Sunday, March 06, 2005

Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka: Lessons For Nepal


The Pakistan scenario is that the king somehow manages to make peace with the world, and so he is free to pay lip service to democracy within the country. He has already tried his best to present the Nepali Maoists as if they were the local Al Qaeda, a blatantly outstretched comparison. On the other hand, the Americans dealing with Nepal are likely to rely on their readings of communism in Russia in the 1930s, in China in the 1960s, or even Cambodia and Peru. And so they might fall for the king's logic, that the choice is between him and the Nepali Al Qaeda. That might give the king the three years he has asked for. Then he might perpetuate a pseudo-democracy. He might allow elections but always keep his shadow over the country. He might continue to treat an elected Prime Minister as someone who works for him, like an employee.

The Burma scenario is the ruling junta ignores the world, finds allies in a few states, and keeps on keeping on. Cutting aid does not work, sanctions do not work, and leaders are kept under arrest forever, it seems.

The Sri Lanka scenario is of a country falling apart even when it is a democracy, and highly literate, but when it refuses to deal with ethnic grievances peacefully. The ruling cultural elite - Sinhala in Sri Lanka, Nepali Speaking High Caste Males in Nepal - just do not make that social leap to a more egalitarian vision.


Reference material: I searched for the terms "democracy in pakistan," "burma democracy," and "sri lanka civil war" at Google Scholar and collected all those journal articles that were available online in full for free. From among those I am providing here some that I think are relevant to the situation in Nepal. I hope this can deepen the debate and discussion.

Democracy In Pakistan

Burma Democracy

Sri Lanka Civil War
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Democracy: The Third Wave


The second wave was when the Soviet Union collapsed. One hopes the third wave will be the final. And China is the biggest prize in the wings, but also the most complicated.

I just looked up the Wikipedia List of Countries by System of Government. The countries to be targeted are as follows. The news links will take you to the Google News page for that country.

Absolute Monarchies: Bhutan (news), Bahrain (news), Brunei Darussalam (news), Kuwait (news), Oman (news), Nepal (news), Qatar (news), Saudi Arabia (news), Swaziland (news), Tonga (news), United Arab Emirates (news), Vatican City (news).

Authoritarian Governments: Algeria (news), Burkina Faso (news), Cameroon (news), Chad (news), Republic of Congo (news), Djibouti (news), Egypt (news), Equatorial Guinea (news), Eritrea (news), Ethiopia (news), Gabon (news), The Gambia (news), Guinea (news), Libya (news), Mauritania (news), Rwanda (news), Togo (news), Tunisia (news), Uganda (news), Zimbabwe (news). Azerbaijan (news), Iran (news), Kazakhstan (news), Kyrgyzstan (news), Maldives (news), Pakistan (news), Syria (news), Tajikistan (news), Turkmenistan (news), Uzbekistan (news), Yemen (news). Belarus (news).

Military Governments: Central African Republic (news), Myanmar (news), Sudan (news).

Communist States: Cuba (news), People's Republic of China (news), Democratic People's Republic of Korea (news), Laos (news), Vietnam (news).

Transitional Governments: Afghanistan (news), Burundi (news), Democratic Republic of the Congo (news), Haiti (news), Iraq (news), Liberia (news), Somalia (news), Côte d'Ivoire (news).

In China's case, one has to look in terms of hundreds of years. When Americans look back at their history, they are looking at 500 years. The Chinese? They are looking at 5000 years. The history of communism in China has to be seen as a great nation's backlash against then western imperialism. The continued defensiveness on the part of the Chinese has to be seen not only as a result of that history, but also as a reaction to the continued racism in the west. The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) in several ways is the NAACP of the Chinese people, only much more effective. Before you expect a person to move beyond a pain, you have to at least acknowledge the pain. The same applies to countries.

And the CCP has to be given credit for its amazing stewardship of the Chinese economy. It is an organization of patriots who are pragmatic to a fault and who genuinely want the best for their country. The Chinese economic miracle has bountiful lessons for the Global South in general.

But then India has been able to exhibit some pretty remarkable strides with software and the service sector like China has with the industrial sector, and so the trick is not in communism, but in the market mechanism. When you unleash it, magic happens.

I take it for granted that China will ultimately end up being a multi-party democracy. But it will be a tectonic shift that will cause change also within existing democracies. America as a democracy itself has numerous deficiencies. Civilizations stand to learn from each other.

The question is not if but when and how soon. More importantly, how can the pace towards democracy be expedited in China?

I agree with the proponents of engagement. China's coming under the WTO umbrella was a major positive step.

The Chinese leadership can lay claims to patriotism, and to not being corrupt in money terms. But they are corrupt in power terms. What they have is a monopoly of power that needs to be broken.

I can imagine China someday becoming a global superpower, perhaps surpassing every other. But it can do so only if it embraces democracy and becomes party to the idea of a Reorganized UN. On the other hand, the whole superpower talk itself might go out of fashion in a few decades. The talk might instead be of social infrastructure. The focus might be on the individual, the individual everywhere. As someone once said, we need a great political system, so we don't need a genius to run it, and so I can focus on things I want to do as an invidividual, without having to worry the system might break down, even if I don't bother to go vote.

Superpower talk is ego talk, not particularly helpful. But if it be, the only way to beat America, which is the number one country in the world today, is to beat its democracy, for some other country to become even more democratic. What is more likely to happen instead is, America itself will keep perfecting its democracy, and it is well on its way to becoming a majority non-white country. Down the line it might be possible to see a Chinese American in the White House, but it is a really long way before a white person becomes President of China, and therein lies America's open secret of success. America is an idea, it is not a white country, although its lingering social ills might lead some or many to believe so.

China might do a really good job of catching up, and in the process it might even surpass the US GDP, but if it really wants to outdo America, it will have to become a country that actually invents new industries, and the only way to do that is by unleashing the individual, which is democracy. State power does not invent, it stifles.

I am a Buddhist. That makes me directly related to the plight of the Tibetans. I do not see Tibet as a separate country. But I do see a China that is a multi-party democracy, that respects human rights, religious freedom, and within that framework the Tibetans thrive, and all Tibetans get to call Tibet home again. That is an uncompromising goal to me.

