The Nepalese American Council (NAC) has expressed serious concern over the Nepal government's handling of Nepalgunj riots and recent unrest in the Terai.
A press release issued by the NAC said, "We are concerned about the role of security forces, particularly in Nepalgunj and Janakpur incidents. NAC is troubled by the disproportionate use of force against protestors in eastern Terai resulting in 28 deaths."
Many Nepalis have the perception that the non-intervention of police in Nepalgunj may have been driven by ethnic differences between the police force and the victims of the riot, the statement added.
NAC believes that a fair and equitable treatment of everyone is critical in establishing durable peace and harmony in the country, the statement added.
NAC has called on the government to undertake a prompt investigation of Nepalgunj incident and other recent Terai events in a fair and impartial manner and that the outcome of such investigation be made public.
NAC also called upon the government to take appropriate action against the responsible individuals who may be found guilty.
NAC has also appealed to everyone in the affected areas to refrain from vandalising private and public properties, and to exercise tolerance, appreciate the diversity and to help maintain the long-held communal harmony in Nepal. nepalnews.com pb Feb 22 07
This is a milestone. Otherwise for the longest time I have thought rather low of this crowd. This statement is belated, but better late than never.
Notice that NAC's call for an investigation into the state terror unleashed upon the Madhesi Movement mirrors that of the leader of that movement, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF).
I think the
NAC now has to go one step further and firmly ally itself with the concept of a federal republic in Nepal. The entire diaspora has to come around to it. NAC has paved the way for others to follow.
The NAC also needs to come out lashing against the forcible Maoists disruptions of the political programs by other parties and organizations. Royal dictatorship was not okay. Maoist dictatorship is not going to be okay either.
And I hope the NRNA follows suit with a clear stand of its own. Vague commitments to peace and democracy will no longer work, if it ever did. The NRNA has to get much more specific than that.
This is the time to take sides. A social justice movement is on. We should be thankful of its basic nonviolent character. Regardless of our ethnic backgrounds, we have to stand by people's right to free speech, peaceful assembly, and peaceful protests.
NAC needs to go one step further and demand the Home Minister's resignation. That is basic to building a democratic culture in the country. 38 deaths are too much weight for the Home Minister to get by with.
So, yes, the effort is great, but still not good enough. NAC still has a long way to go. The Pahadi diaspora has its homework cut out for it.
Also stop calling it the Terai unrest. Start calling it the Madhesi Movement. Calling it the Terai unrest is not exactly demonizing it like calling it the work of the royalists and the BJP, but it is half way there.
Paramendra Mention In Nepali Times By KashishNepal Sarkar Needs To Set Up A TribunalPress Release: Canada Forum For NepalSucheta Pyakurel's False Claim To Women's RightsAlok Bohara: On Regional Autonomy And New NepalKiran Sitoula Is A Short, Fat IdiotRam Sah: Concern Over State Excesses, And Diaspora PoliticsAnand Jha At SEBS: Loha Lohe Ko Katta HaiB. K. Rana And The Madhesi Janajati QuestionNYC GremlinsThe Ghost Called ND ForumNYC Nepali Are Madhesi, PowerlessPreeti Koirala And Mainstream Pahadi PrejudiceOpen Letter To Surendra Devkota, Shiva GautamWhat Is Wrong With NDYCUSA?Sukhdev Shah: Terai’s Fate—Looking Within!Hamro Nepal Press Release: Only A Political Outlet To The Madhesi MovementANTA Press Release: Stop The State TerrorFeedback, NSU, USA Canada Chapter Press ReleaseRam Sah, Ratan Jha, Lalit Jha, Pramod Kantha: Madhesi Diaspora, Pahadi DiasporaWhy Are The Pahadis Quiet?NAC Goes ProactiveIn The NewsFresh turmoil racks Nepal's Terai plains Earthtimes.org
New Confrontations, Old Coercion Outlook (subscription)
Home Ministry asked to withdraw cases, warrants Gorkhapatra
Thakur committee again invites MJF, NEFIN for talks Nepalnews.com
Shutdown paralyses life in Nepal's eastern, central Terai region Malaysia Sun, Malaysia
Nepal: Will govt-Maoist unity remain intact? The Daily Star, Bangladesh
Nepal's King Retains Substantial Support NewsBlaze
