Democracies All Talk And No Action?
Finally The Democrats Make Sense
Various Time Slips
Ideological Overture To The Nepali Maoists (2)
International Intervention: The Only Way Out
A Lot Of Good Got Done During The 1990s
Dinesh Prasain, Condi Rice, and the Indian Parliament
Phone Interview With Rajendra Mahato
Comrade Ramesh Nath Pandey And World Revolution
If The Basic Rights Were Restored
News Clips: March 6 to 9
Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka: Lessons For Nepal
Democracy: The Third Wave
Dinesh Prasain's Possible US Tour In April
Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari's Daughter Speaks Out
Some Basic Acts Of Co-Ordination
Human Rights ----> Political Platform ----> Full-Fledged Movement
Democrats, Imagine The Worst From Monarchists/Maoists
Non-Violent Militancy, Concerted Global Action
Major Indian Support For Democracy In Nepal
Ideological Overture To The Nepali Maoists
In The News
3 Months Or 3 Years
Sought eDialogue with Dr. Baburam Bhattarai
Three Years: Too Long A Wait
King G, Active Politics, and Media Interviews
Indo-US Alliance For Democracy In Nepal Needed
Burma Option Or Pakistan Option
The King's Best Option: Go Back On TV One More Time
The Tide Might Be Turning
Hridayesh Tripathy In Delhi: Good News
Towards a Democratic Republic of Nepal
News And Comments
The SEBS Thread That Got Self-Censored
My Sajha Thread: Of Models And SuperModels




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