Assessing Nepal's Military Diplomacy
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UNITY JOURNAL Assessing Nepal’s military diplomacy: Neighborhood and beyond Gaurav Bhattarai Abstract every externally-oriented military activity can be considered military diplomacy, as it would People often speculate that small countries constitute an extension of international policy hardly ever exercise military diplomacy since (Jaishankar, 2017). Precisely, military force the latter presume that hard power instruments, is a true political instrument, a continuation including security forces and coercion are the of political intercourse, carried on with apparatus of powerful countries. Because of other means (Clausewitz, 1976, p. 87).Still, its geopolitical location between two bigger military diplomacy can be defined as a set of countries, Nepal has been successfully activities in operation by the representatives exercising military diplomacy in the course of the defense department, as well as other of history. Owing to the same fact, this paper state institutions, aimed at pursuing the aims at assessing Nepal’s military diplomacy foreign policy interests of the state in the field towards its immediate neighbors—India and of security and defense policy, and whose China, and even beyond its neighborhood. actions are based on the use of negotiations In this paper, beyond neighborhood refers and other diplomatic instruments. Military to the Nepali Army’s role in United Nations diplomacy differs from gunboat diplomacy peacekeeping missions in different conflict- or coercive diplomacy (Pajtinka, 2016, p. 1). afflicted countries. Thus, the article concludes with a note that Nepali Army as Military diplomacy as such performs an established institution of the country several basic functions. First, gathering and has reposed its exceptional capability of analyzing information on the armed forces exercising the modern-day diplomacy at both and the security situation in the receiving levels—neighborhood and beyond. state. Secondly, promotion of cooperation, communication and mutual relations Keywords: military diplomacy, India, China, between the armed forces of the sending UN Peacekeeping, neighbourhood and the receiving state. Thirdly, organization Introduction of working visits of representatives of the defense authorities and of peaceful stay of Diplomacy is all about managing relations the military units of the sending state in the among states. It is the communication receiving state. Fourthly, support of business systems of the international society, as an contracts with arms and military equipment attempt to promote international negotiations, between the sending and the receiving state. whether concerning inter- or intra-state Lastly, representation of the sending state and conflicts (Berridge, 2000, pp.1-3). But, there its armed forces at official ceremonies and is no universally accepted definition of what other events in the receiving state (Pajtinka, constitutes military diplomacy or defense 2016, p. 1). diplomacy. By its broadest definition, almost 48 UNITY JOURNAL Military diplomacy is a specific field of months ago, and now the government has diplomacy, which focuses primarily on the accepted his offer” (Adhikari, 2015). pursuit of foreign policy interests of the state. Still, in the theory of international Later, Nepal aided the Young husband relations, and specifically within diplomatic expedition to Tibet in 1903-1904. Chandra science, military diplomacy has received Shumsher, who had recognized British much inadequate attention in comparison supremacy in much the way Jung Bahadur to public diplomacy, economic diplomacy, had, understood Nepal’s relationship with Mega-diplomacy, among others. Equally, in Tibet no longer had the same importance as it the domain of security studies, the military did earlier. Thus, he offered Lord Curzon, the diplomacy is not a widely studied subject. Nepali troops for the 1904 Young husband In practice, the field of military diplomacy expedition. A year before the Young husband often tends to be closely linked with the expedition, Chandra Shumsher had met intelligence activities of military intelligence. Curzon at the Coronation Durbar. A few days In many cases, there are a limited scholarship after the meeting, Curzon reveals that: in military diplomacy, because the concerned We believe that the policy of frank authorities would maintain restricted to the discussion and co-operation with classified materials in the field (Pajtinka, the Nepalese Durbar would find 2016, p. 1). them prepared most cordially to Military diplomacy of Nepal: Retrospect assist our plans [in Tibet]. Not the and prospect slightest anxiety has been evinced at our recent forward operations on For centuries, Nepal, has been diligently the Sikkim frontier; and we