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Peace process: Prachanda's letter to U.N.
July 2006
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Peace process: Prachanda's letter to U.N. of 24 July 2006, with unofficial English translation

H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan
Secretary-General of the United Nations

New York.

Dear Mr. Secretary-General,

This is to draw your attention to the letter sent to you by the Government of Nepal on 2 July 2006 and to register our strong protest and disagreement over certain crucial points of the letter.

Firstly, the letter was written & sent unilaterally and secretively without any consultation with us in utter violation of the spirit of ongoing negotiation between the Government of Nepal and the C.P.N (Maoist). We came to know about the letter through the media after nearly three weeks, and hence this delay to register our disagreement over it.

Secondly, and more importantly, the content of the letter, particularly as stated in points nos. 3 & 4, is in complete violation of the 12-point Understanding of 22 November 2005 and 8-point Agreement of 16 June 2006 reached between the two sides. For your kind recollection, clause-3 of the 8-point Agreement clearly states: "To request the United Nations to assist in the management of the armies and arms of both sides (emphasis added) and to monitor it for a free & fair election to the constituent assembly". Against this, the said letter self-professedly and provocatively talks of "Assist in the monitoring of the combatants of the Maoists and decommissioning of their arms" and "Monitor to assure that the Nepal Army is inside barracks" etc. Such arbitrary and unilateral application of two different yardsticks to the two armies is highly objectionable and totally unacceptable to us. Particularly any talk of "decommissioning" of arms of only the PLA before the election to the constituent assembly is just unthinkable. As everybody knows, the so-called Nepal Army is still loyal to the autocratic monarchy and its democratic restructuring and keeping under credible international monitoring is more imperative & important for free & fair election to the constituent assembly.

We would like to reiterate our appreciation to the United Nations and to you personally for the positive role played so far in favour of democracy, peace and progress in Nepal and expect the same in future. We shall be happy to co-operate in any manner with the UN team planning to visit Nepal soon.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.


Prachanda
Chairman

Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)

24 July 2006
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