Govt seeks UN help in monitoring of Maoist combatants, decommissioning of their arms

More than two weeks later, the official letter inviting the UN to assist monitor and manage the rebel and state arms to ensure free and fair election to the constituent assembly, has been made public.

The parliamentary committee formed to monitor the peace talks unveiled the letter sent by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on July 2, 2006.

The Maoists have expressed their strong criticism over the letter saying that it was not shown to them and not consulted about the content of the letter. Here is the full text of the letter, which seeks the UN role in decommissioning of the rebel arms. But, the Maoists since the time of 12-point understanding, have been saying that they wont submit their arms rather put them under the UN supervision during the constituent assembly elections.

-Azad Swetaketu
Here is the full text of the letter

July 2, 2006
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

I have the pleasure of informing you that the government of Nepal has taken a decisive step to consolidate achievement of the successful people’s movement that restored democracy and made the people of Nepal supreme and sovereign once and for all. This has set in motion Nepal’s determination for real and lasting peace based on the national unity and reconciliation and move towards stability by strengthening and institutionalizing the democratic process in the country.
On June 16, 2006, the Seven Party Alliance and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) concluded an eight-point agreement covering steps that are needed to create conducive environment to elect a Constituent Assembly to ensure permanent peace in the society. Earlier, on May 26, the government reached an agreement with the CPN (Maoist) on the 25-point code of conduct to be observed during the ceasefire between two sides.

In view of the firm commitment of the United Nations to promote sustainable peace and security, economic and social development and human rights around the world on the basis of fundamental principles of respect for sovereignty of nations, mutual cooperation and peaceful resolution of conflict, the government of Nepal decides to request the United Nations for the following:

1. Continue monitoring of Human Rights through the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal.

2. Assist to monitor the code of conduct during the ceasefire.

3. Assist in the monitoring of the combatants of the Maoist and decommissioning of their arms in order to ensure a free and fair election to the Constituent Assembly.

4. Monitor to assure that Nepali Army is inside barrack and is not being used for or against any side in order to ensure free and fair elections to the Constituent Assembly.

5. Observe the election process to the Constituent Assembly.

As we plan to hold the election of the Constituent Assembly by end of current Nepali year (mid-April 2007), I will be grateful if you could start extending the necessary support of the United Nations on the above mentioned issues at your earlier convenience.

I would like to take this opportunity to express sincere appreciation and gratitude of the government of Nepal to the United Nations and to you personally for the consistent support for a democratic process and continued interest in the peace-building in Nepal. Please accept Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration.

Girija Prasad Koirala
Prime Minister

H. E. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General
The United Nations
New York

King Gyanendra and Maoist rebel leader Prachanda, the instigators of many killings, attacks and arrests of journalists, were removed today from the Reporters Without Borders list of Press Freedom Predators because the king has ceded power to parliament and government, and Prachanda signed a political accord with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on 16 June undertaking to respect democracy and press freedom.

“The press freedom predators have been defeated or forced to accept the rules of democracy and pluralism in Nepal,” Reporters Without Borders said. “But we will continue to monitor developments. A journalist has just been threatened by Maoist cadres in Chitwan. This is unacceptable under the terms of the accord signed by Prachanda.” Read the rest of this entry »

Joint Press Statement, Official Visit of Rt. Hon’ble Girija Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal, to India from 6-9 June 2006 09/06/2006

The Rt. Hon’ble Girija Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal, paid an official visit to India from 6-9 June 2006 at the invitation of His Excellency Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India. The Prime Minister of Nepal was accompanied by Hon’ble Mr. Gopal Man Shrestha, Minister for Physical Planning & Works, Hon’ble Mr. Mahantha Thakur, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Hon’ble Dr. Ram Saran Mahat, Minister for Finance, Hon’ble Mr. Rajendra Prasad Pande, Minister for Local Development, Hon’ble Ms. Urmila Aryal, Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Dr. Suresh Chandra Chalise. The delegation also included senior officials of the Government of Nepal, a business delegation and a delegation of media representatives.