And so I was deeply offended when the junta in Kathmandu shut down the Dalai Lama's office in Kathmandu.

What I am getting at is, I can see the geopolitical reasons behind the stances of the major powers regards countries like Pakistan and China. But Nepal affords a major opportunity to the Indo-US-EU alliance. In the case of Nepal, the three powers can actually afford to become idealistic, and they should seize the opportunity.

And a subsequently democratic Nepal should become to Tibetans what India is today. Safe havens like Dharmashala should be established.

You have to keep needling the Chinese, you have to keep supporting the Chinese democrats, mostly abroad.

Nepal is an opportunity India, US and Europe can not afford to miss.
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Saturday, March 05, 2005

Dinesh Prasain's Possible US Tour In April


Hi folks. What's going on?

I think those of us who are outside of Nepal will have to go public with our real, full names. Compare that to people in Nepal who brave the police/army to go into the streets. And if the idea is to enlarge the organization and garner as much publicity as possible, we need to go and stay public.

Mahatma Gandhi early on was for equality for Indians within the British imperial framework. Only later on did he come around to thinking independence was the only option if equality is to be achieved. I feel a lot of so-called Nepali democrats are still foggy in their minds about democracy. They refuse to see this regime for what it is. It is an autocratic setup, period. Either you are for autocracy or you are for democracy. There is no middle ground. And so the rallying cry ought be for a Democratic Republic. But I am open to debate and discussion. Second, it is perfectly okay, and largely desirable, to critique the performance of the players during the 1990s, but none of that criticism leads to the conclusion the democratic system itself is bad. The problem was too little democracy, not too much: the army under the king and not the parliament, no mechanisms to curb corruption, no decentralization, unregulated fund-raising by the parties, not enough empowerment for the local governments, and so on. And so we have to heighten and intensify the critique to ensure the next round of democracy is more complete.

As for Dinesh Prasain's possible 20-day trip in the DC-Boston corridor during April, I am all for it. If we can only highlight the human rights situation, that will be great. But I think it might also add fuel to the democracy debate. And I think we should make full use of Dinesh' personal story, things like his escape to Delhi and so on.

We need to move beyond making statements and actually organize and think up a plan of action. I have already proposed what I have, but I would like as many others as possible also to weigh in. The dialogue for democracy has to be democratic and inclusive.

About fund-raising, I think we need to get small amonts from large numbers of people. Kiran, do you think you could set up a PayPal account and start collecting money and make public all collections and expenses online in real time? DC, Baltimore, Philly, NYC, Boston. If we can get 20 people per city to contribute $50 each, that is $5000, more than enough for the trip and any follow-up we might have to do. Some of that money could also go for Delhi-based field work.

Yubaraj, do you think you could start emailing and calling up South Asian student associations in the corridor to arrange talk programs for Dinesh? Let's pack it up? All they will have to do to participate is to pick Dinesh up, arrange a 40-60 minute gathering, and whisk him away to his next assignment, and feed him if it is meal time. That is very little to ask. I am thinking Dinesh Prasain talking at Harvard, like Manisha Koirala. He is a stud himself!

Kiran, can you please arrange a camcorder and a digital camera to accompany Dinesh at all times? We will have to produce and copy DVDs and VCDs of the visit that could be a great help when we work to establish our "ring" along the Nepal-India border. The photos would go online to some place like Yahoo Photos.

And house parties. everyone. Let's pack all 20 evenings and every weekend in between with house parties. Dinesh would give a 15-minute presentation and then open up the floor for discussion. We could do 2-3 per evening. I expect a lot of people to bring up the human rights abuses by the Maoists. Response: we are against those as well.

Finally, the US Congress. All the build-up will have to culminate in action on Capitol Hill. I think the goal should be to have the Congress pass a resolution that will gradually tighten the noose around the junta in Kathmandu.

And let's be blogging more widely. I think Dinesh should provide a running commentary in blog format during his trip.

