Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey

Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey (File Photo)
Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey left for India Tuesday afternoon to attend an international seminar in the northern Indian city of Banaras.

Pandey is visiting India at the invitation of Banaras Hindu University to participate in a seminar “Problems and Prospect of Democracy in Nepal”, as a chief guest. He will return to the country on March 4.

Pandey’s visit is, however, said to have least diplomatic significance as he has no other agenda than to attend the seminar. “He has no program to meet any senior Indian official,” spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shankar Das Bairagi, told Nepalnews ahead the FM’s departure.

The visit has been set at a time when India has been constantly pressuring the royal government to restore democratic process and reach out to the mainstream political parties. Indian military assistance to Nepal remains suspended since the royal move of February 1, 2005.

The government has decided to keep a central register containing information of all detainees at the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretariat.

The government’s move comes at a time when the government is facing criticism for high number of disappearances by the state.

Talking to Nepalnews Tuesday, secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretariat Diwakar Pant, who also looks after the human rights and legal section, said that the government decided to keep the central register to provide authentic information about detainees from one place.

“All information about detainees will be available from the register,” he added.

He refuted the claim that the latest move was an attempt to avert the possible sanction in the 62nd session of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva next month and added that they had initiated the process some eight months ago.

“We are ready to show documents, in which we have decided to keep the register, to those who charge that the move was only to avert the possible sanction in the Geneva meeting,” he stated.

He informed that they made the decision as per the recommendation of the task force of forceful or involuntary disappearances headed by Prof. Stephen J Toope. The task force had visited Nepal from December 6-14, 2004.

He further said that the register will have all records of detainees, adding, “With such a register, we will be able to maintain records of detainees and there will be no need to get information from various agencies.”

“If security agencies detain people without maintaining record in the register, the concerned parties will be liable for action,” he added.

He further said that the register will have record of those who were said to be disappeared by the state in the past.

According to rights activists, the government is yet to publicise whereabouts of more than 300 people arrested by the security forces.

The 3rd meeting of the Joint Nepal-China Border Inspection Committee is set to begin in the Chinese capital, Beijing, from Wednesday.

The three-day meeting is the final preparatory meeting for the fieldwork of 3rd phase of joint inspection of the frontiers, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

The upcoming meeting will be an opportunity to work on various documents aimed at facilitating the work procedures of Joint Border Inspection by Nepali and Chinese teams, a MoFA release said.

The first and second phases of joint border inspection were carried out in 1978 and 1988.

Officiating Foreign Secretary Hira Bahadur Thapa will lead the Nepali delegation which includes officials from the Home Ministry, Ministry of Land Reforms and Management, Defence Ministry and Law, Justice and Parliament Affairs.

Next round of joint border inspection will start from April this year which is expected to complete within 2006, MoFA said.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal has condemned the recent blasts reportedly carried out by Maoist insurgents in the western town of Pokhara in which over a dozen civilians were injured.

Issuing a press release on Tuesday, OHCHR said, “OHCHR-Nepal condemns the bomb attacks, reportedly carried out by CPN (Maoist), in Pokhara on 25 and 27 February which injured at least 12 civilians, and calls on the leadership of the party to desist from further attacks in areas where they are likely to cause the killing or injury of civilians.”

The UN rights body said it has investigated the two bomb attacks in Pokhara, at Chorepatan on 25 February, and in Chipledhunga, a busy street in the tourist town, on 27 February.

“In each case, OHCHR-Nepal has found that the bombs were left in urban areas known to be frequented by civilians,” the statement said, adding that Monday’s bomb blast took place in a busy shopping area in the city centre in the middle of the day.

The international humanitarian law forbids the targeting of civilians and requires that combatants distinguish between military targets and civilians, the OHCHR further stated. “On either side of the conflict, both the direct perpetrators and those in command of forces who commit violations must be held accountable and may be subject to individual criminal responsibility before a court of law.”

Reminding the Maoist leadership of its commitments to abide by international human rights and humanitarian law, the OHCHR said the Pokhara blasts signaled an “increase of Maoist bombing in urban areas at busy times of the day, without any warning or other measures to avoid civilian casualties”.

