DOCSLIB.ORG

Changing Security Dynamics in Nepal

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Changing Security Dynamics in Nepal About the author Rajan Bhattarai is a chair person of the Nepal Institute for Policy Studies (NIPS), and a PhD candidate at the School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He was a secretary of the Department of International Relations, CPN (UML) from 1996 to 2006 where he has actively involved in formulation of foreign policy and maintaining foreign relations of one of the largest parties in Nepal. He was also a member of a editorial board of New Era the official English language magazine of the party. In 2005, he published a book entitled Geopolitics of Nepal and International Response to Conflict Transformation. He contributes regularly to newspapers, journals and magazines in Nepal and abroad. He has a Masters in International Studies and General Diplomatic Practices from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Mr. Bhattarai has been actively involved in the pro- democratic struggles in Nepal and abroad since late 1980s and early 1990s. He has worked as a Co- Secretary of the Asian Students Association (ASA) a regional network of students and youth in the Asia Pacific region - from 1993 to 1996 based in Hong Kong. During his stay in Hong Kong, he had actively involved in democratic and national liberation movements of East Timor, Palestine, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Bhutan, Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. About t Rajan for Pol Schoo Nehru of the (UML) involv mainta parties About the author board magaz Rosy joined Saferworld in 2007 as Head of the Asia entitle programme. She leads Saferworld's work on conflict, Respon community safety, security and arms in Bangladesh, regula Nepal and Sri Lanka. Nepal Studie She has experience of working on security issues Schoo including on disarmament such as small arms, mine action, cluster munitions and explosive remnants of Mr. Bh war, having previously worked as project manager at democ the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research 1980s (UNIDIR) and at Landmine Action, including as Secret Acting Deputy Director. She was also part of the a regio International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Pacific Cluster Munition Coalition. Kong. involv Rosy has an MSc in Latin American Politics and a movem BSc in Social Anthropology. She has experience in Indon giving media interviews to radio and television. Korea, Introduction 1 Changing Security Dynamics in Nepal A collection of essays Edited by Rajan Bhattarai Rosy Cave Changing Security Dynamics in Nepal A collection of essays Published by Nepal Institute for Policy Studies (NIPS) 90, Mahadevsthan Marg, Baneshwor, KMC – 10, P.O.Box: 14352, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 977 – 1- 4484873 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.nipsnepal.org Saferworld 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT, UK Cover Design & Layout by M'sMouse Putalisadak, Kathmandu ISBN: 978-9937-2-1305-9 Editors’ note This collection of essays was written exclusively by Nepali experts and reflects their personal opinions on security issues in Nepal. While the Nepal Institute for Policy Studies and Saferworld has been actively involved in supporting, editing and translating this publication, they have not sought to change or influence the arguments contained within the text. It should be noted that the views expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the position of the Nepal Institute for Policy Studies or Saferworld. Acknowledgements This book is an attempt to fill a gap in contemporary security literature available in Nepal and about the Nepali context. It represents a collaboration of national and international friends to whom we are grateful. Our special thanks go to Geja Sharma Wagle from Nepal Institute for Policy Studies and Subindra Bogati from Saferworld. Without their generous help and cooperation, it would have been impossible to get this book published. We also wish to thank Kul Chandra Gautam, Prof. Dhruba Kumar, Deepak Bhatt, Shobakar Budhathoki, Brig Gen (Ret.) Keshar Bahadur Bhandari and C. D. Bhatta for their contributions, suggestions and help on various issues related to this book. We cannot forget to thank Duncan Hiscock, Rita Khatiwada and Simon Rynn from Saferworld for their help. Thanks also to M’s Mouse for the design and layout of the book, particularly friends Mahendra and Kiran. The book, which is part of a wider security policy dialogue initiative, was made possible by the generous support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Contents Introduction 1 The Concept of Human Security and Changing Security Dynamics in Nepal 13 Rajan Bhattarai Mainstreaming the Security Sector Reform Agenda in Nepal 39 Shobhakar Budhathoki National Security Policy and Role of National Security Council 67 Geja Sharma Wagle The Rehabilitation and Integration of Maoist Combatants as Part of Nepal’s Security Sector Reform 95 Kul Chandra Gautam Public Security Challenges and the Effective Mobilisation of Law-Enforcement Agencies 113 Deepak Prakash Bhatt Democratic