In The News Today
  • REBELS ATTACK IN NEPAL Special Broadcasting Service, Australia ....one of the biggest rebel assaults since King Gyanendra's seizure of power and suspension of civil liberties last month which has drawn international criticism. ....The attack followed a state media report that Nepal has a "clear roadmap" to restore democracy
  • Russians cautioned against visiting Nepal: New Kerala, India .....due to "complex internal situation" and the Maoist insurgency
  • Shrinking foreign aid worries planners in Nepal Daily Times, Pakistan ....About 70 percent of the development budget is dependent on foreign aid ......escalating communist insurgency has frightened off foreign tourists in recent years, depriving Nepal of one of its main sources of revenue...... if the situation continues, the economy could plunge......For this fiscal year, which ends in July, foreign aid makes up 32 billion rupees (US$450 million; euro340 million) of the 42 billion rupees (US$590 million; euro440 million) budget allocated for development projects.
  • Nepal in Twilight CounterPunch, CA .....the Maoists with their blind devotion to violent insurgency .....Only five years ago the Maoist threat seemed unreal and faraway...... Through their wanton destruction of development infrastructure and physical elimination of opposition, Maoists show the same tendnecy to barbarism that befell Cambodia in the seventies. They even dream of reviving the corpse of communism on a world stage......The king is both feared and supported at the same time...... The likely scenario in the absence of monarchy is not a peaceful democratic country but Nepal joining the ranks of Afghanistan and Cambodia after the overthrow of the monarchy......The coming of republic must come through peaceful revolution or evolution in future...... The moral of the Maoist cadres is high; they sense an imminent victory. Political parties are divided....... The propaganda line that the Maoists will give up violence if a constitutional assembly is agreed to is delusive...... The Maoists had all the peaceful avenues before them to bring about social transformation. Their weapons of choice are violence and terror...... The king, in spite of his intellectual shortcomings .....He is not trying to act as he he was another Musharaff of Pakistan......A man saved by the mysterious providence, he should devote his rule to liberate Nepal from this darkness of the Maoist terror.
  • Unicef Appeals Warring Factions In Nepal To Allow Health Drive SouthAsia Network ..... “The warring sides need to put the health of Nepal’s children first, and allow the national distribution of Vitamin A capsules and de-worming tablets to 3.3 million children to take place as scheduled in April” ..... About 50 percent Nepalese children are stunted and malnourished. Intestinal worm infections, a chronic problem, further reduce the amount of iron they absorb, leaving them weak and anaemic ..... Almost 70,000 die each year from preventable causes
  • Another Blow to the King of Nepal CounterPunch, CA ......European Parliament's latest call to impose smart sanctions against the ruling elites in government and the military until democracy is restored in Nepal .....the King Gyanendra's blistering reaction about India and Britain's suspension of military aid indicates that rulers in Nepal seem in a desperate disposition..... Gyanendra joined a club of the South Asian of dictators along with Pakistan, Burma (Myanmar), Bhutan and Maldives ..... Dictators love to keep their people in dark. The army of Nepal, though its' name is like Royal Nepalese Army, if fact, it is a royal army that exclusively obeys royal orders...... the army defied the orders of civilian government during the early days of Maoists insurgency in 1990s ..... Nepal ranks on top of the list of missing persons under the security custody ..... royal army is a place of exploitation between two classes. The upper elite classes mostly blessed by the royal networks, and the lower class comprised of people from poor households .....lower classes are forced to combat with Maoists guerilla without even proper arms and ammunitions ...... The middle level army officers have been penalized by both royalists and Maoists...... King and his army has the highest un-audited expenses in the history of Nepal ......the most non-transparent institutions in Nepal are the King's Palace and Army's expenses .....In such background, the new royal commission on corruption seems a new intimidation tool. ..... few members of the new royal commission are infamous custom officers until 1990 .....Unfortunately, government formed after 1990 never bothered to dig on the Mallik Commission. ......It seems that except King and his coterie nobody inside and outside the country understands the basics of democracy...... Why so many students are escaping from their homes in search of a shelter and security in India? ..... his absolutism monarchial theory ..... China, Pakistan, and Russia .....China will reciprocate its' Myanmar policy to Nepal ...... international isolation and civil war are two very unwanted future scenarios .....the US as harbinger of liberty timely intervene to break the axis of dictators in the region
  • Nepal says has clear roadmap to restore democracy Channel News Asia, Singapore .....Koirala, were being kept in detention for fear they could rally popular protests against the king's move ..... "In our war against terrorism, the nation has firmly made up its mind that there will be no wavering," Bista said.
  • Nepal Foreign Minister to visit India NDTV.com, India
  • Text of Natwar Singh's statement in Rajya Sabha: New Kerala .....The developments in Nepal constitute a serious setback to democracy and bring the monarchy and mainstream political parties in direct confrontation with each other. .....The Sashastra Seema Bal which is responsible for guarding India-Nepal border has been asked to step up vigilance and patrolling along the border.
  • Maoists go on arson spree in western Nepal: New Kerala, India ..... About 100 Maoist insurgents attacked Sandhikharka town in western Arghakhanchi district midnight Friday, burning down first a security barrack and then several government offices......Around 500 rebels had looted and torched the TV centre of Nepal Television, causing damage worth millions......Hinting at the government stepping up military operations against the Maoists, the minister said, "In our war against terrorism, there will be no wavering".
  • UN: Congo, Nepal fighting threatens aid Seattle Post Intelligencer .....UNICEF also called upon government and rebel forces in Nepal's nine-year civil war to help with the distribution of vaccines, vitamins and other drugs, without which thousands of children could die......In Nepal, conflict in the Himalayan nation has already displaced between 200,000 and 400,000 Nepalese, and many more are threatened, the United Nations has said....."Both sides need to put the health of Nepal's children first," Bellamy added, citing the twice-yearly distribution of Vitamin A and the national measles vaccination campaign as key health campaigns.
  • Nepalese find life's hell without their cells Chicago Sun-Times ......Small businessmen can't take orders, children can't phone their parents, and political activists can't call around to organize a decent-sized protest...... a third of Nepal's telephone lines are cellular....Nepal has about 246,000 cell phone subscribers, a number that has grown dramatically in the five years they've been available here. For most Nepalese, there's no alternative: Getting a land line phone can mean a five-year wait.
  • life without cell phones USA Today .....Last year, Nepal Telcom, a government-owned company with a cell phone monopoly, announced 50,000 new lines. But more than 150,000 people lined up outside company officers nationwide. In some cities, police beat back applicants with batons..... Nepal Telecom, which is losing $70,000 daily in revenue .....Nepal Telecom chief Sugat Kansakar said that even when service does start, it would be in phases, with subscribers having to reregister.
  • India's new double standard The Japan Times .....The growing warmth in U.S.-Indian relations is getting strangely reflected in India's adoption of U.S.-style dual standards on democracy...... the United States has had a penchant to cozy up to dictators in strategically located or resource-rich nations while advocating democracy to others ...... the shah of Iran, Mobutu Sese Seko in Congo, Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines, Suharto in Indonesia and Saddam Hussein in Iraq ..... Washington today toasts President Gen. Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan as a model ruler and friend, showering his regime with billions of dollars in aid ...... New Delhi and Washington have joined hands to promote democracy in Nepal while keeping mum on the strengthening of Pakistan's one-man junta....... a despotic king with a wayward son as heir to the throne gives India little comfort ...... A Maoist triumph in Nepal, which has open borders with India, would be like the Talibanization of a member-state of the European Union. ...... an overly ambitious China, which has been adroit at seizing any opportunity that a state's isolation may open up, as it has shown in Myanmar, Iran and elsewhere..... Nepal, which former leader Mao Zedong had described as one of the fingers of the Tibetan palm, the other fingers, according to him, being Bhutan and three Indian states -- Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir. China occupies one-fifth of Kashmir and, in its maps, shows Sikkim as independent and Arunachal Pradesh as its territory ...... in Pakistan, where military rule has usually fattened India-hating, Punjabi-dominated governing elites ready to try out their fantasies on the battlefield...... classifies nations with a built-in craving for revision or hazardous gain as "wolves" and "jackals," and status quo states as "lambs" or "lions." India eminently qualifies as a "lamb," wedged between "wolf" China and "jackal" Pakistan. Lamb-like, India is wary of backing friends but eager to please enemies...... In staging the royal coup in defiance of India's express warning, the monarch called India's bluff. ..... Contrast India's reticence with China's outspokenness. ..... the need for China to come clean on its illicit nuclear transfers to Pakistan and missile sales to Islamabad and Tehran. ..... As the only thriving democracy in a vast region stretching from Jordan to China, India can rightly be proud of its deeply-rooted democratic traditions. It is spot on in seeking the emergence of "the whole of South Asia," in the recent words of its foreign secretary, as "a community of flourishing democracies." Democracies, by structure and disposition, have a partiality toward cooperation and conciliation.
  • Indian assistance to Nepal to continue: Envoy Gorkhapatra, Nepal .....the assistance to the education and health sector development of Nepal will also continue.
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Friday, March 04, 2005

Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari's Daughter Speaks Out


Sudeep Acharya is a high school classmate and friend of mine. I met up with him in person a few days back in St. Paul, MN, at his brother Sandeep's house. Sudeep was in Nepal until recently. He happened to come over to the US on a family visit right before 2/1.

We have been in touch on and off. When we met, we talked about many things, had a lot of catching up to do. The guy sleeps 6 hours a day, and spends about 4 hours a day thinking up new business ideas, I am telling you!

His wife was with him, obviously. We chatted when he was in China (his wife did her college there) where he was cultivating a business idea, what else.

She is Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari's daughter. Their testimonies and appeals I hope become a major part of Dinesh Prasain's presentations in Washington DC. I mean, imagine Dick Cheney under house arrest cum solitary confinement.

Here I present Sudeep and Lima.

Latest: In a defience against democracy, the Nepalese government has again denied US Ambassador James Moriarty to visit another leader, this time the ousted Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari. When relatives are not allowd to visit him, how can a US Ambassador visit the house-arrested leader, one does not need to ponder.

Sudeep.


Paramendra,

We have written this letter, which needs to be edited and simplified. Please suggest and let me know.

On aother note, Subash Gautam (148B) wrote to my wife and was also interested in joining against the repressive move by King Gyanendra.

If a group of individuals are to be formed for voicing against the Royal takeover, include our names in it as well.

Sudeep and Lima


My grandfather, Ramchandra Adhikari was against the Rana regime. He fought with other Nepalese against the oligarchy regime and was ousted by them. His land and property in Kathmandu was taken by the Ranas in the “sarboswa haran”. Its interesting that where Radisson Hotel resides today was the place of birth of Manmohan Adhikari, my uncle, my father's older brother. The land and property in Kathmandu, my grandfather had to leave, was never recovered. Instead he fled to India and then settled down in Biratnagar. He was in good contact with cousin BP Koirala, the then democracy leader who became Prime Minister of Nepal in 2017 BS. BP Koirala was ousted in the coup by then King Mahendra, the current King’s Father. He also fled to India and fought for democracy from there.

Manmohan Adhikari, my father’s older brother was a founding member of Communist Party of Nepal. He started his political career in India in the fight for independence. He was also forming his political movement by joining the Communist Party of Nepal. Even at the time, he accepted the King’s role in Nepal and agreed to work with the King to bring about democracy in Nepal. Although from a communist background, he had always insisted on working together with the Congress party, to reintroduce democracy in Nepal. His moderate views helped his party to win the largest vote in the election of 2051; he then became the Prime Minister of Nepal.

My father, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, started his political life in the footsteps of his brother. A lawyer by profession, he lived a double life, during the day he would be at court defending his clients, and at night attending secret meetings to organize protests against the Panchayat government. He was also jailed for his belief and political convictions on different occasions, for more than 18 months. My mother was a school teacher and also shared the same political belief, she fought for her rights while at college and was jailed for brief periods of time.

My grandfather later worked in the government office in Biratnagar and did make a decent living. He left some wealth and real estate for his family when he died. My father also working as a lawyer and sometimes teaching as well as mother working all the time, our family made a decent living. Like his older brother Manmohan Adhikari, my father always thought things could be resolved through conversation and negotiation. He played an integral part in the 1990 movement by bringing most of the communists together to fight for democracy. The brothers were also adamant about democracy and were able to pull the younger Marxist Leninist Party together to form UML. After the movement, my father was one of the committee members to write the constitution of Nepal of 1990. He then ran for election and won in all 3 elections. He served in the popular UML government lead by his brother. He held the position of Finance Minister then, it was he who came with the popular scheme of “Afno Gau Afai Banau” (Build your own village). The nine-month government is sometimes regarded as the best government in Nepal. Later he held different portfolios on three different coalition governments. He was the Deputy Prime Minister on the last coalition government, which was thrown out in a “coup” by King Gyanendra Shah. Since then he has been under house arrest, to this date they have not given him any charge sheet and no reason for his arrest has been given. My mother was also put under house arrest at the same time.

My father sent snooped e-mail to me repeating the same thing that he has been put into Solitary Confinement, no relatives are allowed to visit, no radio, no TV. A portion of conveyed message via e-mail reads like this:

“Sudeep can contact with emimunent Nepali in Washingtan, Newwork, Haward Univercity and tell that duputy priminister in Nepal solitary confinement, No radio no t.v no news paper, no meting with relatives and friends. There is no chargesheet.”

My father has always lived a simple life. Simple in the sense that although we have land and home in Biratnagar, we have always lived in a rented flat in Katmandu. My father does not own a car, he did not buy a car when Deuba government gave incentives for members of parliament to buy cars without customs duty. Our rented flat is close by the Party Office, so that my father can walk to Party Office and does not need a vehicle. He has asthma, like his older brother, so he has to watch out for cold weather and what he eats. He attends lots of parties, rarely eats or drinks at these parties, he comes home to eat. He listens to people, he has this enormous power to listen to other people, but he makes his own decision. He is real fond of us all three sisters, when we are at home, it would never be about politics. He would rather talk about us, our lives. During the ups and downs in his political life, he never brought home the stress. Sometimes we would know things on TV or Radio first and he would confirm what had happened.

