Nearly 100 days after the royal coup, CPJ sent the following letter to Nepal's King Gyanendra, urging him to restore press freedom.

May 10, 2005

His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Narayanhity Royal Palace
Kathmandu, Nepal

Via facsimile: 977-1-4416-007

Your Majesty:

Nearly 100 days after Your Majesty dismissed the government and curtailed civil liberties, press freedom has not been restored. Your Majesty has not lifted a ban on reporting that goes “against the letter and spirit” of your February 1 proclamation. A ban on FM radio news broadcasting remains in place, depriving rural citizens of their only source of independent news. And your government continues to harass and intimidate journalists.
Shortly after declaring a state of emergency on February 1, you assured foreign diplomats that you would begin implementing a return to democracy within 100 days. On April 29, you lifted the state of emergency, raising hopes that constitutional freedoms would be restored. But journalists in Nepal tell CPJ that curbs on the press remain in place, and they have even reported new cases of harassment.
Millions of dollars in foreign aid are� at� risk as the 100-day deadline approaches on May 11; the world’s financial and military� support are tied to� the restoration of civil liberties. We call on Your Majesty to lift all restrictions on the press immediately, and to stop harassing and intimidating journalists.
We have grave concern about the following situations:

o An estimated 1,200 radio journalists remain out of work after your government shut down news reporting on FM radio. Quoting Minister of Education and Sports Radha Krishna Mainali on May 7, local media reported that the government is drafting regulations that would ban FM stations from broadcasting news related to politics. Such a regulation would ensure the demise of FM radio as a thriving, independent source of news and information. It would mean that only state-run stations and Maoist rebels with access to clandestine radio transmitters would provide information in the areas hardest hit by the conflict between the government and the rebels.

o The government’s decision to stop publishing ads in private media has not been repealed. Advertising from government agencies accounts for 25 percent of the media’s revenues nationwide, according to a report on the Nepal News Web site. Local journalists told CPJ that the ad suspension will cause greater hardship for the Nepalese press, already under extreme economic pressure since February 1.

o A ban on reporting that goes “against the spirit and letter” of the February 1 proclamation, or that “directly or indirectly supports destruction and terrorism” remains in place. The vague wording of this ban means that editors and reporters, particularly those outside the capital, remain at the mercy of local administrators’ interpretations.

Cases of harassment have been reported since the lifting of the state of emergency on April 29. They include:

o On May 6, weekly Himal Khabarpatrika publisher and well-known journalist Kanak Mani Dixit was prevented from boarding a flight to Delhi en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka, to attend a conference. Dixit told CPJ that his name was on a list of activists, politicians, and journalists who are barred from boarding flights at Tribhuvan International Airport. Authorities did not explain the reasons for the restriction, but Dixit has been publicly critical of Your Majesty’s February 1 proclamation and was detained briefly in March.

o Also on May 6, the Royal Nepal Army publicly condemned the reporting of journalist Phanindra Silwal, saying that he collaborated with Maoists through his coverage of the rebels’ abduction and killing of three soldiers in November 2004. Silwal, who reported for Nepal 1 TV channel before it was banned along with other Indian channels on February 1, has gone into hiding, according to CPJ sources.

Your government has used its campaign against Maoist rebels as a pretext for shutting down independent journalism, but restrictions and attacks on the press during the past 100 days have done nothing to stem the violent conflict. Maoists continue to control the flow of information in many rural areas, and journalists remain at risk from both security forces and rebels. We urge you to roll back the blanket restrictions on FM radio news reporting, repeal the bans on other reporting, and allow the revival of Nepal’s independent press.
As an independent organization dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide, CPJ condemns the systematic intimidation and harassment of journalists. Promises to reinstate democracy are meaningless without the restoration of constitutionally protected liberties. If Your Majesty is sincere in pledging to normalize the political situation, the immediate restoration of an independent press is essential.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We await your reply.

Sincerely,

Ann Cooper
Executive Director
CC:
Kedar Bhakta Shrestha, Nepal Ambassador to the United States
James Moriarty, U.S. Ambassador to Nepal
Keith Bloomfield, British Ambassador to Nepal
Christina Rocca, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia
Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
American Society of Newspaper Editors
Amnesty International
Article 19 (United Kingdom)
Artikel 19 (The Netherlands)
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Freedom Forum
Freedom House
Human Rights Watch
Index on Censorship
International Center for Journalists
International Federation of Journalists
International PEN
International Press Institute
Michael G. Kozak, United States Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
The Newspaper Guild
The North American Broadcasters Association
Overseas Press Club
Reporters Sans Frontières
The Society of Professional Journalists
World Association of Newspapers
World Press Freedom Committee

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
phone: 1-212-465-1004
fax: 1-212-465-9568
http://www.cpj.org

March 31, 2005

His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Narayanhity Royal Palace
Kathmandu, Nepal

Via facsimile: 977-1-4416-007

Your Majesty:

In the Royal Proclamation of February 1, Your Majesty dismissed the government, declared a state of emergency and curtailed civil liberties. In early February, we visited Nepal’s ambassador to the United States, Kedar Bhakta Shrestha, who assured us that restrictions on the press were temporary and that Your Majesty was committed to democracy and free expression.

The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that press conditions continue to deteriorate. Hundreds of journalists are out of work, and fresh directives restrict reporting nationwide. CPJ is particularly troubled by the arrests of dozens of journalists. While many were released after a short time in detention, others remain imprisoned.

The well-documented detention of the following journalists is unacceptable, and is a disturbing indication of the risks faced by all reporters during the state of emergency, especially in rural areas:

D.R. Panta , a correspondent for Kantipur Publications who is based in the far western district of Dadeldhura, was arrested on February 13 after calling for an end to press censorship. He was given a three-month sentence under the Public Security Act, and remains imprisoned at the district police office in Dadeldhura, according to the human rights group INSEC and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ). He is also known as D.R. Pant.

On March 3, security forces in the eastern province of Panchthar arrested Lavadev Dhungana for reporting on protests by local student unions against the proclamation of February 1. Chief District Officer Janardan Sharma told reporters that he was detained because his actions endangered public security. Local authorities are holding him in preventive detention for three months under the Public Security Act. Dhungana, who is district president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, executive editor of Panchthar Times, and a correspondent for Kantipur daily, is currently under house arrest, INSEC reports.

On March 14, Channel Nepal correspondent Sharad Adhikari was arrested while covering political demonstrations in the mid-western district of Dang. Adhikari, who is also a central committee member of the FNJ, is being detained under the Public Security Act and is held at the district jail in Dang, according to INSEC and the FNJ.

On March 25, Ganesh Mahar , a freelance journalist based in Dadeldhura was arrested while reporting on a meeting of banned political parties. The FNJ has said that he will be held in Dadeldhura jail for 90 days. Mahar is the former district secretary of the FNJ in the far-western district of Kachanpur, former chief editor of the Farwest Daily , and executive editor of Sahakarmi Weekly .

CPJ also requests information on the status of the following journalists: Dev Raj Rimal, Dristi Weekly correspondent; Rupak Dev Adhikari, correspondent for the Indian newspaper Sundhari and a photojournalist with Reuters; Gopal Bairaili, a member of the FNJ; Arjun Prasad Shah, an FNJ member; Manohar Pokhrel, an FNJ member; Ganesh Lama, a reporter with Janoprahar weekly; Madhu Acharya, a columnist with Kavre Post; and Arjun Dhanuk, a reporter for Avimat weekly All of them were arrested in recent weeks and CPJ is concerned that they may remain under detention for their journalistic work.

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As an independent organization dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide, CPJ urges Your Majesty to ensure the immediate release of all journalists, and the restoration of conditions in which they can work. During a state of violent conflict between the government and Maoist rebels, journalists must be allowed to serve the crucial role of watchdog against abuses by both sides. And at this vital juncture, citizens need the press to provide a forum for public debate. When journalists are at risk of prolonged imprisonment simply for reporting on political opposition, as they are in Nepal’s rural areas, there can be no independent journalism.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We await your reply.

Sincerely,

Ann Cooper
Executive Director

CC:
Nepal Ambassador to the United States Kedar Bhakta Shrestha
United States Senator Patrick Leahy
American Society of Newspaper Editors
Amnesty International
Article 19 (United Kingdom)
Artikel 19 (The Netherlands)
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Freedom Forum
Freedom House
Human Rights Watch
Index on Censorship
International Center for Journalists
International Federation of Journalists
International PEN
International Press Institute
Michael G. Kozak, United States Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
The Newspaper Guild
The North American Broadcasters Association
Overseas Press Club
Reporters Sans Frontières
The Society of Professional Journalists
World Association of Newspapers
World Press Freedom Committee

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
phone: 1-212-465-1004
fax: 1-212-465-9568
http://www.cpj.org

Letter to Secretary of State by expatriate Nepali

March 8 2005

Honorable Dr. Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C St. NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Rice:

We, members of the expatriate Nepalese community, are writing to draw your attention to the February 1, 2005 declaration of emergency by Nepal's King Gyanendra suspending the Nepalese people's fundamental rights, including freedom of assembly and expression, right to information and privacy, and protections afforded by Nepal's constitution against arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of individuals. We are very much concerned about the deepening political and humanitarian crisis in Nepal as well as the great number of alleged extrajudicial killings, widespread torture and other human rights violations by both the security forces and the Maoists.

