Saturday, September 10, 2005

Down With The Monarchy


In the way the king has reacted to the unilateral ceasefire by the Maoists, he stands exposed. This is a feudal autocrat who belongs in the dustbins of history, outside Nepal's soil. There is no escaping blame. As the self-appointed chief executive of the country, he is directly responsible for the police brutality against the peaceful demonstrators, and the military brutality all over the country against the defenseless. This is Milosevic with a crown on his head. Milosevic perpetrated ethnic cleansing. Gyanendra's armed men are known to target low caste families, for one.

This is a man who has looted the state treasury. This is a man who has relentlessly militarized the country. This is a man with a fundamental character flaw. This is a man with no hope, no outlet.

This man is a dictator.

In his endless diatribes against the political parties, he has echoed his dictator father Mahendra, and his dictator brother Birendra, and his murderer nephew Dipendra, his dictator grandfather Tribhuvan and his bloodhound ancestor Prithvi. His entire lineage is polluted. His is a family that gives Nepal a bad name, always has.

This man is fundamentally disoriented. He is incapable of understanding peace, democracy and progress. His mind is not healthy. His very constitution is questionable.

Sure there are sycophants with different last names than his who are part of his mafia structures, but they are little flies hovering rotten food. They too stand to be punished. But the primary task is to clean the garbage. You thoroughly clean out the garbage and the flies are much too easily taken care of.

This man is pig-headed. His obstinacy he misunderstands to be resolve.

The mistakes the democrats made was mostly made in 1990, not after. The democrats let these villains go free. They should not ever have been let free.

The choice for Nepal and friends of Nepal is between autocracy and democracy. This hoodlum says it is between terrorism and peace, if is, he is the one who is the ultimate terrorist. He has been terrorising 27 million people for months now.

Enough is enough.

And it is not for India to decide if the UN may engage itself in the peace process in Nepal or not. These brown sahib bureaucrats and politicians in Delhi who never really managed to throw their mental sackles of the colonized and continue with their mental slavery are blind to the fact that the UN is the only way they could ever really truly become a global power. I feel sorry for them, but they may not get in my way nevertheless.

I don't know if the UN will get involved, maybe they will not be necessary. But that is a question for the Nepali democrats.

For now I urge the Maoists and the democrats to work towards forming an alliance of steel. It is time for a total showdown, time for a confrontation. It is a fight to the finish. Time for peace talks have long since passed.

The dictator has squandered all his opportunities. He is not going to get anymore.

On to a republic. And a total, progressive democracy.

And I strongly urge the UN human rights officials in the country to actively document all the atrocities committed by the RNA. This guy is going to the Hague.

