Monthly Archives: September 2006

Coup in Thailand: Generals, Go Back To Democracy!

Posted on September 20, 2006 by | 97 Comments

The Military Coup is Deplorable and Thais must fight back. We in Nepal condemn the army takeover.

The military coup in Thailand yesterday reminded many of us in Nepal King Gyanendra’s Feb 1, 2005 takeover. First, as the global democratic citizens, we strongly condemn the coup and urge the Thai people to fight back the military takeover. Thai Army, with its own history of coups, did what Gyanendra did in Nepal in 2005. Now it’s time for the Thais oo do what we the Nepalis did in April this year. Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, the coup leader and chief of the army, has said the reason for seizing power was the “government’s misconduct, which has caused conflicts and broken the unity of the people in the country in a way that has never happened before in the history of Thailand.” The army seizing administrative power from the democratically elected (caretaker) government by ordering the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the government and the Constitutional Court on any pretext is deplorable. Continue reading →

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Posted in Democracy Wall

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School Students Used in Politics: STOP

Posted on September 18, 2006 by | 70 Comments

Maoist students convention

As I am writing these lines, about 50 buses (one of them in the photo above) full of school children in uniform are being rushed toward the city center of Kathmandu. The students inside and at the top of the buses are screaming and, for me, the sound resembles to that of a woman being raped by a murderous gang. No wonder, these students are being taken to the inauguration ceremony of general convention of the Maoist student union: All Nepal National Independent Students Union (ANNISU). The scene is simply horrific and I fear possible death of the students falling from the top of the running bus. I am also deeply saddened by the fact that these students are being forced to leave their classes. Their parents sent them school in uniform hoping that they would learn something in classrooms and here they are: forced to take part in a conference of a political organization that, it seems, has very less to do with student welfare. “The main agenda of the convention is political,” I recall what the chairman of ANNISU Lekhnath Neupane said yesterday. Continue reading →

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Posted in Wagle Street Journal 2

Prachanda Meets Prime Minister: Hope Of Peace Gains Strength

Posted on September 17, 2006 by | 11 Comments

Thank God, finally it happened. The meeting between Maoist supremo Prachanda and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala happens at a time when people were desperately looking for the second round to high level talks between the government and the rebels. The meeting also happens at a time when Maoists are intensifying their activities like extortion and kidnapping where as the government was casting doubt over the election of constituent assembly with its sluggishness in responding to issues like interim constitution. “The widening gulf between the SPA government and the Maoists in the past few weeks,” writes journalist Suresh Nath Neupane in eKantipur, “due to their failure to reach a consensus on the political issues to be included in the interim statute had created a deadlock in Nepali politics.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Peace Process

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Peace Process and Monarchy: GenNext Views

Posted on September 16, 2006 by | 85 Comments

youth and politics discussion

It is widely believed that overwhelming majority of rural youths, partly influenced by the Maoist Peoples’ War and frustrated by the kings’ anti-democracy activities in the past, want no monarchy in Nepal. Same applies with city youths who are deeply dissatisfied with the monarchy and want it abolished. Out of the 12 medical science and social works students from different colleges, only one supported the idea of continuing monarchy in Nepal: that too strictly constitutional. The kings were never democratic, said a student, they always look after consolidating their autocratic power at the cost of democracy. Other said that the origin of the present king is suspicious and he shouldn’t be given space. These young undergrad students are critical of the government’s handling of the peace process and think that the Maoists arms must be managed so that everyone can go to the voting booths of the constituent assembly without fear. They think that politics is not dirty game but part of daily lifestyle. They argue for the participating of educated persons in politics so that the system could be saved from idiots. Below is an article in Nepali based on my discussion with students of Tribhuvan University that originally appeared in Kantipur a few days ago. Texts and Pics by Dinesh Wagle

??????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ???? ????????? ?????? ???????, ?????? ?????? ? ?????? ????????????????? ?????? ???????? ??? ? ‘???????? ??????????????? ?????? ??????????? ??????? ????? ???? ???,’ ??????????????? ‘?????????? ?? ???????’ (?????) ?? ?????????? ???????????? ???- ‘?????????? ???? ??????? ? ??????? ??????? ?????? ?’ ????? ????????? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ?????????? ??????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????????? ‘????? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ????????????? ???? ? ????????? ??????? ????? ?????????’ ???? ? Continue reading →

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Posted in Wagle Street Journal 2

Those Left Behind: Nepali Stories of Conflict

Posted on September 16, 2006 by | 7 Comments

The teacher’s family was particularly anguished that the people who killed the teacher were actually his own students, and while in the aftermath, the children have left Lamjung, the killers roam freely there. “Killing your own teacher for an idea so vague and so wrong is like patricide at the most unimaginable state” my friend said.

By Ram Bahadur Chhetri
[This is not a real name. The writer is a Nepali scholar in the West Coast (the United States).]

