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Nepali Times on the Maoist Insurgency

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Nepali Times on the Maoist Insurgency #29 9 - 15 February 2001 20 pages Rs 20 EXCLUSIVE Dead Line It is turning out as everyone feared: BACK TO with three days to go for another hotel strike deadline there is no SUBHAS RAI compromise in sight. It’s not just a dispute about the 10 percent service charge anymore, it is now a question of the survival of the SQUARE ONE tourism industry and the nation’s economy itself. Arrivals are down BINOD○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ BHATTARAI and long-suffering Nepalis will have to by 11 percent, hotels are empty he country has now been held hostage to keep on paying the price for selfish and the economy is already feeling the ruling party infighting for nearly a politicians who can’t get along. the pinch. Everyone with a stake in tyear. There was hope that the ministerial Koirala’s house of cards began this dispute: hoteliers, hotel reshuffle this week would finally close that crumbling hours after the new employees, the government and chapter, but we underestimated the intensity appointments were announced on the mediators in the National of the competition among politicos for the Wednesday morning. By mid-day Planning Commission (NPC) juicy ministerial posts. Khum Bahadur Khadka, awarded the share the blame for playing politics That was the reason for the original plum Melamchi ministry (Physical Planning with the issue and for foot- infighting in October, and that is why Prime and Works), and Palten Gurung, given his dragging. Despite their posturing, Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s efforts to pick, the labour and transport management hotel owners and workers both say soften dissidents by offering them cabinet portfolio, had come out with a statement that they want to resolve the issue. But carrots failed on Wednesday. In the end it all they would not join the cabinet. Insiders close the NPC-led committee report, boiled down to who got what, and the to Koirala say that the actual reason was their which could have worked as the protégés of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai in the dissatisfaction over their cronies not being Has the ruling party become basis for a solution, was delayed dissident camp didn’t get what they wanted, appointed to other posts, although they because vice-chairman Prithvi Raj which included the party secretary-generalship claimed Koirala had named his ministers ungovernable, and unable to govern? Ligal was on an extended junket and slots in the parliamentary board that is unilaterally, and also wanted the Lauda Air Sharan Mahat (who couldn’t attend of parliament that started Thursday. But abroad. He’s now back. But for a responsible for handing out party tickets. scam resolved before they joined in. (Adding a Wednesday’s swearing-in due to health the Congress still has a majority in delicate industry that plans a year Koirala tried to make sure he had covered further twist to the drama, Gurung arrived reasons) replaced Koirala’s blue-eyed boy parliament, and the arithmetic does not in advance, it is already too late to all the bases. He made sure his grouchy at the ministerial line-up at the Royal Mahesh Acharya at the treasury while the favour the UML. do anything to salvage tourism. colleague Bhattarai would be happy with the Palace swearing-in at the last moment on lucrative tourism portfolio was given to But the UML is mounting this choice of Khum Bahadur Khadka and Omkar Wednesday evening.) Omkar Shrestha, a Bhattarai faithful. challenge more with the 2002 elections in Shrestha, he picked nephew Prakash Koirala as So, one year later, we are back to where it Koirala tried, but has failed to keep his mind. For the moment, Koirala will Nepal-India a senior minister to rein in rebellious relatives. all started. True to a fragmented party’s party together, and this means a bumpy ride continue to stay in charge but will come Officials from Nepal and India are He even nearly roped in some of Sher Bahadur nature, its members have become reckless. ahead for him within his party and in under increasing meeting next week to iron out Deuba’s key supporters like Chiranjivi Wagle “That’s when you stop believing that delivery parliament until the elections for local pressure from Editorial p2 problems in bilateral trade. They and Bhakta Bahadur Balayar. But, in the end, of goods gives you the legitimacy with which bodies due next year. within his party Red Alert will discuss the “surge” in certain it all came to nought. Now, Koirala has to be you win votes and rule,” said a Congress This shameless exposition of greed, power and without. And