In The News
  • Over 50 demonstrators detained in New Delhi NepalNews
  • UN Special Rapporteur on Torture arrives in Kathmandu
  • Company headed by Dr. Giri pays back Bank loan
  • RCCC withdraws its appeal Spokesman of the controversial Commission, Prem Raj Karki, had filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against its own verdict to give clean chits to former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and six colleagues from his cabinet on charge of ‘misusing’ money from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund....... The RCCC withdrew its appeal after Attorney General Pawan Kumar Ojha advised the Commission not to appeal against its own decision.
  • India’s big ‘No’ to UN involvement in Nepal Kantipur During a recent New Delhi visit of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan’s Special Advisor Lakhadar Brahimi, New Delhi rejected suggestions that the United Nations provided its good offices in the resolution of nearly a decade old Maoist insurgency in Nepal....... Brahimi was in New Delhi for four days around Aug. 29-Sept.1, and the top UN diplomat held extensive consultation with India’s External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, Secretary Shyam Saran and other top officials in the government ....... During Brahimi’s Delhi stopover, another senior political advisor to the UN Secretary General Samuel Tamrat, who has visited Nepal several times in recent times; and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, Ian Martin, was also here for consultations........ “It [that the three top UN officials involved in Nepal’s conflict were in Delhi at the same time] was more than just a coincidence” ........ After meeting External Affairs Minister Singh, Brahimi seemed a “little puzzled” to know that India does not want UN’s involvement in the resolution of Nepal’s tri-polar conflict ...... not immediately clear what kind of third party mediation, if at all, Delhi favoured for resolution of the bloody conflict ..... growing multiparty clamours for UN involvement in the conflict resolution. ....... Hailing from Algeria, Brahimi also has experiences of dealing with other conflict hotspots like Iraq and Sri Lanka.
  • Maoists appeal int’l community Prachanda, has appealed international communities including the United Nations to exert pressure on government for establishing peace in the country. ...... accused the government of starting a conspiracy to sabotage the unilateral ceasefire announced by his party....... Prachanda also claimed that security forces have intensified attacks on Maoist cadres in Bardia, Kanchanpur, Jajarkot, Dailkeh, Udayapur, Taplejung and Kaski district among others...... “The attacks on our cadres, who are in the active defense positions, are aimed at compelling us to breakdown the ceasefire”
  • Over 100 students abducted in Myagdi
  • King cancelled UN visit to focus on restoring peace: FM Pandey
  • 98 kms of road constructed last year
  • ANNISU-R shut down 9 more schools in Udayapur
  • FNJ urges Annan to discuss Nepali media crisis
  • Over three dozen leaders detained
  • NHRC requests govt not to use excessive force
  • Nepali guerrillas move affects 15,000 students in eastern Nepal People's Daily Online, China The government, with the support from World Bank, has begun the transfer of the management of state-aided schools to the School Management Committee, a body of local people
  • UN expert visiting Nepal on torture issue People's Daily Online, China ..... a fact-finding mission starting Saturday ....... The special rapporteur will submit a comprehensive written report on the visit to Commission on Human Rights at its 62nd session in 2006.
  • A Royal Taming Outlook (subscription) Last week was arguably Nepal's most tumultuous from the time King Gyanendra grabbed power on February 1........ Nepal's monarch rescinded his earlier plan to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 16; two major political parties declared their opposition to even constitutional monarchy; the Maoists announced a three-month ceasefire beginning September 1; and the people braved police repression to voice their anger against the monarch....... His trip to New York was anyway expected to be stormy. Heads of several European delegations had been contemplating a walkout during King Gyanendra's speech at the UNGA; outside it, expat Nepalis had planned a black flag demonstration......."Where's the question of the king cancelling his trip which had never been announced," stoutly defended a foreign ministry official. ........ the king and his 56-member entourage. ..... the government had even hired a public relations person for $50,000, in the hopes of rallying international support in New York. And the state exchequer released a whopping Rs 110 million for the trip, an amount never before spent on a Nepali delegation to the UN....... With 60 per cent of the cadres of the two parties below 40 years of age, their leaders could not ignore the radicalism of the younger generation which has neither emotional nor intellectual affinity with the kingship....... Quite cleverly, Prachanda was projecting the army generals, not the soldiers, as his enemy....... the Maoists wanted an interim government to supervise elections to the Constituent Assembly, which could then institutionalise the democratic republican system........ Madhav Kumar Nepal responded, "We are one with the Maoists on the question of the Constituent Assembly." ...... As mainstream political parties and the Maoists began to move towards a common ground, Kathmandu's streets echoed with slogans of "Get out Gyanendra." These daily protests invited retaliatory police action and arrests of hundreds....... Sore over the king's refusal to restore democracy at the earliest, India indicated for the first time that it won't ignore the demand for a republic voiced by political parties. It also thought the announcement of ceasefire was vital....... "All political forces now need to work strenuously for a democratically based peace process leading to a durable negotiated solution, involving a national consensus and reintegration of the Maoists into a multi-party democracy," a EU statement issued by the British embassy here said....... the ceasefire declaration portrays the Maoists as greater votaries of peace than the king...... The declaration also helps them counter Nepal and Washington's accusation that they are terrorists. These perceptions were further bolstered with Prachanda asking Annan to play a larger role in the negotiations in Nepal—a role he is keen on...... It's difficult for them to share a platform with the Maoists who haven't yet put down their gun and who have killed scores of pro-democracy supporters in the past. "That will mean accepting the Maoist agenda and its leadership. We are aware of it," Nepali Congress leader G.P. Koirala is believed to have told his confused supporters privately. Revival of the Nepali parliament has been the demand of political parties. Its acceptance by the king could preempt the political parties and Maoists joining hands. But it would also mean the king accepting constitutional monarchy as enshrined in the Constitution. Should he not, analysts say he ought to prepare for a republican hurricane.
  • Nepal’s villagers just want peace. PeaceJournalism.com, Nepal “We met Maoists on the way but they said nothing about a ceasefire,” says 27-year-old Bal Bahadur Rai, who arrived in Chhatara after walking along the Kosi for two days from Bhojpur district...... Even after the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Maoists, there seems to be either a lack of communication or a break down in the chain of command. Rebel road blockades are intact in the district headquarters of Pachthar and Taplejung in the east and local Maoist commanders are saying that the ceasefire statement from their leader was not clear so they have decided to maintain their blockades........ the message of Prachanda’s statement hasn’t yet filtered down to the grassroots cadre. “The Maoists themselves are not clear about the ceasefire,” adds Mahat. They don’t know if it also includes an end to extortion, abductions, school closures and recruitment....... Activists are now calling on a coalition of 25 human rights organisations to immediately start independent monitoring...... Community leaders in the east say the situation may improve only if the government reciprocates the ceasefire.......Villagers there said the rebels approached them after the ceasefire demanding 20 kg of rice and cash from each household....... concerns that security operations by the state might jeopardise the ceasefire. Security forces have been intensifying searches and on the day of the ceasefire arrested three Maoists near midnight in Hawaldarpur, 10 km outside of town. The yearning for peace is so great that even local police want the government to announce a ceasefire. “It will be better for everyone if both sides agree,” says a local policeman at a sandbagged picket in the centre of Nepalganj. But Kumar Sharma Acharya of the Nepal Bar Association says this won’t happen without pressure. “We have to step up our lobbying for the state to also announce an immediate ceasefire,” he says.

