The United States (US) State Department has ordered all non-emergency US mission personnel and dependents to depart Nepal.
A press statement issued by the US Embassy in Kathmandu said this decision, made at the recommendation of the Embassy, was taken out of concern for the safety of US Government employees and their families.
“Ambassador James F. Moriarty, who informed the Mission community of the Embassy’s recommendation, also is recommending that all American citizens in Nepal should consider leaving the country at this time because of the uncertain security conditions,” the statement adds.
The State Department had authorized voluntary departure for non-emergency Mission staff and families on April 12.
The US Mission includes the Embassy, its Consular Section and American Center in the Yak & Yeti Hotel, and USAID.
The Consular Section and American Center Library have been closed since April 12 until further notice citing ongoing violence, curfews, and widespread insecurity in Nepal. nepalnews.com pb Apr 24 06
China has welcomed the King’s address of Friday, saying that the proclamation would help the political forces in Nepal to engage in dialogue for reconciliation.
“We welcome the declaration of King Gyanendra and we think that the king s speech will help the political forces in Nepal to engage in dialogue and realize political reconciliation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said in a statement on Sunday.
Saying that Nepal is a good friendly neighbour Gang expressed hope that the situation in Nepal would quickly recover and that the political atmosphere would become stable, according to AFP news agency.
The Chinese reaction to the royal proclamation bears resemblance with the position of a large section of the international community including the United States, European Union and United Nations.
Earlier, China had described the royal takeover of February 1, 2005, as an internal affair of Nepal while the international community criticised it as a setback to democracy and asked to King to reach out to the parties and return to democratic process.
On Friday, King Gyanendra in a televised address to the nation announced to hand back power to the people and called on the seven-party alliance to name a new prime minister. nepalnews.com mk Apr 24 06
Two persons were killed when a bus met with an accident near Hattiban in the outskirts of Lalitpur district, Monday afternoon.
The bus that came from Daksinkali skidded from the road and fell 50 meters down the road at around 12:45 p.m., reports said.
Those killed in the accident have been identified as Basanta Rana and Indra Maharjan. Other details and the cause of the accident could not be immediately known. nepalnews.com mk Apr 24 06
The seven-party alliance (SPA) has completed preparations for the mass demonstrations in Ring Road, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, as various professional groups and trade unions pledged active participation in the protests.
Separate meetings of the seven parties on Monday decided to mobilise their central leaders to lead the rallies at different places. A meeting of the Standing Committee (SC) of the CPN (UML) decided to send all SC members to lead the peaceful rallies while the Central Working Committee meetings of Nepali Congress (NC) and NC (Democratic) also decided to deploy senior central committee members to coordinate the rallies. Four other parties also made similar decisions.
The parties also urged their cadres to mobilise the masses in a peaceful way and keep and eye on the ‘government-sanctioned vigilantes’ who could provoke violence during the demonstrations. Issuing separate statements after the meetings, the parties also appealed to the general people and professional organisations to actively participate in the demonstrations against the royal proclamation of Friday.
As per the decision of the meeting of the Central People’s Movement Coordination Committee held on Sunday NC president Girija Prasad Koirala will address a mass gathering at Narayangopal Chowk, UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal a mass meeting in Kalanki, NC (D) president Sher Bahadur Deuba at Gongabu and Amik Sherchan at Satdobato. Similarly, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party chairman Narayan Bijukchhe, Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) vice-chairman Bharat Bimal Yadav and United Left Front’s Bishnu Bahadur Manahandhar will address the mass meetings at Koteshwor, Sitapaila and Chabahil respectively.
The demonstrations will be carried out from interior parts of the city and along the stretch of Ring Road from 12:00 p.m., which will converge into mass meetings.
In a show of strength, the SPA has vowed to bring as many as 2 million people in the streets of Kathmandu. Mass demonstrations will be organised in all cities and towns around the country on Tuesday, according to the parties.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the eight student organisations appealed to all students in the Kathmandu Valley and outside to leave their studies for one day and actively join in the pro-democracy demonstrations on Tuesday.
Expressing full support to the ongoing movement of the parties, various professional organisations and trade unions have pledged active involvement in Tuesday’s mass demonstrations.
The Professionals Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD) asked all organisations associated with it to join in the peaceful demonstration. A statement issued by PAPAD today said doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers and other professionals would join in the rallies.
