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. It is Jumla summarises it all: We obeyed the 552 6271, 552 4694 Ithere are no police posts, no post villages to plant paddy. an indication of the fear still stalking the Ranas and during the Panchayat we did officesno presence at all of the Nepali There are instances of cooperation: land that he doesnt want to be named or what we were told. Democracy came and state. And everywhere there is evidence of the CDO in Jumla walks down to photographed. The Maoists and security we followed. Tomorrow there may be one country and two systems: people pay Tatopani to talk to local Maoists to ease forces are still eyeball to eyeball, and another system and we will have to listen two taxes, there are two kinds of courts, restrictions on villagers. The Maoists things could flare up any moment. to them too. We can never say we wont two permits for everything, two armies, recently requested a government health Indeed, there have been several brief obey. ð see p4 Nepal feels the heat over Tibet deportations ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ NAVIN○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ SINGH KHADKA Bhutani refugee in Kathmandu told us. What does the world’s only superpower gain by punishing one of the world’s poorest countries? Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) who withdrew the garment import bill is the wife of Plenty. It mollifies the powerful Tibet lobby back home and defends controversial United businessman David Blum, chairman of the American Himalayan Foundation that helps Tibetan States economic interests. Private investors close to the US establishment, legislators and refugees in Nepal. Citing the deportations in a letter to the Royal Nepali Embassy in lobbyists sympathetic to the Tibet cause have been retaliating against Nepal for the Washington, Feinstein wrote: “…under these circumstances, I do not believe I can in good deportation of 18 Tibetan refugees last month, and over a payment dispute in the joint-venture conscience proceed at this time to move the Nepalese garment legislation in the US Senate.” Bhote Kosi hydropower project. In Kathmandu, it is clear the deportations were carried out A move in the US Senate to withdraw a bill granting Nepali under pressure from Beijing. But the government, already garments duty and quota free imports was already on the cards beholden to Washington for military hardware, is in full from powerful Texan investors involved in Bhote Kosi. (See ‘The damage-control mode. A senior cabinet member told us: “We price we pay for power’, #142). But the Tibetan deportation was have decided it was a mistake, and are trying to convince the the last straw for legislators backing the garment quota bill. Americans it will not happen again.” In this David vs Goliath contest Nepal is being punished The government seems convinced that the bill can be with threats of aid cut-off, tourism boycotts, and withdrawal of revived if Nepal atones for its sins, but it must do this trade privileges. (See also ‘Tibet Tibet’ p 3). “The United States without putting off China. “The ball is in Nepal’s court,” says uses human rights or terrorism whenever and wherever it suits Constance Jones, a US embassy spokesperson in their national interest,” explains political science professor Kathmandu. “It must start lobbying for the bill with Senator Dhurba Kumar at Tribhuban University. “This latest US pressure Feinstein and the US Congress right away.” on Nepal is designed for that purpose.” But for some foreign policy analysts in Kathmandu, this The reaction over the deportations in the United States is is classic American arm-twisting. “The Americans know seen by some Nepalis as being disproportionate, selective and perfectly well Nepal has to live with China,” said one source. hypocritical. “Nepal has taken care of 100,000 Bhutani refugees Protester trying to prevent bus carrying deported “But because they can’t punish China, they bully little Nepal for 12 years, Bhutan is about to wash its hands off them, and Tibetans from leaving Kathmandu for Kodari on 31 May. just to show their domestic Tibet lobby that they are doing yet when 18 Tibetans are deported all hell breaks loose,” one something.” 20 - 26 JUNE 2003 2 EDITORIAL NEPALI TIMES #150 Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL Desk Editor: Trishna Gurung, Design: Kiran Maharjan Webmaster: Bhushan Shilpakar [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki [email protected] Sales: Sudan Bista [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-5543333/ 5523845 Fax: 01-5521013 Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hattiban: 01-5547018/17 ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ HintsMonsoon○○○○ of a house revival have createdsession, ripples in the cesspool soon of Nepali politics. long with his appointment as prime reassert their sovereignty. Koirala should Nepali politics is a stage where the EARNING EDUCATION minister, Surya Bahadur Thapa was L hy are private schools the target of everyone’s wrath? Every time anyone wants have realised by now that more than the main actors are all playing their part to make a political point around here, they force schools to shut. In effect, our invested with executive authority constitution itself, its the intention of without any idea of their role in the way of taking revenge on political rivals is to punish our own children. Very few by King Gyanendra. This is an implicit the ruler that really matters. To keep the drama being enacted. Members of the societies in the world have shown such consistently self-destructive behaviour. acceptanceA that the cabinet of Lokendra authoritarian intentions of ambitious Thapa cabinet appear like zombies Earlier this month, the five main political parties signed a declaration making Bahadur Chand had no such powers. The kings in check, the dispersal of state traipsing along the corridors of Singha schoolsW Zones of Peace. When we asked the parties why it is that they are once more logic can then easily be extended to authority over a number of competing Darbar which are haunted by the ghosts threatening an indefinite closure of schools throughout the land, they washed their argue that most decisions taken by institutions of the state is the single most of regimes past. All this would be wildly hands off it. It’s not us, they said, it’s the student unions. ministers in the outgoing cabinet are important issue at present. funny if it wasnt so serious. The only legally suspect. But Koiralas political plan of action way to resolve the issue of constitutional Unless endorsed by the person with has yet to extend beyond the demand of amendments is to let the peoples executive authority, they may be null and limiting the royal Shree Panch title and representatives debate it. In any void. Chands cabinet colleagues may bringing the Royal Nepali Army under parliamentary democracy, showing ones have been competent and clean, but it control of parliament. Thats like arguing majority on the floor of the house is the appears they had no right to do what about who owns the tree without sole way of staking a lawful claim of they did for over six months. figuring out who owns the land on which forming a government. Now that the king has given Madhab it stands. Unless the constitution is Only a legislative body can give Nepal what he has been asking for all reframedeither through major legality to a truce reached between the alonga government with full executive amendments or total rewritingthere is insurgents and the government. The powershis agitated statements sound no way Koiralas daydreams can be question of executive power will remain like sour grapes. By dithering to back the realised any time soon. unresolved as long as its rightful claimant campaign that parliament be restored The Maoists seem even more doesnt emerge through due MOHAN MAINALI through a political settlement, the UML confused about their short-term goals. parliamentary process. How convenient. It has become standard operating procedure for the vision- lost its chance.