Control of Security Forces 135 Prof. Dhruba Kumar Security Sector Reform and the Role of Oversight Agencies: Parliament, Civil Society and Media 161 Chandra D. Bhatta The Role of the International Community in Security Sector Reform in Nepal 189 Brig Gen (Ret.) Keshar Bahadur Bhandari Introduction 1 Introduction Rajan Bhattarai and Rosy Cave his is a crucial period for Nepal. The future of the coun- try depends on building a peaceful, more democratic state Tthat can overcome the wounds of the recent conflict and provide a safe and stable environment for economic and social de- velopment. It is widely acknowledged that a basic level of security is a prerequisite for sustainable development and this is especially true in post-conflict situations. The conflict has not only weakened the capacity of the state to maintain security; it has also exposed deep divisions in society about the role and functions of key secu- rity sector institutions such as the army and the police. Further- more, the transition from autocracy to democracy also envisages a fundamental change in the way in which security sector institu- tions operate, so that they protect democracy within the state and behave democratically themselves. All of this makes reform of the security sector essential. 2 Changing Security Dynamics in Nepal However, even if many people both within Nepal and beyond its borders would agree that reform is necessary, there is little consen- sus about what needs to be done, or how. Terms such as ‘security sector reform’ (SSR), ‘integration’, ‘reintegration’ and ‘democratic oversight’ have become frequently heard in recent months. Yet there is considerable confusion about what these terms actually mean, or how they should be interpreted in the Nepali context. Meanwhile some reforms that everyone agrees are necessary are currently stalling due to disagreements over the details of what should happen and how. This is particularly the case with the de- mobilisation and integration of Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army, as foreseen by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). This publication from the Nepal Institute for Policy Studies, sup- ported by international non-governmental organisation Saferworld, is a timely contribution to the debate about SSR in Nepal.1 It brings together eight papers by respected Nepali security analysts and it has three main purposes. Firstly, it explains the philosophies, prin- ciples, and activities that lie behind the concept of ‘security sec- tor reform’ as it is practised internationally. Secondly, the authors translate these international theories of SSR into a national con- text, explaining what SSR means – or could mean – for Nepal and what implications this has for national reform priorities. Thirdly, it looks more precisely at some of the key security challenges facing Nepal and explores the potential of SSR programmes to address them. As several of the authors note, the concept of security sector re- form has become increasingly important over the last 10-15 years at the international level. Although there is no universal defini- tion of SSR, the term has come to be associated with a distinct set of reforms that seek to make security sector institutions more democratic and grounded in the rule of law, while at the same time strengthening their capacity and improving their effectiveness. 1 This publication is part of a joint NIPS Saferworld initiative to promote an inclu- sive national security sector reform dialogue series. Introduction 3 SSR also insists that the reform of different security institutions should be linked together, emphasising that it is a security sector (or system) which depends on the interactions of various different agencies. The growth of SSR both as a concept and as a body of practice has its roots in two key processes. Firstly, there has been a rapid shift in how ‘security’ is understood in recent years. During the Cold War, security was still thought of overwhelmingly in traditional terms of ‘national security’, with states seen as the main actors in the global game of chess between two superpowers. With the end of the Cold War, the old certainties of this bipolar system col- lapsed. On the one hand, for much of the world inter-state rivalries were no longer as threatening as they had been. On the other hand, a variety of new security problems emerged. Conflicts within states became much more frequent than conflicts between states. Organised crime spread its tentacles ever wider. Environmental in- security was increasingly recognised as a major threat to stability in many countries. At the same time, a wave of democratisation swept several parts of the globe, one effect of which was to empha- sise the position of individual citizens in the security system: look- ing only at the security of the state was seen to be inadequate – in a democratic state, security must be human-centred. This change in how security is perceived, as discussed in detail in this publica- tion by Rajan Bhattarai, Geja Wagle and Deepak Prakash Bhatt, was central to the emergence of SSR as a concept.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Nepal's Future: in Whose Hands?