Similarly, Nepal Government Employees Union, National Private and Boarding Schools Organisation Nepal (N-PABSON), Nepal Trade Union, Nepal Trade Union Congress and G-Font have also asked their members to participate in the rallies.
In the same manner, Nepal Doctors Association and the Nursing Association in separate statements said volunteers would be stationed at various places to provide treatment to injured persons as there is a possibility of use of force by the security forces during the demonstrations. nepalnews.com mk Apr 24 06
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) organised a meeting with the heads of foreign diplomatic missions based in Kathmandu on Sunday in a bid to win the confidence of the international community for the royal proclamation of Friday.
At the meeting organised at MoFA, acting foreign secretary Hira Bahadur Thapa briefed the ambassadors and representatives of donor agencies about the royal address. He welcomed the reactions of various countries on the royal address, reports said.
Admitting that authorities could not provide sufficient number of curfew passes to the officials of diplomatic missions, Thapa pledged to make better arrangements should there be similar situation.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, British ambassador to Nepal Keith G Bloomfield said the royal address was aimed at bridging the gap between him and the political parties but “it is clearly not enough”. He said it was not for the UK government to suggest anything and added that the parties and the King should find solution to the problems.
Most of the heads of foreign diplomatic missions including Indian ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, Chinese ambassador Sun Heping and UN representative to Nepal Mathew Kahane were present at the meeting.
A large section of the international community including the US, EU and the UN instantly welcomed the King’s address in which he announced to return the power to the people and called on the agitating seven-party alliance (SPA) to name their prime minister.
The SPA that rejected the King’s offer describing it a ploy to subvert their ongoing pro-democracy movement has said the international community’s reaction was hasty and that it did not grasp the sentiment and the spirit of the masses protesting for ‘total democracy’.
In what is seen as its amended response to the royal proclamation, southern neighbour India lately said the King’s offer was not enough and that India was in favour of the decision of Nepali people. nepalnews.com mk Apr 24 06
His Majesty King Gyanendra is to address the nation at 11:30, according to state run Nepal Television.
His Majesty the King in his royal proclamation on last Friday announced that he had returned the executive power to the people as per the Article 35 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal and asked the agitating seven-party alliance to recommend a name for the Prime Minister.
His Majesty’s proclamation is coming at a time when the seven party alliance is continuing the protest programme saying the royal proclamation of last Friday did not addressed the agendas of their protest.
The agitating political parties have been demanding for the reinstatement of the dissolved house of representatives to resolve present political crisis. nepalnews.com dr/pb Apr 24 06
Nepali tourism entrepreneurs have bagged three awards from the Pacific Asia Travel Association for their contribution in the field of tourism in Nepal.
According to a press release issued by the NTB on Tuesday, Shikher Prasai, Honorary Secretary of the Nepal Chapter of PATA and Director of Natraj Tours and Travels has bagged the award ‘PATA Face of the Future’ award.
This is for the first time that Nepali entrepreneurs have received this award.
The award was presented to the Nepali entrepreneurs by PATA Chairman, Nobutaka Ishikure, on April 24 amidst a function in the Thai resort city of Pattaya.
The PATA Nepal Chapter has been awarded the ‘PATA Award of Excellence’ from among its 45 Chapters worldwide. PATA has said the award has been conferred for impressive and numerous promotional activities undertaken under the difficult circumstances to attract more tourists.
The NTB’s promotional CD on Nepal won the Gold Award in the CD ROM category from among more than 280 entries under this category. .nepalnews.com ia 24 06
Acharya’s exemplary courage and vision are solemn reminders about the inevitable triumph of democracy over dictatorship in Nepal
By Shyamal Krishna Shrestha
Tanka Prasad Acharya was the pioneer of democracy and freedom in Nepal. Leaders like Bisheswor Prasad (BP) Koirala and Ganesh Man Singh continued his struggle to defend liberty from the clutches of authoritarianism. The ‘living martyr’, statesman and former Prime Minister died at the ripe age of 80 on 23 April 1992 and today is his 14th death anniversary. Although Acharya’s vision of a free and prosperous Nepal remains unfulfilled, he is a national hero who inspires all Nepalis struggling to end tyranny, fight injustice, establish a modern democratic state and promote national prosperity.