“OHCHR-Nepal calls on the leadership of CPN (Maoist) to take all necessary measures to protect civilians and to ensure that its cadres respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. Actions such as these bomb attacks are against such laws,” the statement quoted a spokesperson for OHCHR-Nepal as saying.

At least one security person and a Maoist cadre were killed in separate clashes between the security forces and the rebels in Palpa and Nuwakot districts on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), a security person was killed in a gunbattle with armed Maoist rebels at Panena area of Palpa district this afternoon. Over a dozen Maoists are known to have been killed in the heavy fighting that lasted for hours, a MoD statement said.

Security forces have been deployed in the area in search of the Maoists, it added.

Similarly a Maoist area in-charge was killed during a security operation at Betani area of Nuwakot district this afternoon. Parwati Poudel, an area in-charge, died on the spot in the security action, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, security forces seized huge quantity of explosives and materials used in detonating bombs near Sunauli, a bordering town in Rupandehi district, on Tuesday.

2500-kg gelatine, 450-kg Emulsion Explosives Class-2, 7500-meter safety fuse, 29,500 detonators (No. 27) and 10,200 (No. 33) electric detonators, which were being brought to Nepal in a Tata truck with Indian number plate Kh 11 A 9822, were seized by the security forces, the MoD statement said.

Today’s haul was one of the biggest in recent times.

Leading donors, development workers and experts have said Nepal needs to re-focus on economic agenda so as not to lag farther behind than its South Asian neighbours.

Taking part in the day-long interaction on the theme, “Does Nepal Risk being left behind: National Interaction” in the capital, Kathmandu, on Tuesday organized by the Ganesh Man Singh Academy in cooperation with the Department for International Development (DFID), World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the participants said Nepalis must pressurize the warring sides to resume peace negotiations and kickstart stalled pro-poor development process.

The interaction, a prelude to the “Asia 2015: Promoting Growth, Ending Poverty” that is taking place in London from March 6-7 in London, discussed experiences of Bangladesh and Pakistan in achieving economic growth despite political problems. Making a presentation on the political economy of development in Bangladesh, Sadiq Ahmed of the World Bank said Bangladesh has achieved relatively good performance on macroeconomic management.

He said successive governments in Bangladesh have laid emphasis on social spending in fiscal expenditure with special focus on female education. He said the population control programme in Bangladesh was exemplary and that public/private partnership in supply of basic services could be termed successful.

Mr. Ahmed, however, said per capita income of USD 440 of Bangladesh was low even by regional standards. 53 percent of rural and 50 percent of total 145 million population of Bangladesh lived below poverty line. “Weak governance is the most important constraint on future development in Bangladesh while adverse politics of reform is the biggest contributor to governance problems,” he said.

Similarly, sharing the Pakistani experience, Dr. Naved Hamid of the Asian Development Bank said poverty grew in Pakistan from around 26 percent in 1991 to over 32 percent in 2001. Pakistan faced acute political instability, large fiscal and current account deficits and excessive centralization and weak accountability during the period.

He, however, said thanks to fiscal and governance, Pakistan has achieved an average over 6 percent growth in the last three years. There have been threefold increase in the foreign direct investment between 2000 and 2005 and foreign exchange reserves grew from USD 1 billion in 2000 to USD 10 billion in 2005.

According to Dr. Hamid, Pakistan has increased its pro-poor expenditure over the last three years, unemployment has slightly declined and there have been some progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The development assistance has helped reduce debt burden through bilateral debt restructuring and made available additional resources.

Ken Ohashi (File photo)
Addressing the interaction, country director of the World Bank in Nepal, Ken Ohashi, warned that Nepal was at the risk of becoming a marginalized country. “Nepal is too small. Global forces are too strong. We can’t change the course of large forces around this country,’ he said.

Unless Nepal refocuses its economic agenda quickly, it may not be able to solve the Maoist and political conflict, said Ohashi. “I hope we collectively wake up and bring the country back now on strong growth path. Promoting growth and development will help mitigate some of the underlying issues that have fuelled the conflict,” he added.

Head of the DFID in Nepal, Mark Mallalieu, recalled his experience of how scholarships to dalit children in rural Nepal had helped the excluded community to claim their rightful place in the society. He said DFID and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) had recently launched the Rights, Democracy and Inclusion Fund (RDIF) to support Nepali initiatives to promote social inclusion and bring about reforms within democratic parties, among others.

