About UWB

United We Blog

United We Blog, Nepal’s first blog site, was launched on 1 October 2004 at wagle.com.np. It started as a digital diary for the founding bloggers, Dinesh Wagle and Ujjwal Acharya, who shared personal experiences in journalism and reporting. Four months later, then-King Gyanendra imposed a state of emergency in a bloodless coup. For the first week of February 2005, public internet access was cut off, and UWB went offline. As soon as internet service resumed, the site began reporting on events in Kathmandu and across Nepal. During a period of strict media censorship, UWB became the only independent source of news from Nepal for the rest of the world.

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14 responses to “About UWB”

Leo Whitman

January 8, 2011

08 Jan 2011
Kathmandu Nepal

Yesterday was a shameful day for the United States of America.

Nepal, located between India and China, recently ended a fourteen-year- old civil war that resulted in 16,000 deaths. The war brought an end to an autocratic monarchy and for two years now, they have been struggling to write a constitution and establish the framework for a lasting democracy.

The question is, if you have never seen a democracy, never lived under a democratic system, how do you know how to do one? How do you teach democratic principles to a nation that has only known oppressive authoritarian rule?

The United States has long been an advocate for the establishment of democracy around the world. Under international law, in every country the land on which the Embassy of United States sits is legally the sovereign territory of the United States. Therefore, any activity taking place on Embassy property is protected under the Constitution of the United States of America, and all the rights and freedoms therein are guaranteed, including the freedom of speech, expression, and the protection against arbitrary arrest.

Yesterday, Karin Landgren, head of the United Nation’s Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) reported to the U.N. Security Council about the possible perils and threats facing Nepal if the Peace Process is not completed and a constitution established. Even as she was addressing the Security Council in New York, a man in Kathmandu, began writing on the wall of the U.S. Embassy, using it as a whiteboard to teach the principles of democracy and constitutional law.

He got only three words written when Patrick Ballinger, a U.S. citizen and Security Officer at the embassy, told him to cease and desist, to stop writing on the wall or else, “the police with be called and you will be arrested for damaging government property.”

It brings to mind a memory of China 1989 when, during the lead up to the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square and subsequent massacre, dissents wrote on a wall called Democracy Wall in Beijing. Many who wrote on the wall were arrested and the United States Government issued strong diplomatic statements of protest against the arrests.

Yesterday, when warned, the man in Kathmandu stopped writing on the wall and left.

Within hours, the embassy staff took paint and painted over the three words – Principles of Democracy — that he had written.

Now the United States Embassy in Kathmandu has a clean white wall again and the citizens of Nepal, instead of learning the principles of democracy, learned instead the truth, that the democracy of the United States of America does not respect freedom of expression any more than China does and is equally willing to arrest individuals who write on the wall. They have learned that a constitution is no guarantee. The citizens of Nepal, struggling to establish a democracy and write a constitution of their own have learned a sad lesson.

Leo Whitman
Kathmandu Nepal

Email: fractal.universe@gmail.com

Principles of Democracy

1. In a democracy the people hold the power.
2. Together the people design a government and give it permission to run the country.
3. The people make the rules.
4. A constitution tells the rules that the government must follow.
5. And the people decide what the government can and cannot do.

6. A constitution should be short and simple.
(Most questions can be decided later and passed as laws by an elected assembly)

7. A constitution should include the following:
1) This country is a democracy. The people hold the power.
2) All citizens are equal.
3) Form of Government:
— one elected assembly or two?
— president, or prime minister, or both, or otherwise?
— how chosen?
— judges chosen how?
4) The Armed Forces serve the people and defend and protect the nation.
5) Rights and Freedoms of all citizens – List them.
6) Duties and Limitations – What the government must do and what it cannot do.
7) The elected assembly must meet at least once every how often?
8) Elections must be held at least once every how many years?
9) How to make changes — the process of amending the constitution.

Reply
Hindustani

July 10, 2011

Nepali are our brothers and sisters. History says India and Nepal was integrated together and fought all problems to gather. If there any other home other then Nepal for Nepali then it is India.

My warm love to you and your entire community.

Nepal has its own challenges to fight against china’s assertion. To tackle this they need to focus on their good ties with India. China wants to repeat Tibet with Nepal.

Reply
1. Government of Nepal
  
  October 16, 2013
  
  Hey there,
  Nepali are our brothers and sisters.????
  Nepali and Indians were, are or will never be brothers and sisters.
  
  History says India and Nepal was integrated together and fought all problems to gather????
  Never integrated for anything, neither fought together nor will Nepal ever be friends. Friends can only happen when there is equal right and respect on both sides. And without any hidden agenda.
  
  If there any other home other then Nepal for Nepali then it is India?????
  We are happy to call Nepal alone our homeland. And no thanks Nepal is not interested to call India home. India is home for the Indians. And we are happy for you all that you have your own home. So please don’t be greedy and try to steal ours, be satisfied with one that you have. Follow peace with all men and your fellow neighbours. India should solve, resolve and take care of more than 340 million (more poor in India then in the whole of Africa) poor fellow Indians before trying to pretend to help Nepal.
  
  My warm love to you and your entire community.??????
  We are not interested in your fair speech and words. Action speaks louder than your words. No action of love has Nepal ever seen from India. All we see is greed, jealousy and ill thoughts towards Nepal. So, please we are not interested in your love or hatred. Nepal is only interested that India should not meddle with Nepal’s issues and please do not bribe Nepalese politicians (yes we know they are greedy pigs). Do not mix and change your hand of support between political parties and their members to create unstable Nepal.
  It will be better for India and you will find favour with your neighbours if you be good and honest neighbour towards Nepal, else you will lose good ties with Nepal, just the way you did lose with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan…
  
  Nepal has its own challenges to fight against china’s assertion. To tackle this they need to focus on their good ties with India. China wants to repeat Tibet with Nepal.
  Nepal and India have never ever, nor will ever be friends or have any good ties in any issues. There can only be friends when they are equal to each other, respect and trust on both sides and NOT having any hidden agenda with subtle words like friends.
  Its NOT China Nepal is worried about. Instead its India Nepal is, was and will always have to worry about. India is the culprit who wants to try and repeat what China did to Tibet.
  Greedy India, good try… No wonder Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives all hates you so much. None of these nations are worried about China, but you India.
  India accuses China of so many things, but you don’t hear China never saying these sorts of things about India to its South Asian neighbour.
  
  China is being accused. While India is GUILTY themself of what it is accusing China of.
  China first minds its own business. But India first minds its NEIGHBOUR’s business and forget its own first and foremost duty towards it nation and people.
  
  India is just like some people who are always whining, complaining and have nothing good to say about its neighbours, but accuse, find fault, ill/negative thoughts. These sorts of neighbours are the worst neighbours one could ever have and should never trust or rely on them or their words. And this is just who India is.
  
  India, first need to be honest even before saying they are good friends with its neighbours…
  
  Let the neighbours praise you India not yourself…
  
  Reply
Nabin Gajmer

October 9, 2011

i’m 1 educated person

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Nabin Gajmer

October 9, 2011

i want to job of u’r company

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shrikantasthana

October 17, 2011

Congratulations for your commitment and efforts. Keep up!!

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Persijs

December 28, 2011

Hello.
Happy New Year.
Let me introduce you with two new books about Nepali culture.
All about me and books, I kindly ask you visit;
web gallery. Maybe we can prepare interview via web site to introduce reader with these issues.

With kind regards, Persijs
Tel; +31655540775
The Netherlands

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