A senior European Union (EU) legislator, Neena Gill, has called upon His Majesty King Gyanendra to enter into meaningful dialogue with opposition parties, Maoist rebels and representatives of civil society to resolve the on-going conflict.

Gill, who chairs the European Parliament’s Delegation to SAARC and South Asian countries, including Nepal, expressed her concern over the worsening situation in Nepal. She also urged the Maoists to renounce violence and come back into the main-stream negotiating process.

“If EU appeals to the King to stop the bloodshed fall on deaf ears, then we will push the UN to take action,” she warned. “How can we justify using forces that oppress their own people to help stabilize other countries?” she asked. “I have a deep concern for the region and feel real responsibility for the people: I cannot stand by and do nothing while innocent civilians are massacred! It is evident that the current policy of strict oppression is just making matters worse. The more the King clamps down on his people, the more flammable the situation becomes,” she said.

“The government’s actions are having a counter-productive effect and taking the country further and further from democracy. The cosmetic exercises undertaken to impress the international community are not fooling anyone, this is no way to build a multi-party democratic system,” she added.

“The situation cannot be allowed to degenerate further! Too many lives have already been lost! Something has got to give,” Gill said.

Gill had written a letter to His Majesty in late January this year strongly condemning violence in all forms and by all parties and had urged the King to reach out to the political parties to develop a common agenda for a full return to multi-party democracy. nepalnews.com by Apr 11 06