DOCSLIB.ORG

Nepal – Monarchists – Maoists – Political Violence – Teachers – Schools

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Nepal – Monarchists – Maoists – Political Violence – Teachers – Schools Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: NPL31796 Country: Nepal Date: 4 June 2007 Keywords: Nepal – Monarchists – Maoists – Political violence – Teachers – Schools This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein. Questions 1. Please provide general information on current violent activities of Maoists against monarchists. 2. What is the role of Maoists in the current Government? 3. Is there any specific information regarding an attack on a school at Pataleswor Primary School (Kavre District) in July 2004? RESPONSE 1. Please provide general information on current violent activities of Maoists against monarchists. No information was found in the sources consulted regarding the recent use of violence by Maoists against monarchists generally. Recent incidences of violence have however, been reported against royalist political parties including the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the Rastriya Janashakti Party. The majority of the reported attacks were allegedly undertaken by the Maoist student organisations and some have been linked to the Youth Communist League. Sources state that despite the current cease fire arrangements Maoists have continued to use threats and intimidation against oppositional political parties as well as engaging in general violent activity and human rights abuses. The International Crisis Group (ICG) states that the Nepalese monarchy still has some supporters. This support is in the form of small political parties, a few international sympathisers, a section of the army and the King’s 3,000 strong palace guard. According the ICG: A handful of small royalist parties have applied for registration with the Election Commission: the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nepal), Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Samajbadi Party and Janamukti Party (International Crisis Group 2007, ‘Nepal’s Maoists: purists or pragmatists?’, ICG website, 27 April - Attachment 1). Reports were found that indicate that some of these royalist parties have recently been subjected to attacks by Maoists. Set out below are a number of reports which highlight attacks allegedly committed by Maoists against royalist party members: • On 23 March 2007, BBC Monitoring South Asia reported that the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) were involved in vandalising and setting ablaze the office of the district working committee of the Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) in the Jajarkot district (‘Nepal mainstream parties’ activists vandalize royalist party office’ 2007, BBC Monitoring South Asia, 23 March - Attachment 2). • On 18 March 2007, BBC News reported that pro-royalists came under attack as their small party tried to hold meetings in two eastern towns. The royalists were ridiculed, had their faces blackened and were paraded around town with garlands of shoes around their necks. Five of the royalist party leaders were injured. Young Maoists are alleged to have been involved in the attacks (Haviland, C. 2007, ‘Political attacks flare in Nepal’, BBC News, 18 March, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6463515.stm – Accessed 24 May 2007 – Attachment 3). • On 11 February 2007, eKantipur allege that Maoists attacked a party meeting of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). The assailants are reported to have used bricks and rods during the attack. 18 people sustained serious injuries as a result of the attack. Pro-Maoist students are also reported to have attacked a Rastriya Janashakti Party’s program held in Damauli on the same day (Ghale, P.K. 2007, ‘Maoists attack RPP meet 18 injured’, eKantipur website, 11 February, http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=100368 – Accessed 24 May 2007 – Attachment 4). • On 15 December 2006, Indo-Asian News Service reported a Maoist attack on a pro- monarchy march. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) organised the march which was allegedly overtaken by the Maoists’ student union. The royalist’s claim they were physically attacked resulting in 10 of their members sustaining injuries (‘Royalists take to the streets in Kathmandu’ 2006, Indo-Asian News Service, 15 December - Attachment 5). • On 23 September 2006, Hindustan Times reported the murder of Krishna Charan Shrestha, MP from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Another royalist party member was also killed in the incident. A splinter group of the Maoists was suspected of committing this crime (‘Royalist MP among four killed in Nepal’ 2006, Hindustan Times, 23 September - Attachment 6). • On 30 January 2006, Hindustan Times reported the shooting of royalist Janamukti Party candidate Dil Bahadur Rai. Maoists were suspected to have perpetrated this incident as they issued an ultimatum beforehand warning all participants in the election to withdraw (‘Nepal Maoists attack second poll contestant’ 2006, Hindustan Times, 30 January - Attachment 7). A 2006 report by the Asia Centre for Human Rights on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nepal also states that a majority among the IDP’S are cadres from political parties opposed by the Maoists including the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party: The IDPs have fled their villages for a variety of reasons. A majority among the IDPs are cadres of mainstream political parities such United Marxist-Leninists (UML), Nepali Congress (NC) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) whose