“As for the future of the monarchy of Nepal, whether it is a monarchy or a republic or a democracy, whatever it is, it all depends upon its achievements.” – Tanka P. Acharya
Tanka Prasad’s rise into national politics occurred when Nepal was under Rana tyranny. In order to overthrow the despotic regime, young Acharya – along with his friends – founded Nepal’s first political party and subsequently spent his entire life working for human rights and democracy. Nepal Praja Parishad (NPP) – established in 1936 – received tacit support from King Tribhuvan. The party carried out its activities underground and was successful in generating mass political awakening among the Nepali people. However, deceit led to the arrest of the Parishad’s members, including its President – Acharya – in 1940. A mock trial resulted in the executions of its three members, viz., Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Ganga Lal Shrestha, Dasarath Chand and Shukra Raj Joshi (Shastri); all of who are now immortalized as martyrs. Spared death due to his Brahmin caste, Acharya was sentenced to life-term imprisonment in 1941 where he spent the next decade as a prisoner of conscience. Meanwhile, other Nepali youths began to organize themselves in order to revolt against the Ranas. Nepali Congress – formed in Benaras in 1947 – elected Tanka Prasad as its first President in absentia. Acharya was released in 1950 following the downfall of the century-old tyrannical regime. The popular revolution by the people and the king marked the dawn of Nepal’s democratic era.
Various coalitions during the 1950s were unable to formulate a roadmap for institutionalizing democracy. King Mahendra appointed 43 year-old Tanka Prasad Acharya as Prime Minister in January 1955. During his 18-month tenure, Acharya demonstrated his staunch nationalism by promoting Nepal’s external independence and establishing democratic norms within the country. Nepal established diplomatic relations with China, Egypt, Japan, the former Soviet Union and Switzerland, among others. Acharya’s government followed a policy of Panchsheel or peaceful coexistence with both India and China. The United States and the former Soviet Union also recognized Nepal’s right to exist as an independent, sovereign nation and provided foreign aid for the country’s planning process, which began in 1956. Establishment of Nepal Rastra Bank and promulgation of the Civil Service Act are other noteworthy achievements during Tanka Prasad’s premiership. A committed socialist, Acharya believed that all Nepalis should have access to food, clothing, shelter, education and health. A four-year ban on the Communist Party of Nepal was also lifted. The vicissitudes of domestic politics led to the resignation of his government in July 1957.
Pioneer leader Tanka Prasad Acharya
Whether elections should be held for a constituent assembly or a new parliament was intensely debated during the 1950s. Earlier, King Tribhuvan proclaimed his wish for the former but the political parties were divided on the issue. As a strong proponent of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, Acharya supported elections to a new parliament, which would be the source of national sovereignty. On 15 December 1960, King Mahendra staged a coup d’ etat against the country’s first democratically-elected government headed by BP Koirala and suspended all forms of civil liberties. The country once again became a fiefdom of feudal elements enriching themselves while exploiting the Nepali people. Acharya became a key dissident of the regime and demanded restoration of civil rights and democracy. Both King Mahendra and King Birendra made futile attempts to enlist the elder statesman’s support for the partyless system but to no avail. For the next three decades, the Panchayat regime suppressed democratic aspirations while rampant abuse of power contributed to its eventual demise. Acharya lived long enough to witness the historic Jan Andolan that led to a liberal democracy in 1990.
Whenever democracy has emerged victorious in Nepal, its leadership has bickered and compromised with reactionaries; thus enfeebling itself. In the post-1990 era, a radical political group – Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – began an armed insurrection against the Nepali state. The rise of left-wing extremism was compounded by the weakness of the mainstream democratic parties. Therefore, autocracy once again resulted in the country.
In his inspiring work ‘Living Martyrs: Individuals and Revolution in Nepal’ written in 1997, American anthropologist James Fisher has detailed the lives of both Tanka Prasad and his wife Rewanta Kumari in Nepal’s modern political evolution. In this context, Acharya succinctly states: “as for the future of the monarchy of Nepal, whether it is a monarchy or a republic or a democracy, whatever it is, it all depends upon its achievements. If a monarchy can accomplish something for the people, then it will have a long future. If the King cannot do that he will also have to go. If a republic can perform service for the people, it will remain otherwise even it will go. It depends on deeds and achievements”.
The above caveat should be heeded in the current political context when the scourge of authoritarianism afflicts the country. Dictatorship – in any guise – arrests individual liberty besides undermining political, social and economic progress of a nation. Democracy is a sine qua non for all Nepalese. Tanka Prasad Acharya’s exemplary courage, sacrifice and vision are solemn reminders about the inevitable triumph of democracy over dictatorship in Nepal.