The Royal Council constituted after February 1 under the chairmanship of the king has imposed certain draconian measures under which it has either imprisoned or put under house arrest former prime ministers, ministers, hundreds of political activists, journalists, academicians, human right activists, and members of the civil society in the mere pretext that they might either oppose or criticize the king's actions. Recent reports by International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have warned about escalating number of disappearances and other fundamental rights abuses by Nepal's security forces. People we have spoken to in different parts of the country have told us about an atmosphere of intimidation and terror following the king's proclamation.

While we understand Nepal is going through a difficult situation, we strongly believe that the king's unilateral action represents a grave setback to fledging Nepalese democracy and socioeconomic development. The steps the king has taken not only undermine the democratic norms and institutions of the country; they also make the task of finding a solution to the Maoist-led insurgency all the more intractable.

The U.S. Government has historically been a reliable friend of Nepal. We are gratified to learn of the strong stand the U.S. government has taken in support of democratic rights and civil liberties in Nepal. What the king is doing in Nepal completely stands against what the United States stands for. We urge your Excellency to take our concerns into consideration as the U.S. Government reviews its aid to Nepal, especially its military aid, in coming weeks and months. Not only democracy, civil liberties and human rights are being ignored in Nepal, its proximity to world terror hot spots such as Kashmir and Afghanistan, and surrounded by three nuclear powered countries who had fought wars, and Nepal's own terrain suitable for breeding terrorism could make the whole region unstable if not addressed in time and we think the time is now. Experts from inside the country and outside have expressed repeatedly that there is no military solution of present crisis.

The international community, but particularly the U.S. government, has a great amount of leverage when it comes to influencing Nepalese government's political decisions. Close to two thirds of Nepal's annual development budget and a big part of its military budget comes from bilateral and multilateral donors. In past, such aid has been of utmost importance to meet the development needs of the country, but, under current circumstances characterized by the absence of rule of law, we are apprehensive about the lack of accountability and potential abuse of resources. The king's insistence that his direct rule alone can solve the country's problems is ill-advised, as it will further prolong the suffering of the Nepalese people. In the prevailing context, we appeal your Excellency to raise your strong voice in support of Nepalese democracy and rehabilitation of constitutional rights during your tour of South Asia.

Yours truly,
Surendra R Devkota, Ph.D.
Dharma Acharya, Ph.D.
Pramod Aryal, Ph.D.
Bed P Giri, Ph.D.
Shailendra Shukla, Ph.D.
Tirtha Mali
Sanjaya Parajuli
Dr. Gaury S Adhikary
Lekhnath Ghimirey Sharma
Arun Sharma
Anand Bist
Rabin Pandey
Ram N. Acharya, Ph.D.
Suresh Bhatta
Girija Gautam
Bishwa Acharya, Ph.D.
Abi Sharma
Khushi Ram Tiwari, Ph.D.
Hari Har Khanal, Ph.D.
Shiva Prasad Gautam, Ph.D.

The letter (below) has already been certified mailed to The Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States of America.

Nepal Human Rights Committee, United States of America
6904 Allentown Road
Camp Springs, Maryland 20748, USA
301 449 8822
February 7, 2005

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States of America
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington DC,

Dear President Bush:

In your inaugural address on January 20th you said, "The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world." Less than two weeks later, on February 1st, 2005, the convictions behind your words were challenged by King Gyanendra of Nepal when he suspended the hard-won democratic freedoms of the Nepali people, established himself as an absolute ruler, and pushed the country back into the dark ages by cutting off telephone lines and internet services both inside and outside the country. While the world dreams of the expansion of freedom, freedom is being driven out of Nepal.

We, the concerned people of the Nepali Diaspora living in the United States, condemn the action of King Gyanendra and call on America for leadership in this crisis. Across the generations, as you said on Jan. 20, Americans have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be master, and no one deserves to be a slave. We strongly urge the United States to reflect these sentiments in its policies towards Nepal. We urge you to put the considerable moral force of this great country where we have chosen to live, and where many of us are citizens, behind the effort to pressure the king to reinstate democracy and guarantee the fundamental rights of the Nepali people provided by the constitution of 1991.

King Gyanendra's actions are detrimental to not only the Nepali people, but also to your effort to increase freedom across the world. The king's move has the potential to unleash more violence and instability in this strategic part of South Asia by destroying the political parties that have served as buffer between the king and the Maoist rebels. The resulting direct confrontation between entities hungry for power will put the security of the Nepali people in jeopardy and undermine the norms and values of democracy.

Like every dictator in the world, King Gyanendra has claimed that he is working for democracy. There is no question that the Maoist insurgency has put Nepal, its people, and its leaders in a complicated position. But by cutting telephone lines, suspending freedom of the press, muzzling the Internet, and severing channels of communication with the outside world, he has turned Nepal into a prison with 27 million prisoners. This contradicts the norms of freedom that he claims to be defending.

As you have said, "There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom." We look to you to give substance to these words by providing leadership in this urgent crisis.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bal Ram Aryal
President,
Nepal Human Rights Committee, USA

Kathmandu Update

By Nepal democracy desk
10th February 2005

Prominent Human Rights leader Krishna Pahadi arrested from office at 3:15 p.m., 9 February; Washington Post journalist witnesses the arrest.
Prominent human rights leader of Nepal and former President of Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES), Krishna Pahadi, was arrested from his office at Kalikasthan, Kathmandu at 3:15 pm, today, 9 February 2005. According to Purushottam Dahal, the President of HURPES, about five policemen in plainclothes, led by an inspector, entered the HURPES office at 3:15 p.m. One of them said that Krishna Pahadi had to report to the traffic police! Then, they grabbed him, took him away from the office and put him in a police van waiting outside the HURPES office building.
Purushottam Dahal and another office staff Jaya Ram Basnet witnessed first hand the arrest. Incidentally, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Washington Post, John Lancaster, had just arrived at the HURPES office during the time the arrest was taking place. According to Purushottam Dahal, John Lancaster asked the policemen whether they had any arrest warrant, to which the policemen replied they did not. He then asked for what reason Pahadi was arrested, but the policemen did not give any reason.
The whereabouts of Krishna Pahadi is not known. In the past few days, Pahadi had been coordinating the meetings among human rights and professional organizations to plan protest programs against the king's military coup. The human rights organizations have said that the scheduled protest program tomorrow afternoon, 10 February 2005, at Putalisadak will go ahead as planned.

Another Human Rights Activist Arrested
Sukram Maharjan, member of Human Rights Organization of Nepal (HURON), Kirtipur Chapter, was arrested by plainclothes security personnel on February 8, 2005 at 10.30 at night from his residence. His whereabouts are not known.

Nepali Congress activists organized a surprise protest rally in Kathmandu
Over 100 activists of Nepali Congress organized a surprise protest rally on 8 February 2005 at 3:00 pm yesterday, 8 February 2005, from News Road, Kathmandu. They had tipped off the police that they were starting the protest program from another venue, Indrachowk, at 2:00 pm. There was a heavy presence of the armed police force as well as government vigilante at Indrachowk, waiting for the demonstrations. The activists, instead gathered at News Road as pre-planned with black banners and shouted anti-monarchy and pro-democracy slogans. The protest took place for about 10 minutes after which the protestors dispersed. This protest was organized as per the decision of the second underground meeting of the central committee of Nepali Congress held in Kathmandu after 1 February 2005.

NHRC team denied access to leaders under house arrest
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team, led by one of the Commissioners, Gaurishankar Lal Das, has been denied access to political leaders under house arrest today.

Follow-up meeting held at HURPES for 10 February demonstrations
A preparatory meeting was organized at Human Rights and Peace Society's Kathmandu office at Kalikasthan this morning. Representatives of 25 human rights organizations attended the meeting.

Newspapers forced to print king's speech
Reportedly, all the newspaper houses have been pressurized by the security forces to publish king's speech. For instance, at Jan Ekata weekly, close to Jan Morcha Nepal, security persons categorically told the editing desk that they would not allow any publication unless they publish the king's speech. Jan Ekata team have decided not to publish their paper as long as the security sources continue to censor their activities.

NSU and ANNFSU central committee meet
BBC Nepali Service yesterday confirmed that the Nepal Students Union (NSU), a Nepali-Congress affiliated student group, has been able to organize their central committee meeting, despite severe vigilance by the security forces throughout the city in Kathmandu. Similarly, All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), a student group affiliated with Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), was also able to hold its central committee meeting in an undisclosed location. Both the groups have decided to increase dialogue among different groups and decide on a common program for the restoration of full popular sovereignty and democracy in Nepal.
Meanwhile several more student leaders are reported to have been arrested from different places in Kathmandu. Bijaya Rai, president of Tribhuvan University's Central Campus Union was arrested by security forces from in front of this house on 7 February 2005. Two other student leaders were picked up by security forces from inside the Central Library of Tribhuvan University on 8 February 2005. The whereabouts of these student leaders are not known.