political ideology and opinion are different from that of the Maoists (Asia Centre for Human Rights 2006, Nepal: One Year of Royal Anarchy, 30 January, p.76 –Attachment 8). General Maoist violence Despite the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) being signed in late November last year, Maoist cadres are reportedly still committing serious human rights abuses, including killings, abductions, torture, and extortion. The US Department of State have released a recent report claiming that despite the current cease fire agreement Maoist violence has continued relatively unabated. The report also states that political parties have reported continued threats and intimidation from Maoists: A Maoist insurgency-punctuated by cease-fires in 2001, 2003, 2005, and the latest one from April 26, 2006-has been ongoing since 1996. …However, Maoist violence and intimidation have continued since the agreement. Both the Maoists and security personnel have committed numerous human rights violations. The Maoists have used tactics such as kidnapping, torture, bombings, intimidation, killings, and conscription of children. …After the April 2006 cease-fire announced by the government and the Maoists, incidents of human rights violations by the government declined substantially while incidents of human rights violations by the Maoists remained relatively unabated. Even after signing a comprehensive peace agreement with the government in November 2006, Maoists’ extortion, abduction, and intimidation largely remained uncontrolled. Although activities by other political parties have increased significantly in the rural parts of Nepal, political party representatives, police, non-governmental organization (NGO) workers, and journalists reported continuous threats and intimidation by Maoist cadres (US Department of State 2007, Background Note: Nepal, US Department of State website, May, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5283.htm – Accessed 25 May 2007 – Attachment 9). The UK Home office has also reported on the continued abuse of human rights by Maoist rebels: Despite the signing of the ceasefire agreement and repeated pleas from the United Nations, there were reports in 2006 that the Maoist rebels continued to commit human rights abuses including killings, abductions, torture, and extortion. There were also reports that Maoist forces did not release the thousands of children under the age of eighteen believed to be serving in their ranks. In some instances, the rebels reportedly even continued to forcibly recruit child soldiers (UK Home Office 2007, Operational Guidance Note: Nepal, European Country of Origin Information Network website, 23 March, http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/432_1175069868_nepalogn.pdf - Accessed 4 June 2007 - Attachment 10). Young Communist League The youth wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is called the Youth Communist League (YCL). The YCL has been widely reported to have undertaken ongoing coercive activity including vandalism, intimidation and violence. Sources claim that the YCL contains ex-Maoist combatants and is being used by the Maoists to maintain an intimidating presence throughout Nepal, outside of the scope of United Nations scrutiny. The major political parties have raised concerns to the Maoists regarding the aggressive behaviour of the YCL. Concerns have also been raised regarding the potential use of force and intimidation by the YCL in the forthcoming elections (‘Young Communist League, Nepal’(undated), Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/young_communist_league,_nepal – Accessed 31 May 2007 – Attachment 11; Rajat, K.C. 2007, ‘Young Communist League Or Young Criminal League’, Scoop Independent News, 24 May, http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/hl0705/s00430.htm
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Asian Centre for Human Rights
    Asian Centre For Human Rights BRIEFING PAPERS ON NEPAL ISSUE No. 3 Embargoed for : 1 September, 2009 Madhes: The challenges and opportunities for a stable Nepal 1. Introduction dispensation. The Sadbhavana Party continues to occupy one ministerial portfolio. One of the least reported, but most significant changes in Nepali politics since the 2006 People’s Movement is the These three Madhesi parties were critical in helping Madhav emergence of the ‘Madhes’ as a political force. With the Nepal form a majority government. Even now, if two of opening of the democratic space, the Madhesis, who largely these parties withdraw support, the coalition runs the risk but not exclusively live in the southern plains and constitute of losing the confidence vote on the floor of the house.6 33 percent of the population1, asserted themselves. The Madhes speak languages like Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, All these parties have come together on an anti-Maoist Hindi and Urdu2 and have extensive cross-border ties with plank, sharing the belief that the Maoists must be stopped India3. They challenged the hill-centric notion of Nepali in their quest for ‘total state capture’. They have termed the nationalism and staked claim for greater representation in alliance as a broader democratic alliance. But it is riddled the state structure.4 with internal contradictions. After a period of two and a half volatile years which IN THIS ISSUE has seen the repeated formation and fragmentation 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................... 1 of Madhesi parties, the proliferation of militant armed groups in the Tarai, and reluctant measures by 2. THE ISSUES IN MAHDES .....................................
