Nepal Army moves against the UN mission in Nepal

[Saorsa]

This is a worrying move. The removal of the UNMIN would mean the collapse of the peace process. Furthermore, why does the Nepal Army fear international supervision? What's it preparing?

Army chief begins lobbying to stop extension of UNMIN term
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 11:42

Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Chhatraman Singh Gurung has started lobbying to stop the extension of the current mandate of United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), Kantipur daily reported.


Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Chhatraman Singh Gurung
CoAS Gurung has met leaders of various political parties other than the Unified CPN (Maoist) representing in the Army Integration Special Committee (AISC) and asked them not to extend the current mandate of UNMIN.

He has met with caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, also the chairman of AISC, caretaker peace minister Rakam Chemjong, UML general secretary Ishwar Pokhrel, and Nepali Congress leaders Minendra Rijal and Ram Sharan Mahat over UNMIN term extension.

At the meetings with the leaders, CoAS has asked them not to extend the term of UNMIN as its role had already completed. He has opined the Maoist combatants staying in the cantonments should be monitored by a secretariat to be formed under the AISC.

He has also talked about UNMIN term extension with Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) joint-chairman Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta and MJF (Loktantrik) leader Jitendra Dev over the phone.

NC leader Mahat said, the CoAS stressed that UNMIN's term should not be extended.

UNMIN's current mandate is ending on September 15. nepalnews.com

http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/2-political/8618-army-chief-begins-lobbying-to-stop-extension-of-unmin-term-.html

[The Vegan Marxist]

As worrying as it may be, it's not surprising either. With the Nepalese Army going against the peace process by recruiting again, leading the Maoists to do so as well, the UNMIN was bound to collapse here soon.

[pranabjyoti]

Hope it will start the revolutionary war again and now the Maoists would be much stronger. I guess the bloody will disintegrate and diminish in such a scenario.

[The Vegan Marxist]

Hope it will start the revolutionary war again and now the Maoists would be much stronger. I guess the bloody will disintegrate and diminish in such a scenario.

Well, doesn't necessarily mean the Maoists will be much stronger if they became militant again. Fact of the matter is that, while they were waging armed struggle, when comparing to where they are now, they were further away from gaining government control than they are now. So were they stronger being militant than they are through the peace process? Not necessarily. Though, if the conditions are right, armed struggle may come out as the last step needed to gain control.

[Saorsa]

PLA commander suggests army chief to join politics

Added At: 2010-08-24 5:09 PM Last Updated At: 2010-08-24 5:13 PM







THT Online/File
Khanal is the deputy commander of the Maoist PLA and its spokesperson.
Tika R. Pradhan
KATHMANDU: A Maoist People’s Liberation Army (PLA) commander on Tuesday challenged the Nepal Army chief to give up the post and join the active politics instead of making political comments inappropriately .

Expressing his frustration over Chief of the Army Staff Chhatra Man Singh Gurung’s recent statements over the army integration and the United Nations Mission in Nepal’s fate in the country, UCPN-Maoist politburo member and PLA deputy commander Chandra Prakash Khanal ‘Baldev’ said the former should now take up membership of a political party.

He hinted at the media news reports that suggested that the CoAS has intensified talks with the leaders of various political parties to send back UNMIN. “It doesn’t mean that the CoAS should not make political comments but he should follow the reporting system,” he said Khanal, while speaking at an interaction programme organised by the Reporters Club this afternoon.

According to him, though his party is not advocating for UNMIN its alternative is unforeseeable at present. “UNMIN can be sent back if the parties can find an appropriate alternative at home,” he said, “But it seems impossible.”

He charged that the parties do not want to conclude the ongoing peace process logically and are trying to promote conflict again. “Sending UNMIN means an end of the peace process and start of conflict,” he said.

He said the PLA was forced to open new recruitment as NA opened vacancy for the fourth time, flouting the Supreme Court order.

No handover of Kham

Also the spokesperson of PLA, Khanal claimed that central committee member of his party and division commander Kali Bahadur Kham ‘Bibidh’ will not be handed over to the police because the charges against him were not proved.

Bibidh, who was earlier accused of the murder of Ram Hari Shrestha, is at large after the Nepal Police charged that he was involved in robbing Chinese businessman in Kathmandu.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=PLA+commander+suggests+army+ chief+to+join+politics&NewsID=255034

[Saorsa]

CoAS should join a party: Baldev

Added At: 2010-08-25 12:10 AM Last Updated At: 2010-08-25 12:10 AM






Himalayan News Service
KATHMANDU: Irked by the ‘political comments’ made by Chief of the Army Staff Chhatra Man Singh Gurung Maoist politburo member and deputy commander of Maoist Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Chandra Prakash Khanal ‘Baldev’ today said the CoAS should now take the membership of a political party.

He was pointing at the news report that the CoAS had intensified talks with the leaders to send back UNMIN.

“It doesn’t mean the CoAS should not make political comments, but that should be made through reporting system,” Khanal said while addressing a face to face programme here today.

On UNMIN’s term, he said his party was not advocating for UNMIN. “UNMIN could be sent back if the parties could find an appropriate alternative at home, but that seems impossible,” he said.

It appears that the parties don’t want logical conclusion of the peace process and are promoting conflict again, he said, adding, “Sending UNMIN means the peace process is over and the fight has begun.”

On the controversial recruitment issue, Sharma claimed that the Nepali Army flouted the order of the Supreme Court and PLA was forced to open new recruitment after NA opened vacancy for the fourth time.

“If NA can recruit, so can. We will also continue the recruitment process,” he clarified.

The PLA spokesman claimed that central committee member of his party and division commander Kali Bahadur Kham ‘Bibidh’ would not be handed over to the police because the allegations against him were not proved. The allegation of his involvement in Ram Hari Shrestha’s murder was proved false and his party has been investigating on the allegation of the Nepal police that he had directed to loot the Chinese businessman. “We respect the constitution but won’t accept false charges,” Khanal said.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=CoAS+should+join+a+party:+Ba ldev&NewsID=255095

[Saorsa]

The Kham saga is proof that dual power is still very much a reality in Nepal, and that the Maoist party remains in effect a parallel government. The police have issued an arrest warrant for Kham, but the Maoists refuse to hand him over... and he remains out of jail. The state can't touch those the Maoists refuse to let it touch.

There is more cause for hope than worry in the Himalayas.

[Optiow]

Well, doesn't necessarily mean the Maoists will be much stronger if they became militant again. Fact of the matter is that, while they were waging armed struggle, when comparing to where they are now, they were further away from gaining government control than they are now. So were they stronger being militant than they are through the peace process? Not necessarily. Though, if the conditions are right, armed struggle may come out as the last step needed to gain control.
Maybe it would be the last step needed to gain control, but I suppose we can not be sure. I myself am not too educated on the topic, but would another armed struggle not just give the army an excuse to attack the Maoists?

[Kiev Communard]

The situation is rather critical. History shows us that the condition of "dual power" can't exist forever. Sooner or later, either the government or the revolutionaries are to begin the new struggle for the totality of State power. Let us hope the Maoists will choose the proper timing and won't fall victim to the provocations akin to those that led to Spartakusbund downfall in 1919.

[Saorsa]

Optiow makes a good point. There's no blueprints for how to successfully pull off a revolution, and we shouldn't assume that the PLA leaving the cantonments and a return to war is the right path to take. The Maoists have made it this far and I'm confident they know better than anyone how to move forward from here.