think involved in military diplomacy. The Rana that, with judicious management, regime, which lasted in Nepal from 1846- useful assistance may confidently be 1951, had strong bonds with the British. expected from the side of Nepal…the During the Indian Sepoy Mutiny of 1857–58, Maharaja is prepared to co-operate Nepal’s Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana with the Government of India in himself commanded a contingent of Nepali whatever way may be thought most soldiers to assist the British, eventually desirable. (Mulmi, 2017) commencing a tradition of Nepali military assistance to the British Empire. During the Unforgettably, Nepal assisted the British Rana regime, the Nepali Army (NA) remained government during the World Wars. This strategically vital to the British Empire. It long history established military diplomacy was very hard for East India Company forces as a major technique for Nepal’s diplomatic to tackle the rebellion in the beginning. A relations. Also, Nepalis have a long history Nepalese soldier at the front has been quoted of engaging in foreign battles. In particular, as saying: "This war will soon be over. Jung the Nepali Army is renowned for their martial Bahadur is going to march down to Lucknow culture around the world (Amatya, 2018). with his army….He is our prime minister and More than 200,000 Nepali men participated commander-in-chief in Nepal. He offered to in the Second World War on various fronts, bring an army down to help you English two at a time when the call for total independence 49 UNITY JOURNAL in the subcontinent had reached far and wide Nepal signed an agreement with the US, (Mulmi, 2017). under which the Americans agreed to provide logistic support to the then Royal Nepali Historically, Nepal’s relations with its Army. Subsequently, the UK also started neighbors were determined by war and providing some military assistance to Nepal. military affairs (Amatya, 2018). Now, there India was already a major defense supplier is a shift in Nepal’s military diplomacy. At to Nepal. Since 1950, Nepal and India have present, Nepal is increasing its military also been awarding the Army chiefs of outreach to China. Even in 1989, when each other the honorary rank of General in India had imposed a blockade on Nepal, recognition of the harmonious relationship the real reason for the blockade was that the between the two armies. Three countries— government of Nepal had purchased weapons India, the US and the UK—have long been from China. Within a few years the Panchayat Nepal’s major defense partners, in terms of regime fell apart and multiparty democracy grant and sale, and have helped meet the was installed in Nepal. In 2005, Nepal’s King requirements of the Nepali Army. But in the Gyanendra had also purchased weapons from last three decades, there have been many China — a few years later he was deposed changes in Nepal’s defense cooperation. and Nepal was turned into a republic. Clearly, China has emerged as another major defense Nepal’s efforts to enhance military relations partner. Recent engagements between the with China have always sparked India’s two countries suggest China is all set to concerns, as New Delhi resents to the 1962 overtake Nepal’s traditional defense partners Sino-Indian War (Amatya, 2018). Nepal still (Bhattarai, 2019). Since the establishment continues to conduct joint military drills of diplomatic relations between Nepal and with India, with the latest being Surya Kiran China in 1955, the armies of the two countries XIII, which was held in June 2018. However, have had cordial ties. Although Nepal and Nepal has also started military drills with China signed an understanding on military China, with gives an entirely new image to cooperation in 1988, bilateral defense Nepal’s military diplomacy. In fact, Nepal cooperation gained momentum mainly after recently backed out from a new joint military King Gyanendra’s royal takeover in 2005, exercise in India planned for BIMSTEC states and particularly after the abolition of the but continued its military drill with China, in monarchy in 2008. For instance, on 24 Oct Sichuan province (Amatya, 2018). 2005, China pledged military assistance Military diplomacy: Neighborhood and worth $989,000 to Nepal, primarily to curb beyond the Maoist insurgency. Between 2001 and 2005, the Nepal government also purchased Initiating Nepal’s entry into different military hardware from India, the US, the UK multilateral forums, King Mahendra, and Belgium to fight the rebels. But after the particularly after the 1962 India-China War, 2005 royal takeover, India, the US and the started reaching out to western countries UK suspended their military aid to Nepal, for military assistance (Bhattarai, 2019). demanding the restoration of democracy. The Western countries, mainly the US and