Nepal govt to discipline king Daily Times
Monarchy in Existential Crisis Nepal Monitor
Several injured in clashes in south Nepal PeaceJournalism.com, Nepal
Envoy Says UN Completes First Stage Of Maoist Registration In Nepal All Headline News
NAC concerned over terai unrest Nepalnews.com, Nepal
Two senior Cabinet members opine differently on Maoist weapon stats Kantipur
Maoists, MPRF cadres clash in Rupandehi; police personnel critically injured in accidental fire Maoists assault NC, UML-affiliate workers At least 12 workers affiliated to the workers' unions of the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML were injured when Maoist cadres beat them up Saturday in Jorpati. ..... combat-dressed Maoist cadres Military expert raises eyebrows at Maoist weapon stats "one man, one weapon" principle was not adopted while registering the PLA fighters. .... "There could have been 10-12,000 weapons and I had thought half of those would be registered. Even that figure did not come," said Rai. Indian SSB personnel arrest two Nepali youths from Janakpur the duo had been arrested for the investigation of recent robberies that took place in the Indian territory. Provisions in statue soon to oust king: Dev Gurung Maoists disrupt MPRF programme Defying the police order, the Maoist cadres intervened the mass gathering. MPRF chairman Upendra Mahato was present at the programme as chief guest. ... Protesting the incident, the forum activists torched a vehicle (Bhe 1 Cha 611) that was used by the Maoists. The forum activists did not allow the fire brigade team that had reached there to douse the fire. ..... MPRF is preparing to hold the mass gathering again .... leaders of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Jana Morcha Nepal said the Maoist intervention in forum's programme was wrong. Parliament ready to declare republic: Nemwang the present laws were sufficient to initiate actions against the king. Narayanghat goes tense as NFIN activists clash with Maoists Maoist cadres were actively urging people to defy the strike in a bid to render the strike announcement ineffective in the face of their mass-meeting at Butwal today. .... the police have also taken 14 NFIN cadres including the federation chairman Padam Gurung under control ..... NFIN is an umbrella organization of more than fifty nationalities. .... The agitating federation has been demanding the government address their various demands including recognition of mother languages of indigenous community in government works and guarantee of federal structure based on ethnic, regional and lingual identities, among others and make the necessary amendments in the interim constitution. ..... forum activists took two Maoist cadres under their control in Nawalparasi. Maoists release 94 MPRF cadres from custody 94 activists of the agitating Madheshi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) who had been taken into Maoist custody from Bhairahawa ..... forum's Nawalparasi chairman Kailash Mahato ..... the Maoist were yet to release 20 additional cadres and 24 vehicles. ...... 41 of the detained were released Friday itself following the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)'s intervention. ..... those released had told OHCHR that they had not been ill-treated but were interrogated about their activities and funding sources...... forum members today halted traffic at various places in Parasi by burning tyres at thoroughfares protesting against the abduction of the MPRF cadres. ...... a large number of Maoist cadres heading for Butwal to attend a mass meeting to be addressed by Maoist chairman Prachanda were left in a lurch after forum cadres obstructed traffic at the Parasi-Sunwal road. NA detains eight armed Maoists at Bardiya reserve ‘Prepare for republic declaration through House’सुरक्षा बैठक अझै दरबारमै सडक अत्यधिक व्यस्त रहने समय अपराह्न पा“च बजे सवारी चलाउने निर्ण्र्ाागरिएको छ । पा“च बजे सवारी चलाउ“दा र्सवसाधारणलाई कठिनाइ हुने गुनासो पटकपटक आउने गरेको छ । 'सबै निकायको काम कर्तव्य पहिले नै लिखित रूपमा तयार गरेर राखिएको हुन्छ, पढेर सुनाउ“छन् र हस्ताक्षर गराउ“छन्,' बैठकका एक सहभागीले भने- 'कसैले परिवर्तन गर्नसम्म भन्दैन ।' निर्ण्र्ाापुस्तिकामा 'विद्यमान परिस्थितिमा खतराको मूल्यांकन हेरी गरिएको सुरक्षा व्यवस्थामा हामी हस्ताक्षर गरेका सबैले त्रुटिरहित ढंगले कार्य गर्नेछौंं,' भन्ने लेखिने गरेको ..... त्यसरी हस्ताक्षर गरेपछि कुनै त्रुटि भए सोही आधारमा विभागीय कारबाहीदेखि बर्खास्तसम्म हुन्छ ।