Political leaders continue to meet in Indian border towns
As the security forces intensified their repression in Kathmandu and major towns of Nepal, the leaders located in different parts of the country, especially in the terai towns, have reportedly crossed border into India. For instance, according to a reliable source, a meeting of Nepali Congress Parsa district committee was held near Raxaul, an Indian town across Birgunj. Many other meetings in other places also have been reported. Binay Dhoj Chand, central level leader of Nepali Congress is now in Uttaranchal, the neighboring Indian state, to organize solidarity for pro-democracy movement in Nepal.

Solidarity for Democracy in India
Many friends in India have provided support to efforts in movements for democracy in Nepal. Some Individuals have provided resources to fund for an office, three flats and regular activities in Delhi. Similar efforts are being made in other parts of India to mobilize support for democracy in Nepal. The Nepal Democracy Desk in Delhi, India is now fully active and will soon join hand with Nepal Democracy Desk in Kathmandu more systematically.

India reportedly to appoint a Special Envoy for Nepal
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the Government of India is reportedly appointing a Special Envoy for Nepal to deal with Nepal's political crisis.

UK and US ambassadors to Nepal reportedly met the king
The US and the UK Ambassadors to Nepal reportedly met the king for the first time after 1 February 2005. They reportedly conveyed in private the messages made public by their governments, which have disapproved of the royal takeover. Reportedly, none of the heads of diplomatic missions in Nepal, who tried to visit the political leaders under house arrest were given permission to do so.

International media continues its intense gaze on Nepal
Los Angeles Times had an editorial on February 8, 2005 asking Bush to put necessary pressure on king Gyanendra to restore democracy immediately. Indian newspapers have continued to provide space for debate on Nepal in editorials and news, which have been extensively critical of the royal coup.

Security personnel taking over college and campuses
First it were media houses. Now they are the schools and campuses of Nepal which have been besieged by khaki-clad security forces controlling the entrance and exit from the premises. The security forces check identity cards of those wanting to get into the college premises and those without identity cards are denied entrance. This is a move to trace politically active students.

(Visit www.insn.org for very regular updates and documents related to the Nepal crisis. INSN is the International Nepal Solidarity Network, which has activists in over a dozen countries around the world working extensively yet in very low profile for democracy in Nepal)

Kathmandu trip

February 09, 2005

Dear friends,

I am sitting in front of a huge pile of accumulated work which will take me a couple of days to sort out. I even did not read all the e-mails. I can perhaps write a whole book on my trip to Kathmandu . But for the time being I am summarizing things below with a personal touch.

All the news that poured into international media could not be read or heard in Nepal . You only hear rumors like 4 people were shot dead in Pokhara or there was fighting between Maoists and government forces in Nepalganj town etc. FM stations were unable to relay BBC news -so people tuned into short-wave frequencies and the reception was very poor. In short, people were in dark.

In Kathmandu valley itself Maoist presence was quite ineffective and security forces seem to have broken Maoists network there. The rumor was it was not due to security forces' efficiency but due to Maoist internal struggle. Whatever it was Banda called by Maoist which coincided with right after the King's move was ineffective 100%. But outside the valley, Maoists' hold seems to have increased- according to my own personal information.
Kathmandu is surrounded (not in the sense of impending military attack) by Maoists and its effect on daily life can be seen clearly. I saw one of my professors looking for woods as he was running out of gas and he said it was not available in the market. ' Shiva , we are going backward' he told me

Situation in Nepal is perhaps more complex, intricate and multi-layered than it seems on the surface or we would like to accept. There are who support King's move. These include not only powerful businessmen royalties and semi- mafias (and who did some deepawali) but also ordinary people who were frustrated and hope that now peace will prevail for sometime. These common people however, do not feel that the problem will be fixed forever. Surprisingly they want the king and parties to work together- even people in security forces believe that. There are who oppose King's move. And there are who support the King's move but think that the ministers he appointed will make him a failure. According to them except for Madhukar Shamsher Rana all people in the council of ministers are bad apples.

The hotel I was staying saw five group cancellations in five days. People working there were afraid they will lose their jobs. Cutting off telephone and internet was not a smart move according to many. An US company is thinking to move its branch from Kathmandu to India .
Some 50 Nepali engineers will lose job if that ever happened. On the positive side there seems some sense of security to ordinary people living inside the valley itself. Only future will tell what lies ahead.

Reactions to political events in Nepal , in my opinion, are generally characterized by 'Politics of Khuchhing' and Nanimaiyaan Syndrome'.
These two characteristics generally are marred by short-term and short lived euphoria.

One of the basic problems as I see is that when one group commits a mistake other jumps in and makes another mistake. As you know there is saying that two wrongs do not make it right. In Nepal 's case a new saying has to be invented 'three wrongs do not make anything right'.

I also observed there is this non-political group (not united) which consists of businessman etc whose network is responsible for lot of things that happens in Nepal . They are well connected to Kings People and political parties. I went to close to them but was really afraid to go deeper. So even with the king's direct rule many troubles e.g corruption, distribution of wealth etc. will still remain. The only difference is that during the democratic rule people were able to complain openly (though without any results) and things came out in the open. From this view point King's move will be bound to be unsuccessful. On the line of King's thinking of fixing the country, only the Maoist can achieve what the king is dreaming of but without the monarchy in the picture. The reason is that this group of influential people has no real connection and influence yet over the Maoists. Once in power Maoist will stop their current form of atrocities. There will be sense of security and 'discipline' for a couple of years.

My take is that King's move will also force Maoists to change their strategy. Although they said they would like to talk to the king directly, but their doing so now may look like as if they and the king were always together in this as many have supected. Many believe that the current situation of bipolarization was what Maoist wanted. I think they are waiting student uprising. There were rumors that universities and colleges will be closed. Classes were about to resume after winter vacation - and students leaders were arrested or went into hiding- so no demonstration etc took place as many students were on their way to colleges from long vacation.
Despite this few small uncoordinated demonstrations at several places in Kathmandu were reported. It is likely that students will be demanding for restoration democracy- I think the political parties are hoping for it - and so are the Maoists. Again only future will tell
- what is going happen

If the king can fix all the problems in 3 years then we have a bright future- and the king will make a place in history. I have yet to find who believes in this - even a taxi driver, a police man. The euphoria is simply against the political parties, against their mistrust against each other, against the corruption they could not check.
Even the junior leaders talk about the mistakes their party leaders made.

I knew something big is going to happen but did know the nature and degree. I even wrote about it in KTM post. I was against house reinstatement at the beginning, but as options seemed running out I pleaded for it -if it ends miseries of the country. I wanted to do a stupid thing in my life- take the Nepali politics by it horn. I literally grabbed horns of a water buffalo and tried to tackle the buffalo when I was 7 thinking I was stronger than the buffalo. I do not need to say what happened. I am grown up now but such stupidity has not gone out of me. I am out of Nepal but Nepal has not gone out of me. I was working on bringing parties together and go to the king with an agenda, and was making progress but I had little time. I reached Kathmandu on the 27 th so I had only 4 days to work. Even if I was successful, I have no doubt the king would have done the same thing but there would have been a slightly different prospective to iy. My satisfaction is that I tried something - and now I a can talk to people who often accuse me of not doing anything for the country. But in reality whatever I tried, I
tried for my own personal satisfaction- do not take me wrong please.

Politics in Nepal is now essentially banned - and my family who was worried during my stay in Nepal has also banned me from politics that I got into it only two years ago through Girija ji.

Thanks
Shiva

(Dr. Shiva Gautam just arrived from Kthamandu yesterday.)

Nepalis in Vancouver Rally for Democracy

Nepalipost Correspondent
Vancouver 9 February 2005

Despite cold and rain, about sixty people from the small Nepali community in Vancouver, British Columbia gathered at the Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver on February 6 to protest King Gyanendra's assumption of executive power in Nepal. Standing on the steps, which Vancouverites have long used as a forum to express their dissatisfaction, the demonstrators carried banners demanding "Participatory Democracy", "Unconditional release of all political prisoners," and an end to the "Autocratic Regime in Nepal." The demonstration, organized by members of the Nepali community in Vancouver concerned with the democracy in Nepal, was in response to King Gyanendra's February 1 declaration of a state of Emergency. The King has dismissed the Prime Minister and Government, and put the PM, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and all leaders of the political parties under either house arrest or military detention in unknown locations. The King suspended fundamental freedoms of speech, expression, and assembly and imposed restrictions on the movement of people within Nepal and from outside. In a royal proclamation the King denounced the political parties while claiming to champion democracy. He has promised to give more power to the army despite ample evidence of its widespread violation of human rights in Nepal. For over fifty years the people of Nepal have aspired to a democratic polity. In 1959 they succeeded in promulgating a constitution based on a multi-party system, only to have it abrogated in 1960 by King Mahendra. In 1990, after intense and prolonged struggle they again achieved a democratic constitution but have since had little opportunity to enjoy its benefits. Soon after becoming King in 2001, Gyanendra declared a state of emergency and suspended parliament. These measures were justified as necessary to counter the increasing strength of the Maoist insurgency that had been building since 1996. In 2004 the King was compelled by widespread agitation to reappoint Prime Minister Sher BahadurDeuba, whom he had dismissed in 2002. Deuba's task was to initiate talks with the insurgents and to hold elections by March 2005. Meanwhile, the Royal Nepal Army, with the military and financial support of India, Britain, and the US, has been engaged in a brutal counter-insurgency that has not only failed to contain the insurgency but has escalated the violence and the violation of human rights. The King's arbitrary and autocratic move is a serious blow to the democratic aspirations of the Nepali people. This cannot be masked by the King's rhetoric that he is saving the people of Nepal from both the Maoists and the parliamentary parties.

