MJM
16th January 2002, 05:46
From:
http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/wpnz/jan14-02nepal.htm
Nepal’s revolutionaries continue their advance
The Spark 14 January 2002
Since 1996 a revolution led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has gathered mass support across the country. A third of the country is liberated and a new democratic society is being born. The old ruling class is desperately trying to hold onto power and is lashing out viciously.
On 26 November 2001 Nepal’s King declared a state of emergency and for the first time fully mobilised the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) against the revolutionary people’s war. The RNA set about massacring unarmed peasants and launched a propaganda war claiming some of the top leadership had been killed or captured. These claims have been denied by the Maoists, who say no central or regional level leader of the Party except Com. Rabindra Shrestha, who was captured on November 25, has been captured by the enemy, nor anyone of the leadership killed, so far.
What the RNA has done is arrest hundreds of people and some party sympathisers. The fact that the reactionary army has not been able to capture any significant figures in the leadership shows that the revolutionaries enjoy the support of the masses. According to the Maoists ‘the revolutionary rank and file is in a completely upbeat mood, whereas the reactionary camp, particularly its royal army is in a crest fallen state. The way they have been seeking frantic military help, particularly from India, adequately speaks of this’. (Maoist Information Bulletin December 2001).
The People’s Liberation Army launched a massive offensive against the old state forces on 23 November, taking the enemy by surprise and carried out actions in more than 20 of the country’s 75 districts.
In a counter-offensive the government forces claimed they had great success and had killed 200 guerrillas, but this has been denied by the Maoists. Here is what they say: ‘The real truth is this: on that Salleri encounter total casualties on our side were seventeen, whereas on the side of the enemy it was thirty-three (including 27 policemen, four army men, and two bureaucrats). Similarly, on November 23, in Dang three of our PLA comrades were martyred on the spot and four more succumbed to their injuries later on, whereas on the enemy side the total casualty was 25 (including 14 army men and 11 policemen) and several dozens injured. On the same day in Syangja, 14 policemen were killed, where as there was no casualty on our side. Let independent sources verify or contradict these facts. Why should we tell lies about the number of fallen heroes on our side? ... Everybody knows we revere and honour our fallen heroes and heroines ...’(ibid).
India has sent truck loads of high-tech weapons and surveillance equipment to Nepal and supplied Cheetah helicopters. Nepal’s government has labelled the Maoists ‘terrorists’ and asked for US assistance to put down the revolution. In December an official from the US State Department met Nepalese government officials. The US official told journalists ‘I am here on behalf of the US government to express our support to the government of Nepal in its efforts against the Maoists ... We want to help Nepal in its efforts to solve the Maoist problem’. (US weekly, Revolutionary Worker, 23 December, 2001).
What is the so-called ‘Maoist problem’? It is a revolutionary movement which has developed deep roots among the masses over decades. The communist leadership has applied the strategy developed by Mao Tsetung during China’s revolution of protracted people’s war. It is suited to semi-colonial, semi-feudal countries such as Nepal, where the vast peasant population is severely impoverished and revolutionary. It entails building up revolutionary base areas in the countryside until the cities are surrounded and an insurrection is then possible. As the name suggests, it is a protracted struggle, often with ebbs and flows, but in Nepal the movement has developed quite rapidly.
Now the government is concentrating all its efforts on repression and calling for outside assistance. The revolutionaries have made it clear they oppose any attempts at imperialist interference in their affairs. This they stated in an open letter recently. They also seek – and deserve – the support of workers and progressives around the world. Their struggle is our struggle. They are playing a tremendous role in helping to weaken world imperialism and showing the world that communism is not dead. It is being revived.
http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/wpnz/jan14-02nepal.htm
Nepal’s revolutionaries continue their advance
The Spark 14 January 2002
Since 1996 a revolution led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has gathered mass support across the country. A third of the country is liberated and a new democratic society is being born. The old ruling class is desperately trying to hold onto power and is lashing out viciously.
On 26 November 2001 Nepal’s King declared a state of emergency and for the first time fully mobilised the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) against the revolutionary people’s war. The RNA set about massacring unarmed peasants and launched a propaganda war claiming some of the top leadership had been killed or captured. These claims have been denied by the Maoists, who say no central or regional level leader of the Party except Com. Rabindra Shrestha, who was captured on November 25, has been captured by the enemy, nor anyone of the leadership killed, so far.
What the RNA has done is arrest hundreds of people and some party sympathisers. The fact that the reactionary army has not been able to capture any significant figures in the leadership shows that the revolutionaries enjoy the support of the masses. According to the Maoists ‘the revolutionary rank and file is in a completely upbeat mood, whereas the reactionary camp, particularly its royal army is in a crest fallen state. The way they have been seeking frantic military help, particularly from India, adequately speaks of this’. (Maoist Information Bulletin December 2001).
The People’s Liberation Army launched a massive offensive against the old state forces on 23 November, taking the enemy by surprise and carried out actions in more than 20 of the country’s 75 districts.
In a counter-offensive the government forces claimed they had great success and had killed 200 guerrillas, but this has been denied by the Maoists. Here is what they say: ‘The real truth is this: on that Salleri encounter total casualties on our side were seventeen, whereas on the side of the enemy it was thirty-three (including 27 policemen, four army men, and two bureaucrats). Similarly, on November 23, in Dang three of our PLA comrades were martyred on the spot and four more succumbed to their injuries later on, whereas on the enemy side the total casualty was 25 (including 14 army men and 11 policemen) and several dozens injured. On the same day in Syangja, 14 policemen were killed, where as there was no casualty on our side. Let independent sources verify or contradict these facts. Why should we tell lies about the number of fallen heroes on our side? ... Everybody knows we revere and honour our fallen heroes and heroines ...’(ibid).
India has sent truck loads of high-tech weapons and surveillance equipment to Nepal and supplied Cheetah helicopters. Nepal’s government has labelled the Maoists ‘terrorists’ and asked for US assistance to put down the revolution. In December an official from the US State Department met Nepalese government officials. The US official told journalists ‘I am here on behalf of the US government to express our support to the government of Nepal in its efforts against the Maoists ... We want to help Nepal in its efforts to solve the Maoist problem’. (US weekly, Revolutionary Worker, 23 December, 2001).
What is the so-called ‘Maoist problem’? It is a revolutionary movement which has developed deep roots among the masses over decades. The communist leadership has applied the strategy developed by Mao Tsetung during China’s revolution of protracted people’s war. It is suited to semi-colonial, semi-feudal countries such as Nepal, where the vast peasant population is severely impoverished and revolutionary. It entails building up revolutionary base areas in the countryside until the cities are surrounded and an insurrection is then possible. As the name suggests, it is a protracted struggle, often with ebbs and flows, but in Nepal the movement has developed quite rapidly.
Now the government is concentrating all its efforts on repression and calling for outside assistance. The revolutionaries have made it clear they oppose any attempts at imperialist interference in their affairs. This they stated in an open letter recently. They also seek – and deserve – the support of workers and progressives around the world. Their struggle is our struggle. They are playing a tremendous role in helping to weaken world imperialism and showing the world that communism is not dead. It is being revived.