(The author is an economist based in Kathmandu. Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected])
(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected])
The agitating parties are only relying on the slogans of the liquid masses on the street to press upon the King. They need to understand that there is a change in the balance of power
By Dr Bipin Adhikari
A columnist of Nepal National Weekly magazine recently described two op-ed contributing sociologists of the Himal Khabar Patrika as ‘coward’ for their reconciliatory overtones in the movement against the executive monarchy. An advocate of republican Nepal, the columnist thought people who feel otherwise are pursuing the campaign to minimise the aspiration of the Nepali people.
Unlike many other revolutionaries, these sociologists emphasized the utility of re-conciliation between King Gyanendra and democratic forces, despite the current vicissitudes, and the need for the king to revert back to democratic system in the interest of the country and its smooth transition from the ongoing conflict.
A Culture of Violence
A culture of violence enforced by both the government and the Maoist opposition is about to eliminate the democratic centre of Nepal, and the conscience of the Nepali people is increasingly becoming hostage to the extremist dispensations.
The problem of institutionalization of democracy and empowerment of the people goes far beyond the issue of the restoration of the parliament, the elections to the constituent assembly, and drawing up of a new constitution acceptable to all. If some opinion makers think everything will be fine after the ongoing movement achieve these milestones, or the King is dethroned, or the Maoists are mainstreamed and power is handed over to the legitimate representatives of the people, they are not objective, and if the history of the world is any evidence, revolutions have frequently been successful to destroy the status quo, but not always to create and sustain a viable alternative regime. The later issue demands proper planning and clearly thought out strategies. An extremist culture based on violent parameters is, therefore, never helpful.
Change in Focus
There is logic in the ongoing movement for the restoration of multiparty democracy. The continued denial of the King to handover power to the political parties, and help create an atmosphere to salvage democracy from the Maoist threat, was no doubt a crucial subject. But the logic alone does not answer all the questions that a credible movement might need to build on.
The movement started with the objective of restoring democracy, but now with the increasing tide of people, and surprisingly outstanding hits, the focus has been shifted to toppling monarchy straight away (than achieving the declared demands of the movement).
At this stage, the talk of toppling monarchy just appears either childish or lunatic. But assuming that it is possible for some reason, as of today, the nation is devoid of any non-state home-grown machinery to immediately fill up the vacuum in case the King quits the country, abdicates his throne or is toppled anyway. Unless the intention is to allow an alien force to fit in the vacuum anyway, thereby creating a new ruler, the seven parties are not yet prepared for disastrous changes.
Nevertheless, the slogans on the streets have changed. The tendency of the mass to target the palace physically been frequently reported. This means more violent clashes, further bloodsheds and infiltration of armed Maoists in the peaceful movement. The politicians have not explained how they are going to protect the demonstrators from the wrath of the security forces.
As yet, the mass movement does not have an all-accepted leader, and the capacity of the seven-party coordinating body to monitor the movement and give it a political direction where needed seems to be frighteningly controversial. Movements are never eternal. They have a life cycle. Once created, they grow, they achieve successes or failures and eventually, they dissolve and cease to exist. The role of the leadership in mobilising this process to achieve the political is very crucial. The seven-party decision of April 22 to continue with the mass movement was taken simply because of the fear of the swelling mass, rather than any other thing. Thus, the perils of the upsurge are clear. What is not clear is how the politicians are going to revert back should they feel the need for it.
Tackling the King
By this time, the king must have realised that he took a lot of time to take the right decision in harnessing new political relationship with the representative institutions. Whether October 4 or February 1, his approach to the problems of governance has been too simplistic, and often charged up with his personal ambitions.
Even from a purely selfish standpoint, the King should have tried to improve his approach faster than what has been the counter speed of the parties which had started to polarise. Improving oneself is a lot more gainful than trying to improve others. As such, at the end of the rat race one is still a rat.
Moreover, the King underscored the importance of prior consultation with the parties before making his offer public. While there are still many people who want the King to stay in a democratic set up, there is much change in their expectations from the monarchy due to the strength of education (the wider dissemination of political literature, the increased mobility of labour due to the increasing economic activities and urbanization, the freedom of expression, economic independence, and the unprecedented number and scope of various contemporary political and social movements.)