My father probably was attached to few things in his life. One of the “things” was us, the three daughters. I feel sad; I can’t talk to my father right now. He has this habbit of putting down the phone before the conversation ends, so we always remind him first before we start talking to him. When we got angry at him, he always smiled back and would say things to make us smile. When my sister wouldn’t call my parents often, my mother would get worried, but my father would say “River always flows downward; if you were the daughter then she would have called you, so you better give her a call”. I miss his voice very much. I had to listen to a previously recorded interview on BBC to hear his voice. I feel enraged at the King and his cronies. I ask myself, my father has always given to the country, always fought for democracy. Why should he suffer this solitary confinement at this age? I wish they could replace me with him.

One of the other things he loved to do was watch news, read newspaper, and listen to the news on FM radio stations. We always got tons of newspaper and news magazine at home. One time there was a photo of my father in a weekly paper, a very good photo in fact, but the caption commented on his habit of looking at his palm, which we disliked. While we were discussing, phone rang and it was from the same weekly paper, he thanked the guy for the good photo, and jokingly said that his family disapproved the comment. All of us laughed at his remarks. But now they have taken away his rights to read news or watch TV or even listen to the radio.

One of the other things he liked to do was discuss, have conversation, he listens to others but he often comments when asked. His views on the Maoist issue and resolving was clear, he wanted the King’s representative, the representative of the political parties and the representative of the Maoist to start a pre-talk without any prejudice, without any obligation. First they would discuss on the issues that everyone agreed on and start from there. He believed that once Maoist and the representative of the King were on the table, pressure from the civil society, international community and general mass would put pressure to come to a conclusion. But alas, now under house arrest, he can’t talk to anyone.

Well, people might say, there are lots of worst cases than my family’s, I totally agree with them. But in this day and age, how can a government which claims to provide “Democracy” to the people of Nepal do this to my family? If this takeover by the King is for the people, then what scares them about my father, or my mother (she was also under house arrest until recently). Why did the King need the help of the Army to arrest my parents? Which clause of the constitution of Nepal applies to put someone under house-arrest without any charge sheet? The King continues to rote that he will return to democracy, if you act like a duck and quack like a duck, you are a duck. How can he be trusted?

If a former Deputy Prime Minister with an abundant history has to face this hardship, I wonder how other people who believe and have voiced their opinion on democracy facing. With no media able to go against the “marma” of King’s infamous February 1st speech, how are we to know what goes on in Nepal?