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In the last few years, I have talked to a lot of Nepali who have suffered in this senseless civil war. The army and the Maoists have competed with each other in brutality, and made attempts to silence the population in the hope that their brutality never transpires outside the tall, impassable and impregnable mountains on whose steep chest our villagers live, and die. However, I have also discovered that their attempt to silence the population is so hollow, so ineffective, and that it is not possible to scare people by beating them, or by showing them the blood of other people. People speak; all you have to do is ask. When you ask slowly, the sluice gate of emotion opens up, and you slowly discover the trauma within them. I have talked to different people, and this has consistently been my experience. Continue reading →

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Posted in Security 2

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Terror Continues: What Will Happen To Peace Process?

Posted on September 16, 2006 by | 45 Comments

While they are protesting possible violation of code of conduct by the government, Maoists are intensifying their anti-peace process activities. Here are proofs:

calling from maoist captivity

Contacting From Captivity: Jodhi Sahakanu of Devapurteta in Bara district. He is in Maoist captivity following a conflict between locals and the rebels a week ago. He is talking to his mother on a cell phone from a Maoist temporary camp at Dumarban. Maoists let him contact his family following requests from the rights activists and journalists. In the conversation, he said that he was okay but while talking to his mother he broke into tears. Pic by Upendra Lamichhane via Kantipur Continue reading →

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Posted in Peace Process

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Moriarty's Barrack Journey: Sabotaging Nepal's Peace Process?

Posted on September 15, 2006 by | 55 Comments

American ambassador is visiting Nepali Army’s sensitive barracks one after another as if he is the defense minister.

By Sudheer Sharma

[Excerpt of an article in Nepali by the former editor of Nepal Magazine in Friday edition of Kantipur daily. Translated by UWB for the benefit of those who somehow know how to give lecture in Nepali but find it very difficult to read properly.]

Just as the Maoist stand of not managing the arms without political settlement makes parliamentarian circle skeptical about them, the rumor of government army importing weapons frightens the rebels. This is because the arms dispute is directly connected with the future of democracy (loktantra) in Nepal’s context. Perhaps the American ambassador James F. Moriarty has understood this well. On the same day (Wednesday) when the whole country was tense because of rumors of government’s arms import, he was in north western border district Darchula. He said- “I fear Nepal might leave the path of democracy.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Peace Process 2

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Moriarty’s Barrack Journey: Sabotaging Nepal’s Peace Process?

Posted on September 15, 2006 by | 55 Comments

American ambassador is visiting Nepali Army’s sensitive barracks one after another as if he is the defense minister.

By Sudheer Sharma

[Excerpt of an article in Nepali by the former editor of Nepal Magazine in Friday edition of Kantipur daily. Translated by UWB for the benefit of those who somehow know how to give lecture in Nepali but find it very difficult to read properly.]

Just as the Maoist stand of not managing the arms without political settlement makes parliamentarian circle skeptical about them, the rumor of government army importing weapons frightens the rebels. This is because the arms dispute is directly connected with the future of democracy (loktantra) in Nepal’s context. Perhaps the American ambassador James F. Moriarty has understood this well. On the same day (Wednesday) when the whole country was tense because of rumors of government’s arms import, he was in north western border district Darchula. He said- “I fear Nepal might leave the path of democracy.” Continue reading →

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Posted in Peace Process 2

Maoist Comrades, Catch Your Ears and Say Sorry

Posted on September 13, 2006 by | 90 Comments

Maoists protest alleged arms import

Say sorry comrades: Based on their poor and false intelligence, Maoists created havoc in Kathmandu traffic today by blocking vehicles and burning tires on the roads. This photo was taken this afternoon in Kalanki, Kathmandu.Pic by Subash Chandra Bista via Kantipur

By Dinesh Wagle
Wagle’s Web Log

It’s official: That was one of the worst intelligence failures of CPN (Maoist). Comrades miserably failed in guessing about what really was inside the Nepal Army vehicles coming to Dhading from India via Birjung. Because of their childish speculations, improper reactions and subsequent hue and cry, thousands of Nepalis had to face difficulties because there were no enough public vehicles available on the streets of Kathmandu. Many people were blocked in various highways because of sudden and irresponsible strike called by the rebels. Today’s was the classic case of kaag le kaan lagyo bhandai ma kan chhamna chhadera kaag ko pachadi daudane. Continue reading →

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Posted in Peace Process

Dateline Kathmandu: Quotes And Headlines Of The Day

Posted on September 12, 2006 by | 55 Comments

Quote of the Day (#1):

“You should pressure the Maoists to make public about the status of abducted people before asking the government. Call off the stir and instead, pressure the Maoists to publicize whereabouts of people disappeared by them.”

-Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala (as quoted by a family member of the disappeared person this afternoon). Koirala said that the government would make public the whereabouts of those disappeared at the hands of state only after the Maoists disclose details of those they have disappeared. (source)

[The Prime Minister couldn't be blamed for making such statements because the Maoists are intensifying their policy of double standard politics by encircling the army headquarters while negotiating peace with the government. This should be stopped along with extortion and 'taxing' Nepali people.] Continue reading →

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Posted in Peace Process