2. During his visit, the Prime Minister of Nepal visited Rajghat and paid homage to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. The Prime Minister called on His Excellency the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and on His Excellency the Vice President of India, Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who hosted a dinner in his honour. The Prime Minister of Nepal had a meeting with the Prime Minister of India, which was followed by delegation-level talks, led by the two Prime Ministers, on issues of mutual interest and concern. The Prime Minister of India hosted a dinner in honour of the Prime Minister of Nepal. Minister of Defence Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Home Shri Shivraj Patil, and the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Shri L.K. Advani called on the Prime Minister of Nepal. The Prime Minister of Nepal had a meeting with the Chairperson of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the President of Indian National Congress, Smt. Sonia Gandhi as well as former Prime Minister Shri Chandra Shekhar.

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NCP (Maoist) on Wednesday night has announced a unilateral ceasefire for three months with immediate effect. The action was taken only some hours after calling off a crippling blockade of the capital and all district headquarters.

Maoist Chairman Prachanda, in a statement, said, “Our party once again, through this statement, announces a unilateral ceasefire for three months with immediate effect.”

Good action from Maoist side this time.

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नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी -माओवादी)
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
केन्द्रीय समिति
Central Committee

प्रेस वक्तव्य

लोकतन्त्र, शान्ति र अग्रगमनका लागि हाम्रो पार्टीले सात संसदवादी राजनैतिक दलहरुसंग १२-बुँदे समझदारी कायम गर्न तथा समझदारी अनुसार शान्तिपूर्ण जनसंघर्षमा समेत सक्रिय पहल लिएको कुरा सर्वविदितै छ । समझदारी र संघर्षमा भइरहेको संयुक्त पहललाई विश्वास गरेर नै सडकमा जनसमुदायले जनसंघर्षकै इतिहासमा वीरता र सिर्जनशीलताको नयाँ इतिहास रचना गर्‍यो । निशर्त संविधानसभा र गणतन्त्र, जनसंघर्षको प्रमुख नारा र आदर्श बन्न पुगेको कुरा दिनको घाम जत्तिकै छर्लङ्ग छ । नेपालको इतिहासमा मात्र नभएर विश्व इतिहासमा समेत स्वणिर्म अक्षरमा लेखिने वर्तमान जनसंघर्ष निरंकुशतन्त्रका विरुद्ध सशस्त्र र शान्तिपूर्ण संघर्षको विशिष्ट संश्लेषणका रुपमा अगाडि आएको छ । यो विशिष्टताको गहन, अध्ययन, विश्लेषण र संश्लेषणको प्रक्रिया वौद्धिक र आम जनताका बीचमा समेत लामो समयसम्म चलिरहेको छ ।

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[ Full text of the statement issued by the Central Committee of NCP (Maoist) on April 25.]

काठमाडौं, बैशाख १२

नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (माओवादी) द्वारा आज जारी गरिएको प्रेस वक्तव्य

नेपाल कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (माओवादी)

केन्द्रीय समिति

प्रेस वक्तव्य

          आधुनिक नेपालमा ०७ सालको दिल्ली संझौतादेखि शाही सामन्ती राजतन्त्रबाट पटक-पटक धोका पाएको कटु अनुभवबाट शिक्षा लिएर यसपटक नेपाली जनताले संविधानसभाको निर्वाचन र लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्रको पक्षमा विश्वलाई नै चकित पार्ने पहलकदमीको प्रदर्शन सडकबाट गरिरहेका छन् । निशर्त संविधानसभामार्फ् दस वर्षलामो गृहयुद्धको शान्तिपूर्ण र अग्रगामी समाधान गरिने ने.क.पा.(माओवादी) र सात संसदीय राजनैतिक दलका बीचको १२ बुँदे समझदारीले आम नेपाली जनतामा राजनैतिक विश्वास र उर्जा प्रदान गर्‍यो । त्यही विश्वास र उर्जाको बलमा जनसमुदायले सामन्ती राजा र राजतन्त्रका विरुद्ध आफ्नो अपार घृणा र आक्रोशलाई छताछुल्लरुपमा गाउँ-शहर, पहाड-मधेश र स्वदेश-विदेश सबैतिर व्यक्त गरिरहेका छन् । Read the rest of this entry »

In an open letter to the Kathmandu-based envoys, civil society detainees at Duwakot, Bhaktapur contend that the king is not prepared to transfer sovereign power to the people

To the Ambassadors
Of the European Union member states,
The United States, India, China,
and the Representative of the United Nations.
23 April 2006
Duwakot, Bhaktapur District

