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Nepal News April 23rd

Daytime curfew in Kathmandu on Sunday as well
The government imposed an 11-hour long curfew from 9:00 this morning in Kathmandu as the pro-democracy activists continued their protest against the royal proclamation ...

Over 200 injured in Kathmandu; protests continue nationwide
More than 200 pro-democracy activists protesting against Friday’s royal address and defying the curfew orders were wounded when security forces opened fire at them and ...

Rights groups, civil society call for immediate release of prisoners of conscience
Some thirty leading rights groups and civil society organisations have demanded immediate release of all political prisoners, including party leaders and human rights ...

General strike hits the financial sector hard (Nepalnews Feature)
The call by the seven-party alliance (SPA) to the countrymen not to pay taxes and duties to the royal government and Nepalis working abroad not to send remittances back home ...

Seven parties reject royal proclamation, vow to continue agitation (news update)
In their first reaction to the royal proclamation, the seven party alliance (SPA) has rejected the royal call to form a new government and has insisted on the reinstatement of the...

Mobile phones go down
Mobile phone connections in the capital have gone down since Saturday afternoon.

UN, US, EU and Canada welcome royal proclamation
Though pro-democracy activists across the country continue to take out rallies denouncing Friday’s royal proclamation, international community have taken King Gyanendra’s...

Kathmandu remains tense, police open fire at several places to control crowd
Latest reports say tens of thousands of demonstrators are marching through inner parts of the capital, Kathmandu—a restricted zone—Saturday afternoon chanting slogans ....

Seven party meeting kicks off
The much-awaited meeting of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) has kicked off at the residence of former premier and Nepali Congress president, GP Koirala, at Maharajgunj Saturday...

Daytime curfew in Kathmandu
The government imposed an 8-hour long curfew from 12:00 this afternoon in Kathmandu as angry protests snowballed in the capital against Friday’s royal address.

UML leaders Khanal, Gautam released
Two central level leaders of UML, Bamdev Gautam and Jhalanath Khanal, who were arrested on Friday at Tribhuwan International Airport released on Saturday morning.

 

Nepal Maoist and seven political parties 12 points agreements

In September 2005, the Maoist guerrillas announced a three-month unilateral ceasefire. This was the first time that a ceasefire has been declared without any negotiations with the government. The Royalist coup in February exposed the illegitimacy of the entire political set-up in Nepal. It seems that the ceasefire was a hint aimed at the “democratic” parties that an alliance was possible. The events that have unfolded since the ceasefire demonstrate that.

Talks and contacts between the seven parties and the Maoists and also between the Nepalese groups and their Indian allies show that there is a clear willingness to get to some agreement to remove the king and call for a Constituent Assembly before the elections in February.

Months of “peace”

Already in September the Maoists left it clear that they wanted a deal with those they once used to call traitors and enemies. Prachanda, the leader of the Maoist movement, declared that through the ceasefire he wanted, “To create an environment at both the national and international level for a forward-looking political way out, to inspire the seven political parties to come in cooperation by clarifying their immediate slogan, to reinforce the movement of civil society, to increase political intervention upon the old state and to consolidate [the] party's relation with the broad masses by honouring their sentiments and aspirations etc., are the main motivating reasons behind the declaration of cease-fire” (People’s March, September 6).

Basically the Maoist leadership are sticking to the old Stalinist theory of the two stages: first a democratic Republic (and at this stage they only talk about a Constituent Assembly) and tomorrow, some time in the future, the socialist transformation. According to their thinking, the international context is not ripe for a “People’s Republic, so they are happy with a nice little democracy in the form of a Parliamentary Republic”, or something along those lines.

The problem with this is that in Nepal there is no scope for developing a stable democratic regime. The history of the whole of the twentieth century shows that. The Nepalese ruling elite is extremely corrupt and bound hands and feet to imperialism. They are incapable of meeting the democratic aspirations of the masses.

