|
|
|
Subject:
Nepalese People Do Not Want War
Kamala
11/25/2004 9:09:33 AM
|
| Nepalese People Do Not Want War
Wednesday, 29 September 2004, 1:33 pm
Column: Kamala Sarup
Nepalese People Do Not Want War
By Kamala Sarup
Recently, The high-level Peace Committee in Nepal officially called on the Maoists for peace talks. In response to the government's call for talks, spokesman of the CPN (Maoist), Krishna Mahara, said his party had already decided not to hold talks with the government and that there was no possibility of dialogue as ?foreign interference in the country continued and all the organs of the state were in a state of surrender.?
Mahara further said ?We are still serious towards that threat but the government itself is inviting foreign interference and has warned of bringing in foreign army directly". Maoist response has come as a setback to the ruling coalition. Government officials are yet to comment on the latest Maoist position.
The four-party government had a month ago formed a high-level Peace Committee headed by the PM Deuba which includes UML,RPP,Nepal Sadbhawana Party in order to initiate negotiation with the Maoists and coordinate the efforts for rehabilitation of those affected by the conflict.
Even recently, half a dozen professional groups representing doctors, engineers, lawyers, journalists and teachers have also called upon both the government and Maoist rebels to immediately go for cease fire and resume peace negotiations in the country.
In a statement issued on the occasion of International Peace Day , Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy, an umbrella group of Nepali professionals, has alleged both the state and rebels of posing obstacles towards professionals from practicing freely in their areas of expertise.
Nepal suffers from ongoing conflicts and tensions. The psychological impact of Maoists war in Nepal has weakened all components of a democratic civil society. The cold war ended with the collapse of communism, but on the other hand, radical forces bent on spreading fundamentalist ideologies have arisen.
Everyday countless innocent victims including children and women die in Nepa In reality, the majority of Nepalese victims are men, women and even children, who have not taken up arms. They are peaceful Nepalese.
Nearly nine years of civil war have left roughly 10,500 Nepalese dead. Innocent people and police officials of various ranks and even members of opposing political parties have been the most affected victims. The Maoists have destroyed development infrastructure worth billions of rupees. In nine years, has brought the fragile economy into deep trouble. In the chaos of conflict and the panic of fight, many children become separated from their families. Not only are large numbers of children killed and injured, but countless others grow up deprived of their material and emotional needs. Children are also being used as human shields.
Forceful recruitment of young women in the rebel force by the Maoist is another serious issue in Nepal. Many young women are displaced from their home and forced to stay out because of this threat to them at the villages.
The conflict in Nepal has been epitomized by gross human rights violations that have increased dramatically over the past nine years. Over the years several Nepalese have attempted to address the issues -- social, political and economic injustices -- that the Maoists claim to be the principal cause of the conflict.
Today many of the Nepalese people are routinely subjected to massacres, torture, disappearances, kidnapping and forced displacement. The Maoists, who are forced deeper into the jungle, realized their only chance of achieving power was by waging war against the government.
Humanitarian crisis is taking place in Nepal. Ordinary Nepalese citizens, including children, are the targets of brutal attacks by the Maoists. The situation has worsened in recent years because conflicts have grown more prominent and people suffer more in these. Not only do they suffer from bombs and other violence against civilians, they are all too often drawn into direct participation in these wars.
The war-affected children of the eastern Nepal have no opportunity for education, and eat one meal a day, if they are lucky. Many are homeless, forced to flee because of acute poverty.The number of children who have been killed, disabled or wounded or have otherwise suffered from grievous harm remains unknown. Girls living on the streets due to war or poverty were "extremely vulnerable" to sexual predation once they reached puberty.
Furthermore, Maoists are attacking ambulances, Red Cross and their facilities and restricting their movement, making it almost impossible for the injured to get treatment and for humanitarian aid activities to be carried out. The vast numbers of women and children affected and traumatised by armed conflict.
"Understanding cannot be reached by sticking to extreme political stands on both s |
| |
|
|
|