The result is, therefore, right before him. Although he has finally agreed to turn the reins of government over to a prime minister chosen by the country’s main political parties, he has not been able to find receptive audience for him. Many politicians consider his offer too little and too late. Now they want more – the fulfilment of the two principal demands of the seven agitating parties and those who have poured out onto the streets for the last three weeks – the demand for the restoration of the latest parliament and elections to a constituent assembly to frame a new constitution in due course. The first demand hits the ego of the King, and the second hits his future.
The agitating parties are only relying on the slogans of the liquid masses on the street to press upon the King. They need to understand that there is a change in the balance of power, but they are doing very little behind the curtain to negotiate what is possible in the new context.
Positive Visions
So far the movement is still building on the hatred against the King without offering positive visions to the King and the people about the restored House of Representatives, the functions of an interim government, and how they intend to pursue the elections to the constituent assembly in the best interest of the Nepali people. There is no vision of what the seven parties believe to be an alternative constitutional system.
Ideas about how the transition might work vary considerably, especially with respect to the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA), the Nepal Police, the functioning bureaucracy, and other interim arrangements. As soon as the King is out of the scene, the challenge of dealing with the RNA will not be that easy.
There is also disagreement about how a constituent assembly might be brought about as a result of the unique opinions of the Maoists who are theorizing them within their broad Maoist genres. It is inconceivable that the political parties who have always lost with the Maoists, whether in the government or outside, and are conducting the mass movement with “borrowed hands” can strike out a constitutional image of their own.
Harsh facts
Whether the King runs the show, or the Maoists or the seven parties, Nepal will continue to remain the roof of the world, and its geopolitical realities will not change simply by shifting its status to a republican state.
Real democratic commitment is the function of the quality of relationships. If the King is to be thrown out because of his irresponsible exercise of power, there is absolutely no reason why the politicians who ruled (or misruled) this country with corruption, mismanagement and injustice during these awful years should be exempted from the same process. The Maoists, of course, are the principal assailant on the infant democracy, which had barely started to crawl. This holier-than-thou attitude does not serve the movement any more. The challenge is to recognise the weaknesses and leave them behind.
Free rider problem
Whether the King runs the show, or the Maoists or the seven parties, Nepal will continue to remain the roof of the world, and its geopolitical realities will not change simply by shifting its status to a republican state. Every movement in the past has cost the nation dearly. Sceptics can start counting what has Nepal lost since October 2002, and the list can surprise many. This is the harsh geo-political phenomenon. You solve one and the other will come up. In this environment, the idea of a pure movement is just as illusory as the idea of an autonomous political process.
As the political parties are not clear about the specifics in the context of the three dimensions of power including decision-making, agenda-setting, and preference-shaping there is always a danger of outsiders reaping the benefits after their hard work. The general public may not be aware of what decisions are actually in their interest due to the power of invisible forces who work to distort their perceptions.
Conclusion
If there is any approach which has never proved wrong, it is the national reconciliation among all political stakeholders. With this approach, the great excitement of the future is that we can shape it, and all demands of the movement can be quickly realized. What the seven-party leaders need to do is to create not just a vision, as suggested above, but a vision with a meaning.
The country can be reinvented by developing a sense of connectedness among all political units, a sense of working together as part of a system, where each part of the system is affecting and is being affected by others, and where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. For this the King is as much necessary as the other political forces.
(Adhikari is a lawyer. Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected])
(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected])
Barely a month after launching the ambitious “brand Nepal” campaign, tourism industry has been hit hard thanks to the prolonged strike and curfew
By Pratibedan Baidya
The general strike called by seven political parties that entered on 19th day on Monday and the daytime curfew imposed by the government to thwart the on-going pro-democracy movement has adversely affected the ailing tourism industry of the county.
The tourism industry, already facing hardships due to prolonged political impasse and the decade-old Maoist insurgency, has further deteriorated with the general strike called by major opposition political parties since early this month.
Tourists in Thamel : Feeling safe?
Tourists in Thamel (File Photo)
With the political unrest continuing and countries advising their citizens against traveling to Nepal, tourism industry is bound to face negative consequences both in the short as well as long term, according to entrepreneurs.
The foreign countries have been issuing strict travel advisories to their citizens not to travel to the Himalayan Kingdom citing political unrest of the country. The atrocities of the security forces against tourists who came out in support of the pro-democracy movement have only added to spread negative message towards Nepal.
