Nepal attack exposes Gyanendra

Despite the King’s pledge of maintaining peace and security in the country, the law and order situation is turning from bad to worse except in Kathmandu

THE killing of at least 40 Nepalese soldiers in the deadliest attack since King Gyanendra seized power in February has exposed his pledge to put down a violent Maoist rebellion, analysts said on Wednesday.

The soldiers were lined up and shot in the head after an attack on an army camp near the northwestern town of Kalikot, according to the army, which said another 75 servicemen are missing. The rebels say 26 of their fighters were killed.

It was the worst incident since the Maoists, whose battle for a communist republic has claimed 12,000 lives in the past nine years, killed 36 people by bombing a crowded bus in June.“Excepting for Kathmandu, the Maoists are showing their muscle everywhere,” said Mahendra Prasad Bhusan, political professor at Tribhuvan University here.

“They have challenged the army by attacking (their camp),” he added, referring to Sunday’s assault.

Gyanendra sacked a four-party coalition government on February 1, pledging to restore security and improve services in the impoverished Himalayan kingdom.

The move drew sharp condemnation from around the world and isolated Nepal diplomatically, with India, Britain and the United States reviewing supplies of military and humanitarian aid.

US ambassador James Moriarty warned on Tuesday that Nepal risked sliding into chaos unless the king re-establishes democracy and restores civil rights.

“Unless the principles of freedom, civil rights, and democracy once again take root through a process of true reconciliation among the legitimate political forces, I fear Nepal will inexorably slide towards confrontation, confusion and chaos,” Moriarty said.

“The continuing divisions between the royal palace and the political parties aid only the Maoist rebels and their plan to turn Nepal into a brutal and anachronistic state.”

Bhusan said Gyanendra had not made good on his promises and that the Maoists looked stronger than ever. He warned the monarchy itself was at risk and that Nepal was in danger of becoming a failed state.

“If the King does not reform his policy and establish democracy, it may create a grave situation. (He) has to act seriously and thoughtfully otherwise a situation will evolve in Nepal which may sweep away the monarchy itself,” Bhusan said.

Political analyst and professor Lok Raj Baral also believes security is deteriorating in the Hindu kingdom.

“Despite the king’s pledge of maintaining peace and security in the country, (the) law and order situation is turning from bad to worse except in Kathmandu,” Baral told AFP earlier this month.

President of the human rights group Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) Subodh Raj Pyakurel said Gyanendra had failed in every aspect since he took over the administration.

“The law and order situation in the country has been very badly affected as the Maoists have begun to spread everywhere, showing their muscles,” Pyakurel said.

“It seems the Maoists are in (even) stronger position after attacking the security men at Kalikot,” he said.

The Maoist attack came after Gyanendra’s recent claim that the insurgency had been curtailed. Information and Communications Minister Tanka Dhakal said just days ago that the Maoists would soon be “crushed”.

“The position of security has been strengthened and Maoists have been weakened and are in process of being crushed soon,” he said.

More than six months after the king took power, pro-democracy protests continue almost daily, Nepal’s once vibrant media remains under stringent censorship and political opponents including the deposed prime minister are in jail. “The people’s human rights have been grossly violated, the people’s insecurity is increasing, the health services, education and national economy have been badly affected,” Pyakurel said. “These developments have forced the people to lose confidence in the state as the king is not doing what he commented publicly,” he said. Sphere: Related Content