We join our voice with that of all democratic people in Nepal in demanding an immediate end of "Emergency." The only viable solution to the conflict lies in political institutions consistent with the democratic aspirations of the people of Nepal.

Briefs from the underground Human Rights Defenders

Regular E-Updates by the Nepal Democracy Desk(s) in Kathmandu
February 7, 2005

Press Statement signed by Girija Koirala, President of Nepali Congress, smuggled out of his residence

The press statement signed by G.P. Koirala on 2 February 2005 was smuggled out and is being circulated clandestinely. He termed the royal address as a coup d'etat, and denounced it strongly. He has stated, "The King's unconstitutional moves from the day one have been opposed by all of us." He has further stated that "In this grave political situation, when hundreds of political leaders and party workers, including myself, are under house arrests, I appeal all democratic forces to join hands and move ahead collectively against the royal coup d'etat in order to restore the sovereignty on the people again and protect the 1990 democratic constitution".

Statement by Nepali Congress Spokesperson: "An all out rejection of the royal takeover"

Arjun Narsing K.C., the Spokesperson and Central Committee Member of Nepali Congress (NC), issued a strong statement against the royal takeover on 5 February 2005, titled, "Saddened and Outraged: An All Out Rejection of the Royal Take Over". The statement states that, "Nepali Congress, a democratic party that fought several times for the establishment and restoration of Democracy in the country since the last 60 years or so, is deeply troubled by the royal takeover of February 1, 2005. Ever since the restoration of democracy in 1990, extreme rightists and reactionary elements were working in secret to defame and destroy the multi-party system and the democratic institutions".
In the three-page long release, K.C. has warned, "Despotic rule of monarchs and feudal lords and authoritarian regime rampant till 18th and early 19th century is an out-modeled concept, rejected by modern day man. Revival of such model of political dispensation is not sustainable and bound to fail." The statement states that the "NC urges all the democratic forces to set aside their differences and spearhead toward establishing a full-fledged democracy in the country."
Nepali Congress has expressed "its sincere thanks to our well-wishing nations India, United Kingdom, the United States of America, the European Union, and to those human rights organizations dedicated for the cause of democracy, all of whom immediately condemned the royal takeover and requested the monarch to restore multi-party system and democratic dispensation as enshrined in the 1990 constitution".

More draconian directives from the king on 6th February 2005
(from The Kathmandu Post)

His Majesty the king in accordance with Clause 7 of Article 115 of the Constitution of Nepal 1990 has issued various orders.
According to a notice published today by His Majesty's Press Secretariat, travel buying and selling of assets and stay in the country are allowed but that should not disturb the sovereignty, integrity, peace and security and should not have adverse impact on the state of emergency. The order has also mentioned that the local administration can prohibit the aforementioned activities if needed.
According to the order, if His Majesty's Government feels it necessary then the regional administrator, chief district officer or any assigned official can temporarily or permanently transfer ownership of any tangible and intangible asset after due compensation.
The order has also mentioned that activities like seminars, gatherings, meetings and interactions, which do not affect the sovereignty , integrity, peace and security of the Kingdom of Nepal and do not go against the state of emergency, can be organized in a predetermined venue, after receiving prior permission from the regional administrator, chief district officer or any assigned official.
According to the order, His Majesty's Government can appoint , transfer, depute, delegate authority or place appointments in vacant posts, temporarily to government employees for the period of the state of emergency.
The employees of the Secretariat of His Majesty's government , Ministries or the departments under it, and other offices or the offices under His Majesty's Government are prohibited from setting up any kind of organization having political affiliation, and any such existing organization should stop all activities, that affect the sovereignty, integrity or peace and security of the Kingdom of Nepal, the order says.
The order also prohibits making any direct or indirect public comment regarding the work of the security agencies that could affect the morale of the security agencies.
During the state of emergency, if the security personnel, security official or any assigned official feels it necessary, then he can monitor or ban the use of telephone, radio, fax, television, email or any other form of electronic media.
According to the notice, anyone violation the aforementioned points, disobeying orders, or non-compliance to the same thereof, can be immediately put under house arrest and action may be initiated against such persons. The notice has also stated that whatever is mentioned in the order will be as per the order and points not covered by the order will be as per existing laws.

More arrests and intimidation

(please see separate attachment for the latest list of people arrested)
Nanda Bhandari, Secretary of Nepal Bar Association, Appelate Court Unit, Dang, and Lok Prasad Pant, President of Civic Society, Dang were arrested by security personnel on 4th February 2005.
Indu Sharma, a student leader of the Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Student Union was arrested from inside the Saraswoti Campus, Sorakhutte, Kathmandu on 6th February 2005.
Meanwhile, the Nepali BBC Service reported that the President of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Taranath Dahal has not been arrested. Netra KC of BBC Nepali service, was arrested and detained for three hours in an army barrack in Nepalgunj and then released.
There are reports from around the country, including from Biratnagar and Nepalgunj that the local administration and Royal Nepal Army are calling the journalists to their offices and warning them not to publish any news or views against the king's directive.

Army personnel "visit" human rights organization

The army has apparently continued their attempts to track and arrest human rights defenders. Army personnel visited the office of the peace and human rights network, Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP), at Anamnagar, Kathmandu on Friday, 4 February, at 5:30 pm and on Sunday, 5 February, at 9:00 am. They were asking the whereabouts of the coordinator of COCAP.

Pro-democracy and anti-monarchy demonstrations start

The Nepal Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre Mashal) held a surprise torch rally from Bhotahity, Kathmandu yesterday evening against the military coup by the king. They also distributed pamphlets denouncing the coup and declaring the start of their movement for Democratic Republic of Nepal.
There were reports that surprise protest rallies against the king's coup were held on 6 February in Ilam, Jhapa and Sunsari districts in east Nepal.
Students in various campuses in Kathmandu have started putting up black flags to oppose the king's coup. For instance, such black flags were put up in the women's college of Kathmandu, Padmakanya College, and the Saraswoti Campus, Kathmandu. They were subsequently removed by the security personnel, who warned the college administration that they would face stern action if such scenes were repeated in the campus premises.
The students inside the Padma Kanya College wrote large graffiti-style slogans on the ground of Padma Kanya College: "Republic Area: Strictly Out of Bounds for Gyanendra".

Political weeklies among the first to resist dictatorship

Deshantar, a weekly newspaper close to Nepali Congress, carried news related to the royal takeover. It published the list of leaders arrested and detained. It left the whole second page, the editorial and opinion page, blank, with only one quote at the top by the Abraham Lincoln, "The gun can never be more powerful than people's opinion." Another political weekly, Bimarsha, also close to the Nepali Congress, had adopted a similar strategy of protest and defiance on Friday, 4 February. The Deshantar today also carried the details of the international condemnations against the king's coup. A poem calling for the poets to write more for the people and country was also published, which at this juncture may be interpreted as a call for resistance against the anti-people move by the king.
The Deshantar weekly has claimed that the king has a list of about 1000 pro-democracy political and civil society leaders he wants arrested.
Journalists being laid-off by private media houses
There are credible reports that private FM radio stations, television channels and the newspapers are laying off many of their journalists.

No political editorials

Some of the major papers including the Kathmandu Post did not carry any editorial today. Those which did were related to non-political issues. The editorial by Kantipur daily complained about the inconvenience caused by the continued cut off of phone lines.
Human rights organizations continue their demands for restoration of democracy and human rights
Human rights organizations continued condemning the royal takeover and demanding restoration of democracy and human rights. The first joint statement was issued on Thursday, 3 February, by representatives of 14 human rights organizations, and the second was issued on Friday, 4 February, by 25 human rights organizations. Krishna Pahadi, the leading human rights activist of Nepal issued another strong statement yesterday. It is to be noted that the government announced on 2 February that any criticism of the king's move would result in serious consequences.

Tourism industry suffering

Tourism related businesses including the travel agencies and hotels have reported extremely high number of cancellations of bookings. After the cold and snowy winter, this is the period when the tourist season starts. Businessmen blamed the international publicity related to the king's coup and especially the closure of telephone and internet services for the sharp rise in such cancellation of bookings.

Human rights worker felicitated by the new minister

One of the human rights workers, president of Nepal Human Rights Organization, Sudeep Pathak, was felicitated this afternoon by the newly appointed Minster for Education and Sports, Radha Krishna Mainali, for his contribution to the cause of human rights and peace.
Indications towards formation of a negotiation committee by the government
There were reports that the government has indicated that it might form a Negotiation Committee soon to attempt to start talks with the Maoists. The former Chairman of the Royal Council Standing Committee, Kesharjung Rayamajhi and the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Buddhi Raj Bajracharya hinted that in a talk program at Reporter's Club this afternoon. The Maoists have however stated that they will not negotiate with king Gyanendra whom they termed "national betrayer". They have instead announced that they will strive for the establishment of a people's republic of Nepal.