In spite of this, the Maoist leaders believe that a new regime will help to develop the country and overcome the semi-feudal conditions that some of the provinces are submerged in. In fact, this is more or less what the Maoists have done in the territories they control: abolition of the caste system, the building of basic infrastructures run by the community (roads, schools, basic surgeries, etc). They have reached a point where their “liberated” areas need to connect and work with the urban areas. They can do this in either of two ways: lead a socialist revolution in the urban areas or attempt to come back into “legality” on a bourgeois basis. It seems clear which of these two options they see as the most likely.

On their part the CPN-UML (Communist Party Unified Marxist Leninist) have been mobilizing their forces against the king, forming an alliance with the Nepali Congress and strengthening their links with the Indian Communist Parties and the Indian government. All this is only a recipe for disaster. In fact India has withdrawn its support for the king and has more or less openly helped to establish an alliance between the seven parties and the Maoists. Ironically the only reliable ally of the king at this moment is China, but this support is also very shaky. China’s only concern is to maintain stability, so if a joint government of the illegal parties can guarantee this, China can easily swap sides. The Chinese pro-capitalist bureaucracy has in fact been immersed in realpolitik for decades.

The talks between the Maoists, the CPN-UML and other forces held in India, ended with a 12-point resolution to oust the King and establish a democratic regime. In mid November the Maoists were repeating the same line they had put forward three months earlier. Prachanda said: “We are fully committed to bring the armed conflict to an end and establish permanent peace after ending the autocratic monarchy” (quoted in The Guardian, November 24).

In a desperate attempt to cling to power, the King announced local elections for February 2006 and Parliamentary elections for 2007, but these seem to be very far away and the isolation of the regime continues. If the monarchy loses all its allies (i.e. China)   which is a concrete possibility if the Western imperialists and India manage to keep the Maoist guerrillas in check and the seven party Alliance is led by the pro-capitalist Nepali Congress   then the King cannot last much longer. All this indicates that Nepal is heading towards a pact where the Maoists are going to be brought into the fold. They will be called on to guarantee this process.

This “democratic alliance” in agreement with the Maoists is politely asking the UN to help out. But it is also collaborating not only with the Indian government   the godfather of the whole affair   but also with American and European imperialism. The US have not been too enthusiastic about accepting the Maoist guerrillas as part of the deal, but they have little option now as the King seems to be on his way out. In fact the latest on the diplomatic front has been a clear indication to the seven party alliance that is the road that should now be taken. On Tuesday the ambassadors of the United States and Britain to Nepal said their respective countries are likely to back any Nepali political parties-guerrillas understanding to bring the guerrillas into the political mainstream, if the latter surrender their weapons. (Nepalnews.com, November 22).

The King is a maverick who has no sense of reality after killing his own family to get into power and he has thrown the entire country into disarray. The ruling elite in Nepal (or at least a section of it) has realised that this crazy element is incapable of stopping the guerrillas. Therefore they are using a much cleverer tactic. They are trying to use their political parties (the Nepali Congress and all its splinter groups, that do not represent anyone but have a voice in the seven party Alliance) to get the Maoists to adopt a more “moderate” stance and join the already moderate CPN-UML. In fact as the declared period of the ceasefire drew to a close and the seven parties agreed the 12 points to establish a new regime, and as the international situation has become more difficult for the King, the guerrillas have announced that the ceasefire is to be extended until early 2006.

The King is under a lot of pressure, but the masses in Nepal see the spectacle of their beloved leader busy solving the problems of the country by spending huge wealth on his own personal enjoyment. They can read in the news items such as the following statement by a political analyst: “The king is today on safari taking one of two of the country's jets with him. The trip has cost impoverished Nepal $2.5m [£1.5m]. This sort of thing cannot be overlooked... Before the politicians could only offer people democracy, now they can offer them peace as well. This could spell the end for the king.” (The Guardian, November 24) This reflects the sheer madness of a man on his way out.