    [Show full text]
  • Why Did Britain Become a Republic? > New Government
    Civil War > Why did Britain become a republic? > New government Why did Britain become a republic? Case study 2: New government Even today many people are not aware that Britain was ever a republic. After Charles I was put to death in 1649, a monarch no longer led the country. Instead people dreamed up ideas and made plans for a different form of government. Find out more from these documents about what happened next. Report on the An account of the Poem on the arrest of setting up of the new situation in Levellers, 1649 Commonwealth England, 1649 Portrait & symbols of Cromwell at the The setting up of Cromwell & the Battle of the Instrument Commonwealth Worcester, 1651 of Government http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/ Page 1 Civil War > Why did Britain become a republic? > New government Case study 2: New government - Source 1 A report on the arrest of some Levellers, 29 March 1649 (Catalogue ref: SP 25/62, pp.134-5) What is this source? This is a report from a committee of MPs to Parliament. It explains their actions against the leaders of the Levellers. One of the men they arrested was John Lilburne, a key figure in the Leveller movement. What’s the background to this source? Before the war of the 1640s it was difficult and dangerous to come up with new ideas and try to publish them. However, during the Civil War censorship was not strongly enforced. Many political groups emerged with new ideas at this time. One of the most radical (extreme) groups was the Levellers.
    [Show full text]
  • The Executive Power Clause
    ARTICLE THE EXECUTIVE POWER CLAUSE JULIAN DAVIS MORTENSON† Article II of the Constitution vests “the executive power” in the President. Advocates of presidential power have long claimed that this phrase was originally understood as a term of art for the full suite of powers held by a typical eighteenth- century monarch. In its strongest form, this view yields a powerful presumption of indefeasible presidential authority in the arenas of foreign affairs and national security. This so-called Vesting Clause Thesis is conventional wisdom among constitutional originalists. But it is also demonstrably wrong. Based on a comprehensive review of Founding-era archives—including records of drafting, legislative, and ratication debates, committee les, private and ocial correspondence, diaries, newspapers, pamphlets, poetry, and other publications—this Article not only refutes the Vesting Clause Thesis as a statement of the original understanding, but replaces it with a comprehensive armative account of the clause that is both historically and theoretically coherent. † James G. Phillipp Professor of law, University of Michigan. Thanks to Nick Bagley, Josh Chafetz, Reece Dameron, Jo Ann Davis, Brian Finucane, Louis Fisher, David Gerson, Jonathan Gienapp, Monica Hakimi, Jason Hart, Don Herzog, Kian Hudson, Daniel Hulsebosch, Rebecca Ingber, Andrew Kent, Gary Lawson, Marty Lederman, Tom McSweeney, Henry Monaghan, Bill Novak, David Pozen, Richard Primus, Daphna Renan, Jed Shugerman, Matt Steilen, Valentina Vadi, Matt Waxman, John Witt, Ilan Wurman, and Mariah Zeisberg, as well as participants in the Georgetown Law School Legal History Workshop, the Hofstra Law School Faculty Workshop, the Hugh & Hazel Darling Originalism Works-in-Progress Conference, the McGeorge School of Law Faculty Workshop, the Michigan Law School Governance Workshop, the University of Michigan Legal History Workshop, and the University of Michigan Atlantic History Seminar, for helpful comments on earlier drafts.
