Change in Nepal
by Lauren Ting
In late 2006, after years in crisis, Maoist rebels signed an agreement with the Nepalese government aimed at ending a decade of violence and political turmoil. During the past 10 years, more than 13,000 people were killed, thousands more detained, and civil and political rights were largely suspended. Abuses against civilians abounded on both sides, and in 2005, Nepal suffered the largest number of “disappeared” persons, many detained by the government and given no access to lawyers or family members. On the Maoist side, political indoctrination and abduction remained commonplace, with children placed in combat situations and pervasive gender-based violence.
On November 21, 2006, Nepal’s coalition government and the Communist Party of Nepal signed an agreement calling for a rewritten constitution and an interim government. The previously warring groups decided to unite by integrating into parliament and other political structures. Both sides agreed to limit weapons use and army activity, a condition to be supervised by the United Nations. While many view these measures optimistically, experts remain cautious, fearing impunity for former political leaders. Some are waiting on human rights investigations to see if the problems of the past can be effectively addressed.
As the New York Times reports, the very fundamentals of nationhood rest on the ability to adapt quickly to this bizarre union between rebels and government. There is the question of the monarchy, as the Nepalese suddenly find themselves regarded as citizens rather than subjects. There is also the question of religion – Hinduism was the state religion under the old ruling system – and there are many questions concerning racial and ethnic tensions. There is talk of dissolving Nepal’s caste system, placing women and so-called “untouchables” in Parliament, and granting citizenship rights to formerly shunned ethnic groups. While all these changes are to be embraced in theory, its practical implications are more difficult to gauge, and only time will tell if this unlikely union can thrive.
Progress is occurring rapidly, and with this transformation the government must be forced to address the brutality and the flagrant human rights abuses that have occurred over the past 10 years. Some speak of punishment, others of reconciliation, some of justice, others of forgetting, but it’s not apparent what path, if any, the government will take to address these past wrongs, remedy current concerns and prevent future recurrences.
Many torture victims have spoken out about their wrongful treatment during detention, but as yet they have not acquired enough power to truly implement change, despite aid from human rights organizations. For some, the main goal is merely publicizing the plight of the Nepalese, while others express anger and hope to officially prosecute the offenders, including King Gyanendra himself.
While the cease-fire and promise to continue peaceful and productive dialogue between the warring groups have moved the country in the right direction, some are more concerned than ever about the injustices suffered by the people, and fear that without consequences, such abuses will continue indefinitely. If action is taken, it will have to be taken properly, thoroughly and as swiftly as possible, in order to send a message to the world and the Nepalese people that the country is determined to change.
Maoist camps were established in November and despite UN monitoring, human rights groups have expressed concern, particularly over the treatment of children and the abuse of women. The BBC reports areas where curfews have been put in place to prevent vandalism and arson by regional separatists, and instances of ethnic conflict between the Madheshi and the Maoists continue.
The ongoing violence in the area endangers the overdue evolution towards peace and jeopardizes the possibility of elections, which were to take place this summer. Negotiations are difficult and stressed under these tense circumstances and the future situation is uncertain. Overall, the situation in Nepal now is indeterminate and chaotic. In a country where such a high degree of progress has taken place so rapidly, it is only possible to hope that while change is slow in finding its footing, with time Nepal will stabilize, and will not only punish those who have violated human rights law in the past, but will also find effective ways to prevent such atrocities from occurring again.