The real meaning of the pact

On November 22 the CPN (Maoists) announced that they had entered into an alliance with the democratic forces for the “establishment of total democracy by abolishing the autocratic monarchy” (Nepalnews.com, November 22). The Maoist statement says: "The country is in need of a positive solution to the armed conflict and permanent peace. We [Maoists] are fully committed to bring the armed conflict to an end and establish permanent peace after ending the autocratic monarchy and hold elections to the Constituent Assembly as a process of establishing total democracy”.

The problems are found when one reads the small print. The Maoist guerrillas   some commentators reckon they are around 10,000 fighters   are going to be under the control of the new Nepalese Army, that is to be placed under a UN mandate. The Maoists have thus made a 180-degree turn from their classical “surround-the-cities” line to an agreement with the imperialists of the world. A mandate rubber stamped by the Security Council of the UN may be to the satisfaction of the imperialist powers. It may be acceptable to both the Maoist and bourgeois elements within the country. But what does all this hold for the poor masses, many of whom have struggled for years? The masses will see no real improvement in their lives.

Throughout these talks and deals one important elements was missing, the voice of the masses. The Maoist leaders should know better. But this is the road they have chosen to go down. In their thinking, if they can achieve the overthrow of the regime in a bloodless coup, in alliance with the bourgeois parties and the CPN-UML, who in turn are seeking the support in the Indian imperialists, what need do they have of a mass movement of the poor peasants in alliance with the urban?

The Maoists seem to have abandoned their “traditional” demands for a Democratic People’s Republic and seem to be content with establishing a Constituent Assembly. For Marxists the forms of government are important but they cannot become a fetish. The monarchy has a strong tradition in Nepal, but if the king continues to pose a threat to the very survival of the system, a section of the ruling elite could easily move over to the idea of a Republic, and they would do this under the banner of the Constituent Assembly. Thus the demands of the Maoists as they stand now could end up playing into the hands of the Nepalese ruling class.

Again, Maoist realpolitik means that removal of the monarchy becomes an end in itself, no matter who you ally with. This is a very risky policy indeed. What the Maoist leaders do not understand is that one cannot use the peasantry and the urban working class as if they were a tap, which can be turned on and off according to their own political aims. A genuine Marxist leadership would evaluate whether the mood among the masses was ripe for an uprising. They would lead the workers in the cities by declaring a general strike and they would combine this with the guerrilla forces to take power. They would explain the need to break with the bourgeois elements.

Unfortunately Prachanda and his comrades are doing exactly the opposite. After having built up a powerful force in the countryside they now seem prepared to bow to the wishes of the ruling elite, abandon their previous positions and fuse their forces into some form of “democratic” bourgeois regime. This will do nothing to solve the problems of the masses. They risk dismantling all that has been achieved in these years of struggle. This has nothing to do with the policies of Bolshevism.

The next period will show which way the process will finally go, whether some kind of compromise can hold, or whether the intolerable living conditions of the masses will push them beyond the present stance of the Maoist leadership.

December 2005

King Announcement of Democracy

King calls on SPA to recommend name for Prime Minister
Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, April 21 - King Gyanendra has called the seven-party alliance to recommend the name of a consensus Prime Minister at the earliest. Addressing the nation this evening, the king said he has handed executive powers to the people as per Article 35 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990. In the royal address, the King also said that the current government under his chairmanship would be in place until the formation of the next government headed by the SPA-recommended Prime Minister. 

Full text of the Royal Proclamation (Unofficial Translation) Proclamation to the Nation from His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev

7(21 April 2006)

 Beloved Countrymen,

You are all aware that, given the situation prevailing in the country then, we were compelled to take the decision of 1 February 2005 to set in motion a meaningful exercise in multiparty democracy by activating all elected bodies, ensuring peace and security and a corruption-free good governance through the collective wisdom, understanding and the united efforts of all the Nepalese. By supporting our decision, the Nepalese people made amply clear their desire for peace and democracy and the civil servants demonstrated sincerity towards their duties.  We are appreciative of this. We also have high regard for the dutifulness, valour and discipline displayed by the security personnel, upholding their glorious traditions.