Talking to Nepalnews, Sajan Shakya, proprietor of Marcopolo business hotel, a leading business hotel of the country and director of the Club Himalayan, a popular resort based at Nagarkot, said the number of tourists arriving Nepal has gone down drastically in recent days.
“Not only individual tourists, but various projects have also been cancelled in recent days thanks to the recent political situation,” he added.
He informed that many tourists are canceling their trips and also curtailing their stay in Nepal as they were compelled to limit themselves within the rooms of their hotel due to the popular uprising.
The Club Himalayan Resort, which remained a centre of attractions till a few weeks ago, bore a deserted look this week. Only half a dozen rooms are occupied, said Shrestha.
He informed that the negative publicity about the situation of the country is also affecting the tourism industry hard.
According to the Ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation, there was an increment of 14 percent in the arrival of tourists to Nepal by air in January this year, which rose to impressive 27 per cent in the month of March.
Continued political turmoil and Maoist violence continue to take their toll on country’s tourism industry. Officials say a total of 278,000 tourists visited Nepal by air in the year 2005—nearly 4 percent less than those who visited Nepal in the previous year (2004).
Despite agencies like Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) trying to promote Nepal as a safe tourist destination, tourists who had confirmed their visit earlier have begun to cancel their travel due to the political unrest in the country.
Nepal continues to hit headlines in world media including BBC and the CNN—but for the wrong reasons.
Talking to Nepalnews, Chief Executive Officer of Nepal Tourism Board, Tek Bahadur Dangi, however, tried to put up a brave face saying that the decline in the arrival of tourists in recent days will turn out to be a temporary event and will not affect the tourism industry in the long run.
He informed that the NTB was working to reduce the inconvenience to the tourists and operating shuttle bus services to facilitate their travel even during the strike and curfew hours.
“The crisis management team of NTB, with the help of Tourist Police, is working round-the-clock for reducing the inconvenience to the tourists,” said Dangi. He expressed hope that tourist arrival will increase after the situation returns to normalcy.
Tourism sector contributes nearly 2 percent to the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country. If the revenue generated from Indian tourist is included, it would be more than 2 percent of the GDP, according to the NTB.
Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh and US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.
File Photo
As the situation in Nepal remains volatile, foreign governments continue to advise their citizens to leave Nepal at the earliest. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the United Kingdom has urged any British tourists remaining in the Himalayan kingdom to contact the embassy as a matter of urgency saying Nepal (could) descend into bloody insurrection.
“There’s complete unrest in Nepal at the moment and anything could happen. Anyone with friends or relations currently on holiday there should contact them if possible and tell them to get in touch with the embassy,” the FCO said.
The Sunday Times, a leading newspaper of Britain quoted Anita Benson from Newmarket as saying, “We’ve been warned even tourists can be shot on sight. Police are stopping people traveling in cars and even if I could get to the airport every flight is fully booked with people fleeing the country.”
On Monday, China asked Chinese tourists to leave Nepal quickly and urged its citizens living in Nepal to take care of their personal safety.
The US government has asked all non-emergency U.S. mission personnel and dependents in Kathmandu to depart Nepal citing ongoing violence, curfews, and widespread insecurity in the kingdom. The Consular Section and American Center Library remain closed since April 12.
Thamel area, the main tourist hub in the capital, looked deserted as the tourism entrepreneurs stalled their work expressing solidarity to the pro-democracy movement of the country. A number of tourism entrepreneurs including former president of the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal, Dipak Mahat, have been put behind bars for demonstrating demanding restoration of democracy in the country.
Despite current turmoil, Nepal Tourism Board came up with a new tourism brand with the slogan ‘Naturally Nepal, once is not enough’ in March this year to revive the ailing tourism industry.
Rahul Sen and Arun Anand, Brand Consultants, Alchemy, said the new brand was needed to “repackage the diverse, existing product offerings, increase the number of tourists visiting Nepal, increase the revenues and profits of the Nepal Tourist Board, align NTB’s stakeholders and the Nepali tourism industry to a common future and define branding guidelines and investment vehicles for building a low-cost international consumer brand in the very competitive tourism industry.”
The brand, that aims at repositioning Nepal’s image in the international tourism market, incorporates a strategy to attract additional 300,000 tourists in Nepal in a year by making around Rs 100 million investments in tourism promotional campaigns.
But, with the on-going political unrest and high-handed measures employed by the royal government to suppress pro-democracy demonstrations, Nepal’s tourism has sustained a severe blow which will take several months, if not years, to recover.