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#672 6 - 12 September 2013 20 pages Rs 50 A policewoman joins in the rejoicing (below) Nepal’s first human anti-trafficking activist with other women at a function this week in group set up by former victims, Shakti Kathmandu in the run-up to Teej on Sunday. SHAKTI Samuha, is awarded this year’s Ramon CELEBRATING Magsaysay Award. Shakti Samuha’s Sunita It is the day dedicated to women in Nepal who mark it by dressing in red, singing and Danuwar says although trafficking to India dancing deep into the night on Saturday. has diminished, Nepali girls are being WOMANHOOD increasingly traffi cked to the Gulf countries and Africa. Young Nepali women work as PAGE 8-9 PAGE 6 entertainers in night clubs in Dar es Salaam. BIKRAM RAI 2 EDITORIAL 6 - 12 SEPTEMBER 2013 #672 SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET he theory of revolutionary violence justifies the Without justice there is no peace process. Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal told BBC Nepali taking of human lives in order to overthrow an in 2006 that he had given orders to execute enemies Tunjust political order. It has been seen historically of the people with a bullet to the temple. This week, he as a legitimate, and necessary, means to an end when all dared human rights activists: “I gave the order to kill, other political measures have been exhausted. The arrest me if you can.” His spokesman, Agni Sapkota who argument is that a state that is either repressive or is himself accused of summary execution, fell back on the perpetuates structural violence through neglect and usual Maoist argument that raking up war crimes would exclusion can only be brought down through revolutionary “wreck the peace process”. counter-violence. The Maoists may have suspended their armed struggle, This Robin Hood doctrine was given the imprimatur but they have never to date publicly renounced the use of of political legitimacy by Lenin, Stalin and Mao. Indeed, political violence. In fact, they continue to use the residual these three gentlemen were together responsible for the terror in the public mind of their past brutality to instill deaths of nearly 80 million people in the last century, fear and acquiescence. justifying the bloodshed through the 'scientific logic' of As former Chief Election Commissioner Bhojraj Pokhrel revolutionary violence to establish a dictatorship of the points out in his new book, they repeatedly blackmailed proletariat. other political forces with a return to war if they didn’t get History books tell us that the Soviet comrades actually what they wanted. It may be too much to expect Maoists to used the term 'revolutionary terror' or 'red terror'. They change their spots, their ideology is intrinsically violent, were just following their guru Karl Marx, who had intolerant and unrepentant of the suffering they caused. written: ‘There is only one means to shorten, simplify and Both sides in the Nepal conflict are now trying to concentrate the murderous death throes of the old society protect each other from facing up to the atrocities they and the bloody birth pangs of the new, only one means committed. It is now meaningless to segregate war crimes – revolutionary terrorism.’ The chief ideologue of the Maoist party, Baburam by who perperated them, the guerrillas or the army. Both Marxian doctrine was obsessed with blood and the Bhattarai, told this newspaper in an interview in 2002 now represent the state, and it is the state’s responsibility shedding of it to lay down the justification for 'mass terror' that no price in terms of human life was too great for the to deliver truth and justice to the families of victims like as a weapon to further the class struggle. Leon Trotsky liberation of the people, and added that the Khmer Rouge Krishna Adhikari, Maina Sunwar, Dekendra Thapa, the later starting having doubts about the zeal of his comrades genocide was exaggerated and “western propaganda”. Doramba 18 and Bhairabnath 36. for violence, and felt that the end had started justifying the The rationale and limits of revolutionary violence, The Maoists say individual insurgency-era killings means. But even he believed that feudalism would never and who should be held accountable for violations should be addressed by the Truth and Reconciliation reform by itself, and had to be terrorised into submission. of human rights during the insurgency, has now Commission (TRC), but their government was complicit in The word ‘terrorist’ has today been hijacked to describe come back to haunt Nepal’s revolutionaries. The Maoists watering down the TRC ordinance until it was toothless religious extremists, but neo-Maoist revolutionists are took up arms in 1996 against a democratically-elected and meaningless. The former enemies both want conflict proud ‘terrorists’ in the purest original definition