October 2, 2007: While Maoists and veteran politicians maneuver to abolish the monarchy, a real war continues down south, along the Indian border. In the last few weeks, over a hundred have died, many more wounded, and thousands forced out of their homes by the violence. Nepal believes that Indian gangsters are helping promote the unrest. India believes that Indian Maoists have established refuges in Nepal. So both countries have agreed to share information about border security, and crack down on criminal groups that work both sides of the border. The violence in the south, where various ethnic groups are demanding more power, has spread north. Police recently arrested four men from the south, and accused them of setting off bombs in the capital last month. Bombs are still going off, yesterday someone threw a small bomb at the Japanese embassy. No one was hurt, no one took responsibility for it.

While the shooting has stopped in most of the country, the Maoists, political parties and royalists are all getting ready for another round of violence. The Maoists are trying to use intimidation to sideline opponents, or gain allies. When the national elections are held in November, someone is going to lose, and that could lead to more shooting.