 

By visiting different parts of the country, we made honest endeavors to acquaint ourselves with the hopes and aspirations of our people, mitigate their hardships and boost their morale. We also called on the political parties to enter into a dialogue in the interest of the nation and people afflicted by violence and terrorism. However, this did not materialize. The ideals of democracy can be realized only through the active participation of political parties. In keeping with the traditions of the Shah Dynasty to reign in accordance with the popular will in the greater interest of the nation and people and our unflinching commitment towards Constitutional Monarchy and multiparty democracy, we, through this Proclamation, affirm that the Executive Power of the Kingdom of Nepal, which was in our safekeeping, shall, from this day, be returned to the people and be exercised in accordance with Article 35 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal - 1990. As the source of Sovereign Authority is inherent in the people, harmony and understanding must be preserved in the interest of the nation and people in an environment of peace and security. While safeguarding multiparty democracy, the nation must be taken ahead along the road of peace and prosperity by bringing into the democratic mainstream those who have deviated from the constitutional path. Similarly, a meaningful exercise in democracy must be ensured with the activation of representative bodies through elections as soon as possible. We, therefore, call upon the Seven Party Alliance to recommend a name, for the post of Prime Minister, at the earliest for the constitution of the Council of Ministers which will bear the responsibility of governing the country in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal - 1990. The present Council of Ministers will continue to function until the appointment of the Prime Minister. May Lord Pashupatinath bless us all! Jaya Nepal!

From Kantipur Online April 21

No compromise on sovereignty: Nepal, Poudel

4 killed, over 200 injured in army firing in Jhapa (UPDATE)

Minister Tamang cancels Dhaka tour

Nepal, Poudel released

4 killed in Jhapa firing; demonstrations continue; 18-hr curfew imposed in capital

Indian Special Envoy begins political consultations; meets Koirala, Deuba, Nepal

Curfew defied in Pokhara, over 250 arrested; court employees stage sit-in

Woman protester killed in Nepalgunj; curfew in Pokhara

‘Impose targeted sanctions on king, ministers’

Plainclothes soldier brought grenade to rally: OHCHR

Moriarty summoned

Gautam’s killing leaves family destitute

Nepal News 21 April

3 killed, over 100 injured in Kathmandu demonstrations; protests continue nationwide
At least three persons were killed and over 50 injured when security personnel opened fire at pro-democracy activists demonstrating in Kalanki area, Kathmandu, defying curfew...

Govt. extends curfew in Kathmandu by 7 hours
Local authorities in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur extended the 2:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. curfew until 3:00 a.m. Friday, without interval.

Karan Singh returns to Delhi with ‘optimism’
Expressing hope for early breakthrough in Nepal’s political crisis, India’s special envoy to Nepal, Karan Singh, returned to New Delhi, winding up his two-day visit on Thursday.

NTB operating shuttle bus service
The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has said that it has arranged shuttle bus service for tourists and other passengers arriving at and departing from Tribhuvan International Airport on...

Tens of thousands defy curfew orders in the capital
Tens of Thousands of people have defied the curfew orders on Thursday in the capital and organized demonstrations against the government.

Normal life of valley affected due to day-time curfew
Normal life has been affected in Kathmandu on Thursday due to the 18-hour long day-time curfew imposed by the government to thwart the major showdown of the seven...

King continues political consultations; gives audience to Chaudhari, Thapa
As continuation of political consultation with various people King Gyanendra on Wednesday granted separate audiences to chairman of Rajparisad Standing committee Parsuram...

HSEB postpones exams of grades 11 and 12
The Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) has postponed the exams of grades 11 and 12 due to the current political situation of the country.

