Maoist rebel leaders and Nepal"s seven-party interim government will hold talks within 10 days in an effort to rekindle the faltering peace process, designed to end a decade-long conflict in the Himalayan country. Over the past five months, the Maoists and the seven parties have been actively engaged in the peace process following the end of the absolute rule of the Nepalese monarch, King Gyanendra, after a mass uprising in April 2006. However, concerns are rising on both sides about a growing mistrust between them and the lack of effective progress on ending violent in the kingdom, according to members of the negotiating teams.
September
2005
Padma
Ratna Tuladhar, one of the facilitators of previous two rounds of government-Maoist
peace talks, has said there is no possibility of immediate dialogue between
the government and the insurgents even as the latter declared a three-month-long
unilateral ceasefire today. Talking to Nepalnews, Tuladhar said that CPN (Maoist) supremo Prachanda's statement to observe unilateral ceasefire for the next three months is basically a confidence building measure rather than a real gesture of talks with the royal government.
» Prime
Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said his government would give top priority
to re-start negotiations with the rebels and restore peace in the country.
upon return from Delhi more than a week ago, Deuba said the government
was ready to use force against the rebels if they did not respond to government's
call for peace negotiations. Unfortunately, there are no signs as yet to
indicate that the government is serious towards its proposal. » The
central committee of the CPN (Maoist) blamed India of pressurizing the
Nepal government not to enter into peace negotiations and offering military
assistance to suppress the rebellion. » Maoists
are now employing the policy of attacking India politically and launching
military offensive against the Royal Nepalese Army. » Both
the government and Maoists are now moving towards complete militarisation
and none of them seem serious towards peace negotiations. » The
Maoists said they would hold negotiations with the King only. At the same
time, they are also saying that they are preparing to enter into the phase
of 'strategic offensive.' » It can easily be (seen) that the King is moving towards authoritarianism while the Maoists are moving towards extremism. September
» It is ridiculous and incredible that an outfit claims to wage a war against the State for the democratic rights of the people while continuously conducting activities to terrorise, torture, loot, coerce, compel, intimidate, kidnap, kill and murder innocent people. Abducting teenagers and forcing them to join their militias, using innocent civilians, including children, old men and women as human shields are criminal activities condemned by both world bodies and international community. How dare Maoist leadership invite foreign element, the UN or ICRC, as mediators in the present conflict between September
Nepal's
embattled government could open the way for talks with Maoist rebels if
it declares a ceasefire, stops branding them as terrorists and withdraws
international arrest warrants on them, a key intermediary said.
Nepal's
Maoist insurgency, which began in 1996, shows no signs of abating. Armed
rebels continue to kill security personnel as well as civilians as their
outlawed leaders issue statements - from their hideouts - saying they will
return to the negotiating table only if the United Nations is invited to
be involved in the peace process. To prove that their threats are not hollow,
Maoists shot dead exactly 12 security personnel on the day that Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba was to host a party to celebrate King Gyanendra's 58th
birthday last week. One of those killed was a senior police officer based
in the capital, who was shot in broad daylight, making people more frightened
than ever before. (Royal birthday celebrations continued nevertheless.) The first formal talks with the Maoists - who are fighting to establish a republic in place of the constitutional monarchy - started in August 2001, about a month after Deuba became prime minister for the first time; he was later sacked by the king for "incompetence". But they broke down, giving the Maoists an opportunity to reorganize. The second attempt to bring the Maoists to the negotiating table produced a ceasefire agreement in January 2003, three months after King Gyanendra staged a constitutional coup and appointed a new prime minister to head the royal government. The ceasefire lasted for seven months, but broke down amid reports that soldiers of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) shot dead 19 detainees, suspected Maoist rebels, in the eastern hill district of Ramechhap. |
