#244 22 - 28 April 2005 16 pages Rs 30 Weekly Internet Poll # 244 Q. How will 2062 compare with the year that has just ended? What about us? Total votes:376 Weekly Internet Poll # 245. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com Q... Would lifting the emergency be a good idea? Pampha Bhandari of Makwanpur with her two children, Pooja and Puspa, at the Maoist victims' refugee camp at Tundikhel where 300 families have now spent a week to draw the government's attention to their plight. LAXMI NARAYAN MAHARJAN Four years later, political parties are still asking: what next? ANALYSIS by home on Thursday. Sher Bahadur was in hiding but neither seems cut. Officials seem to believe that SHIVA GAUNLE Deuba has also defied summons, to have come up with any new agreeing to international human and commission sources told us ideas during that time. rights monitors should placate ing Gyanendra may have he may be arrested soon. This week, zonal and regional donors for now. But a UN isolated himself Ninety days after 1 February, administrators assumed their resolution in Geneva on K internationally but within it is clear which way the king posts to take royal rule to the Wednesday called for the the country there hasn’t been wants to go. But the parties seem countryside, asserting their immediate restoration of political much concerted opposition to to be waffling. They could chart a determination to “fulfill His and civil rights. his move. ‘third way’ but are stuck where Majesty’s wishes”. Their first job In the rest of the country, the The people in the country’s they were four years ago. Leaders is to monitor and coordinate 11-day nationwide strike ended 4,000 VDCs have suffered nine of the four parties that stand for security activities and start but the Maoists are enforcing years of violence and they were reinstatement of parliament preparing for municipal regional bandas and blockades. told to choose between Maoism finally met at Girija Prasad elections. Most schools haven’t reopened and monarchy. The microcosm of Koirala’s house on Thursday and Most UML leaders are still in after new year's day and those that this despair of rural Nepal is now decided to invite NC-D and the jail, there are no indications of did were bombed. Instead of at Tundikhel for the rulers in the UML to join in. either civil liberties being targeting the Maoists who are capital to see. But it’s not enough for the restored or the emergency being creating this mayhem, state Partly, the lack of dissent is parties to say they want lifted by next week. The ban on security seems preoccupied due to the emergency. The royal democracy restored, they have to mobile phones, news on FM and (except for actions in Khara and commission has politicians in its show a pragmatic way forward. cable tv news channels stays. Bardiya) with harassing crosshairs: Prakash Man Singh Koirala spent two months in Phone lines of politicians and politicians, activists and the was forcibly arrested from his house arrest and Jhalanath Khanal journalists are still selectively press. ISSN 1814-2613 2 EDITORIAL 22 - 28 APRIL 2005 #244 Published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Desk Editor: Abha Eli Phoboo, Aarti Basnyat Design: Kiran Maharjan Web: Bhushan Shilpakar Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki, [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-5543333-6, Fax: 01-5521013 [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Printed at Jagadamba Press, Hatiban: 01-5547018 China’s Davos The Boao Forum takes an Asian perspective on the world SAVING US FROM OURSELVES When revolutionaries start to bomb classrooms, it turns Mao BOAO—Sitting in Nepal, it is on ‘soft power’ which analysts downturn after 9/11, in 2003 it Zedong’s dictum ‘to rebel is a right’ into a farce. Such an awesome hard to gauge China’s have described as a combina- was Asian financial coopera- display of bravery: to treat the most vulnerable section of society as phenomenal growth. But here in tion of national prestige, tion and security. Last year the your enemy! And the only reason the comrades are able to get away China’s eastern seaboard, the economic clout and cultural forum discussed economic with it is the equally shameful absence of the state and its failure to changes are visible everywhere. presence. regionalisation in Asia and this provide quality education for the masses. Even the victims of Maoist atrocities have given up on relief and The booming cities, huge One way China is focusing weekend it will look at are camped out in Tundikhel for the past week from sheer investments in infrastructure, world attention on itself is enhancing dialogue among desperation. How can a government that can’t even win the hearts and industrial parks that export