Regular E-Updates by the Nepal Democracy Desk(s) in Kathmandu: dozens of pro-democracy activists based in Kathmandu have started this e-update from 5 Feb 2005, five days after King Gyanendra staged the military coup on February 1 2005, suspended all civil liberties, jailed political leaders, muzzled the media, and continues his reign of terror with daily arrests of political and civil society leaders despite the near universal condemnation of his authoritarian move. this is dedicated to the people of Nepal who deserve more, not less, democracy to correct the ills of our country)

Press Release
02/05/05

Protest Letter to the Government in Nepal

We, the concerned members of the North American Nepali Diaspora, strongly disapprove of the King's dissolution of the civilian Government and his takeover of the power in Nepal on February 1, 2005. We urge the King to immediately restore democracy and the rule of representative government in Nepal.

We believe that this decision by the King, while it may be intended to restore peace and democracy, in fact poses as the gravest threat to both democracy and peace in Nepal in recent times. Despite the stated aims in the King's takeover speech, this move is certain to lead the country into a period of greater discord and violence.

Suspension of the constitutional rights to free speech and expression are a gross violation of the most fundamental rights of citizens -- rights Nepalis have fought hard to earn. Nepali citizens must have the assurance of living in a free world and we demand that such basic rights be restored without delay. We condemn the arbitrary arrest and detention of members of the political parties, students and dissidents. The detainees should be released immediately, and the sanctions imposed on the media should be removed urgently.

The imposition of an unaccountable and unrepresentative government upon 25 million Nepalis without their consent has undermined the basic tenets of a liberal democracy -the process of competitive, participatory elections and the guarantee of liberty. By becoming the full executive head of the Nepali Government, the King has overstepped the boundaries of constitutional monarchy. His executive authority undermines the processes of a parliamentary system of government and removes the checks and balances guaranteed by the separation of powers. This precedent will only invite more controversy about constitutional monarchy in Nepal in the future.

At this darkest hour in Nepali history we are united, and express our deep dismay at the King's takeover of the government in Nepal. We strongly urge the Royal regime not to harm or unduly detain civilians. We and the concerned world will intently watch the events in Nepal and will do our utmost to defend the lives, rights and freedoms of Nepalis faced with political persecution. No one should expect to be immune from the consequences of their actions.

At the same time, we appeal to the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) not to add to the suffering of the Nepali people by trying to take advantage of the present situation. The CPN (Maoist) must realize that it is largely their actions and atrocities that have paved the ground for the Royal takeover. Two wrongs don't make a right. The King's actions should not be deployed in anyway to justify or vindicate the Maoists' so called "peoples' war." Accordingly, we call upon the CPN (Maoist) to forsake the use of violence as a method of political change; to stop extortions, abductions, and destruction of the nation's infrastructure; and come forward for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. Like the King, the Maoists have an obligation to abide by universally accepted norms of democracy and human rights.

Nepalis who have been witness to Maoist-induced deteriorating law and order and security situation in Nepal in the past decade take note of the stated intensions of King Gyanendra to restore order and peace in our embattled homeland. However, democracy and the restoration of peace are closely linked issues in Nepal as elsewhere in the world. By taking Nepal further away from the mainstream of democracy, the unilateral action of the King and the Royal Nepal Army, we fear, is liable to instigate more violence and further erode the already strained fabric of Nepali society and polity.

We concur with the concerns raised by the United Nations, India, United Kingdom, the United States of America, and many other international watchdog bodies over the assumption of all powers by King Gyanendra in Nepal. We appeal to King Gyanendra to take immediate and genuine corrective steps to restore Nepal's democracy and the basic rights of its citizenry, starting with the freeing of detainees and the opening up of media and communication channels. These alone can bring about the necessary environment for establishing long-term peace, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Nepal.

Sincerely,
Nepalese Americas Council (NAC)
http://www.nepalcouncil.org

Let's Look At the Future!

By Kusum Magar 'Kush'
February 5, 2005 , Rukum now in UK

Tring tring� tring tring�tring tring�! I thought I was dreaming of a phone ringing. But, it wasn't a dream. As it continued ringing, I switched on the table light and looked at my alarm clock. It was three in the morning!

The phone was still ringing�Then, I picked the phone up and said, "Hello! Kusum speaking." "Hello Kusum, it's your friend Ritu." I said, "What's wrong with you? Is everything alright?" "Yes, yes, I am alright. All of my family are all right." She replied. Then, she asked me if I have heard something. "What something?" I haven't, and you haven't told me! Why are you giving me a call at this time of the morning?" She could clearly feel in my voice that I was a little bit annoyed by the phone call. After a pause, and taking a long breath, she said, "Our king, queen, and everyone of the royal family were brutally killed last night!" I could not believe what I heard just a few seconds ago. Who would? Then, I asked her, "Ritu, are you drunk? If you are, you need rest my friend. You could tell me this kind of joke another time. Good night!"

As I was putting the phone down, she was still on the phone telling me with a bit of anger in her voice, 'No Kusum, I am neither drunk, nor joking with you, alright? If you don't believe me, go to your living room, and switch on your television set. The CNN, BBC, and other Indian television channels are giving the news!' Bye bye. (This conversation took place the 3rd of June, 2001.)

I still could not believe what she told me. I tried to go to bed again. Then, I started to think about my friend. She is one of my best friends. As far as I could remember, she had never made any kind of joke like that in our more than five years of friendship. However, the news was not ordinary. I wished her news were a joke. I wished it were not true!

I could not sleep. Then, I left my bed, and went to the living room to switch on the television. I was shocked! She wasn't joking. CNN, BBC24, and many Indian Television Channels were broadcasting the news. Then, it was my turn to knock on the doors of all my family members. I gave several calls to my friends in the Kathmandu valley to let them know what had happened in the royal palace!

After watching the news, I just started to look at the watch and count almost every minute until 6:00 am so that I could tune radio stations with morning news especially Kantipur FM and Sagarmatha FM and others. To my surprise, they were just playing music. It seemed to me that those media were far away from what had happened the previous night. These radio stations even did not bother to give any notice to listeners about why they were just playing music. One frustration after another, I desperately waited for the Kantipur daily & the Kathmandu Post to be delivered to my house.

Around 7:00 am, when the newspaperman hurled newspapers from outside the gate, I rushed toward them, grabbed them and looked everywhere. Another shock! There was not even a single line about the royal massacre!

Then, I gave a call to my friend, Raju Gurung, who lived in Jawalakhel. I told him, "what the hell is this? Even the so-called fourth estate, private media are not mentioning what happened to our head of the state? What kind of democratic country are we living in? They (the press) never tired of claiming that they were free, and were established to inform people about whatever happens in the country and around the world. Is this what they mean?" After quietly listening to my frustration and despair, my friend tried to comfort me by saying, "Hey, Kusum, there are some lines in the Nepali Samachar-Patra." He continued, "But you can't get it now in the city. Hawkers have already started selling photocopies for two rupees!"

And, Nepal television? Oh, god! It was just playing vajans showing the Lord Pashupatinath temple on the screen! I thought and still think that Nepal television has a very good sense of direction! I don't know what other people thought about it while they were watching Nepal television that very day, but I figured out that it was telling people without saying anything in words that our King, the head of our state, was heading towards the Pashupati Aryaghat!! Very clever, isn't it?

To be honest, at that time, I felt that I was totally deceived by my own country's electronic and print media. Not only me, but thousands other people were depending on international television channels. I was also lucky enough to have the Internet in my house. So, I went to surf the news on the net. I could read news about what had happened in the royal palace that fateful evening through international media. The irony was, although I lived in my family house in Bhaktapur, which is only about 14 Kilometres away from Singh durbar & Narayanhiti Royal Palace, I did not get any official or unofficial news from my country's media for more than 12 hours! Millions of people were kept in the dark. But, like thousands of other people who had access to modern technology, I got to know about the royal massacre through phone, Internet, and international television.

Although on that fateful day, and the day after, media were silent or made to be silent (?), phone lines were not cut off and the Internet was not disrupted; international flights were landing and taking off as usual, satellite television channels were not stopped from broadcasting the news about the royal massacre. People were exchanging not only news, but also expressing their fear and anxiety to one another by phone, e-mail, and other electronic and print media.

Now, you may wonder what this long story is all about? Well, it is all about the right to freedom of expression, right to communicate, right to get information and so on� and our dependence on modern technology.

But this time, as you know, the scenario is totally different. On February 1, 2005, King Gyanendra took the country's sovereignty into his own hands. Addressing the nation on television, the king declared a state of emergency in the country. Some of the drastic actions taken were the disconnection of phone lines, cellular phones and the internet, censorship of the media, house arrest of the prime minister and opposition leaders, arrest of hundreds of other political leaders, cadres, and detention of students. Student hostels were raided and security forces guarded the gates of several campuses. Not only that, the state-run Radio Nepal, Nepal Television, Gorkhapatra and the Rising Nepal, all run by tax payers' money, are now under the king's control. Yesterday, the king gave directions to all private media not to be critical of any of his actions, and join hands with the state-run media. He has put security personnel in media houses to check word by word before any news gets printed. In other words, now the king has appointed security personnel as editors of private media. It seems that he has been putting all of his efforts to keep Nepalese people and Nepal in the dark from the outside world in the 21st Century.

Now the question is, by doing all of these, would he be able to keep the Nepalese people away from the outside world? I doubt it.

