Democracy For Nepal

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Protests

Zero Tolerance Policy Towards Monarchy

The question no longer is if the country will be a republic and the monarchy will end. The questions is how it will end. Will the king be allowed to live on as a citizen and a businessman? Or will he be thrown into exile? Will his property be confiscated by the revolutionary parliament, or will he be allowed to keep his property? Will he be jailed, or will he stay on as a free man? Those are the questions the revolution now grapples with.

The country is to be a republic before it goes to a constituent assembly. The king is not going to have any involvement in the declaration of the republic. The revolution is going to declare the country a republic.

Revolutionary Parliament (Interim Constitution, Revolutionary Parliament)

The sooner we declare it, the better. We will save lives and limbs if we make the declaration soon. All major powers will support the move. It has been our stand that the king's direct rule has been illegitimate, with no basis whatsoever in the 1990 constitution. Why would we want to have any kind of negotiation with such an illegitimate regime? How is it possible to hold dialogue with an illegitimate regime? Dialogue is out of question. We march straight to victory.

Physical Protection For The Revolutionary Parliament

We have a 12 point agreement with the Maoists. I do not believe they are trying to trick us. They really do want a Democratic Republic. That is what their own ideology leads them to believe. And that is what we want. We want the Maoists one political party out of many in a multi-party framework.

The two armies are going to be dismantled or integrated, partially or fully. What that means is these Maoist fighters have pledged themselves to be part of a future Nepal Army.

So it is perfectly legitimate to ask these Maoist fighters to provide physical protection to the revolutionary parliament. They will stay on active defense.

Command The Police, The Army, Command The State

We have to start talking like victors. We are winning. We will win. The idea is to quicken that victory. Many top people in the police and the army will get fired, many will go to jail. Kamal Thapa will go to jail for life. I have no compassion for the likes of Kamal Thapa. I will save my compassion for the tsunami victims.

We have to get the police, and the army to come onto our side. We have to make a direct appeal to the foot soldiers of both outfits.

Trusting The Maoists

Either we trust the Maoists or we don't. I do trust them.

If we don't trust them, we should walk out of the 12 point agreement. If we do trust them, we should feel okay about seeking physical protection.

This is still non-violence.

A state that answers to the people directly is a legitimate state. That state can legitimately use physical force.

Delay Means More Martyrs

Five martyrs are five too many. We have to declare the revolutionary parliament as soon as possible.

Nepali Congress Or Praja Parishad
Malaria, Polio, Monarchy
Hamro Nepal: Draft Constitution
Interim Constitution, Revolutionary Parliament
Shoot At Sight Order: Dead End For The King
Crime, Organized Crime, Terrorism, State Terrorism
The Police, The Army Need To Stop Following Illegitimate Orders