    NEPAL’S FUTURE: IN WHOSE HANDS? Asia Report N°173 – 13 August 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................. i I. INTRODUCTION: THE FRAYING PROCESS ........................................................... 1 II. THE COLLAPSE OF CONSENSUS............................................................................... 2 A. RIDING FOR A FALL......................................................................................................................3 B. OUTFLANKED AND OUTGUNNED..................................................................................................4 C. CONSTITUTIONAL COUP DE GRACE..............................................................................................5 D. ADIEU OR AU REVOIR?................................................................................................................6 III. THE QUESTION OF MAOIST INTENT ...................................................................... 7 A. MAOIST RULE: MORE RAGGED THAN RUTHLESS .........................................................................7 B. THE VIDEO NASTY.......................................................................................................................9 C. THE BEGINNING OF THE END OR THE END OF THE BEGINNING?..................................................11 IV. THE ARMY’S GROWING POLITICAL ROLE ........................................................ 13 A. WAR BY OTHER MEANS.............................................................................................................13
    [Show full text]
  • The Guards, Cooks, and Cleaners of the Afghan War: Migrant Contractors and the Cost of War
    The Guards, Cooks, and Cleaners of the Afghan War: Migrant Contractors and the Cost of War Noah Coburn1 August 23, 2017 Three Years in an Afghan Prison For close to three years in an Afghan prison, Teer Magar, a Nepali laborer, spoke to almost no one.2 His only visitor was a French representative from the Red Cross, who occasionally managed to send some letters home to his wife in Nepal. The few words of Pashto he was able to pick up allowed for limited communication with his guards and fellow inmates, but mostly he kept to himself. During his trial, he had no Nepali translator, and it was difficult for him to plead his case or even understand the charges. It did not seem to bother the other prisoners, mostly Taliban, that he had worked as a contractor for an American construction firm. At one point early in his detention, a large bearded Talib had come to him and demanded that he convert to Islam, Teer recalled. Teer tried to explain to the prisoner that he respected all religions. He wasn’t sure if the Talib understood him, but after a short while, he was left alone. The prison was comfortable and clean by Afghan standards. Newly built by the British, it was one of dozens of structures built for the Afghan government by the international community during the war to house opposition force detainees. It seemed to Teer, however, that most were simply local farmers who had been inadvertently dragged into the conflict, perhaps found with guns in their homes when the Americans went out on raids.
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Security Dynamics in Nepal
    About the author Rajan Bhattarai is a chair person of the Nepal Institute for Policy Studies (NIPS), and a PhD candidate at the School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He was a secretary of the Department of International Relations, CPN (UML) from 1996 to 2006 where he has actively involved in formulation of foreign policy and maintaining foreign relations of one of the largest parties in Nepal. He was also a member of a editorial board of New Era the official English language magazine of the party. In 2005, he published a book entitled Geopolitics of Nepal and International Response to Conflict Transformation. He contributes regularly to newspapers, journals and magazines in Nepal and abroad. He has a Masters in International Studies and General Diplomatic Practices from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London. Mr. Bhattarai has been actively involved in the pro- democratic struggles in Nepal and abroad since late 1980s and early 1990s. He has worked as a Co- Secretary of the Asian Students Association (ASA) a regional network of students and youth in the Asia Pacific region - from 1993 to 1996 based in Hong Kong. During his stay in Hong Kong, he had actively involved in democratic and national liberation movements of East Timor, Palestine, Burma, Thailand, Indonesia, Bhutan, Philippines, Malaysia, South Korea, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. About t Rajan for Pol Schoo Nehru of the (UML) involv mainta parties About the author board magaz Rosy joined Saferworld in 2007 as Head of the Asia entitle programme. She leads Saferworld's work on conflict, Respon community safety, security and arms in Bangladesh, regula Nepal and Sri Lanka.
