Democracy For Nepal

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Kanak Mani Dixit, Rhoderick Chalmers

March 2 Event In New York City

ICG: Electing Chaos
ICG Report On The New Alliance
ICG Report On Maoists
Beyond Royal Rule: An ICG Report
ICG Report: Lasting Peace
The ICG Report

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Up The Ante: Smart Sanctions

The first goal of this movement is the release of all political prisoners. No talks of any kind are possible with this regime unless it releases all political prisoners. This is what the big powers need to be looking into. Enough of goodwill visits, study reports and press statements. It is time to change gears. On to economic sanctions, travel restrictions, freezing of assets.

Nepal: One Year Of Royal Anarchy

Asian Centre for Human Rights and FORUM ASIA call upon the international community to boycott the administration of King Gyanendra by taking the following measures:

- Impose sanctions against King Gyanendra and his administration including a visa ban and a freeze on assets of the members of the Royal family, government ministers, senior members of the Royal Nepal Army, state-owned economic enterprises, and on beneficiaries of the government's economic policy and members of their families;

- Impose complete arms embargo on Nepal and withdraw all technical assistance on financing and financial assistance related to military activities, and on the export of equipment that might be used for repression on pro-democracy activists;

- Withdraw all bilateral and multilateral economic development assistance programmes to the government of Nepal and if projects or programmes are approved for emergency services, such projects/programmes be implemented directly by the donors or through the NGOs;

I have had this old fashioned distrust of Europe as a continent due to the colonial past. Even today I write critically of the continent on some social issues. (The Jyllands Posten Muhammad Cartoons Controversy, French Society: No Easy Solutions) But I must say the European Union's proactive stances on the situation in Nepal has made me take a second look at the continent. I am so glad the EU is seriously considering smart sanctions against the regime in Nepal. India and the US need to follow. India needs to let the trade and transit treaty expire like in 1989.

There are people who argue sanctions will only hurt the common people. I disagree. Sanctions will hasten the demise of this autocratic, illegitimate regime, and so although there might be short term inconveniences, perhaps for a few weeks, a few months, a positive conclusion to the decade long civil war and unrest is what the people deserve. And it is not true only the common people will suffer. The junta has much to lose from losing power. Only the blow of economic sanctions might push the regime into talking some sense.

There have to be threats of sanctions followed by sanctions that get stepped up over time. Victory is in sight for the democracy movement. And the international powers can help. Nepal is one of the poorest countries on the planet, but it has a vibrant democratic base. And this base needs help so it can set an example for many other countries that have not yet seen the light of democracy. Think of Nepal as a human laboratory for democracy.

Economic sanctions do work: they worked wonders in South Africa. If press statements and friendly advice would work, they would have worked by now. And as long as the regime keeps holding the political prisoners, reconciliation is not imaginable.

How much worse do things have to get? Nepal is in a sorry shape. Economic sanctions are statecraft of the highest order. This is about saying non-violent ways have muscle, rule of law has muscle, the message of democracy has muscle. Economic sanctions would be an answer to those who say violence is the only way to achieve freedom.

I am not against the idea of dialogue. Heck, I have been strongly proposing the idea. That is my preferred method of making political progress. But the first step in the dialogue process has to be a release of all political prisoners. And the dialogue process has to culminate in a constituent assembly. That still leaves room for a lot of details, and room for more than one roadmap.

But if such respectful dialogue not be forthcoming, sanctions are the way to go.

International sanctions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Well known examples of economic sanctions include the United Nations sanctions against South Africa, United Nations sanctions against Iraq (1990-2003) and the United States embargo against Cuba (1961-present). South Africa is the typical case study for giving sanctions credibility

"Blacklists and Other Economic Sanctions"
A User's Guide To Economic Sanctions
[PDF] North Korea: Economic Sanctions
Economic Sanctions Policy
Open Directory - Society: Issues: Economic: Sanctions
Voices in the Wilderness : Economic Sanctions
NPR : Threat of Economic Sanctions Worries Syrians
What are Unilateral Economic Sanctions?
Study Group on the Utility of Economic Sanctions as an Instrument ...
Economic Sanctions | International Economic Sanctions | Political ...
Topics/Economic Sanctions - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
BBC NEWS | Africa | US sanctions target Mugabe
Economic Sanctions in Support of Foreign Policy Goals - The MIT Press

In The News

King grants audience to Ranabhat; ‘King is ready for dialogue with parties’ NepalNews
King Gyanendra starts consultations
Mother of Maoist leader Dr. Bhattarai passes away
Consensus among constitutional forces a must: RJP Chief Thapa
Anti government student bodies sweep FSU election
Deuba wants closure of 'people's courts'
Rebels disrupt drinking water and irrigation project in Rukum: Report
RNA to run FMs: reports

King Keen To Hold Talks With Parties: Ranabhat Kantipur Publications
NSU, ANNFSU lead union polls
RJP urges king to respect SC verdict
Deuba urges Maoists to scrap their "people's court"
King begins political consultations in Pokhara
श्री ५ बाट आकस्मिक दर्शनभेट
सर्वोच्चको फैसलालाई प्रस्थानविन्दु बनाऊ’

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28 February