OHCHR concerned over excessive use of force
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal said it has received early reports of shootings of demonstrators by security forces in....

International communities worry over Nepal situation
Participants at an international seminar have expressed serious concern over human rights situation in Nepal and stressed the need to hold a meaningful dialogue between the..

Govt issues 18-hour curfew in the capital
Local authorities in Kathmandu and Lalitpur today issued 18-hour curfew orders in the capital starting from 2 a.m. Thursday.

 

  Woman protester killed in Nepalgunj; curfew in Pokhara
  ‘Impose targeted sanctions on king, ministers’
  Plainclothes soldier brought grenade to rally: OHCHR
  Moriarty summoned
  Gautam’s killing leaves family destitute
  India's Special Envoy Dr Karan Singh heading into Kathmandu
  Detention of NC leaders Poudel, Acharya extended by 3 months
  Pro-democracy movement intensifies nationwide
  King continues political consultations
  Half way to Kathmandu, Nepal moved backed to Kakani
  US, Indian envoys meet RJP chairman Thapa

 From Nepal News 20 April

Govt issues 18-hour curfew in the capital
Local authorities in Kathmandu and Lalitpur today issued 18-hour curfew orders in the capital starting from 2 a.m. Thursday.

Four demonstrators shot dead in Jhapa, dozens injured
At least four persons were killed when security personnel opened fire on a demonstration organized by the seven opposition parties in Chandragadhi in the eastern district...

Maoists release 19 Malangwa captives
Maoists have set free 19 security persons abducted during their raid on the district headquarters of Sarlahi, Malangwa, early this month.

Govt releases MK Nepal, RC Poudel
The government released CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Nepali Congress (NC) general secretary Ram Chandra Poudel from police custody...

Indian special envoy arrives in Kathmandu
Special envoy of Indian Prime Minister Dr Man Mohan Singh to Nepal, Karan Singh, arrived in Kathmandu Wednesday afternoon to convey India's message to the king about its...

Over 200 arrested in Pokhara, demonstrations continue
Over 200 professionals were arrested in Pokhara on Wednesday from a demonstration organized by Nepal University Teacher's Association Pokhara Valley...

Over 50 teachers arrested; 6 Home Ministry officials freed
At least 50 demonstrators were arrested from a protest rally organised by various teachers’ unions at Dilli Bazaar, Kathmandu, in support of the ongoing pro-democracy...

Three leading rights groups call for targeted sanctions against top Nepal officials
Three leading international human rights groups have called upon international community to refuse entry to senior functionaries of the royal regime and freeze their personal...

Mass arrests and violence against journalists continues in Nepal: IFJ
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed concern over the continuing mass arrests and violence being directed towards the media in Nepal and reiterated its calls...

Agitating parties pledge cooperation for Vitamin A program
The seven opposition parties have said their ongoing movement will not hamper the two-day national Vitamin A program which started from today (Wednesday).

King's consultation has no meaning: leaders
As King Gyanendra is having political consultations with various leaders to solve the political problem of the country, leaders of the seven-party alliance have said consultations...

Nepal News 19 April

King continues political consultations
King Gyanendra continued his consultations with political leaders on Tuesday as the seven opposition parties continued their general strike across the country.

Who is preventing the king from reaching out to the parties? (Nepalnews analysis)
Reports say senior opposition leader and CPN (UML) general secretary, Madhav Kumar Nepal, -- who is in detention for the last three months-- was being taken to the district court of...

UML general secretary’s release delayed
The release of CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, supposed to be released from government custody Tuesday afternoon has been delayed.

Karan Singh to visit Kathmandu as special Indian envoy
As the nationwide general strike and opposition protests are to complete the second week, Nepal’s southern neighbour India is sending Karan Singh as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ...

General strike will continue until SPA demands are met: Opposition leaders
As the nationwide general strike has entered into the 13th day on Tuesday, leaders of the seven party alliance (SPA) have warned that the strike will continue unless the king agrees to...