    [Show full text]
  • Nepali Times
    www.nepalitimes.com #150 20 - 26 June 2003 16 pages Rs 25 Weekly Internet Poll # 90 Q. Who do you think is primarily responsible for the current state of the nation? One country, two systems Total votes:3,211 Weekly Internet Poll # 91. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. If the election were to be held next week, who would you like to see as our next prime minister to lead the country ? MOHAN MAINALI Near Jumla, farmers use the ceasefire to ready terraces for paddy. MOHAN MAINALI two governments. team to conduct a vasectomy camp in firefights this week in Dang and Jajarkot. from JUMLA, KALIKOT and DOLPA ○○○○○ Welcome to ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ To be sure, the ceasefire has eased the their village. There have also been instances of Patan Museum Café ts not that the Maoists are lives of most people somewhat. Many It is better. We dont have to worry resistance: some refugee families in Opening from1030 – 1930 hrs everywhere, its just the government is from the outlying villages can now travel anymore about the possibility of getting Kalikot who were prevented from going Enjoy our new Cocktail & Snacks of the nowhere to be seen. relatively unhindered to the main bazar killed while gathering fodder, or fetching back to their villages pelted Maoists with Week from 1700 – 1930 hrs Except for the district headquarters of towns to collect subsidised rice. Some water, says one villager in Dolpa. Were stones at a recent rally. Paru Thapa in For reservations please call these three roadless mid-western districts, farmers have returned to their home just afraid the war may start again.
    [Show full text]
  • Situation Update #59- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) WHO Country Office for Nepal Reporting Date: 25 - 31 May 2021
    Situation Update #59- Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) WHO Country Office for Nepal Reporting Date: 25 - 31 May 2021 HIGHLIGHTS* SITUATION OVERVIEW ● Of the total COVID-19 positive cases, 79.7% (447,446) of cases have recovered and 18.9% (106470) of cases NEPAL are active. ● Of the total active cases, 93.1% (99,132) of the active (Data as of 01 June 2021, 07:00:00 hours) cases are in home isolation; 6.9% (7,338) cases are 561,302 confirmed cases undergoing hospital/institutional isolation. While 7,386 deaths 1,492 (1.4%) patients require ICU admission, 424 3,057,424 RT-PCR tests (0.3%) of the ICU admitted patients require ventilator support. SOUTH-EAST ASIA REGION ● Forty eight districts have reported more than 500 (Data as of 30 May 2021) active cases. 31,605,221 confirmed cases ● Among the total new cases (40841) reported this 401,754 deaths week, 22.3% (9092) of the new cases are from Kathmandu district and 30.2% (12323) from GLOBAL Kathmandu valley (Kathmandu, Lalitpur and (Data as of 30 May 2021) Bhaktapur districts). 169,604,858 confirmed cases ● RT–PCR tests have been performed from 91 3,530,837 deaths designated COVID-19 laboratories across the country of which 55 are public and 36 are private laboratories. ● There have been 2,113,080 people who have received the 1st dose of COVID-19 Vaccine and 714,163 people have received 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccine. *Data as of COVID-19 Update, MoHP, 31 May 2021 NEPAL EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION • As of 1 June 2021, T07:00:00 hours (week no.
    [Show full text]
  • Violations in the Name of Conservation “What Crime Had I Committed by Putting My Feet on the Land That I Own?”
    VIOLATIONS IN THE NAME OF CONSERVATION “WHAT CRIME HAD I COMMITTED BY PUTTING MY FEET ON THE LAND THAT I OWN?” Amnesty International is a movement of 10 million people which mobilizes the humanity in everyone and campaigns for change so we can all enjoy our human rights. Our vision is of a world where those in power keep their promises, respect international law and are held to account. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and individual donations. We believe that acting in solidarity and compassion with people everywhere can change our societies for the better. © Amnesty International 2021 Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Cover photo: Illustration by Colin Foo (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, international 4.0) licence. Photo: Chitwan National Park, Nepal. © Jacek Kadaj via Getty Images https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: www.amnesty.org Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2021 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: ASA 31/4536/2021 Original language: English amnesty.org CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 1.1 PROTECTING ANIMALS, EVICTING PEOPLE 5 1.2 ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS HAVE BECOME NATIONAL PARKS 6 1.3 HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY THE NEPAL ARMY 6 1.4 EVICTION IS NOT THE ANSWER 6 1.5 CONSULTATIVE, DURABLE SOLUTIONS ARE A MUST 7 1.6 LIMITED POLITICAL WILL 8 2.