    [Show full text]
  • Constitutional Experimentations and Failures in Modern China and France Alexandre Cholet Introduction
    Cross-Cultural Agenda Constitutional Experimentations and Failures in Modern China and France Cross-Cultural Agenda Constitutional Experimentations and Failures in Modern China and France Alexandre Cholet Introduction “A constitution may be defined as an organization of offices in a state, by which the method of their distribution is fixed, the sovereign authority is determined, and the nature of the end to be pursued by the association and all its members is prescribed. Laws, as distinct from the frame of the constitution, are the rules by which the magistrates should exercise their powers and should watch and check transgressors.” Thus wrote by Aristotle in his book Politics. Here he is drawing a definition of what is a Constitution, furthermore, of what is Constitutional politics. This definition is very general; however, Aristotle was the first influential philosopher to provide us with such a definition and that is why we decided to pick it. If we want a more legal definition of a Constitution, we can refer to Thomas Paine, a famous American revolutionary and intellectual: “A Constitution is a thing antecedent to Government, and a Government is only the Creature of a Constitution. The Constitution of a Country is not the act of its Government, but of the People constituting a Government. It is the Body of Elements to which you can refer and quote article by article; and which contains the principles upon which the Government shall be established, the manner in which it shall be organized, the powers it shall have, the Mode of Elections, the Duration of Parliaments, or by what other name such Bodies may be called; the powers which is the executive.”1In his thoughts about French Revolution, Thomas Paine is giving us a definition which is fitting our expectations because it draws the boundaries of our subject.
    [Show full text]
  • Chronology of Major Political Events in Contemporary Nepal
    Chronology of major political events in contemporary Nepal 1846–1951 1962 Nepal is ruled by hereditary prime ministers from the Rana clan Mahendra introduces the Partyless Panchayat System under with Shah kings as figureheads. Prime Minister Padma Shamsher a new constitution which places the monarch at the apex of power. promulgates the country’s first constitution, the Government of Nepal The CPN separates into pro-Moscow and pro-Beijing factions, Act, in 1948 but it is never implemented. beginning the pattern of splits and mergers that has continued to the present. 1951 1963 An armed movement led by the Nepali Congress (NC) party, founded in India, ends Rana rule and restores the primacy of the Shah The 1854 Muluki Ain (Law of the Land) is replaced by the new monarchy. King Tribhuvan announces the election to a constituent Muluki Ain. The old Muluki Ain had stratified the society into a rigid assembly and introduces the Interim Government of Nepal Act 1951. caste hierarchy and regulated all social interactions. The most notable feature was in punishment – the lower one’s position in the hierarchy 1951–59 the higher the punishment for the same crime. Governments form and fall as political parties tussle among 1972 themselves and with an increasingly assertive palace. Tribhuvan’s son, Mahendra, ascends to the throne in 1955 and begins Following Mahendra’s death, Birendra becomes king. consolidating power. 1974 1959 A faction of the CPN announces the formation The first parliamentary election is held under the new Constitution of CPN–Fourth Congress. of the Kingdom of Nepal, drafted by the palace.
    [Show full text]
  • The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding by Eric Nelson
    2017-019 3 Mar. 2017 The Royalist Revolution: Monarchy and the American Founding by Eric Nelson. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 2014. Pp. 390. ISBN 978–0–674–73534–7. Review by Asaf Almog, The University of Virginia ([email protected]). The Federal Constitution of the United States gives significant powers to the executive branch, headed by the president. Since the 1950s, scholars have viewed the Constitution as “a new political science” 1 or “a revolution in favor of government,” 2 claiming that, before the 1780s, virtually all Patriots champi- oned the Whig theory of government and opposed the “executive privilege” that the Stuart monarchs had held in seventeenth-century England. Hence, the American Revolution constituted a Whig rebel- lion against the “wicked” monarchy up to the Declaration of Independence. The failures of the Articles of Confederation in the 1780s caused some Patriots to abandon the republican principles that the Rev- olutionaries had fought for, in favor of the Federalists’ argument in support of a strong executive branch. In The Royalist Revolution , political scientist Eric Nelson 3 (Harvard Univ.) challenges this interpre- tation. Many of the colonists who had overwhelmingly supported the Whig theory of government be- fore the mid-1760s abandoned it thereafter. Patriot leaders like Benjamin Franklin and James Wilson now stressed that the colonies had been established as dependencies of the Stuart monarchs. They attacked the Parliament and appealed to King George III to veto its acts. Historians have seen this as a purely tactical maneuver, but Nelson contends that “a great many of [the Patriots] self-consciously and momentously ceased to be Whigs” (7), seeing themselves as “the last Atlantic defenders of the Stuart monarchy” (31).
