Armed for democracy?

Unwilling to give up their arms, Maoists insist they8217;ll organise a 8216;people8217;s revolt8217; in Kathmandu. Their tactic is to project the pro-democracy coalition and judiciary as anti-people, and the security forces as violators of human rights

US Ambassador James F Moriarty has often been criticised by the Maoists in Nepal as the 8216;villain8217; of the ongoing peace process. The latest salvo was fired against him last week when he paid a visit to western Nepal, considered stronghold of the Maoists, and went around couple of military barracks located there. He was more forthright when he told PM G P Koirala and the communist party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist CPN-UML: One, the Maoists8217; pro-peace credentials haven8217;t been matched by their action. Two, the state has failed to act.

A couple of MPs demanded that Moriarty should be recalled because what he did and said constituted 8216;brazen interference8217; in Nepal8217;s internal affairs. While major political parties are still far from taking a stand on what constitutes such interference, Maoists have been supplying enough evidence to prove that Moriarty8217;s fears aren8217;t entirely misplaced. According to INSEC, a credible Human Rights body, more than 95 per cent of the 8216;murders8217; during the ongoing ceasefire have been committed by the Maoists. What makes the Maoists8217; job easier is the home minister8217;s instruction to not arrest or harm Maoist leaders/activists, no matter what they do. In fact, the police has almost become a 8216;ceremonial8217; even as the law and order machinery8217;s breakdown is complete.

Top Maoist leaders, including Prachanda, have repeatedly insisted that they8217;re not returning to the jungles, instead they will organise 8216;people8217;s revolt8217; in the capital. The Maoists8217; tactic is simple 8211; get the government to retaliate with force so that the onus of breach of ceasefire lies with it. Maoists are also moving ahead with a three pronged systematic strategy 8211; club the pro-democracy coalition that links the government with the King as anti-people force, project security forces mainly the Nepal army as violator of human rights and denigrate the existing judicial system as anti-people. If these happen, it will be an easier walk to power.

A recent report after the Coordination Committee of Maoists Parties and Organisations of South Asia meet somewhere in India in August further verifies Moriarty8217;s fears. A resolution to which the Nepali Maoists are principal signatory states: 8220;8230;deepen and extend the links between genuine Maoists of the region, and together 8216;turn south Asia into a flaming field of the Maoist revolutions.8221; This when Maoist leaders in Kathmandu were busy swearing commitment to the peace process.

Both the US and India were criticised for coming together to 8216;kill the new democratic revolution in Nepal.8217; Both countries have taken common position in Nepal that Maoists must 8216;give up arms8217; under UN supervision as a condition for constituting the interim government with rebels participation so that the election to the proposed constituent assembly takes place without fear of intimidation. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan8217;s representative Ian Martin has been waiting almost for a month now trying to figure out where to begin. Identical letters sent separately to Annan by the prime minister and Maoist wanted UN to supervise Nepal army and Maoist guerrillas with arms while they remain confined to their respective cantonment, monitor the human rights situation through the UN office and observe election to the constituent assembly.

But both Maoists and the government have faltered on the first point with Koirala now openly saying rebels have to give up arms before they join the interim government, and the Maoists insisting that there is no question of their giving up arms before election to the constituent assembly. Rebels know, without the US and India, a government that8217;s almost non-existent won8217;t be able to overrule Maoist position on arms. Maoists feel as uncomfortable with India8217;s position,but see Moriarty as Villain No. 1.

While even pro-democracy parties don8217;t always feel comfortable with the role some ambassadors might be playing in Nepal, their open support to them during the movement for democracy has made the two 8216;dependable allies8217;. But it would be easier for the government to at least sound out the ambassadors to maintain practices diplomats maintain everywhere in normal time. By pushing prevailing anarchy towards civil war, Maoists are only making such 8216;interference8217; a rule than exception.