Friday, September 09, 2005

The Obstinate Monarchists


The Home Minister says the Maoists have not officially informed the government of the ceasefire.

The army says the Maoists have not been following the dictat of their own ceasefire.

Are these positive signs? Is this a government suggesting if the Maoists were to formally inform them of a ceasefire, then the government might respond to it? Is the state army saying even if there is no formal approach, if only the Maoists were to follow the ceasefire and not engage in sporadic violence and abductions, that the army would consider announcing its own ceasefire?

This is delicate territory, and we democrats have to be careful. Peace process is like the patient is undergoing heart surgery. We have to treat the matter that delicately.

So let's ponder upon these two moves by the government.

Another thing the Maoists will have to make room for is they seem to be the swiftest of the three camps. They are rapid response. The democrats are the slowest. The Maoists approach the democrats for talks. It takes the democrats two months to even respond. The king executes a coup, it takes the democrats over three months to respond. Similarly, the king and his men are slow. After a week, they are finally responding.

Let's zero in on this a little bit.

Maoists still carrying out violence: Army NepalNews ...... A group of Maoists exploded IEDs targeting security forces on patrol in Deumai area of Ilam district Friday afternoon and, in Kailali’s Balachour, the rebels opened fire at a security team today ...... the Maoists abducted two villagers in Salyan district, one each at Pyalekhola and Kathigaon areas, on Thursday. It is not known why the villagers – one of them identified as Bhim Bahadur BK – were abducted........ one Dridaya Das of Manedawa village in Rautahat district was injured in a reckless firing by the Maoists Wednesday....... a group of Maoists abducted ten teachers and five students of Hangdewa area in the eastern district of Dhankuta. Likewise, on Tuesday, the rebels marched 14 students of Damodar High School in Takhuwagaon, Dhamkuta, to an unknown location ........