    [Show full text]
  • The Royalist and Parliamentarian War Effort in Shropshire During the First and Second English Civil Wars, 1642-1648
    The Royalist and Parliamentarian War Effort in Shropshire During the First and Second English Civil Wars, 1642-1648 Item Type Thesis or dissertation Authors Worton, Jonathan Citation Worton, J. (2015). The royalist and parliamentarian war effort in Shropshire during the first and second English civil wars, 1642-1648. (Doctoral dissertation). University of Chester, United Kingdom. Publisher University of Chester Download date 24/09/2021 00:57:51 Item License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10034/612966 The Royalist and Parliamentarian War Effort in Shropshire During the First and Second English Civil Wars, 1642-1648 Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of The University of Chester For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Jonathan Worton June 2015 ABSTRACT The Royalist and Parliamentarian War Effort in Shropshire During the First and Second English Civil Wars, 1642-1648 Jonathan Worton Addressing the military organisation of both Royalists and Parliamentarians, the subject of this thesis is an examination of war effort during the mid-seventeenth century English Civil Wars by taking the example of Shropshire. The county was contested during the First Civil War of 1642-6 and also saw armed conflict on a smaller scale during the Second Civil War of 1648. This detailed study provides a comprehensive bipartisan analysis of military endeavour, in terms of organisation and of the engagements fought. Drawing on numerous primary sources, it explores: leadership and administration; recruitment and the armed forces; military finance; supply and logistics; and the nature and conduct of the fighting.
    [Show full text]
  • European Bulletin of Himalayan Research (EBHR)
    Nine Years On: The 1999 eLection and Nepalese politics since the 1990 janandoLan' John Whelpton Introduction In May 1999 Nepal held its th ird general election since the re-establishment of parliamentary democracy through the 'People's Movement' (janandolan) of spring 1990. it was in one way a return to the start ing point si nce, as in the first (1991) electio n, the Nepali Congress achieved an absolute majority, whilst the party's choice in 1999 for Prime Minister, Krishna Prasad Bhat­ tami, had led the \990-9\ interim government and would have conti nued in otTi ce had it not been for his personal defeat in Kathmandu-i constituency. Whilst the leading figu re was the same, the circumstances and expectations we re, of course, ve ry different. Set against the high hopes of 1990, the nine years of democracy in praclice had been a disill us ioning ex perience for mosl Ne palese, as cynical manoeuvring for power seemed to have replaced any attempt 10 solve the deep economic and social problems bequeathed by the Panchayat regime. This essay is an allempt to summarize developments up to the recent election, looking at wha t has apparently go ne wrong but also trying to identify some positive ac hievements.l The political kaleidoscope The interim government, which presided over the drafting of the 1990 I I am grateful 10 Krishna Hachhelhu for comments on an earlier draft oflhis paper and for help in collecting materials. 1 The main political developments up to late 1995 are covered in Brown (1996) and Hoftun et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Political Moderation in the French Restoration: Chateaubriand's Political Thought, 1814-1820
    Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1984 Political Moderation in the French Restoration: Chateaubriand's Political Thought, 1814-1820 Daniel T. Keefe Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Keefe, Daniel T., "Political Moderation in the French Restoration: Chateaubriand's Political Thought, 1814-1820" (1984). Master's Theses. 3387. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/3387 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1984 Daniel T. Keefe POLITICAL MODERATION IN THE FRENCH RESTORATION: CHATEAUBRIAND'S POLITICAL THOUGHT, 1814-1820 by Daniel T. Keefe A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Loyola University of Chicago in Partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts December 1984 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to acknowledge the patience and guidance of his committee members, Professor Franklin A. Walke: Thesis Director, and Professor Walter D. Gray, Chairman, Department of History, Loyola University of Chicago. ii VITA The author, Daniel Thomas Keefe, is the son of Dr. Robert and Patricia (Monahan) Keefe. He was born June 8, 1958, in San Francisco, California. His elementary education was obtained in the private schools of San Francisco. His secondary education was completed in 1976 at the Junipero Serra High School, San Mateo, California.