In The News Today
  • New Delhi denies role in crackdown on Nepal Maoists: New Kerala, India ..... allegations by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) CPN (M) regarding New Delhi's involvement were baseless..... the Maoists, who are estimated to control more than two-thirds of the impoverished Himalayan nation
  • Nepal stockpiles supplies and braces for more blockades Daily Times .....the rebels warned last weekend they would launch a nationwide general strike in mid-March unless King Gyanendra gave up absolute power which he seized February 1 ..... would store enough food and fuel to last at least two months in the Kathmandu valley, home to 1.5 million people ..... the government published a notice urging citizens to carry identity cards at all times
  • Nepal orders opposition leaders to stay under house arrest for two ... Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates .....Nepal’s government has extended by two months the house arrest of five top political leaders ..... Girija Prasad Koirala, president of Nepali Congress, Madhav Nepal, of United Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Nepal and Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepali Congress (Democratic) party......Gyanendra, a constitutional monarch, said he was forced to take power because of the former government’s failure to control an anti-monarchy communist insurgency, or halt corruption among politicians.
  • Seven Nepal Cong workers arrested for challenging takeover: New Kerala .....Those arrested from Ason included Nepali Congress Ramechhap district president Ramchandra Khadka, district secretary Jhapatraj Bhandari, party activist and Amnesty International Nepal founder member Lokesh Dhakal, party workers Rajendra Wagley, Bedraj Lama and Keshav Chalise...... Nepali Congress central committee member Baldev Sharma was arrested from his house at Kapan ..... some ten plain clothes policemen came to his house and took him away
  • Nepal brings India, US closer Indian Express ..... not a day passes without a meeting between senior Indian and US officials either at Kathmandu, New Delhi or Washington to exchange notes on the situation .....no US military supplies have reached Nepal since the emergency.
  • Police Crush Protest in Nepal, Arrest Activists ABC News ...... Large public protests against Gyanendra's move to arrest political leaders, curb press freedom and impose a state of emergency have not been possible because of a heavy security presence. Small protests have been quickly crushed.
  • Nepal,India agree to control terrorism along Indo-Nepal border: New Kerala, India
  • India denies involvement of its security forces in Nepal Press Trust of India
  • Maoist activities a threat to India: Govt Sify ..... the Minister said Nepalese political leaders are allowed to carry out activities in India in accordance with country’s laws.
  • Nepal's student wings to hold nationwide protests: New Kerala, India .....Ten youth wings associated with political parties met and decided to coordinate their protests .....The first protest will take place on March 17 ..... Nepal government has restricted use of black glass on vehicles without prior permission ......asked people in Kathmandu valley to carry identity cards while travelling
  • Nepal urges intl community to reassess security situation: New Kerala, India ......Apparently disturbed at suspension of military aid to it by India and Britain, Nepal today urged the international community to reassess the security situation in the kingdom...... "Unfortunately, friends have not understood the King's motive and created fear psychosis for the Nepalese people by talking in terms of suspension of aid" ......the royal government was dealing with the Maoist militarily and therefore has no new proposals for peace negotiations for the time being......"A military solution to the problem is achievable, and we can do it by ourselves" .....About the political leaders who were under house arrest, Giri said they would be released soon but added that whether or not they would face corruption charges in the future would be an altogether different matter.
  • Nepal may become Khmer Rouge-type risk: Official Taipei Times, Taiwan .....The US warned on Wednesday that a Maoist takeover in Nepal could lead to a human rights nightmare comparable to the Khmer Rouge reign in Cambodia during the 1970s......Nepalese authorities can confront the Maoists only if there is unity among the country's political forces. Camp said Nepalese unity was shattered by King Gyanendra's dismissal of the government and other restrictions he decreed on Feb. 1......the Maoists have made clear their intention to impose a one-party "people's republic," collectivize agriculture and "reeducate" class enemies......part of the rebel agenda is export of revolution to neighboring countries......"The key to accomplishing this is for the legitimate political parties and Nepal's King to unite in a multi-party, democratic framework in order to confront the Maoists and address the country's serious developmental problems," he said. Camp reaffirmed that the US is considering suspending its US$2 billion security assistance program.
  • United States Urges Nepal's King To Open Democratic Dialogue All American Patriots .....Gyanendra should release the detainees, re-establish basic civil liberties, and open a dialogue with the country’s political parties......the Maoists have preyed upon the despair of the Nepalese people over the paralysis of their political institutions..... Nepal is plagued by poverty, illiteracy, infant and maternal mortality, trafficking in persons, corruption, torture and disappearances...... sandwiched between China and India and home to the soaring Himalayan Mountains, Nepal has long been known as one of the world’s most beautiful countries on the planet...... potentially jeopardize the viability of the state itself...... the King attempted to justify the current crackdown on the tenuous assertion that the former government had failed to move forward toward national elections and dialogue with the rebels, as well as, even more doubtfully, the need to “defend multiparty democracy.” ..... the United States cannot afford to remain indifferent when geographically remote areas, whether in Afghanistan or Cambodia, come to be dominated by extremist elements with a brutal and hostile agenda...... urge in no uncertain terms that the King move quickly to restore constitutional rule and multiparty democracy....... India, the U.S., the UK, EU and UN – must work together to forge a commonsense agenda designed to bring the King back from an authoritarian precipice which could too easily accelerate a violent Maoist takeover ...... should donors contemplate targeted economic and diplomatic measures ..... If Nepal is less secure because of the Royal takeover, what are the prospects for a collapse of central authority and a takeover by the Maoists? ..... Over years Congress has uniquely identified with the Tibetan people and the preservation of their unique cultural heritage. In this regard, I understand that on January 21 several Tibetan welfare offices that tend to the needs of a substantial refugee community in Nepal were closed by the authorities in Kathmandu. ..... have we aired the issues of Nepal with our Chinese interlocutors? It has been contended that the Chinese authorities may be as offended by the Maoist insurgents as Indian authorities are ..... Statement of Deputy Assistant Secretary Donald Camp, Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations, March 2, 2005 ...... the developmental problems from which much of their current political crisis derives ..... Nepal confronts the real possibility that a brutal Maoist insurgency might seize power ..... The longstanding political impasse between the King and the political parties, and infighting between and within the parties themselves, has seriously hampered resistance to the Maoists, in spite of the army’s growing capability to militarily confront the insurgents. This squabbling and inability to come to an agreement on how to move forward with democratic governance has understandably frustrated the Nepalese caught between government inaction on their grievances and human rights abuses by the security forces on one hand and Maoist violence and brutality on the other....... the Maoist insurgency must be resisted and addressed. The Maoists have risen to prominence through a combination of propaganda, terror, and the real despair that so many Nepalese feel ..... their methods of torture, extortion, and harsh retributions ..... Initial reaction from many Nepalese to his February 1 actions was positive, reflecting their widespread frustration and despair over the years of political impasse as the Maoists gained strength...... Nepal's security forces continue to have a critical role in denying the Maoists a military victory. ..... taking back areas hitherto controlled by the Maoists. ..... the trade-off between the military risk resulting from cutting aid with the political risk should there be no resolution of the current crisis between the King and the parties ..... We have made it clear to the Government of Nepal that we expect to see appropriate, timely and transparent investigations of any credible allegations of abuse and that failure to do so could jeopardize our ability to continue assistance...... urge swift investigation and punishment ...... critical for us and for the international community to highlight and criticize atrocities and abuses committed -- systematically, and as a matter of strategy -- by the Maoists...... stress the protection of the rights of marginalized and victimized groups (e.g., trafficked persons, forced and child laborers, including child soldiers)...... The recent Government order to close of the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office and the Dalai Lama’s office are also concerns...... we are working with the Government to register the Office as a fully functioning NGO ...... the Maoist insurgency whose early progress reflected to some degree the legitimate grievances of Nepal's marginalized citizens....... strengthening key rule of law and anti-corruption institutions ..... Nepal has some of the world's lowest social indicators, and more than half our development assistance has been earmarked for health and family planning. ..... the vast majority of Nepal's under-five children receive critical Vitamin-A supplements, thereby significantly increasing their ability to fight off otherwise deadly diseases such as pneumonia ...... President Bush’s declaration of the United States’ support for freedom around the world very much extends to Nepal.most importantly, encouraging the Nepalese themselves to come together to meet these very serious challenges .....
  • ‘Gyanendra’s power grab likely ‘emboldened’ Maoists’ Daily Times .....the rebels now have a “stronger position” than before Gyanendra’s action
  • NEPAL: Donors remain committed Reuters AlertNet, UK .....will not put pressure on an impoverished and excluded population who are in desperate need of help – particularly in rural areas where they rely entirely on external support......Since the king took over, donor agencies have met on a regular basis.....The Swiss development agency, SDC, and the Danish aid agency, Danida, were the first to announce that they would suspend their bilateral aid but their support for the Nepali people would remain intact...... The World Bank was reported to have suspended $70 million after the king's move on 1 February...... "In view of the recent political and security developments in Nepal, the ADB is reviewing the implications for its operation in Nepal. ...... explaining to the rebels that aid personnel cannot make donations or sign agreements with Maoists. The rebels have demanded that all donor agencies and international NGOs register with the Maoists and pay donations to work in the rural areas..... some who believe that donors are not making enough efforts to influence the new government to take positive steps. "In a fragile state like Nepal, the bilateral donors have enormous influence.....
  • Indian envoy meets Nepal King's deputies Money Plans, India
  • Politicians detained for their security: Nepal minister: New Kerala
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Thursday, March 03, 2005

Some Basic Acts Of Co-Ordination


These are some of the emails from my Inbox over the past few days.

"_______. It’s good to hear from you. If you are planning to come to the west coast, please let me know. We will do whatever we can to help. You are doing a commendable job in these hard times. Keep up the spirit and keep working hard. We are behind you."

"Hi _______, _______, ______, and _______,
 

Pleased to make acquaintaince with you all (except ______) by email.

