#189 26 March - 1 April 2004 24 pages Rs 25 No April fool Political parties have announced a fresh round of intensified anti- king protests starting 1 April. They say they mean business this time, and vow the agitation will continue as long as parliament is not restored and an all-party government formed. They have pooh-poohed the government’s plans to announce election dates as a ploy to cling to power unconstitutionally, and said as much to visiting British special envoy Jeffrey James. The fresh demos will be concentrated in the capital. Meanwhile, they have welcomed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s willingness to help end the conflict. See editorial: ‘Kofi’s offer’. Weekly Internet Poll # 129 Q. Should the political parties take part in elections if the government announces dates? Total votes:1,017 THOMAS BELL Weekly Internet Poll # 130. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q. Should the government consider renegotiating a ceasefire with the Maoists? Apartment Newly converted long stay two- bedroom apartment. En suite bathrooms, kitchen, spacious living room/ dining Bad blood in Beni room. Room maid service, Air conditioning, cable TV, roof terrace, in a pleasant quiet location. Swimming pool and Summit Club Membership facilities. The stench of death is overpowering in Myagdi, and Rates negotiable. For further information please call the country is sucked into a vortex of violence Uday or Rabindra on 55 24 694/ 55 21 810. THOMAS BELL in BENI day, 20 March, until six the next grotesquely disfigured Maoist 5,000 Maoists involved in the morning against thousands of corpses that lie strewn about. attack: frontline fighters, militia and t is the morning after in Beni and Maoists, until their ammunition ran The army camp is the only porters. They came in waves, like a scene of utter devastation. The out. Those who survived either fled, government building to survive the sea, one after another, one after Ipolice station is a blackened or were taken prisoner. Down the partially intact, although it was another, said Lt Col Nepali, wreck. The barbed wire had been road, the soldiers at the army base nearly overrun at one point. Some looking exhausted after two nights clipped away and the perimeter wall kept fighting till daylight and most 25 mortar rounds and a rocket without sleep. There were more blasted open at several points. of their casualties took place in the landed here, fired from the women than men. And many, many Sandbags at the sentry posts are torn morning. mountains above. Whoever decided child soldiers, below 14. I saw them to shreds. Near the army base, a Next door, the CDO building to put the district headquarters here while I was shooting back. There woman is washing the bloodstain has been reduced to rubble, and is at the confluence of the Kali Gandaki were six Maoist bodies inside the from the steps outside her shop, still smouldering. The street outside and Myagdi wasnt thinking of army base and Nepali points them while her daughter looks on. is littered with spent ammunition security. out: They are all young children, The police and soldiers and unexploded bombs. People Lt Col Ragu Nepalis office with this one is a girl. guarding the police base fought pick their way around in silence, their its sandbagged windows is a wreck. from 10:30 on the night of Satur- faces covered, glancing at the He estimates there were at least continued p4-5 2 EDITORIAL 26 MARCH - 1 APRIL 2004 #189 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Desk Editors: Trishna Gurung, Jemima Sherpa Design: Kiran Maharjan Web: Bhushan Shilpakar Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki, [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur Knowing rights from wrongs GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-5543333-6, Fax: 01-5521013 [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 01-5547018 Time to evaluate past training of our security forces by KOFI’S OFFER British and American experts N Secretary General Kofi Annan’s serious expression of concern on he announcement that Command and General Staff Pokhara 7-26 November 2002, U Tuesday regarding the situation in Nepal ends with a reiteration of T American military personnel School (where one of the core Human Rights and Humanitarian his offer to help find a solution. But he needs both the government are in Nepal on an ongoing courses at the SOA is also taught) Law Seminar jointly conducted and the Maoists to make that request for mediation. regular training exercise in the and the US Army War College. by the Judge Advocate Branches Kofi Annan has echoed the sentiments of nearly all Nepalis: that words of an embassy press release While tens of thousands of officers of the RNA and the US army 13- there is no military solution to the conflict. He has urged the government and the Maoists to “end the fighting and resume the peace process with comes as no real surprise. from foreign armies train in the 14th May 