In The News

US mission personnel authorised for voluntary departure NepalNews
Mobile phone services resume in Kathmandu
Police arrest over 200 development workers
NHRC recommends action against security personnel using excessive force
Police open fire at the lawyers’ rally, dozens arrested In what is seen as yet another evidence of ‘zero tolerance’ policy of the royal regime towards anti-government protests, police on Thursday opened fire at a peaceful rally being carried out by the Nepal Bar Association (NBA)..... over a dozen lawyers, including NBA president Shambhu Thapa, were injured in police baton charging....... Police pursued the rally—that was heading towards New Baeswore, which doesn’t fall in the ‘prohibited zone—and opened fire all of a sudden from the backside of the rally. Police personnel then threw tear gas shells targeting NBA president Thapa, advocate Indra Lohani and other lawyers....... “All the journalists and lawyers are Maoists,” a police officer was heard as saying as enraged policemen were raining batons on the peaceful demonstrators. ...... NBA—that represents over 5,000 practicing lawyers
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights shocked by Nepal situation Louise Arbour has said that she is shocked by the excessive use of force by security forces in Nepal, as well as the extensive use of arbitrary detention in violation of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly...... “Now violence has mounted, despite the efforts of my Office in Nepal to urge restraint on both demonstrators and security forces. On Tuesday our human rights officers witnessed the most excessive use of force to date against demonstrators in Kathmandu by members of the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Police, and the toll of serious injuries added to three fatal shootings around the country has risen alarmingly.” ...... Nearly 90 pro-democracy activists were injured when security forces opened fire to the protestors in Gongabu area of Kathmandu on Tuesday. ....... Five pro-democracy activists have been killed, hundreds injured and over 1000 have been arrested from protests around the country since last week......“I remind its security forces of their obligation to use only minimum necessary force even when faced with demonstrators throwing rocks and other projectiles.” “But I must make clear that my commitment to provide the Department of Peacekeeping Operations with information regarding individuals implicated in human rights violations extends to them as much as it does to the Royal Nepalese Army.” ......
National and International NGOs’ express solidarity to pro-democracy movement
UNICEF concerned over victimisation of children in demonstrations reports of children being beaten and arrested by the security forces ....... “It is of great concern that children, some under the age of 10, have been seen taking part in demonstrations and have been injured and arrested.” ....... five children aged between 12 and 16 years who were arrested in locations in the Kathmandu Valley on April 10, and two 14-year old boys arrested in districts outside the Kathmandu Valley in recent days........ “UNICEF reiterates the call of the UN System last year for His Majesty’s Government of Nepal to ensure that the security forces and offices with responsibility for custody verify that any child in custody is being held in accordance with the above undertakings in Article 37.”
“Reinstatement of the House of Representatives is still the best option”

Peaceful rallies taken out across Nepal Kantipur
Nepalis abroad make generous donations
India to act tough for restoration of democracy in Nepal: Report New Delhi could use some of the methods it tried in 1989 ..... "India should come out openly in support of the constituent assembly elections. We should encourage the setting up of an interim government of the Maoists and the seven democratic parties," ..S.D. Muni... the only way out of the impasse is to restore parliament and hold elections to the constituent assembly ...... Brajesh Mishra, the former Indian national security adviser, said: "You're digging the grave of the monarchy. .......
Govt pressurises cable operators to black out Kantipur TV Shris Shumshere Rana has warned them to drop the transmission of Kantipur TV by 5:00 p.m. Thursday........ Kantipur Television has requested the valley residents to contact its telephone number 4466500 if they cannot watch Kantipur Television.
OHCHR shocked by excessive use of force in Nepal
10 professors arrested
Police open fire at lawyers' rally, 4 injured; 72 arrested
Moriarty hopeful of ongoing movement's success US has fully supported the movement...... "We are supporting you, your mass movement has gained new heights," Moriarty said.
आन्दोलन जारी लोकतान्त्रिक जनप्रदर्शन दमन गर्न सेनाले अन्धाधुन्ध गोली प्रहार गर्दा बुधबार परासीमा एक आन्दोलनकारीको मृत्यु भएको छ । ६ गम्भीर छन् । सुरक्षाकर्मीको लाठी प्रहारबाट ४० भन्दा बढी घाइते भएका छन् ।
अधिकांश घाइतेको टाउकामा प्रहार काठमाडौं, चैत ३१ - आन्दोलन क्रममा घाइते अधिकांशलाई सुरक्षाकर्मीले टाउकोमा प्रहार गरेका छन् । अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय कानुनविपरीत सुरक्षाकर्मीहरूले टाउकोमै ताकेर गोली र लाठी हानेको चिकित्सकहरूले बताए । अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय कानुनले दंगा वा आन्दोलन नियन्त्रण गर्दा घाँटीभन्दा माथि लाठी र कम्मरभन्दा माथि गोली प्रहार गर्न बन्देज लगाएको छ । वीर अस्पतालमा बुधबारसम्म उपचार गराएका १ सय ४ जना घाइतेमध्ये करिब ६० प्रतिशतको टाउकोमा चोट लागेका इमर्जेन्सीमा कार्यरत चिकित्सकले बताएका छन् । शिक्षण अस्पतालमा मंगलबारसम्म ल्याइएका १ सय २० घाइतेमध्ये ८४ जनाको बुलेट र लट्ठी प्रहारले टाउकोमा चोट लागेको छ ।

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13 April