Although the Nepalese people's lives have been disrupted because there are no phone lines, internet or free media, life hasn't changed much for people who live in villages like Ranma Maikot of Rukum, Nishi-Bhuji of Baglung, Gam of Rolpa, and Tamku village of Shankhuwas-Shava. These villagers live very far away from modern technology. Neither modern technology nor the government, that ran from Narayanhiti, then from Singh Durbar, and now runs once again from Narayanhiti Durbar, has yet to touch their lives. So, cutting off phone lines, Internet and other media does not really make any difference in their daily activities at all.

It is the people in the urban areas, for whom phone, Internet, and television are an essential part of daily life, that have been affected the most by the present situation in Nepal.

So, what is next? Just imagine, you are working very hard to make your life better even when the political environment is not in your favour, hoping that one day things will change for the better, and then something like this happens. Your basic tools of survival are taken away from your hands. When your dreams are confiscated from you and your life is put in a more difficult situation than ever before, what would you do? Would you prefer to die without even raising a question why it happened? Or, would you fight for justice? At least, from now on, the mostly affected people will probably start asking questions.

Looking at the 9 years of insurgency in Nepal, many analysts have pointed out that the Maoist movement lacks participation of people from the urban areas, i.e. the middle class. This has long been the intellectuals' major point of criticism of the Maoist movement. Now, king Gyanendra's recent move would certainly push these people toward the direction of filling that vacuum. However, it depends on the Maoists as well. Let's wait and see, how they are going to cash in on this opportunity!

At this point though, many people would argue saying that the king's move alone would not be enough to push the middle class people into joining the Maoists. Of course, there are, and will be points of disagreement as people would argue on the basis of their different political ideologies and so on. But, here, it is very important to remember that many, if not all, leaders of various political parties of Nepal, the King and his advisors never tried to understand the fact why thousands of people, especially in the early days of insurgency, joined the Maoist party in Rukum and Rolpa. They still think that all the people from that part of the country joined the Maoists because they were politically trained to become Maoists, and that they were convinced by Mao's political ideology. But, being a Rukumeli myself, I don't think so.

The 14 years of democracy in Nepal have provided the Nepalese people an opportunity to enjoy the taste of freedom, but the Maoist insurgency has taught people to fight against injustice that occurs in everyday life. In this long critical period of democratic practice, they have taught themselves to be critical of and raise questions about contemporary issues that affect their lives. In terms of political awareness, the Nepalese people have come much further than the king, his advisors and our leaders may have thought.

Now, the time has come for all the responsible political parties, members of civil society, professionals, human rights defenders, students, and individual citizens to be united in abolishing the military rule of Nepal, and in establishing the People's Democratic Republic of Nepal. Let's look at the bright future of Nepal and the Nepalese people.

Press Release

We, the undersigned, vehemently condemn King Gyanendra's unconstitutional move of February 1st ,2005 which has once again turned the clock back on Nepal's burgeoning democratic process and sidelined the mainstream political parties.

We consider the dismissal of Deupa government as further evidence of the King's extreme antipathy towards multi-party democracy, which will not bode well for the constitutional monarchy as well as the future of Nepal. Accordingly, we are not surprised to see that
the King's ill-advised move has elicited intense criticism and strong rebuke around the world. We urge every freedom-loving person and friends of Nepal to urge the King to restore multi-party democracy, mandated by our Constitution, without further delay.

At this critical juncture when our country is beset by the Maoist insurgency and wracked by senseless violence for almost a decade, it would behoove the King to cooperate with the political parties and work with them in harmony, not in discord. Political parties are an integral part of the solution to resolving the Maoist insurgency, restoring peace and maintaining stability in Nepal, not a problem. Democratic experiment is a self-correcting process whose utility cannot be compared to an autocratic system that prohibits freedoms of press, speech and expression; forbids the freedom to assemble peacefully, denies the right to privacy, outlaws the right against preventive detention, and curtails other civil liberties. History has shown time and again
that given the choice between an oppressive system and a permissive one, albeit an imperfect system, people will still choose the latter. Case in point, the People's Movement of 1990 in our country's recent past.

Contrary to the King's contention, we maintain that the unfortunate events of February 1st have pushed the country further into chaos and uncertainty. As adherents of liberal democracy, we cannot and will not accept the usurpation of our fundamental rights and greater political voice. We, therefore, categorically demand the King to immediately restore multi-party democracy and ensure that the fundamental rights of Nepali citizens are not violated.


The King has repeatedly expressed his commitment to democracy and multi-party rule. The moment has arrived to live up to those stated pledges. The moment is now!

Anand Bist (President )
Nepalese Democratic Youth council in USA,

Binod Rokka (President)
Alliance for Democracy and Human rights in Nepal &

Mohan Gyawali (President)
Ridgewood Nepalese Society Inc, New York,USA
February 5, 2005

"King Gyanendra has made a tragic blunder"

US Senator Patrick Leahy
February 04, 2005

Mr. President, yesterday, for the second time in less than three years, King Gyanendra of Nepal dismissed the multiparty government and declared a state of emergency suspending fundamental constitutional rights. Apparently, he will assume the duties of the deposed Prime Minister and appoint a new Cabinet.

Throughout its troubled past, Nepal has suffered from the neglect and often violent and corrupt misrule of many monarchs. For that reason, those familiar with its history may not be completely surprised by this unfortunate development.

Yet one would have thought that in the 21st Century, this type of thing would, by now, be a distant memory. At a time when a vicious Maoist insurgency is gaining ground in Nepal, it would be hard to conceive of a worse time for the King to repeat his past mistake.

There is no military solution to this conflict. Nepal is a place where, not unlike Afghanistan, a handful of extremists with rifles and explosives can wreak havoc and easily disappear into the rugged countryside. By terrorizing rural villagers and exploiting the Government's neglect of them, the Maoists have steadily extended their reach to large areas of the country.

The Nepalese Army, while somewhat more effective than a few years ago when it performed little more than ceremonial duties, has likewise alienated much of the rural population by arbitrarily arresting, disappearing and killing civilians suspected of sympathizing with the Maoists. Today, the Army, rather than defending democracy, is defending the King. It is clear that the King and the Army concocted this together, despite having assured the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights last week that concerns about violations of human rights would be addressed.

This year, the United States plans to provide some $40 million in economic aid to Nepal. Much of this is channeled by USAID through nongovernmental organizations. But we are also providing support to the Nepalese Government, as well as training and equipment to the Army. In fact, several months ago we approved the transfer of $1 million in fiscal year 2004 military equipment that had not initially been appropriated for Nepal.

The Indian Government, to its credit, issued a strong statement critical of the King's actions. The State Department has also called for the immediate restoration of multiparty democracy. King Gyanendra is on notice that he will be held responsible for infringement of the rights of free speech and assembly, or abuses of citizens who have defended human rights and democracy.

The State Department should also make clear that unless democratic government and fundamental rights are promptly restored, the United States will cut off aid to the Government and the Army under Section 508 of the Foreign Operations Act which was designed to deter and punish this type of act. Regardless of whether or not the King may have acted within his authority under Nepal's Constitution, and I do not know if he did or not, that is not the issue. The intent of our law to safeguard democracy is clear. The price is losing U.S. aid. Furthermore, if the $1 million in military equipment previously transferred has not yet been delivered, it should be withheld.

Everyone who has followed Nepal's recent history would agree that its ten year "experiment" with democracy has not been easy. Democracy is never easy, and no one should minimize the threat the Maoists pose. But the answer is not to undermine democracy. The answer, as President Bush expressed in his Inaugural Address, is to work, with help from the international community, to strengthen democracy. I believe the United States Congress would welcome that opportunity.

Mr. President, King Gyanendra has made a tragic blunder. He still has time to prevent a momentary crisis from becoming a disaster for his country and perhaps for the monarchy itself.

Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy
Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Operations Subcommittee
A Step Backwards in Nepal
Congressional Record
February 2, 2005

Alliance For Democracy and Humana Rights in Nepal, (ADHRN), USA

ADHRN (Alliance) condemns the King�s move of February 2005 where he declared that he would be the absolute ruler of the Kingdom of Nepal.

Alliance further condemns the King move because the fundamental human right of the people of Nepal and press have been abrogated since he took power from the hand picked up Prime Minister.

Alliance believes that the present move of the King is a last part of the drama that was started since October 4, 2002 by sacking the elected Prime Minister. Since then, the King has been appointing the Prime Minister as and when the King deems appropriate in the name of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 even though the provisions of the Constitution do not provide for such discretionary power to the King.

Alliance believes that the King had an alternative to return the full democracy by restoring the dissolved House of Parliament because there is no possibility to hold a free and fear election for the House of Parliament at the present situation in Nepal. Thus, the Maoist problem could not be solved without a good faith participation of the King, Political parties and Maoist.

Alliance urges to the King that Nepalese People and Press be allowed to exercise their fundamental human right; House of Parliament be restored by respecting the norms and values of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990.