छापामार ३० हजार, हतियार ३ हजारमाओवादी- फोरम झडप, ९ घाइते भारतबाट बिजुली आयात गरिने चोरी र लुटपाट बढ्दोएमाले जनसभामा माओवादी हस्तक्षेपफोरमले वार्ता नगर्नेमाओवादीद्वारा कान्तिपुर जफतराष्ट्रले पाल्न नसक्ने रङ्गी-विरङ्गी हात्तीचरित्रहीन चेलीहरूको नया“ अवतारPrachanda steps up tempo against monarchy NepalNews He claimed central leaders of his party would not keep personal properties for next 20 years to concentrate in the development of the country. Controversy over registration of arms unnecessary: Leaders Maoist leader duo Dina Nath Sharma and Nanda Kishor Pun said they have already cantoned all the weapons they possessed. ..... Besides some homemade weapons, the Maoists have had been using the arms seized from the army and police forces during the raids, they added. Maoists, MJF activists clash in Rupandehi, Nepalgunj growing head-on conflict between the Maoists and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) ...... In Nepalgunj, Maoist activists have vandalised the venue where a program was being organised by MJF. ..... Earlier on Saturday morning, the Maoist cadres clashed with activists of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NFIN) in Chitwan. The NFIN activists have also vandalised a jeep carrying central leaders of UML in Dolakha this morning. .... In parts of eastern terai, activists of hitherto unknown Chure-Bhawar Unity Society have imposed indefinite strike demanding declaration of separate Chure-Bhawar autonomous region. NFIN Bandh affects life in central and eastern Terai In Narayangarh, over 25 people were injured when NFIN activists and Maoist cadres clashed with each other. The clash occurred when the Maoist cadres tried to foil the strike called by the NFIN. The security forces have been mobilised in large number to bring the situation under control. Police have arrested a few activists of the NFIN. ...... Dolakha .... Hundreds of NFIN activists took out rally demanding proportional representation of the indigenous communities in the constituent assembly and establishment of republic. ..... Eastern Terai has remained thoroughly affcted since last three days due to bandh called by JTMM-Goit faction. No legal basis to take action against the King: Law Minister Narendra Bikram Nemwang, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs ...... the minister also advised Home Minister Krishna Sitaula to step down if that would resolve the crisis in Terai.MJF refuses government's talks invitation Home Minister Krishna Sitaula resign from his position and an independent panel formed to probe incidents of repression during Madhesi agitation. ..... there will be chakkajam (traffic blockade) and blockade against custom points between February 26 and March 5. From March 6, the MJF has announced it will impose indefinite Terai bandh. Eight parties will decide action against the King: Home Minister The commission led by Chief Judge of the Appellate Court, Butwal, Purushottam Parajuli, has recommended action against those responsible for the Nepalgunj riots. .... speaking at a press meet in Pokhara on Friday, Sitaula said that problems in the Terai would be resolved soon. .... all lawsuits and warrants issued against them would be withdrawn when they come for talks.Government surprised over fewer number of weapons The Maoists have said that they only had socket bombs in large number. Prachanda wants to pre-empt regression by declaring republic Referring to recent unrest in Madhes and upsurge of demands on ethnic rights, Prachanda said the country was witnessing the last-ditch effort by the counter-revolutionaries who he said had stolen the slogans belonging to the revolutionaries. Prachanda instructs combatants to returnMaoists intervene UML's mass meeting in Rolpa A dozen Maoist cadres led by Maoist district committee member Lok Bahadur Budha intervened in the mass meeting and took into control some UML leaders including UML district secretary Shant Kumar Oli, secretariat member Manoj Singh Dangi and member of area number seven Khim Bahadur Gharti .... Maoists surrounded the venue of the mass meeting immediately after the meeting started and snatched the mike from them. ...... As the mass meeting continued despite the Maoist's initial obstruction, Maoists took into control three leaders of the party after the meeting concluded. ...... Maoists have been continuing obstruction in the political programmes of various political parties in different parts of the country. Maoists have 30852 combatants and 3428 weapons: UNMINNepal, India agree to renew trade treaty with some improvementsMaoists, MJF activists clash in Bhairahawa