Mrs. Sarita Giri, a leader of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi), said is always a political process. We can’t separate development from politics. She said people need power to develop themselves. After 1990, people were not given that power that’s why this breakdown occurred. We now have to have a new kind of social contract, she added.

Durga Soba of the Feminist Dalit Organisation (FEDO), who is also a delegate for Asia 2015 conference, said the caste system was a very big problem in Nepal. She said the issue of discrimination on the basis of caste was raised in Nepal only after the restoration of democracy in 1990. She said a large number of population was excluded from the development process since the polity in the country was not inclusive in nature.

President of the Ganesh Man Singh Academy, Nabindra Raj Joshi, said sustainable development could not take place without the participation of the people. Referring to development activities that took place after the political changes of 1990, Joshi said democratic political parties have always helped in the development process in the country. He alleged that those who wanted an absolute rule had created obstacles in the country’s development.

Delegates from Nepal to Asia 2015, former member of National Planning Commission Dr. Jagdish Pokhrel, senior journalist Kishore Nepal, Sujeev Shakya and Sashin Joshi from the private sector also expressed their views regarding development challenges facing Nepal.

Journalists duo Kunda Dixit and Narayan Wagle co-chaired the interaction organized at the Nepal Administrative Staff College, Jawalakhel.

Nine people were killed during a clash between security forces and Maoists at the border area between Palpa and Arghakhanchi districts of western Nepal on Tuesday.

According to reports, one army man and eight rebels were killed during the incident.

According to security sources, the clash started in Shiddheshwor region of Palpa and Panena and Khidim region of Arghakhanchi.

The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) also confirmed the death of one army man in the incident.

Maoists have claimed that they lost five of their comrades in the incident.

Earlier, 16 rebels were killed during a clash between Maoist rebels and security forces at Satyabati area of Palpa district on Sunday.

Home Minister Kamal Thapa

Home Minister Kamal Thapa (File Photo)
The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) led by Home Minister Kamal Thapa on Monday passed a proposal on forming a nationalist democratic alliance citing ‘growing threats’ to democracy and nationalism and urged all ‘nationalist, democratic and constitutional forces committed to the 1990 Constitution’ to join it.

Monday’s meeting of the party has also urged the Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) of Surya Bahadur Thapa and RPP led by Pashupati SJB Rana to join the initiative, which is being forged to “uphold the 1990 Constitution and go for fresh parliamentary elections”, according to reports.

Wrapping up its two-day central committee meeting, the party reiterated its call to form a democratic alliance and fresh parliamentary elections.

Talking to journalists after the meeting, Home Minister Kamal Thapa said, “We do not believe in merely reviving the 205 members in the House of Representatives,” adding, “Getting people’s mandate is the clear-cut way to restore the democratic process.”

The party reiterated its stance on consensus through dialogue saying that the party does not believe in street protests.

The meeting also decided to hold two-day regional camps in all five development regions from March 28. The camps will be participated by party’s central, district and regional members.

The party is also holding training for cadres within mid-May and conducting district-level cadres meetings within the next three months.

The meeting also condemned the Maoist attacks on the houses of several newly elected municipality officials in recent days and urged the government to compensate the victims.

African United Club (AUC) led by star Obagbemiro Junior blanked out Rupendehi XI 2-0 to enter the semifinals of the 4th Aaha Gold Cup Football Tournament here in Pokhara today.

The match was the first ever in Nepalese Football inviting a complete set of African players. The start of the game was sluggish with both teams checking each other’s vigor. However, Mahabir mid-fielder Ike Okushie was brilliant on the field as he attempted two shots that was brilliantly denied by Rupendehi goalie Sawan Gurung.

Unfortunately, Gurung had to leave the ground due to knee injury, after colliding with Ike Okushie in the 18th minute. Bikram Sen, who replaced the regular goalie was also effective with his gloves, but he couldn’t save his team from a goal in the 37th minute when JYC’s Abdul Gani scored off the rebound of Okushie’s shot. The first half ended with AUC up 1-0.

