Date: April 24, 2006
To: His Excellency Ronen Sen
The Indian Embassy, Washington, DC
CC: Secretary General Kofi A. Anan, (The United Nations)
Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher, (US Department of State)
His Excellency John Bruton, (European Union Ambassador to the US)
His Excellency Kedar Bhakta Shrestha, (Nepalese Ambassador to the US)
His Excellency Zhou Wenzhong (Chinese Ambassador to the US)
His Excellency Jehangir Karamat (Pakistani Ambassodor to the US)
His Excellency Bernard Goonetilleke (Sri Lankan Ambassador to the US)
His Excellency Shamsher Chowdhury (Bangladeshi Ambassador to the US)
Dear Ambassador Sen:
We are professionals and students from Nepal residing in the United States and we are not affiliated with any political parties or groups. We are alarmed and concerned at the recent turn of events in Nepal and we hereby write to your Excellency to ask India to take immediate steps in diffusing and restraining the current political turmoil, preventing the escalation of Maoist insurgency, and restoring leadership in Nepal. We are seriously concerned that unless this is done immediately, the extreme left wing party will hijack the movement for their own goals thereby leading to much more chaos, turmoil, and bloodshed in Nepal.
Recognizing the importance of peace between neighboring countries, reaffirming also that States have sovereign rights over their own territory, we the concerned citizens of Nepal, request India to take a more balanced role in negotiating with the Nepal party leaders to stop intensifying and prolonging the demonstrations. We believe that extreme concessions are not fair to all the Nepalese people. However, India’s recent reluctance in containing the movement in Nepal that threatens to be overtaken by extremist elements, added to its long-term role in the Maoist war in Nepal, leads us to question India’s proper understanding of Nepal’s political problem and her commitment to resolve it.
Aware that the King has given away his executive power to the parties and promised to restore Parliament, we believe that the parties should accept the King’s offer and form an interim government to restore stability in the country as a first step. We believe that in order to prevent further escalation of conflict and volatility in Nepal, the international community, mainly India, needs to apply firm pressure on the seven party alliance (SPA) to prevent extremism from ascending to power. To this end, India and the International Community can help Nepal by pressuring the SPA to take the King’s offer and form an interim government and thereafter undertake general elections. Since the King has offered to reinstate Parliament, an immediate concession from the Maoists would be disarmament and from the SPA to stop inciting further demonstrations. Such negotiation from India is urgently needed not only for the short-term settlement, but also for the success of democracy and the long-term peace and stability of the SAARC nations.
While the international community witnessed the thousands of people demonstrating against the King, we believe that the current mass of demonstrators in Nepal is not representative of the views of the majority of Nepalese both in Nepal and abroad. Contrary to the prevailing view, reliable information indicates that the Maoists have infiltrated the movement and have fueled and funded the demonstrators for their own political advantage. We have heard reports from Nepal that angry mobs have threatened ordinary citizens of Nepal with violence to participate in the movement and to back them up financially. Also there have been reports of mobs attacking and looting shops and protesters flagrantly trying to provoke the security forces to instigate further violence, discord and turmoil. Clearly, these are not signs of a “peaceful†or “democratic†movement. Therefore, to presume that the demands of the current crowds in the capital are the demands of the “Nepalese people†would be untrue.
We believe that violence and the threat of violence is a breach of peace and an infringement of people’s fundamental rights. We also believe that the King is historically, traditionally and religiously a symbol of unity and peace for the vast silent majority of various multi-ethnic groups of people in Nepal. However, the sovereignty of the people cannot be monopolized by any one institution – Palace or the Maoist. We firmly believe that the voice of the people is represented by an elected parliament and not by an angry mob of demonstrators. Abd, yielding to their demands is nothing short of depriving the rest of the population for their right to be heard. Thus, in such a scenario, statements by your government supporting “democratic forces†in Nepal could send the wrong signals.
We believe that the Maoist insurgency was one of the main destabilizing forces in Nepal that has contributed to the current political chaos and has gained momentum into the SPA demonstrations. Reaffirming the importance of peace and stability in Nepal, we are anguished and appalled at India for sheltering, abetting, and harboring the Nepali Maoist guerilla leaders in Indian soil when they are branded as terrorists by the international community and are wanted by Nepal government for treason and high crimes. As you are aware, the Maoists problem has wreaked havoc in this small land-locked nation. More than 13 thousand people have lost their lives and several thousands have become displaced. The Maoist insurgency in Nepal has devastated Nepal’s fledgling economy and thwarted development.
Noting further that while officially, New Delhi brands Nepali Maoists as terrorists, we fail to understand why India in recent times is giving a “soft corner†to the Maoists. Just recently, the senior BJP leader and former Indian Home Minister L. K. Advani claimed that the UPA government of India has a “soft corner†for Maoists in Nepal and warned that extending support to their insurgency could prove harmful to both India and Nepal. Referring to that meeting, Advani declared, “I am disappointed by the PM’s failure to mention the well-known link between Maoist insurgents in Nepal and the Naxal outfits in India. I suspect that this is because of the UPA’s soft corner for Maoists in Nepal. This is a dangerous policy.†Thus, even the Indian party leaders are calling for the Indian government not to shelter the Maoists of Nepal.
Contrary to its stated “twin pillar policy†towards Nepal-that of constitutional monarchy and multi-party parliamentary democracy-India has newfound affection for the Maoists and has given sanctuary to the Maoists since King Gyanendra took power in February 1, 2005. Further, in 2001 India along with the international community branded the Nepalese Maoists terrorists and pledged mutual cooperation to crush them. Thus, we fail to understand why India has changed its policy towards Nepal by providing a safe haven for their terrorist activities? If India continues to abet the Maoists of Nepal then India also is doomed to go the way of Nepal. Only the King can prevent that eventuality and India needs to support him as well as the SPA in restoring democracy in Nepal.
We Nepalese are proud of our unique heritage, culture, and glorious history. We deplore the violence caused by the Maoists activities and the current demonstrators in Nepal, and we ask urgently for the government of India to:
1) Pressure the SPA to take the King’s offer and form an interim government
2) Negotiate with the SPA and the Maoists to cease demonstrations and restore people’s right for peace
3) Stop sheltering and harboring the Nepali Maoist leaders in Indian soil and send them out of India
4) Demand the Maoist leaders to opt for a ceasefire, renounce violence and armed struggle, and take responsibility for their atrocities
Therefore, in the interest of Nepal’s sovereignty, sustenance and security, we respectfully ask that the government of India not help the Maoists overtly or covertly to come into power and pressure the political party members to take the King’s offer to form an interim government by responsible and peaceful means.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