In order to start planning, I have the idea of a rough itinerary of DC to NYC to Ithaca, to
Boston, and back to DC. If we start on April 20 in DC, then we can have several days in each
city, except one night in Ithaca, and reach back to DC by about May 4.

We will also need to continue looking for funds - or at least raise some amount of funds at
some events. So far we have $500 from Cornell and potential $3500 grant to cover only
internal travel (not international airfar). I have to confirm the $3500 grant, which is from
Amnesty International. Need more to cover the Delhi-DC ticket.

As ________ suggested meeting Senator Kerry, I had also been thinking that this tour could
help galvanize a Nepal constituency among the Masachusetts Senators and Reps. We could
meet with their DC as well as Boston offices.

I think we will have no lack of events in any of the cities. We will have to choose which ones
could be most effective.

My mobile is _____________ for reference. I think I am acting as the lead coordinator on
this tour for the month of March at least, to line up the funding and the specific events.

We have an organization, Advocacy Project, based in DC, who have agreed to be the
501(c)(3) umbrella for this, and to accept donations and reimburse expenses. Also, since the
$3500 potential grant is from Amnesty International's Special Initiatives Fund, they may do
some accounting and reimbursing as well.

I am just trying to get a handle on everything - money and dates - and then will communicate
more in the next few days.

_______, I gather you're in DC. ______, I gather you're in Boston. __________, if you
have read this far, thank you and would you please tell me where you are located? I am in
Boston myself."

"Also, we (3 of us)  have sent an official request to meet with John Kerry. I will try to add
your name as well."

"_______,
Will be glad to welcome you to DC (make sure you wear that classic outfit of Daura/Suruwal). Also I found out that RNA has issued a red corner notice for me too as well over my speech on democracy day. I think they picked it from the nepalipost or some of their civilian outfitted military personnel present during the speech. Whatever the reason but time has come for us to kick monarchy's ass for good. I will try to set up sth at George Mason University or Mt. Everest Restaurant. Make sure you bring and excellent presentation material. I will also need them at some point here.

____, I heard that were headed to Singapore for a while from ___. When are you coming back?"

"______,
At present, I am outside mainland US for a conference.  I will be backm on Friday.  We can
work things out. I will respond in detail after I get back.

Best,
_______"

"______ and all,

lets come up with the schedule -  I will work on organizing a talk/documentary programme
here in Boston. Lets finalize this asap - so that we have time for publicity and all that. The
more people we can reach out to, the better it is going to be.

I am currently in Singapore but I will be back in the US end of next week.

My # is _________ if anyone needs to get hold of me for any reason...

- ______."

"__________,

Thanks for the quick reply. Would like to use that time to discuss the formation of a new democrcatic alliance in Nepal - if the situation does not improve by then, and if the parties do not come up with a clear demorcatic republic agenda by then. We're seriously thinking about that right now. ........ .......

How you're getting the democracy allinace updates we've been sending.

By the way, where are you staying these days?

Will keep you posted if any further dvelopment.

_______"

"Hi ____, ______, ____ and _____,

____- There is no specific date that need to return to Delhi. I said two weeks as a rough estimate. Adding some more days for the trip does not really matter. I wrote to some of my friends in theast coast and they are replying. It appears that I will have no problem finding free accommodation for most of the trip. Could you please be in touch with _______ _______ (_______) and ____ ______(______). I have written to ___ ___ as well, and waiting for his reply.

I have no problem with World Vision. I do not know them very much in fact. Must be doing good, lets hope.

______ and _____ - Thanks for your quick reply! Could you be in tocuh with ____ (_______) . He's a long time friend of _______ and a well wisher of Nepal. He's with _________, and now in the US. ____, could you help organnize some meeting in Boston with our Nepali friends? I would also like to show a rough cut video documentary on the police brutalties against pro-democrcay demonstators recently as well as last year.

____- I am waiting for your response, man. Could you organize some meeting with Nepalis in DC? Where's ____? I would also like to contribute somethings to Nepali Post. Read your speech of Fagun saat. Good.

Keeo in touch,

_____"

"_____,

We are back in Boston now - have been for a year now. I will have no problem supporting in
any ways when you are in the Boston area or anywhere else for that matter. My place is
your place.

We are looking forward to your visit.

- ______."

"Dear _____, ______, ______, ______, _____, _____, ______ and ____,

I will most probably be coming to the US for a couple of weeks (20 April onwards) for a Nepal Human Rights Speaking Tour. Individual US citizens, long-time friends of Nepal, including ____ _____, ____, Advocacy Project people, Amnesty International US chapter etc., are trying to raise donations and organize the tour. They’ll cover the round-trip ticket, and some internal transport etc. The funding will be very basic. To reduce the costs, I told them that I will talk to my friends to see if they can organize free accommodation in different places using our SEBS and other networks. Also, if there are the possibilities of a few hundred dollars raised as donations to cover parts of the inter-city bus / train fair, etc.

I have said that I will finalize the details of the tour after I receive the response from you guys. Apart from meeting with Congressmen / Senators / State department officials and human rights groups, which other friends will organize, I am also interested to have meetings with Nepali groups and individuals who are willing to contribute to the democracy movement in Nepal. I would also be really interested to make presentations in universities. I guess, I will have to mostly organize the tour in the East coast, as I will first come to DC, travel to NY, Boston, etc. This I will need to finalize after your suggestions and the suggestions from the others involved. So, my questions are (a) can some of you coordinate among our friends and with a person called ____ in the US (I will pass on his e-mail and contact details next time) to see what our SEBS guys can help in terms of accommodations when the schedules are finalized, (b) can you coordinate with _____ to work out the schedules, organize some meetings / presentations, (c) can you also look at the possibility of raising some money for inter-city transport costs, etc.