The physical strength, power game and air ball was AUC’s main weapons that worked to oust the Rupendehi side from the tournament. BBC star Obagbemiro Junior, playing midfield, was brilliant with his versatile character supplying balls all around the ground (with an ankle-swelling problem). The second goal came through Ikushie who guided the ball from the edge of the box dodging as many as three defenders before firing home a brilliant goal in the 61st minute.

“It was brilliant game and the win was as per our expectations,” AUC coach Shizioke told Nepalnews. However, captain Obagbemiro was upset with injuries of his boys. “I hope everyone will be okay before the semifinal meet against MMC,” he said.

Nonetheless, Rupendehi coach Yam Prasad Gurung was pleased with his team. “The boys had some physiological pressure with the big names, but I am happy with their performance,” he added.

On Wednesday, Tournament “Dark Horse” Knight Chess Club will lock horns against Mahendra Police Club for a place in the finals.

War is not metaphor, war is death, destruction, ruined lives, children orphaned, women widowed

By Sam Cowan

In Nepal the combatants are fighting two very different wars in which even such basic concepts as military strength, weakness and success are at variance. On one side, the RNA is fighting a conventional, attritional war in which the stress is on the control of key territory and the engagement of the enemy to inflict casualties and thereby weaken his will to resist.

At the strategic level, Mao’s concept of ‘protracted war’ is his most enduring legacy. He stressed that at all times the revolutionary army must stay unified with the people among whom it fights. The people can thus supply the recruits, supplies and information that the army needs and can be politicised at the same time. In this way the cultural and political structure of society can be transformed step by step with military success. Revolution thus comes about not after and as a result of victory but through the process of war itself.

This is the strategy that has brought the Maoists, for such a poorly armed force, remarkable success. Protracting the war could be to their advantage but other pressures have persuaded them that military victory is not achievable.

The vast superiority the RNA enjoys in weapons and equipment have forced the Maoists to acknowledge publicly that they cannot seize and hold anything against RNA reaction: not even a district headquarters. This puts alarmist claims of them taking Kathmandu by force into perspective.

At the most basic level, however strong their will and motivation, the Maoists are very short of the physical means to fight and they know it. Assessed in conventional military terms the Maoist are a pathetic armed force but non-conventionally, they are by no means weak. They have a proven strategy, favourable terrain, immense dedication and an absolute willingness to sacrifice their lives for the cause. All of this gives them the capacity to make large areas of Nepal ungovernable in any meaningful sense for many years. It also makes the task of disarming them by force, the current stated aim of the RNA, unachievable.

In the battle for heart and minds, the RNA’s task is the greater. More than the insurgents, it is the state that needs the people’s support and numerous intelligence failures indicate a deficiency in this key area. Apart from the moral and legal imperatives, there is a human rights link to military effectiveness. Invariably the most committed Maoists can relate stories of family members killed in cold blood by the army and police. Intimidation from the Maoists is also a factor as is the RNA’s inability to provide continuous security to villagers.

In this conflict of ‘two wars’ there is no possibility of a solution by arms. Each side can demonstrate that it is making progress according to its own criteria of success but, by the same logic, notwithstanding tactical gains, neither will be able to deliver a decisive strategic result that will end in the capitulation of the other. Thus, there is strategic stalemate in both the general and literal meanings of the term.

Claims about the Maoists that ‘their back is broken’ are both misleading and meaningless. War is not metaphor. War is death, destruction, ruined lives, communities torn apart, children orphaned, women widowed and much, much more. All decisions and discussions about its utility should be guided solely by awareness of these harsh consequences, not by mind-sets insulated from reality by soft words and platitudes.

Unless there is a ceasefire and the start of a peace process to find a political solution through negotiations and compromise, Nepal faces the prospect of war without end. The key lesson from other conflicts is that the precondition for any hope of success is when both sides come to the conclusion and publicly acknowledge that they cannot achieve their aims by military means. The Maoists have done so but recent statements by ministers indicate that the government is still firmly committed to seeking a solution by force.

Both of Nepal’s wars are having a devastating impact on the lives of rural people. Caught in the no-man’s land of a nasty and brutish conflict, they yearn desperately for peace. This can only be achieved by following the well established pattern of people sitting round a table and negotiating a political way out.

In Nepal, as elsewhere, all will have to compromise. The only questions are: when, and how many more young Nepalis will die in the interim?

(Courtesy: Nepali Times, Issue 287. 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])