    [Show full text]
  • IBN Grants Generation Licence to SJVN Arun-III
    Source: The Himalayan Times; 6 May 2018 IBN grants generation licence to SJVN Arun-III Foundation stone of the project scheduled to be laid during forthcoming visit of Indian PM The Investment Board Nepal (IBN) has awarded generation licence of the 900-megawatt Arun-III hydroelectric project to SJVN Arun-III Power Development Company — a subsidiary of Indian government-owned Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. The foundation stone laying ceremony of the project is scheduled to take place during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Nepal. Indian Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Nepal on May 11 and 12. The largest foreign direct investment (FDI) ever from India is going to be realised after laying the foundation stone to take forward the construction of the project. SJVN will invest $1.4 billion in Arun-III project and financial closure must be achieved by September 29 this year. SK Sharma, managing director of SJVN Arun-III Power Development Company, said that the project is ready to take off, with construction contract of lot-I (dam) and lot-II (power house) already awarded and the contractors have already started bringing construction materials to the project location. Arun-III is the largest capacity project in the history of hydroelectricity that is scheduled to be constructed within the next five years. The Indian government has so far approved investment of INR 57.24 billion proposed by SJVN in Arun-III. Arun-III is an export-oriented project and it will sell the electricity to India. However, it has to sign an agreement with power utilities in India to sell the power in a bid to achieve the financial closure.
    [Show full text]
  • Reintegration Challenges of Ex- Maoist Combatants in Nepal
    Poverty, stigma and alienation: Reintegration challenges of ex- Maoist combatants in Nepal A participatory action research project with ex-PLA fighters in Nepal Simon Robins, Ram Kumar Bhandari and the ex-PLA research group May 2016 Centre for Applied Human Rights Poverty, stigma and alienation: Reintegration challenges of ex- Maoist combatants in Nepal A participatory action research project with ex-PLA fighters in Nepal May 2016 The cover image is a photomontage showing ex- PLA fighter Bikkil Sthapit, originally from Achham and now living in Kailali. Photo by Pooja Pant. All rights reserved. © CAHR 2016. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without full attribution. About the Authors The research of this project was led by Simon Robins and Ram Kumar Bhandari in collaboration with a team of 12 ex-PLA peer researchers who collected the data and led efforts to mobilise other ex-fighters and to drive action that advanced their collective interests. The ex-PLA research team consisted of: Prem Bayak Prem is from Kailali and served 11 years in the PLA. He was injured in 2005 and paralysed from the waist down. He continued in PLA, stayed in the cantonment until 2012 and was a Battalion Commander when he left. He established an organisation in Kailali for disability rights, is active in social activism, community networking and coordinates the ex-PLA National Network. Shanti Kandel Shanti is from Kalikot, now based in Kailali, and served in the PLA for 7 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report (2016/17)
    MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL ANNUAL REPORT (2016/17) KATHMANDU, NEPAL AUGUST 2017 Nepal: Facts and figures Geographical location: Latitude: 26° 22' North to 30° 27' North Longitude: 80° 04' East to 88° 12' East Area: 147,181 sq. km Border: North—People's Republic of China East, West and South — India Capital: Kathmandu Population: 28431494 (2016 Projected) Country Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Head of State: Rt. Honourable President Head of Government: Rt. Honourable Prime Minister National Day: 3 Ashwin (20 September) Official Language: Nepali Major Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism Literacy (5 years above): 65.9 % (Census, 2011) Life Expectancy at Birth: 66.6 years (Census, 2011) GDP Per Capita: US $ 853 (2015/16) Monetary Unit: 1 Nepalese Rupee (= 100 Paisa) Main Exports: Carpets, Garments, Leather Goods, Handicrafts, Grains (Source: Nepal in Figures 2016, Central Bureau of Statistics, Kathmandu) Contents Message from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Foreword 1. Year Overview 1 2. Neighbouring Countries and South Asia 13 3. North East Asia, South East Asia, the Pacific and Oceania 31 4. Central Asia, West Asia and Africa 41 5. Europe and Americas 48 6. Regional Cooperation 67 7. Multilateral Affairs 76 8. Policy, Planning, Development Diplomacy 85 9. Administration and Management 92 10. Protocol Matters 93 11. Passport Services 96 12. Consular Services 99 Appendices I. Joint Statement Issued on the State Visit of Prime Minister of Nepal, Rt. Hon’ble Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to India 100 II. Treaties/Agreements/ MoUs Signed/Ratified in 2016/2017 107 III. Nepali Ambassadors and Consuls General Appointed in 2016/17 111 IV.
