• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Democracy Can Stem Rising Unrest in Nepal, State's Boucher Says

10 April 2006

Pro-democracy protests intensify across the country

By David Shelby
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- As pro-democracy protests intensify across Nepal, senior U.S. officials say it is time for King Gyanendra to reverse his anti-democratic policies and restore the political process.

“The steps the King took a year ago to eliminate democracy and to try to run the country, they haven’t worked, and they’re not working, and they’re not going to work.  The steps he’s taking now to arrest people, they’re not working.  There needs to be a restoration of democracy,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher told CNN’s Satinder Bindra April 7.

In an April 10 statement, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, “The demonstrations, deaths, arrests, and Maoist attacks in the past few days have shown there is more insecurity, not less.”  He too called for a return to the political process, saying, “It is time the King recognizes that this is the best way to deal with the Maoist insurgency and to return peace and prosperity to Nepal.”

Nepal has seen political turmoil since 1996 when a group of Maoist rebels launched an insurgency aimed at toppling the king.  The king triggered a political crisis in February 2005 by dissolving the government, detaining numerous political leaders and assuming authoritarian control over the state.

U.S. officials dismissed Nepal’s February 2006 municipal elections as serving only to showcase the king’s increasing isolation.  Nepal’s political parties did not participate in those elections, and voter turnout was reported at 20 percent.  (See related article.)

Since early April, protesters have taken to the streets throughout the country demanding a restoration of democracy.  These protests have been backed by a general strike.  According to wire reports, the government has vowed to crack down on the demonstrators.  Reports indicate that at least three people have already been killed and more than 100 wounded in clashes between protesters and security forces.

When asked what Nepali officials have proposed to confront the crisis, Boucher said, “more elections without real participation, more efforts by the King to manipulate the political situation.  That’s just not working.  It’s not going to work.”

The assistant secretary declined to say whether he believes the Maoists should hold a place in any future government of Nepal, saying that is a decision for Nepali voters.  But he said any party wishing to participate in the political process should renounce violence.

“The parties that are violent should abandon the violence, and stop the horrors, and then move into the political mainstream.  They can contest power through a political way.  If they win, they win.  If they don’t, they don’t,” he said.

Boucher denied reports that the United States is considering lifting its current arms embargo on Nepal.  The United States cut off the sale of arms to Nepal shortly after King Gyanendra seized absolute power.

The full text of McCormack's statement is available on the State Department Web site.

For additional information on U.S. policy in the region, see South and Central Asia.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)