Excellencies,

We civil society detainees, kept at the Duwakot Armed Police barrack, believe that your governments’ welcoming response to Friday’s address by King Gyanendra was based on a misperception of Nepali political reality and a misreading of the address itself. Though surely based on the best of intentions, your reaction has needlessly delayed a peaceful transition in the country at a critical hour, when millions of Nepalis are on the streets agitating for an immediate return to democracy. This show of people’s solidarity carried out massively and peacefully all over the country and in Kathmandu Valley, deserves more respect than has been accorded by the international community. Read the rest of this entry »

Rights monitoring essential amid brutal suppression of protests

Journalists and human rights activists in Nepal have said that authorities in Kathmandu refused to provide curfew passes today. This seems to be an attempt to limit public scrutiny of the conduct of the security forces in policing demonstrations. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal also was not granted curfew passes, but two monitoring teams traveled with police escort.

Alarmingly, local sources said that emergency service vehicles — including ambulances — were not provided necessary curfew passes. The government has authorized the security forces to shoot those who violate curfew orders if necessary. At least three people were killed by security forces in Kathmandu today, and dozens injured. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Friends and Friends of Nepal,

As you are all aware of, thousands of peaceful demonstrators have been victims of brutality perpetrated by the royal government of Nepal. At least eight demonstrators have been killed by security forces and hundreds of people are sustaining bullet injuries and many have been baton-charged and injured. Yet, more and more Nepalese people are taking to the streets, risking their lives and committed to continue the demonstration until the king’s brutal regime ends and the full-fledged democracy is established. Read the rest of this entry »

Press Release:

Rally in Support of Nepal’s Ongoing Pro-Democratic Movement and for Full-Fledged Democracy in Nepal

April 14, 2006

In order to show the solidarity to the ongoing democratic movement carried out by the seven political parties and other democratic forces of Nepal and expose the king’s brutality to the international community, Nepali community members organized a rally in front of United Nations headquarters in New York on the afternoon of April 14, 2006. The rally was sponsored by the Nepalese Democratic Youth Council in USA (NDYCUSA), the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Nepal (ADHRN), and United Democratic Forum (UDF). Despite the rain, the rally witnessed a huge participation of Nepali community members and friends of Nepal from different walks of life. Displaying placards, such as, “Dictator Gynendra Stop Killing Innocent People” and “We Want A Republic Nepal,” the participants chanted strong slogans in favor of full democracy and against King Gynenedra’s oppressive regime. The rally participants strongly demanded that all detained demonstrators be released unconditionally. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Nepalese Community Members and Friends of Nepal,

As you are all aware of, thousands of peaceful demonstrators have been victims of brutality perpetrated by the royal government of Nepal.

Security forces have killed many demonstrators and hundreds of people are sustaining bullet injuries and many have been baton-charged and injured. Not to mention, security forces have engaged in indiscriminate beatings. Yet, more and more Nepalese people are taking to the streets, risking their lives and committed to continue the demonstration until the king’s brutal regime ends and full-fledged democracy is established.

The Nepalese community in New York would like to appeal to all of you to join a rally in front of the United Nations headquarters at given time and venue. Let’s show our solidarity to the ongoing democratic movement carried out by the seven political parties and other democratic forces of Nepal. Read the rest of this entry »

“Crackdown on peaceful gathering by Nepali government a serious threat to freedom of assembly and _expression”  

(Bangkok & Nepal, 5 April 2006) The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) condemns the crackdown on peaceful assembly, restriction on movement and brutal manhandling and arrests of dozens of political leaders and professionals in Kathmandu today.

The government has clamped curfew orders with the Ring Road area in Kathmandu and Latlipur districts from today (Wednesday, 5 April 2006). By issuing orders to ban public gatherings and peaceful protests, the government of Nepal has diametrically imposed a serious threat over the freedom of peaceful assembly and association as well as the freedom of _expression and opinion. Read the rest of this entry »

Camp presents statement on Internal Unrest in South Asia:  Recent Developments in Nepal and Sri Lanka

Donald Camp
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
Statement before the House Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
Washington, DC
March 15, 2006

Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss recent developments in Nepal and Sri Lanka.  These two South Asian nations are both struggling today to confront domestic insurgencies that have placed their institutions and their people at great risk.  

Let me first turn to Nepal. Read the rest of this entry »