What does Prachanda have to say? Are these false claims? If not, has the word of a ceasefire not reached all his cadres? That is entirely possible. He could say that, and assure the rest of us that further efforts will be made to make sure all his cadres adhere to his order. The specific details of these claims have to be responded to. On the other hand, if there have been RNA attacks on Maoists since the ceasefire, Prachanda has the option to furnish the details.

Maoists have not informed us about ceasefire: Home Minister Shahi NepalNews ...... They have issued their statement over the Internet which they can withdraw any time ....... The interior minister said the government too had preconditions for the ceasefire. First of all, they should stop their terrorist activists, hand over arms and come over to the table of negotiations....... the government will not call its forces back into barracks. "If the terrorists and dacoits say that they are going for ceasefire and that the government should not arrest them, should we let them scoot free? ....... accused the seven-party opposition alliance of maintaining double standards vis a vis the Maoists. "These are the ones who declared Maoists as terrorists and issued Red Corner notices against them. Now how can they hold talks with them?" asked the minister. "If those who call themselves as constitutional move beyond the scope of the constitution, the government will not tolerate" ........ Shahi further said there was no possibility of talks between the King and the parties as long as they come up with what he called 'immoral, undemocratic and meaningless issues.' ......... there was no rationale or basis for the King to give up (executive) powers. "His Majesty took up powers for a period of three years. He will handover power to an elected government by holding elections within that period. Our royal tradition is such that the monarchy doesn't turn back without fulfilling its pledge."

This Shahi genius is talking out of some organ other than his mouth.
  1. "Hand over arms" talk is saying the Maoists should plain surrender. That is the voice of Monarchists who do not want peace. Peace means they end up out of power.
  2. The government does not have to call the army back into the barracks. Ceasefire would mean you stand where you are, and do not attack the opponent.
  3. His open warning to the seven parties is further proof the minister does not seek reconciliation. These people want war with the Maoists, and they want war with the democrats. So it is not even about the gun. Because democrats do not have guns. But the monarchists still can not tolerate the democrats. That is recipe for a revolution.
  4. The government is not only ruling out talks with the Maoists, it is also ruling out talks with the parties. This is recipe for a total showdown, a confrontation.
  5. The king is sticking to his three years mantra.
If the minister is so adamant on his idiocy, why is it not possible the RNA is spreading falsities about the Maoists?

I feel like the country is headed towards a classic revolution. These monarchists stand to be punished. Saddam broke, he did not bend. Negotiation is the art democrats exhibit. Autocrats take a stand and stick to it all the way. They break.

The king seems to have chosen to go down with the unroyal monarchists. Mao begot Maoism, King G begot Monarchism. Monarchism is an ideology. It is a feudal mechanism.