2003. the participation of all political and civil forces in the country”. We Regardless of rhetoric, international US, AI reports that far more Human rights has also formed couldn’t have put it better ourselves. The fact that political parties have military supplies and training are receive US training in their own the UKs commitment to develop wholeheartedly welcomed the move is also a positive sign. part of the international war for countries through a variety of US Nepals Police via DfID since Maoist leader Prachanda called on the UN to monitor human rights peace strategy against the Maoists. programs. In Nepal, the real extent 1993. However, in light of reports violations in the country. Earlier, he even expressed willingness to Strangely, though, in a land of US and other donor-Nepali of continued human rights demobilise if there was an internationally-mediated peace process. The problem with these statements is that they are so inconsistent and PR- military engagement remains violations and extra-judicial driven we never know if they are to be taken seriously. Besides, there is a GUEST COLUMN beyond real public scrutiny. killings by the state, certain widespread perception that previous ceasefires were used to prepare for Seira Tamang What is verifiable is the fact questions about the nature of escalation. The comrades have to admit that their lack of respect for that while some US military military training and at the very human dignity, their brutal methods and disregard for public opinion obsessed with reviews of training includes human rights least, the effectiveness of human haven’t particularly endeared them to a majority of the people. They have to do much more to earn the trust of the people and potential development projects and education, it is not systematically rights training, needs to be raised. mediators. The abduction of school pupils for use in human wave attacks programs, no review has been required in most other training for There is room for legitimate makes a mockery of Maoist commitments, and even if Prachanda swears undertaken of the human rights foreign forces. Furthermore, the questions concerning the commit- by the Geneva Convention what is the guarantee his warlords will? and conflict training given by 1996 Leahy Bill which requires ment and orientation of military Then on this side, there are military hawks who can’t countenance any donor agencies. This is important background screening for past interventions in postwar, war for talk of negotiations, even while they grudgingly admit that there is no because the US military training human rights violations of foreign peace and peace-inducing military solution. So, the slaughter gets worse, bad blood grows and the antagonism is harder to bridge. If efforts to negotiate are not initiated has a poor track record on human recipients of US military and missions in Nepal as there is soon, we will see worse carnages than Bhojpurs and Benis in months rights. At a time when conflict police training has yet to be fully elsewhere. ahead. Both sides have to assess how much longer they can, or want to, specialists like Robert Gersony are implemented with no standardised This must be seen in light of continue this nonstop nonsense. making comparisons between Latin process for conducting checks. the Army War Colleges Peace- Kofi Annan is a busy man, and has to deal with hot spots around the America and Nepal, with Quality background vetting, in keeping Institute in Pennsylvania world clamouring for attention. The fact that he releases an appeal like this about Nepal means a lot. The government and the Maoists should accompanying plans based on fact, varies greatly from country to being closed last year with grab this olive branch that Latin American successes, it may country. endorsement from Secretary of gives them a good pretext to be pertinent to remember that the In response to international Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The break the deadlock and begin School of Americas (SOA)later human rights concerns, British rationale for the closure of the genuine dialogue in search for renamed the Western Hemisphere and US military assistance to only institute dedicated to peace meaningful compromise. Institute for Security Cooper- Nepal is said to include human was belt-tightening, even though Outside powers, especially India, have leaned on the ationwas notorious for training rights training. Training, its budget was a only $1 million a government to reject third military personnel soldiers and interactions and seminars year. When asked why the party mediation, arguing that rightwing militia responsible for conducted by the Human Rights Pentagon refused to provide it would put a legitimate state human rights violations in El Cell of the RNA include: numbers of enemy combatants side and an outlaw group on Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Human Rights and Humanitarian killed in Iraq, Rumsfeld replied: the same pedestal.