of the government, and although discrimination and social era crimes to be buried, but the skeletons are rattling in term: terrorising oppressors with torture and executions, injustice were rife in society, this could have been addressed their closets. and terrorising the populace to toe the partyline by making through political evolution. One didn't need to kill 17,000 Far from endangering the peace process, addressing an example of those who deviate from the revolutionary people to achieve it. Today, looking at the behaviour of the truth and justice will protect it. Without justice, there is path. comrades, one is forced to ask: is this want it was all for? no process, and there will be no long-term peace. ON THE WEB www.nepalitimes.com DISAPPEARANCES families to fi ght strongly for justice. 2008 during his watch. While the war has become a thing Shyam Shrestha Jang of the past for Nepal’s political leaders, for the families of the ELECTIONS KATHMANDU MURALS disappeared, it is still going on. I am not going to vote and I would not Great effort by the concerned (‘Whereabouts unknown’ by Bhrikuti be bothered to fi nd out if my earlier ID to lighten up the valley. Great Rai #671) I can’t imagine the pain is still valid as I am yet to get a new educational artwork, vibrant and and suffering of the people who one. (‘The best of worst alternatives’ by alive. (Colourful capital by Sangam have lost their loved ones without Bhojraj Pokharel #671) It is not likely Shilpakar #671). But to some extent it knowing what they have lost them that the infi ghting among the parties looks out of place and does not “click” to, and then to see the guilty walk will cease right away. Seeing the with the city. It has got rid of political scot-free trend, things are not likely to get better slogans and what not, but I personally just makes the whole thing even any sooner either way, with election would have left the walls clean and worse. happening or not happening. empty. Kathmandu is a very ancient Meena Lama Armugam city and these artworks have done nothing but turned it’s identity and No one is going to get justice Bhojraj Pokharel has brought this spirit into an obscure question mark. in this country especially if the book out only to save his face because Concerned powerful political leaders are this year’s election is bound to bring involved.My heart goes out to back 2008 election on the comparison Kathmandu has become a thousands of Nepalis who lost their chart. And given all the rule-bending dumping ground for the mediocre by- loved ones during the ‘people’s he did in the past election, this book is products of Western civilisation. The war'. Look where the war waged by in no way a handbook for any election recent government move to tear down those select few have taken us the for us. All the foreigners have done is hoarse about human rights violations especially not post-confl ict election. But billboards has had a far more positive people. reward murderers and those who want perpetrated by the security forces, and since this time the Maoists don’t have impact on our streets. Roshan Sharma to break this country into little pieces. are completely silent on the case of the arms maybe we can hope for a truly Ram B Yubak murderers of Krishna Adhikari’s parents free and fair election. It is clear by now that the who are in Intensive Care on their hunger Suraj Giri foreign embassies in Kathmandu Justice will always be inaccessible strike demanding the arrest of their are only paying lip service about for the poor and marginalised, son’s murderers. And they are coddling Kunda Dixit is extra kind to Bhojraj their concern for human rights. especially in a country like Nepal. The the Maoists whose Chairman instead of Pokharel and his repeated attempts to Weekly Internet Poll #672 (‘Frozen grief’, Editorial, #671) They former rebels now have tasted saying sorry and showing some remorse rescue his reputation by saying that Q. What will you base your votes on in the upcoming looked the other way when the power and will never look back to is threatening human rights activists. holding elections was more important CA elections? Maoists cheated and threatened correct their past mistakes fearing Shiv because we had to protect the peace Total votes: 1,117 their way to victory in 2008, and future consequences especially when process. That is like saying a fl awed now they have suddenly gone all the election is fast approaching. Let I feel sorry for Ram Bhandari who election is ok. The same mistake is quiet on the TRC Bill and the plight us all show them the power of our votes has been writing so many articles to being made again as we head towards of the disappeared so that the this election bring attention towards the plight of the another election at the behest of Indian “peace process” can be protected.

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