Over 100 injured in Pokhara demo, curfew declared on Wednesday
Local administration has declared day-time curfew in Pokhara on Wednesday following clashes between the pro-democracy activists and security personnel throughout Tuesday.

36 political activists released
36 leaders and cadres of political parties were released on Tuesday following the order of Supreme Court.

Two RNA men die in accidental blast; two Maoists killed in security action
Two Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) soldiers have died in an accidental explosion inside the security base camp in Taulihawa, Kapilvastu district.

NRN UK chapter formed
The first Non Resident Nepalis (NRN) National Coordination Committee of the United Kingdom has been formed with Ashok Shrestha as its chairman, the Association said.

Weather will be clear by Thursday: Officials
At a time when the ongoing movement for democracy is heating up every day, the unexpected pre-monsoon rain over the last two days has cooled the weather around the country.

Over 25 civil servants arrested; two demonstrators shot; nationwide protests continue
Over 25 employees of Home Ministry and four journalists were arrested on Tuesday from protest programme of the employees.

Nepalese colts arrive in Islamabad
The Nepalese U-14 football team has landed in Islamabad, Pakistan to take part in the U-14 Festival of Football that pits five countries- along with two teams from Pakistan- in the ..

News From Kantipur 19 April.

King continues poltical consultations

US, Indian envoys meet RJP chairman Thapa

Kantipur journos, 27 Home Ministry employees arrested

IOC alert may affect supplies

NHRC knocks on APF chief’s door

Journalists get 90-day detention

King meets former prime ministers; Bhattarai optimistic for political change

Day 12 general strike; pro-democracy stir continues; 1 protester killed in Bara

Mass protests continue across the country

Indian PM discusses contingencies on Nepal

'Indo-Nepal Trade Treaty to be recast'

Petroleum shortage hits Kathmandu Valley

Civil servants hold nationwide demonstrations

SSP Thapa snubs NHRC summons

Newar community take to streets

Parties announce fresh stir; 18 injured in army-police firing in Arghakhanchi, Balkhu

Private banks close transactions

October 18 by Kantipur Online

Day 12 general strike; pro-democracy stir continues; 1 protester killed in Bara

Mass protests continue across the country

Indian PM discusses contingencies on Nepal

'Indo-Nepal Trade Treaty to be recast'

Petroleum shortage hits Kathmandu Valley

Civil servants hold nationwide demonstrations

SSP Thapa snubs NHRC summons

Newar community take to streets

Parties announce fresh stir; 18 injured in army-police firing in Arghakhanchi, Balkhu

Private banks close transactions

King grants audience to US, Chinese, Indian envoys

South Asians express solidarity with Nepal

 

October 18 Kathmandu by Nepal News

NC calls for wider participation on Thursday's rally
Nepali Congress (NC), one of the major constituents of the seven party alliance (SPA) has appealed for wider public participation in the agitation
programme scheduled...

One protestor killed, over 100 injured in nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations on Monday
One protestor was killed and over 100 injured when security forces intervened pro-democracy demonstrations in various parts of the country on Monday, the 12th day ...

NHRC writes to APF chief to send Thapa for questioning
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had sent a letter to the chief of the Armed Police Force (APF) on Monday to send Senior Superintendent of Police
Madhav Thapa...

Rights bodies demand dissolution of incumbent government
Various human rights
organisations working in the country have demanded for the dissolution of the incumbent government and to form a fresh one comprising ...

King grants audience to former Prime Ministers Bhattarai, Thapa
His Majesty King
Gyanendra granted audience to former Prime Ministers Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Surya Bahadur Thapa at the Narayanhity Royal Palace as seven opposition political...

UML activist shot dead in Bara during demonstration
A CPN (UML) activist was shot dead and 10 others were badly wounded as security personnel opened fire at a crowd demonstrating against the government clampdown on pro....

Nepalis in New York demonstrate outside the UN