Nepali exports and under-invoicing satisfied with a council of ministers largely analyst. “They don’t seem to care at all.” and disunity was music to the ears of the main his failure to rally his party will leave the that India believes is taking place. made up of his own loyalists. And the bottom Otherwise, Koirala had been fairly open in opposition Unified Marxist-Leninists which is Congress in tatters and the country’s The “problem” exports from Nepal: line is that Congress infighting will continue the selection of the new team. ‘Neutral’ Ram gearing up to oust Koirala in the winter session urgent problems unresolved. vanaspati ghiu (Nepal’s largest “Perhaps the armed police can bring the Maoists to the table.” US Ambassador Ralph Frank speaks to Nepali Times on the Maoist insurgency. The rest of the interview is continued on page three. The government has launched what it calls a “hearts and I think they already are. Certainly the Maoists have, and they are minds” programme in the Maoist-affected areas with a doing quite well. But then the choice is: are they going to continue development package. Is there a feeling that the United States the armed struggle ad infinitum or do they want real peace, do they export to India), acrylic yarns, should help with some of these programmes? want solutions? I think there has to be a reason for the Maoists to copper wires, zinc oxide, metal We and many other donors stand ready to provide assistance in come to the table, and it perhaps could be the armed police that pipes, etc. Delhi also says some the Maoist-affected areas if and when the issue is solved brings them there. We strongly feel that all parties have to come to constitutionally and peacefully. Most donors I’ve talked to are the table, and whatever it takes to get them to come to the table we goods are being dumped, and prepared to move into those areas. have to do. Both sides have to negotiate to solve the problem. You semi-finished raw materials are …Only after it is solved? But the government says it needs the don’t have a choice. being re-exported from Nepal. aid to solve the issue… What is your take on the negotiations that have taken place so far? Kathmandu says it is open to My government is particularly unable to because of security My impression is that half of the story is not out there. I only know what finding solutions to real problems problems. We cannot put our people at risk. The Maoists basically I read, but I presume there is a lot more going on. but can’t help it if inefficient and pre-empted us from doing that. Is there a role for an international mediator? protected Indian industries are Do you see a way out of this crisis? Could be. It would have to be someone trusted by both sides. hurt. Indian officials will query Negotiations are the only path, I have taken it up at every level Sometime long ago someone asked if we would be interested? I said Nepal’s ban on Indian vehicle with everyone. If you look at our national seal: here is the eagle the Maoists clearly would not trust us, we certainly would be interested imports on environmental grounds. and on one talon it has an olive branch, and on the other it has but we certainly would not be a credible player. Negotiations have They’ll say if the Japanese and arrows. Right now the Maoists have no opposition, so why should to take place. That’s what I’ve been telling all major government Koreans can self-certify, why not they negotiate? officials. Indians? But what if both sides want to negotiate from a point of strength What is their response? and arm themselves with more sophisticated weapons? The same sorts of answers they give you. MIN BAJRACHARYA 222 EDITORIAL 9 - 15 FEBRUARY 2001 NEPALI TIMES RED ALERT Mao must be squirming in his mausoleum. As someone who charted a peasants’ path to revolution quite different from the urban worker-driven Bolshevik revolt in Moscow, Mao Zedong was an original thinker and a true revolutionary. He elevated armed struggle to a credo, and the lesson from it is that, once unleashed, violence takes on its own momentum—going beyond the elimination of class enemies to be an end in itself. Before he knew it, Mao’s revolution had claimed the lives of anywhere between 10 million and 20 million peasants (no one knows for sure). Some were eliminated, others died in camps and countless perished from hunger and famine. When the end justifies the means, as we have seen in other revolutions that have invoked Mao’s name, violence ends up hurting the very people who are to be saved. Violence begets violence—think of the Maoist movements in Cambodia (the only place aside from China where a Maoist party has actually ruled), the Philippines, Sri Lanka.
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