In The News
  • SC stays RCCC summons Kantipur ..... the court asked the RCCC not to arrest, summon, record a statement or carry out any other activities.
  • NHRC requests govt not to use excessive force
  • Country heading towards democracy sans monarchy: Nepal .....Ruling out the possibility of dialogue with the King in the present situation, Nepal also informed that the CPN-UML has decided to take special initiative to make the party's decision to go for a democratic republic a common agenda of the agitating seven-party alliance..... there is possibility of threats and challenges from various sides while organizing the seven-party movement and holding talks with Maoists, Nepal directed the party activists to be ready to face such risks ....... "There are many risks and threats against the movement...and there are risks if the present constitution is transformed into an interim constitution while going for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution," Nepal said, adding, "We should identify and face all these challenges." ..... parties are preparing to organize nationwide exposure campaign against the monarchy soon
  • Parties will have no dialogue with king: Oli ..... no possibility of a dialogue between the King and political parties and until the monarch agrees to give up his active role.
  • Over three dozen leaders detained
  • Parties continue street protest
  • SC continues hearing on RCCC's constitutionality five-member special bench of the SC comprising Kedar Prasad Giri, acting chief justice, Justices Min Bahadur Rayamajhi, Ram Nagina Singh, Anup Raj Sharma and Ram Prasad Shrestha ....... The SC had rejected any writ petition questioning the constitutionality of the RCCC for more than six months. But the SC administration began entertaining such petitions from August 10 when Justice Rayamajhi ordered its administration to register such petitions which involved a serious issue...... "The Constitution does not give authority [to the King] to form another organ [the RCCC] by confiscating the jurisdiction of other organs of the state," Nepal Bar Association President Shambhu Thapa, who pleaded on behalf of the petitioner, argued...... the SC today issued a stay order to the RCCC for not to implement its July 26 verdict related to Lama Construction Company, the contractor of the Melamchi Drinking Water Project.......
  • Over three-dozen writers arrested from pro-democracy rally NepalNews
  • Nepal police detain 120 pro-democracy activists Reuters India, India
  • Call truce and we'll talk, Nepal Maoists tell king Newindpress
  • Crossfire War: South Asia; Nepal - Skepticisim Regarding Maoist " ... NewsBlaze, CA a telling excerpt from Mao’s "Little Red Book", a manual that has for decades been the bible for revolutionaries, "Make good use of the intervals between campaigns to rest, train, and consolidate our troops. Periods of rest, training and consolidation should not in general be very long, and the enemy should so far as possible be permitted no breathing space."
  • Govt bans online news service The Britain-based Everest World Limited (EWL) today said the Nepal government has banned its online news service www.gorkhanews.com in Nepal "for its stand against the curb in Nepali press since Feb 1"..... closing down of the online news service was the climax of ‘autocracy’
  • Jhyamma, Jhyamma: Singing Democracy UWB Yesterday was one of the most impressive anti-autocracy demonstrations that New Road saw in recent days. Thousands of people marched on the streets thundering the slogans that must have echoed in Narahaynhitti palace. Police used heavy force (including water canon, tear gas and lathis) against those pro-democratic souls....... Khum Bahadur Khadka is courting repeated arrests..... Singhadurba matra hoina, Narayanhitti pani hamrai ho [Not only Singhadurbar, Narayanhitti is ours too] ....... The singer was singing well. The crowd was singing well. I noticed even policemen enjoying the song. Some of them were patting tows. Some were moving their heads.......... A few minutes later, I saw Khum Bahadur Khadka, Nepali Congress leader, in a real hurry to enter the police van........ A few women, most of them wives of the politicians, courted the arrests..... I talked with a policeman who was holding a gun that was meant to fire tear gas. He wasn’t agitated. He was sort of happy. “Do you think they will succeed like this way?” I wanted to steal his mind. “No. Very few people are coming. Only the party cadres.” Now, the policeman went like he would like to see the movement gain momentum as soon as possible. .......
  • An Army Statement Claims War Has Not Stopped UWB ....... the daily press release issued by the Royal Nepal Army ..... shockingly lists some of the “criminal activities”, that the release categorically alleges, as perpetrated by the “terrorists” ........ manipulate the media by waging a proxy war ..... I don’t want to believe RNA. Instead, I want to believe that rebels are fully committed to their leader Prachanda’s last week’s cease-fire announcement. Three days ago, army released similar statement detailing the violations of cease-fire by the Maoists themselves.
  • Some Dreams Shattered, Some Continue UWB Maoists’ unexpected announcement of three-months-long truce has effectively shattered some dreams of some very powerful people in some power centers. The plan that was never announced has been aborted. Europe and New York odyssey has been cancelled. Government’s reaction to the rebel cease-fire has been pathetic. It is something like “Oh…what a nonsense. I thought I was the sole contractor of peace in Nepal. I thought peace was my agenda only. They have overtaken me. But I will not let them bring peace.” ...... The competition to take credit for peace is so fierce among the power centers ...... Near and dear ones of the Narayanhitti royal palace are busy depicting the king as a god. This is not suitable especially after the king himself has admitted- in recent TV/Radio/RSS interview- that he is a HUMAN being. ........ ........... After the departure of Hari Prasad Sharma as the Chief Justice, Supreme Court has started to think about people. Yesterday, it rejected government’s plea to stop news casting in FM radios. What a jolly good decision. This is a blow to the current autocratic regime. I can take this as yet another dream shattered.