    [Show full text]
  • Observing the 2008 Nepal Constituent Assembly Election
    Observing the 2008 Nepal Constituent Assembly Election April 2008 Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope. The Carter Center strives to relieve suffering by advancing peace and health worldwide; it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and protect and promote human rights worldwide. Observing the 2008 Nepal Constituent Assembly Election April 2008 One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 420-5188 Fax (404) 420-5196 www.cartercenter.org May 2009 The Carter Center Contents Foreword, by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter . 3 Carter Center Observation Delegation and Staff............................................ 5 Terms and Abbreviations............................................................. 8 Acknowledgments . 9 Executive Summary ................................................................ 11 Facts About Nepal’s Constituent Assembly Election . 15 Nepal’s Path to Peace and Democracy . 16 Timeline of Events................................................................. 21 Observation Methodology . 23 The Pre-election Period ............................................................. 27 Election Day and Postelection Period................................................... 41 The Constituent Assembly and New Governing Coalition . 54 Conclusion and Recommendations ..................................................... 55 Appendices A: The Electoral Framework and Method of Voting......................................... 63 B: Letters of Invitation . 66 C: Selected Press Releases
    [Show full text]
  • Nepal: Identity Politics and Federalism
    NEPAL: IDENTITY POLITICS AND FEDERALISM Asia Report N°199 – 13 January 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... i I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 II. IDENTITY POLITICS IN NEPAL ................................................................................. 3 A. ETHNIC ACTIVISM: PAST AND PRESENT ....................................................................................... 3 1. Before 1990 .................................................................................................................................. 3 2. After 1990 .................................................................................................................................... 4 B. ETHNIC DEMANDS AND THE “PEOPLE’S WAR” ............................................................................. 5 C. FEDERALISM AFTER THE PEACE DEAL .......................................................................................... 7 III. THE POLITICS OF FEDERALISM .............................................................................. 9 A. THE MAOISTS .............................................................................................................................. 9 B. THE MAINSTREAM PARTIES ....................................................................................................... 10 1. The UML: if you can’t convince them,
    [Show full text]
  • Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States
    Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States Bruce Vaughn Specialist in Asian Affairs April 7, 2011 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34731 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States Summary Nepal has undergone a radical political transformation since 2006, when a 10-year armed struggle by Maoist insurgents, which claimed at least 13,000 lives, officially came to an end. The country’s king stepped down in 2006, and two years later Nepal declared itself a republic, electing a Constituent Assembly in 2008 to write a new constitution, which is currently being drafted. Though the process of democratization has had setbacks and been marked by violence at times, Nepal has conducted reasonably peaceful elections, brought former insurgents into the political system, and in a broad sense, taken several large steps towards entrenching a functioning democracy. This still-unfolding democratization process makes Nepal of interest to Congress and to U.S. foreign policymakers. A Congressional Nepal caucus has been newly formed, which should help further strengthen relations between the two countries, which have traditionally been friendly. U.S. policy objectives toward Nepal include supporting democratic institutions and economic liberalization, promoting peace and stability in South Asia, supporting Nepalese territorial integrity, and alleviating poverty and promoting development. Nepal’s status as a small, landlocked state situated between India and China also makes it important to foreign policymakers. Nepal’s reliance on these two giant neighbors leads it to seek amicable relations with both, though ties with India have historically been closer.
    [Show full text]