The objectives of the tour as I have suggested to the organizers are a) to sensitize US policy makers (congressmen as well as state department officials at the Nepal / South Asia desk about the human rights situation and how it is likely to degenerate into a catastrophe, (b) to explain why we need to work at the political context to prevent further deterioration of human rights situation – e.g., bringing the army under civilian control, not strengthening the ambitious and autocrat king further, focusing only on democracy without complicating its future course by making it compulsory to co-exist with an unwilling "constitutional monarchy", the prospects of ad hoc tribunals for the (c) to request media persons to focus more on Nepal, (d) update friends of Nepal on the situation on the ground in Nepal and in India, and (e) discuss mechanisms with the Nepalis in the USA whereby they can contribute more systematically to the movement for democracy in Nepal.

As some of you may know and others may not, I am now in Delhi – fled from Kathmandu on the 10th Feb. The army and the police were on the lookout for me desperately. I, along with two lawyers, who worked as Nepal researchers for Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, were reportedly on the hit list of the RNA since December. And we fled to Delhi in mid-December, stayed for about a month, and went back after Kofi Annan issued statement expressing grave concern over threats to human rights defenders, almost all the ambassadors got together and complained to the RNA, etc. We thought the situation had improved when we went back. But then came the coup. And you know what is happening after that.

Between 1-10 Feb, we worked hard to issue joint statements denouncing the coup, established underground information network and started e-bulletin when everything was blacked out, using the satellite phones and embassy / UN facilities in Kathmandu. I also gave out public interviews to BBC world, AFP etc after they declared speaking against the coup a crime. So, they were pissed off with me, apparently. Understandable. They came to _______ for at least 5 times asking my whereabouts, and then we stopped counting. Fled to Delhi.

Here, we’re pretty active. Holding meetings with the political party leaders, the good ones among the crowd who made it to Delhi. We are pushing for them to work on detailed future agenda rather than just engaging on the politics of criticism. Have got a lot of support from the younger generations, including student leaders. Most of them will be going back to Nepal soon to coordinate and take part in the movement. Support from political parties for democracy is almost total. Their mood informally is very republican. Even BJP took a different stand from VHP – reportedly Advani told Sarad Chandra Shah a couple of days ago that they support the king but only if he is willing to remain constitutional, and told that VHP support is not BJP support, the VHP being more radical. The media here is in total support of democracy. We are in very close coordination with columnists and journalists.

I personally have no plans to get back to Nepal right now. Work whatever I can from Delhi and other Indian towns. We are trying to establish information points and mechanisms in the border towns, all around Nepal, trying to set up a Nepali weekly and monthly which we hope can be smuggled to Nepal and are mobilizing international opinion against dictatorship, in whatever little ways we can.

I hope you will get back to me soon. And also please suggest who else can be of help.

Cheers. We’ll get through!

_______"
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Human Rights ----> Political Platform ----> Full-Fledged Movement


I believe those are the three phases through which we democrats will have to take our campaign to counter 2/1. External help will be sought as much as possible, but we will have to prepare for the fact that ultimately democracy will have to be earned, it will not be a gift from the foreign powers.

Human Rights

Even if we are to take the king on his word, that he has the best interests of the Nepalis in mind, he has no excuse whatsoever not to restore all fundamental rights. The first step is to do with human rights. Human rights activists need to be released immediately, the regime should pledge its support to the universal standards of where the line has to be drawn as to the use of force by the army against the civilians, and mechanisms ought be established to monitor progress or lack thereof. Human rights abuses up to and including crimes against humanity can not be allowed to be offered as "perks" to the foot soldiers of the Royal Nepali Army for their allegiance to the regime, as has been the case thus far. This is the most basic Common Minimum Program around which we can hope to rally absolutely any human being on earth.

The Human Rights Accord between the army and the Maoists that was in the works has to be revived, for that could be the best first step to a possible negotiated settlement.

Political Platform

Democracy is cacophony. That is what it is when it is working. Unlike the monotone of the Maoists and the Monarchists, we democrats will see plenty of divergent views along the way as we tread this difficult path. It is that cacophony that the Monarchists have labelled as disunity among the democratic ranks or, worse, instability.

We need to cast our net far and wide and engage in a broad discussion. The castigations that have been launched against the democratic experiment of the 1990s have to be answered. When you do not throw back rebuttals, people tend to believe the lies. We have got to hit back.

There has to be a lot of reflection. The more people that we involve in the debate the better. For, ultimately, democracy has to be understood at the grassroots.

But at this critical hour, the goal has to be to create a Political Platform. We need to come up with a Common Minimum Program that can bring all democrats together. We will not do away with all our internal differences, and neither should we, but we have got to realize a strong unity has to be forged.

Democracy is a simple concept: it is one person one vote.

Full-Fledged Movement

As they say, expect the best, prepare for the worst. Let's assume King G and his brats will stay the course. They will not restore the fundamental rights. They will take the country into a deeper and deeper civil war. Let's assume the king means it when he says three years. Let's assume he means to stay on longer.

I stand on the side of making full use of the fact that we live in the era of globalization and the internet.
  • Organize the Nepali democrats all over the world under the Common Minimum Program. But primarily so in the US and in India. The US will be a great place to do things like fund-raising, and lobby the US Congress and the UN. India is where the penultimate action can be. I propose we form a "ring" around Nepal along the Nepal-India border.
  • Co-ordinate massive, peaceful protests within the country.
And we need to galvanize global support as much as possible, to escalate in stages.
  • An end to military aid. India and UK have already obliged. Pressure the US to do the same.
  • An end to all aid of all kinds from all sources.
  • Economic sanctions on the country, imposed primarily by India, but also by others.
  • Give about a month or two each to steps 1, 2 and 3. And if the regime still does not budge, consider requesting Indian military intervention, like US in Haiti. You offer a no-return ticket out of the country to the king and the army top brass. If they do not oblige, you go in, depose the king and the top brass, and install a democratic government that offers unconditional peace talks and a Constituent Assembly. If the Maoists do not oblige, the army, under control of the democratic government, functioning within a democratic framework where all citizens enjoy all basic rights, is led to conduct surgical operations to decapitate the Maoist organization by hunting down the Maoist leadership, be they in India or Nepal, with active help from India.
  • Hopefully that leads to peace, a Constituent Assembly, a new constitution, new parliamentary elections, and a new democratic government.
You can not kill democracy in the name of wanting to save it, you can not design a human rights disaster and claim to be for democracy. This regime has to be seen for what it is.
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