Dated: New York, New York
February 3, 2005
Binod Roka, President
Khagendra G.C., Board Chairman

Immediate intervention needed to restore democracy in Nepal

Guna Raj Luitel
Baltimore, USA, February 2, 2005

The situation in Katmandu and the rest of Nepal at the moment since the formal dismissal of the government on February 1, 2005, by King Gyanendra and his takeover through the declaration of a state of emergency and the use of the military should be a matter of extreme concern for the international community, particularly the dangers that members of the former government and other democratic parties, all organisations and societies and human rights defenders face requires immediate intervention from all members of the international community. The United Nations should immediately intervene with the king to prevent any use of violence, extrajudicial killings, illegal detention and arrest and torture. It is also the duty of all governments to intervene similarly in order to ensure the safety and security of all individuals in the country.

At the moment, all telephone lines to Katmandu have been cut. By this move, harm could be done to many people before the world will know anything about them. As a preliminary protection measure, it is essential to get the king to restore communication within the country and outside of it so that basic security and the well-being of the population can be guaranteed.

Without a doubt, what has taken place is a coup and a bid to take absolute power by the king, power which was lost in 1990 when the royalty gave in to popular demands for democracy through a constitution which guaranteed an elected Parliament and some additional limited democratic reforms. Since the first dismissal of the government two years ago, there has been a crisis of legitimacy in the government. Last June the dismissed prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, was reappointed to guarantee some form of legitimacy, a decision that was made through international pressure. Now this government has been dismissed, and the army has surrounded the prime minister's house, all political leaders have been placed under house arrest and the military has taken control of the capital's streets. The ensuing situation could be extremely grave for the protection of Nepal's citizens. If no serious intervention is made at this stage by the United Nations, the powerful countries in the West and India and China to stop the escalation of violence, a bloodbath could easily take place while the movement of the people and news is restricted.

The United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNCHR), Louise Arbour, who was in Nepal last week and was able to observe the situation for herself, should take the initiative to call an international human rights alert in order to save lives in Nepal. In particular, she should take the initiative to provide security for all human rights defenders who, despite the extremely dark situation in recent years, have been working to defend the rights of the people.

There is a grave necessity to unite all the political parties in this moment of crisis for the restablishment of the democracy in the country.

Royal Takeover in Nepal: Drastic and Ill-Advised

By Kanak Mani Dixit
February 1, 2005

When King Gyanendra sacked the prime minister and began direct rule on 1 February 2005, he said he did so under a constitutional provision which enjoins the monarchy to uphold and protect the Constitution. While he repeated many times in the royal address his commitment to constitutional monarchy and multiparty rule, the king�s drastic action on Tuesday went patently against those principles. Firstly, he was taking over as executive monarch on the basis of a personal decision. Secondly, the royal address was replete with castigating references to political parties, who are the intermediaries for pluralism and democratic practice anywhere in the world.

King Gyanendra�s antipathy towards the political parties is well known and has been often-expressed, but by sidelining them completely and planning to rule as well as reign, the king has removed a buffer between himself and the rough and tumble of politics. To that extent, he has taken a great risk and put the institution of monarchy in the line of fire. Clearly, the king believes that the risk is worth taking.

Which brings us to the matter of whether Narayanhiti Royal Palace has a trump card vis-�-vis the raging Maoist insurgency. If such is indeed the case and there is rapid movement towards tranquility, with the insurgents being routed or laying down arms, the royal palace may be able to overcome the turbulence it has introduced into the Nepali polity. Peace and an end to the insurgency would put the monarchy back on the pedestal as a respected institution, but everything depends on how soon that would happen. At one time, the Maoists did announce that they would negotiate only with Prime Minister Deuba�s �master�, so are we to hope that now with the king directly in-charge the Maoists will extend a hand? We can hope.

Further, the Royal Nepal Army�s fight against the highly motivated and increasingly brutal insurgents thus far has been lackluster. Will the royal palace�s direct control of national affairs mean that the military will now put up a spirited fight, and also that its human rights record will improve from current levels? We will have to see.

What is clear is that this has been a radical step exposing the institution of kingship to flak, when other approaches could have been tried. Such as using the inherent powers of kingship to cajole the political parties to work together and put up a political front against the insurgents. But the king�s deeply held feelings towards the parties seems to have blocked off this avenue towards resolution. The calls made since King Gyanendra took over informally in October 2002 for an all-party government or revival of the Third Parliament, all of which would have provided political challenge to the Maoists on their home ground, are now for naught.

King Gyanendra�s announcement of a takeover for �up to three years� provides a long window in which Nepal�s highly successful experiment with democracy of the last dozen years may be eroded. Unless there is a rapid move towards resolution of the insurgency, it is also likely that the Maoists will try to make common cause with the political parties. Although it is not likely that the above-ground parties will go with the insurgents as long as they hold on to the gun, it is certain that the royal action will add strength to the insurgents� demand for a king-less republican constitution and government, a call that has been taken up with alacrity lately by many politicians.

It is inexplicable how the royal palace plans to attend to the criticism that is bound to erupt in the domestic political arena as well as in the international community. In castigating the political parties, King Gyanendra preferred to hark back to the Parliament dissolved three years ago, while keeping silent over interim period and rule through palace-appointed prime ministers. This is the period when the peace and security of the country�s populace plummeted more than previously.

In the speech, King Gyanendra highlighted the great contribution of the Shah dynasty to the creation of the nation and ventured that he was speaking for the �janabhawana�, i.e. the Nepali people�s feelings. While it is true that the desire for peace overwhelms all other political desires among the people, the question arises whether the royal takeover was the proper way to address the �chahana� (desires). Rather than remonstrate at the political parties� inability to work together and opt for the takeover, it would have been a much more popular and realistic move for the king to have used his prerogative as head-of-state to bring the bickering parties together at this critical juncture.

In the end, unless King Gyanendra is able to come up with the trump card of peace vis-a-vis the Maoists in the near term, one can conclude that his unprecedented action of the First of February has exposed the historically significant institution of Nepal�s monarchy to the vissictitudes of day-to-day politics and power play. Did the Nepali monarchy deserve this at this late a date in history?

Endnote: As I write this on Tuesday evening, the significant political leaders are all under house arrest, the media (press, television, radio) is under censorship, the fundamental freedoms have been suspended, a state of emergency has been announced, telephones (landlines and cellular) as well as Internet are down, and the Tribhuvan International Airport is closed.

PROCLAMATION TO THE NATION

FROM
HIS MAJESTY KING GYANENDRA BIR BIKRAM SHAH DEV
( February 1, 2005 )

(Unofficial Translation)

1. The Kingdom of Nepal was built on the foundations of the unification process initiated by King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great. It is well known that to reign in accordance with the people's aspirations, our forefathers initiated revolutionary measures of historic importance, ensuring a bright future of the nation and her people. History is witness to the fact that both the Nepalese people and the King have, in unison, played decisive roles in each and every period of the Kingdom's process of unification, democratisation and modernisation.

2. Today, we have once again reached a juncture where, in keeping with popular aspirations, a historic decision must be taken to defend multiparty democracy by restoring peace for the nation and people. Even when bloodshed, violence and devastation has pushed the country on the brink of destruction, those engaged in politics in the name of the country and people continue to shut their eyes to their welfare. Tussle for power, abuse of authority on gaining power and unhealthy competition in fulfilling personal and communal interests at the expense of the nation and citizenry contributed to the further deterioration in the situation. There were attempts to flout the universally accepted rule of law in the name of politics. Our desire to ensure social, political and economic justice for our beloved people through the meaningful exercise of multiparty democracy could not be materialised. There was a steady rise in crimes against the nation and people, including destruction of development infrastructures constructed for the people's benefit. Whereas all democratic forces should have adopted an unified approach against terrorism, leaders instead continued their tussle for power, encouraging simple political workers to vandalise public utilities in the name of politics. Faced with this steadily declining situation, it is now time to bring to an end the ongoing acts of terrorist violence and pledge, in earnest, to fulfill the people's aspirations with the restoration of peace and security in the country.

Beloved countrymen,

3. Democracy and progress always complement each other. But, Nepal 's bitter experiences over the past few years tend to show that democracy and progress contradict one another. Multiparty democracy was discredited by focusing solely on power politics. Parliament witnessed many aberrations
in the name of retaining and ousting governments. Not a single House of Representatives was allowed to complete its tenure. Continuous confusion and disorder resulted in the obstruction of the democratic process. While the people's aspirations continued to be shattered and their trust trampled on, they became increasingly disenchanted with democracy itself. After being incapable of holding elections, there were conspiracies to form undemocratic governments, which would be responsible to no one. There was also a written consensus amongst all political parties on vacuuming the people's representatives out but they could not see eye to eye when it came to working together in filling this void. The participation and concurrence of political parties in making way for a form of governance, which negated popular representation, was against the people's wishes and norms and spirit of multiparty democracy. So, we appealed to all those who have faith in democracy with the intention of activating, at the earliest, the system of popular representation. We also met a number of times with members of the general public, senior citizens, representatives of the civil society and leaders of political parties in our effort to gauze the popular mandate and try to convince them of the country's requirements and people's aspirations. We reminded them that the only wish of the Nepalese people and friends of Nepal was to bring to an end the ongoing violence and destructive activities and return peace and tranquility to the country without any further delay. In order to conduct the general elections in an environment of peace and security, opportunities were given to leaders of various political parties to constitute the Council of Ministers, with executive power. But the situation did not improve. National politics was plagued by not uniting in running the government but opposing it on being ousted from it. No serious efforts were made to attenuate the real threat posed against democracy by terrorism in the form of a single-party autocracy. The habit of passing carefree remarks on matters of national security continued. Political parties were unable to display responsible behavior in augmenting the patriotic fervour of our dutiful security personnel, who are active round the clock in ensuring security of the nation and people. Multiparty democrats could not sincerely unite, with national interest as the focal point, to forever end the cycle of devastation being lashed out against the nation and people. Likewise, political parties also could not identify national priorities in keeping with the people's aspirations.