to through events like the Boao Asian entrepreneurs for intra- minds of people who have been brutalised by Maoists expect to get the world: the country is being Forum for Asia, its own Asian trade and investment. the rest of the public on its side? transformed as no other in ‘Davos’. The annual meeting in The sessions will zero in on The outside world is getting concerned about our lack of concern. this scenic resort on Hainan two main topics–international When the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights who has been GUEST COLUMN island is attended by movers cooperation in energy involved in high-profile war crimes Ambica Shrestha and shakers from across Asia development and monetary trials comes calling it must mean and the world. policy. CEOs of multinationals things are seriously wrong here. modern history and at the rate It is an opportunity for and Asian corporate leaders The UN has set up a bureau of its things are changing, our China to exercise its economic will look into the internation- Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Kathmandu. northern neighbour is going to and political diplomacy. Boao alisation of Asian enterprises, This week, the UN’s special be the world’s second largest has a distinctly unwestern, the governance and competi- adviser to Jan Egeland, the UN economy by 2020. China’s Asian outlook and tries to tiveness of Asian Emergency Relief Coordinator, was exports have grown ten fold to counterbalance the corporations in the in the country to assess the $250 billion since 1980, it is strategic predomi- world market, equity situation of the internally displaced. now the second largest recipient nance of America on markets and Egeland is said to be acutely of foreign direct investment the world stage. companies’ social concerned about deteriorating after the United States. China’s strong stand on accountability amid conditions in Nepal. The fact that China’s achievement has non-interference in the economic growth. The his advisers are here during the translated into political affairs of other countries is Forum will also see two Darfur crisis shows just how influence globally. But Beijing appealing to many. symposia on property seriously Nepal is viewed. On Friday, Prof Walter Kalin, is not trying to compete with There is a different focus development and motor vehicle the UN Secretary General’s Special Washington on military force every year at Boao. In 2002 it manufacturing. Envoy on the Human Rights of projection, it is concentrating was the world economic The program from 22-24 Internally Displaced People completes his fact-finding mission to Nepal during which he visited LAXMI NARAYAN MAHARJAN Kapilbastu, Dailekh and Biratnagar. These visits come just as the UN Human Rights Commission on Wednesday adopted a resolution allowing monitors and also called on King Gyanendra to reinstate all political and civil rights. All this adds up to rising international concern that the conflict in Nepal is spiralling out of control and the consequences will be untold human misery. Yet, in official circles we detect a sense of denial. Instead of addressing urgent humanitarian issues, there is knee-jerk defen- siveness and wounded pride. Instead of slinking into our xenopho- bic shell, it will be better to launch pre-emptive intervention to save us from ourselves. Both the government and the Maoists have said they respect international humanitarian law. The test for the government is how effectively it is going to help the million or so Nepalis displaced by the conflict. The Maoists have to realise that they can’t welcome the UN human rights monitoring mission, call for UN mediation to the conflict and in the same breath bomb primary schools. LLL ETTERS MOU Nepal. And it doesn’t have a better ability (#243) misrepresents the scale of the press Lal for giving your pen and your position to The signing of MoU with the Office of the than those who are already doing the job. freedom curbs in Nepal. All she needs to do express those thoughts. High Commissioner for Human Rights By bringing the OHCHR to Nepal, these is refer to The Worst Of The Worst: The Charles Sydnor, email (Editorial: ‘Understanding the petty activists have delivered a serious World’s Most Repressive Societies memorandum’, #243) is nothing to be blow to the National Human Rights published by the United Nations this year to MAHARA happy about. Nepali human rights Commission and many institutions working see how much ahead Nepal is compared to I suggest that you offer a correction. Surely activists and western diplomats who think in the country to deal with the crisis other countries in terms of press freedom. your translation of the BBC Nepali Service they pursued a rightful cause for Nepal situation.