    [Show full text]
  • Nepal's First Feature Film to Use Digital Techonology
    #324 24 - 30 November 2006 18 pages Rs 30 Weekly Internet Poll # 324 Q. Are the peace accord deadlines set for the coming weeks realistic? Total votes: 2,842 Weekly Internet Poll # 325. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. Do you expect the interim constitution to be an adequate and fair document? BILLI BIERLING PEACE BELLS Now to make peace deliver development to a ravaged land KANAK MANI DIXIT years of violence. Jana Andolan II. Going against be a measure of the success of the The peace agreement, though the populism which had made agreement signed last Tuesday he credit for the couched in language that appears the intelligentsia reluctant to evening. While Dahal has Comprehensive Peace balanced equally against the state challenge the Maoists, Koirala thankfully TAgreement goes to the and rebels, makes demands on followed his own course, turned out to be political parties of Nepal— the Maoists to abandon violence utilising the stature he had more politician Editorial p2 detested by the extreme right in word and deed. It is, finally, acquired even with the rebel than Making it work royalists, the Maoist supporters though not in so many words, the leadership. revolutionary, of the far left, and Kathmandu declaration of abandonment of And what of Pushpa Kamal we now have to await the CPN Valley's upper crust. As the ‘People’s War’. Dahal? He showed nerve and steel (Maoist) as a whole to convert responsible, elected people's This is Girija Prasad Koirala’s in turning his insurgency a full from a militarist force into a representatives, they reached a hour of recognition, having held 180 degrees, and bringing his political party, one that does not magnanimous compromise with out against international commanders along with him.
    [Show full text]
  • Tug-Of-War Ends, but Ruling Party Leaders Wonder How Long Truce Will Last Oli and Dahal’S Joint Proposal Commits a Lot
    WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 200 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 34.2 C 15.8 C Saturday, September 12, 2020 | 27-05-2077 Nepalgunj Jumla Tug-of-war ends, but ruling party leaders wonder how long truce will last Oli and Dahal’s joint proposal commits a lot. But since it fails to address some key issues, insiders say irritants are likely to emerge sooner rather than later. TIKA R PRADHAN joint proposal by chairmen Oli and KATHMANDU, SEPT 11 Dahal. According to Shrestha, the party Seven weeks of tug-of-war in the won’t interfere in the daily works of ruling Nepal Communist Party finally the government, but important poli- seems to have ended. The players, cies and matters of national impor- however, have switched sides. Pushpa tance are decided as per the party’s Kamal Dahal has now once again guidelines. extracted “executive chairman” sta- The party has decided to hold a tus and sided with chair KP Sharma unity national convention on April Oli, leaving Madhav Kumar Nepal and 7-12 next year for which the party’s Jhala Nath Khanal seething. central committee meeting will be When the party held its Standing held on October 31-November 2. Committee meeting on June 24, Dahal, On the Millennium Challenge Nepal and Khanal were baying for Corporation Nepal Compact, Oli’s blood, demanding his resigna- according to Shrestha, the party tion both as party chair and prime decided to endorse it with minister.
    [Show full text]
  • Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal in Accountability Political and Impunity
    Aditya Adhikari and Bhaskar Gautam and Bhaskar Adhikari Aditya Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal Aditya Adhikari and Bhaskar Gautam with Surabhi Pudasaini and Bhadra Sharma G.P.O. Box 935 Bhat Bhateni Kathmandu, Nepal www.asiafoundation.org Technical and financial support for this publication has been provided by The Asia Foundation, with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of The Asia Foundation or of the Government of Australia. The Politics of Impunity i Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal ii Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal The Politics of Impunity iii Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal By Aditya Adhikari and Bhaskar Gautam with Surabhi Pudasaini and Bhadra Sharma iv Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal The Politics of Impunity v Contents Preface ix Chapter 1: The Politics of Impunity 1 Chapter 2: The Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction 20 Chapter 3: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority 29 Chapter 4: Politics and Criminality in Biratnagar 40 Chapter 5: Transitional Justice 57 Conclusion 79 Annex 84 References 97 vi Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal The Politics of Impunity vii Foreword “Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal” is the fourth of a series of reports published by The Asia Foundation since 1999 that document impunity in Nepal. Prior reports provided analyses of the causes and scale of impunity in the context of conflict and political instability during the late 1990s; political corruption and violation of human rights during 2004 - 2006; and the state of impunity prior to and immediately after Jana Anadolan II during 2006 -2010.
    [Show full text]