| JuryFury.com
Now Every 15th of the Month ! Online School of Politics |
|||
| Areas of Interest THE USA American Foreign Policy US House and Senate US Presidents State & Local Politics Regional Politics Politics of China The British Commonwealth Indian Subcontinent Middle East The European Union Africa Latin America ASEAN NATO United Nations The Non-aligned Movement Eastern Europe New Nations of the 20th Century General Topics Constitutional Law Human Rights Nuclear Disarmament & Treaties International Warfare Environmental Law Peace Treaties Economic & Social Alliances International Organizations Journalism & Media Racism and Democracy Women in the Workplace Family Law Courts and Practices The Judicial System Higher Education Education and Government Health Care & Insurance Rights of the Disabled Copyright & Working Online Legal Representation Legal Insurance Pornography Domestic Violence Religion & Law Workers Rights Employers Rights Prison & Life after Social Organizations Welfare & Poverty Taxation and Democracy Third World Aid Programs Space Exploration Alternative Energy Petroleum Industry & Cars Nuclear Power Programs for the Arts Sports Education Policing the Internet Privacy and freedom Immigration Food and Regulation War on Drugs War on Pharmaceuticals Public Housing Pollution and Control Sexual Discrimination Electoral Process Consumers Rights Investors Rights Abortion Death Penalty Social Security Gender & Sexuality Grassroots Organization ACLU World Watch Oxfam UNICEF United Negro Fund Ford Foundation (suggestions welcome at our chatsite) Law of the Economy Join I-Traderschool, our sister magazine, for debates and news. |
South Asia
King Gyanendra's bold step to end Maoist Uprising in Nepal by Bhuwan Thapaliya While all eyes are currently focused on Iraq, Afghanistan and the tsunami infected nations like, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India, another development that demands international attention is emerging in Nepal. By sacking Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s government in February 2005 and taking full control of the state power, Nepal’s King Gyanendra has taken a bold step to end a colossal cataclysm fueled by the bloody uprisings of the Maoist rebels. It was the second time that Mr. Deuba had been dismissed. In 2002, the king sacked the government for failing to curb the Maoist rebellion. Mr. Deuba was re-appointed in June 2004. King Gyanendra assumed the throne in dramatic circumstances in 2001 after his brother, King Birendra was killed in a palace massacre. He inherited a country wracked by a ferocious Maoist insurgency. Maoist rebels They claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong and want to establish a communist state. Their shadowy leader's name, Prachanda, is translated as "the fierce one". The group is modeled after Peru's Maoist Shining Path guerrillas. The Nepalese Maoists have also made some "homegrown" modifications to Maoist ideology. Senior military officers say there are between 10,000 and 15,000 well-trained Maoist fighters, known as the movement's "hard core". It is estimated that there could be up to 25,000 so called "militia" who fight alongside them and around 100,000 sympathizers. They have emulated the Shining Path's stated objective of destroying government institutions and replacing them with a revolutionary peasant regime. The first Maoist attack is believed to have taken place in 1996, when six government and police outposts were attacked simultaneously in mid-western Nepal. Similar attacks took place on a regular basis in the same area over the next few years. Initially the rebels were not taken seriously at all by the government, diplomats, journalists or the all-pervasive aid agencies that dominate Nepal's economy. They were lightly armed and not considered a genuine military threat. But since then they have become one of South Asia's most potent rebel groups, rivaling the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka. Rifles and explosives have been stolen from captured police outposts and it is believed that the country's open border with India has made it easier to smuggle arms and money. Nepal under pressure Nepal has been under pressure since the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) launched it’s "People's War" in 1996 in five of Nepal's 75 districts. The rebels want to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with a communist republic. By 2004, the insurgency had claimed more than 10,000 lives and spread to almost the whole country. The mountainous terrain favors the rebels who also can rely on popular support in some areas. Recently however there have been reports that war weary villagers in remote parts have begun to question the Maoist campaign. They stepped up their campaign of violence after King Gyanendra assumed the throne, in what proved to be a baptism of fire for the new ruler. King’s bold move Immediately after his enthronement, King Gyanendra, said he would not be a quiet king like his brother and would play an active role in Nepali life. He responded