4. Throughout history, the Nepalese people never had to bear the burden of such terrorism, agony and exploitation. No democracy has ever had to go through such a dismal situation, where the innocent are punished by criminals, people whose property is seized and innocent children, women and the elderly who are mercilessly killed by criminals cannot receive any kind of protection from those who govern in their name and parties who claim to represent the people do not act in their defence. The nefarious designs of an individual or group, negating the wishes of the Nepalese people as well as the national interest and acting through sponsored mobs, cannot form our national agenda. Conscientiousness towards our responsibility to the future of the country and people has nudged us many a time. Circumstances have reached such a critical stage that it has now become imperative for us to take a decision in the greater interest of the nation and people in accordance with their aspirations.

Beloved Countrymen,

5. Nepal 's independence, national unity and sovereignty are best safeguarded by the intimate relationship between the King and people. An Institution of M onarchy ever devoted to the country and people and a people with an innate love for their land is the glorious history of the Kingdom of Nepal , its present and also its future. In keeping with this glorious tradition, popular will as always remained the guiding light for Nepal 's Monarchy. We are committed to social justice; totalitarianism and authoritarianism are entirely inconsistent with the Monarchial traditions of the Shah Dynasty. We are convinced of the fact that the Nepalese people have deep faith in and are firmly committed to Constitutional Monarchy and multiparty democracy. We believe that centralisation of authority is against democratic norms. We feel that a meaningful exercise in democracy can take place only when elected representatives at all levels are given their share in the governance of the country in accordance with the principles of separation of powers. It is our desire that, while no Nepalese should experience pain or suffering, every citizen should have unfettered access to social, economic and political justice. We strongly believe that the people should always feel that their wishes are being fully honoured and their interests completely protected in the governance of the country. It is our desire to ensure that the Kingdom of Nepal forges ahead towards the creation of a mature democracy and welfare society with the collective judgment, understanding and farsightedness of all patriotic democrats. We are confident that there can never be any differences among democrats on achieving the fundamental objectives of national welfare.

6. We have no interest other than the restoration of sustainable peace and exercise in meaningful democracy for the welfare of Nepal and Nepalese people. Monarchy is guided not by a cheap popularity but by the overall welfare and continued progress of Nepal and her people. Everyone should respect the people's desire for effective reforms. Let no Nepalese feel compelled to take up arms as a means of expressing frustration or disenchantment. At the same time, it must be ensured that every citizen has the opportunity to express discontent effectively without jeopardizing social harmony. It is clear that what the people want are a meaningful exercise in democracy, an effective market economy, good governance, transparency and a corruption-free rule of law. Our only wish is to guarantee our people's happiness through democracy, instill hope among the youth for a brighter future and to ensure dignity for Nepal amongst the comity of nations. Equal opportunities for the development of all our languages, peoples and their cultures alone can preserve and consolidate the Kingdom's distinct characteristics.

7. Contrary to the wishes of the Nepalese people, on whom sovereignty is vested, no serious efforts were made towards initiating elections to the House of Representatives within the year 2061 B.S. by maintaining, to the extent possible, peace and security. Instead of preparing the electorate and political parties for the elections and laying the necessary legal, managerial and technical groundwork, time was wasted on paying only lip service on the urgency of holding elections. As it is our responsibility to preserve our nationalism, national unity and sovereignty, as well as to maintain peace and security in the country and ensure that the state of the nation does not deteriorate any further, we have, by virtue of the State Authority as exercised by us and in keeping with the spirit of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal � 1990, taking into consideration Article 27 (3) of the Constitution, dissolved, effective from today, the current Council of Ministers to fulfill the people's desire for the restoration of peace and security and to activate soon the democratic dispensation. The Council of Ministers to be constituted will be under our Chairmanship. This Council of Ministers will give utmost priority to reactivating multiparty democracy in the country within three years with the implementation of effective reforms by restoring peace and security.

Beloved countrymen,

8. Only a meaningful multiparty democracy can be an effective means of governance by the people. A successful multiparty democracy alone is synonymous with people's democracy. Such a system, which is people-oriented, mature, cultured and refined, has been disrupted. Terrorising the innocent population, extorting money through intimidation, brutally murdering those who dissent, kidnapping students and perpetrating atrocities against teachers, making false promises to simple people and destroying development projects aimed at the people's welfare are crimes against the nation and people, which have to be brought to an immediate end. >From now on, such crimes will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law. Our security forces have been mobilised to carry out their responsibilities more effectively to end terrorism and restore peace and security in the interest of the nation and people. All the organs of the state must remain alert in honouring and upholding human rights. However, it will be unfair to put the state and terrorists on equal footing. We are confident that all peace-loving Nepalese who have faith in democracy will, as always, continue to cooperate with the security forces in maintaining peace and tranquility.

9. We call upon all those who have gone astray, taking up arms against the nation and people, and those who are engaged in criminal activities against peace and democracy to return to the mainstream of national politics peacefully. Ensuring opportunities to freely express one's views with patriotism as the focal point, fulfilling one's aspirations and contributing to the welfare of the nation and people are the inherent features of multiparty democracy. We assure all those who avail of this opportunity to join the national mainstream that the state will give them opportunities and rights equal to those enjoyed by all our citizens, without any discrimination whatsoever; neither the people nor the law will tolerate any terrorist activities against the state or its citizens.

Beloved countrymen,

10. We would like to thank all the friendly nations who have generously supported us, appreciating our commitment to fight terrorism, as well as donors and international financial institutions that have rendered invaluable assistance in our development endeavours. Even the world's democracies are presently faced with the threat of terrorism, which cannot be confined within geographical boundaries. The world community has in fact realised that the more secure, stable and prosperous the smaller nations become, the more secure, stable and prosperous will the region and the world as a whole be. Nepal is, therefore, committed to eliminating terrorism in her own interest as well as in the interest of democracies around the world. Nepal aspires for peace - for herself, her neighbours and South Asia - and to rid the world of the threat to peace.

11. While expressing our unflinching faith in multiparty democracy, we would like to mention that economic and institutional reforms will continue. Efforts at reforms in the utilisation of public expenditure and public service delivery will be made more effective. Banking discipline will be restored. Measures will be adopted towards the effective implementation of the poverty reduction strategy and the anti-corruption drive. Sustainable development is now our national agenda. No one will be allowed to jeopadise the people's security and the future of democracy. Nepal will not allow terrorists to use her territory against herself or against any other friendly nation. In our ties with other countries, emphasis will be laid on fostering constructive relations based on mutual benefit and pragmatism.

12. Corruption, which has been continuously spreading its tentacles, has not only cast a shadow over politics and administration, but has also obstructed the nation's march towards progress. Corruption has struck at the very core of our society, the result of which the common man's confidence in the laws of the land has been shaken. Therefore, in keeping with the popular will and to fulfill the main criterion of good governance, effective measures will be adopted to curb corruption, while ensuring that the principles of justice are not infringed upon.

13. It is our desire that democracy be a way of life, politics be conducted in keeping with democratic norms and values, people from all strata of society honestly adhere to democratic ideals and everyone be guided by the interest of the country and people. All Nepalese wish to see our country as a progressive nation, occupying a pride of place in the international community, where democratic ideals thrive in a peaceful environment. It is our belief that upholding human rights not only preserves and promotes democratic values but also enhances a way of life and civilisational values commensurate with the 21st century.

Beloved countrymen,

14. Our decision should leave no room for confusion amongst the security personnel and civil servants in discharge of their duties and responsibilities. Today, it is we Nepalese who must take an initiative to ensure a bright future for Nepal and the Nepalese. An independent press serves as the medium for raising the level of democratic consciousness. It plays a crucial role in the promotion of national interests. We believe that the press will make effective contributions in ensuring that democratic norms and values inspire our way of life as well as governance. We are confident that, with this in mind, all those who have faith in multiparty democracy will discharge their duties from their respective places and the people's aspirations along with the country's requirements will be realised through the shared efforts of all the countrymen.

15. Today, the nation has made a firm commitment and a decision has also been taken accordingly. The nation has taken a step forward towards democracy and progress, leaving behind violence, insecurity and conflict. At a time when the country is in the grip of terrorism, all those who believe in democracy and peace must unite. Let us, therefore, be inspired by our collective wisdom and guided by our national perspective. Any nefarious attempts at disturbing peace and security and hindering efforts at making democracy meaningful will not be tolerated either by the nation or people. Yet, in pursuit of liberalism, we should never overlook an important aspect of our conduct, namely discipline. This is also the thinking of the 21st century. We wish to repeat once again that those who cannot do justice to Nepal , those who cannot believe in the sound judgment of the people and those who cannot stand in favour of peace will stand condemned by the motherland.

May Lord Pashupatinath bless us all!
Jaya Nepal !