The junta in Kathmandu has made it absolutely clear they will stop the planned peaceful protest programs of the seven party alliance at any cost. This is naked fascism. But we are not helpless. The Nepali people like people everywhere have a right to peaceful assembly, which is a fundamental human right. We need to write to power centers across the planet to get the world opinion on our side. This is also necessary should we have to declare a parallel government down the line.
Murari Sharma first suggested this to me. I suggested he do the writing using his title as the former Nepal ambassador to the UN. He came back to me suggesting it will be better if a larger number of Nepalis wrote. He suggested President Bush, Secretary Rice, and members of the Foreign Relations Committee. I think we can go wider.
Here are some places you can write or email to.
The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500
President Bush: comments@whitehouse.gov
Vice President Cheney: vice_president@whitehouse.gov
US State Department, Secretary Rice, U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520 (You can email her directly from the website.)
U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-6225
Chairperson Lugar: senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov
Biden, email
Others
European Union
Economic and financial sanctions: relex-sanctions@cec.eu.int
President's mail: sg-web-president@cec.eu.int
China, Ministry Of Foreign Affairs: No. 2, Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100701 webmaster@mfa.gov.cn
India, Foreign Ministry: usxps@mea.gov.in You can also search for other places to write to on Google. Please feel free to add them in the comments section of this blog entry.
UN Commission On Human Rights: ngochr@ohchr.org
The thing to remember is this thing works, and quantity matters. If they were to get 100 emails or more on Nepal within days, they will notice. It worked the last time we tried.
Nepal Needs To Be Hitting The World Headlines: Write To The Media
This just might have been a coincidence, but CNN was interviewing Madhav Nepal not long after, there were video clips on Nepal at the Reuters site.
There is power in numbers.
Here is a sample letter from Murari Sharma:
You can use the same letter of compose your own. Here is yet another sample letter.The Right Honorable
Mr. George Bush
President of the United StatesThe White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DCMr. President,
The seven-party-alliance has scheduled a series of peaceful political protests throughout Nepal from April 6-9, 2006 to press the unconstitutional government headed by King Gyanendra to restore democracy, freedom and human rights. To prevent the protests, the royal government is planning to slap curfews, arrest leaders and political activists, and deny people the freedoms of speech, peaceful assembly and movement. The royal government must be stopped from this planned crack down.
Ever since he took over absolute power on February 1, 2005, the king has been ruling by decrees and violating the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of Nepal 1990, the provisions of international human rights treaties, and the agreement it signed last year with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The royal government has also defied the call from US government and Congress for the immediate restoration of democratic rights and civil liberties and reconcile with democratic parties.
The seven-party-alliance has signed the 12-point understanding to get the Maoists to stop violence, seek peaceful settlement to the conflict and join the democratic mainstream. The civil society and Nepali people support the agreement, while putting pressure on the Maoists that they do not walk away from the agreement or betray people’s new trust in them. The royal government’s defiance to the will of the Nepali people and to the good will of the world community will dash the new found hope for peace, democracy and development.
We, the members of the Nepali diaspora in the United States, request you to kindly make it clear to the royal government in Nepal that continued crack down on peaceful political protests in Nepal is not acceptable.
Thank you.
Secretary Rice.Please pass the message around to all Nepalis and friends of Nepal you know. Quantity matters.
It must be to your knowledge the excesses of the illegitimate regime in Kathmandu. Their latest planned stunt is to prevent the planned peaceful protest programs of the seven party alliance slated for April 6-9, "at any cost," Home Minister Kamal Thapa's words.
You are looking at daylong curfews, mass arrest of leaders and political party workers, irresponsible use of tear gas, practically chemical warfare upon the people, police beatings in open streets, mobilization of the army in urban settings, shoot at sight orders, and a potential military crackdown.
This regime in Kathmandu has fascist tendencies. The world has to wake up early and beforehand if the worst case scenario has to be avoided.
We the Nepali diaspora urge you to please use the large megaphone at your disposal and the instruments of US power at your command to make it absolutely clear to the junta in Nepal that violating the brave Nepali people's right to peaceful assembly is not an option. The country will remember you forever for your helping hand at this great hour of need.
Thank you.
Letter To Senator Norm Coleman, by Padam Sharma
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