to the crisis by dismissing the elected government in October 2002 and has since appointed a series of prime ministers. King Gyanendra sacked the Deuba government again last week, saying it has failed to tackle the Maoist rebels. The move comes after a long period of political turmoil and amid a bloody campaign by the Maoist rebels. He accuses Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's government of failing to win the support of Maoist rebels for a 13 January deadline for peace talks and failing to prepare the ground for elections in the spring. However, analysts suggest the king may be using these issues to strengthen his own role in Nepalese politics, perhaps seeking to create an absolute monarchy. Is this a coup? King Gyanendra sacked the government, suspended civil rights and seized power in a move to give free rein to the army against the rebels to end the crisis. Hundreds of political leaders, activists, journalists and rights workers have been arrested around the country in a move aimed at stifling dissent and suppressing oppositions. The new government has imposed heavy censorship on the media, mostly implemented by the army. The king’s actions have been strongly opposed both within and outside Nepal, with rights groups planning protests. But the armed forces say that detention and the suspension of liberties are necessary to let security forces concentrate on fighting the Maoist rebels. However, King Gyanendra insists that he is still committed to democracy and multi-party rule. King Gyanendra has consistently denied that he is exercising executive power himself. He says he acted because the cabinet failed to fulfill its mandate, including the restoration of peace. The king denies carrying out a coup. He insists that human rights will be respected and promises "effective democracy" and peace within three years. United States should back the King "The Maoists had time and again said they would hold dialogue only with the king. Now, the council of ministers has been formed under the chairmanship of the king. This is the most appropriate time for the rebels to come to the talk’s table. They should return to dialogue unconditionally," said Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Buddi Raj Bajracharya at an interaction organized by the Reporters Club few days ago. Saying that the King’s move was a historical compulsion, supporters of an absolute monarchy in Nepal argue that that if the United States can back Gen Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan in its war on terror, why should King Gyanendra not be allowed to conduct the war against the Maoists? " The King’s move should not be misunderstood as his political ambition, but the country’s compulsion," they are saying. They claimed that the present situation emerged after the political parties failed to deliver. Difficult times ahead Many analysts had been saying that direct rule was probably the only option left to the king to deal with the ongoing crisis. Now, since he has taken the full control of the state power under his belt, he knows he will have to win. If he loses, his throne itself will be in danger. Many predict, if the king fails, there is a possibility that the political parties might form some working nexus with the Maoists and try to get rid of the monarchy. So his success now depends entirely on whether he will be able to bring the Maoist rebels back to the negotiation table and reach some nexus in restoring peace in the nation. But this is not an easy task as it looks on the paper because the basic aims of the Maoists had long been the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a communist republic. The world will be watching to see what steps King Gyanendra takes to bring the rebels to the negotiating table and hold fresh elections. However, if the king succeeds, he may gain ample supports to run this nation. At this very moment most Nepalese have given the benefit of doubt to the king. The game has just begun. Let us hope for the best. That is all we can do. About the Author(s): See under Our Contributors to find out about the Author(s) of this article. |
Yahoo! World News Headlines Our Winners Club Our Contributors Research Links Legal Advice ALL Awards & Internships Become an Activist Join an Organization Get Volunteerism Alert Write Letters to a local Politician Start your own Group Applied Politics Projects Suggest a Project Start your Yahoo Groups Get Internship Credit Funding for Projects Encourage Discussion Join Juryfury Chat Promote Juryfury.com Join online discussion Groups Be In the Spotlight Let us Interview you : Authors of political books Activists Journalists Lawyers Law Enforcement Politicians Politican Scientists Be A Columnist Get Internship Credit Write twice a Month Get Heard Start a Yahoo Group Advertise with Us Books (Free) Political Our Staff & Contributors Our Magazines Quietpoly.com I-Traderschool Juryfury.com The Company Our Address: QuietPoly Inc. 240 W. Saunders. Dr. (#146) Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Tel (928) 214-7365 quietpoly@yahoo.com |
|