Democracy at gun point
Iraq carried out its elections amidst tight security. The Iraqis placed their ballots under a tight curfew, airports were closed, the countries borders sealed and traffic blocked.
In the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, similar events unfolded that received less media attention.
King Gyanendra took over executive power of the country last Tuesday. Telephone lines and the airport were closed down for five days. Security was tightened. The press has been censored, the people forbidden to speak against him or his chosen team of leaders. Two hours of communication is allowed everyday and that too heavily monitored by the Ministry of Truth
At present, anyone who speaks against the King and his officials will disappear, be tortured or killed. Political figures, journalists and activists have gone underground in fear of their lives. Vice Chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and editor of the newspaper Drishantar weekly went underground yesterday after publishing a blank editorial page in silent protest. Security forces are in search of him.
Journalist friends tell of army personnel reading through each and every word they write before it gets printed in the media. Some have been sacked because people are no longer buying the newspapers. The media has been classified into three types; S (satisfactory), A (alternet) and H (high altert). The ‘bulldog’ as the King is commonly known amongst the people is the Big Brother, keeping track of everything.
The claim by the Nepalese king to restore democracy by imprisoning its very essence has brought an important question on its fundamentals. Is it justifiable for an executive body to decide to take matters into their own hands in the name of democracy?. While countries like Pakistan, Iraq continue to be an experiment ground for this, the question is left unanswered.
Sure Nepal does have problems. Democracy was restored in 1991 after a long feudal system, that too by the late King Birendra – brother of King Gyanendra - who was killed in a bloody massacre in 2001. The people fought and suffered hardships in the long road to receive this glorious gift, democracy. But, it has only taken less than 15 years for it to crumble.
It is true that the politicians were no good. Corruption was rife with bitter disagreements between the parties both in opposition and within each other. At one stage there were up to 44 political parties in the country.
Sick of this, in 1996, the Maoists declared a people’s war to oust the royal family and create a socialist state. Now in control of much of rural Nepal, nearly 11,000 lives have been claimed.
It was after the 2001 massacre that things took a turn for the worse. In 2002, King Gyanendra sacked the then elected Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba dubbing him ‘incapable’ – ironically the same man he re-instated a few months ago then sacked last week. For the last two years, the King has been appointing his own hand picked Prime Ministers. One after the other each failed its tasks. The Maoist problem has intensified leaving traces of a shattered economy.
The king is backed by a 70,000 military force under his control. This is his weapon to solve the Maoists problem. With outdated equipment, the army personnel have failed to succeed in areas heavily controlled by the Maoist rebels. A year ago, an army helicopter went missing in the harsh Nepalese terrain. Security posts have been abandoned. Villages disserted as people flee their homes or are recruited by the Maoists
The Maoists want a republic. The King won’t agree to their demands. He has called the Maoists to the table only if they agree for unconditional talks. Peaceful dialogue is out of the question.
The rebels won’t give up. King Gyanendra has been influenced by advisors who give the example of General Pervez Mussarif and his ignorance to democracy in Pakistan. But, this is not Pakistan. And – if the King were to recall; the Maoists are fighting against him.
King Gyanendra at the moment needs to fear the possibility of the political parties and Maoists teaming together. A few parties have already joined the Maoists and more could follow. This could bring disastrous results.
The present move by the king is a terrible stint to gain power in today’s world under the disguise of democracy. He has acted in self-interest. Interestingly this draws striking parallels to that of George Bush with his bid to give democracy to the people in Iraq.
In the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, similar events unfolded that received less media attention.
King Gyanendra took over executive power of the country last Tuesday. Telephone lines and the airport were closed down for five days. Security was tightened. The press has been censored, the people forbidden to speak against him or his chosen team of leaders. Two hours of communication is allowed everyday and that too heavily monitored by the Ministry of Truth
At present, anyone who speaks against the King and his officials will disappear, be tortured or killed. Political figures, journalists and activists have gone underground in fear of their lives. Vice Chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and editor of the newspaper Drishantar weekly went underground yesterday after publishing a blank editorial page in silent protest. Security forces are in search of him.
Journalist friends tell of army personnel reading through each and every word they write before it gets printed in the media. Some have been sacked because people are no longer buying the newspapers. The media has been classified into three types; S (satisfactory), A (alternet) and H (high altert). The ‘bulldog’ as the King is commonly known amongst the people is the Big Brother, keeping track of everything.
The claim by the Nepalese king to restore democracy by imprisoning its very essence has brought an important question on its fundamentals. Is it justifiable for an executive body to decide to take matters into their own hands in the name of democracy?. While countries like Pakistan, Iraq continue to be an experiment ground for this, the question is left unanswered.
Sure Nepal does have problems. Democracy was restored in 1991 after a long feudal system, that too by the late King Birendra – brother of King Gyanendra - who was killed in a bloody massacre in 2001. The people fought and suffered hardships in the long road to receive this glorious gift, democracy. But, it has only taken less than 15 years for it to crumble.
It is true that the politicians were no good. Corruption was rife with bitter disagreements between the parties both in opposition and within each other. At one stage there were up to 44 political parties in the country.
Sick of this, in 1996, the Maoists declared a people’s war to oust the royal family and create a socialist state. Now in control of much of rural Nepal, nearly 11,000 lives have been claimed.
It was after the 2001 massacre that things took a turn for the worse. In 2002, King Gyanendra sacked the then elected Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba dubbing him ‘incapable’ – ironically the same man he re-instated a few months ago then sacked last week. For the last two years, the King has been appointing his own hand picked Prime Ministers. One after the other each failed its tasks. The Maoist problem has intensified leaving traces of a shattered economy.
The king is backed by a 70,000 military force under his control. This is his weapon to solve the Maoists problem. With outdated equipment, the army personnel have failed to succeed in areas heavily controlled by the Maoist rebels. A year ago, an army helicopter went missing in the harsh Nepalese terrain. Security posts have been abandoned. Villages disserted as people flee their homes or are recruited by the Maoists
The Maoists want a republic. The King won’t agree to their demands. He has called the Maoists to the table only if they agree for unconditional talks. Peaceful dialogue is out of the question.
The rebels won’t give up. King Gyanendra has been influenced by advisors who give the example of General Pervez Mussarif and his ignorance to democracy in Pakistan. But, this is not Pakistan. And – if the King were to recall; the Maoists are fighting against him.
King Gyanendra at the moment needs to fear the possibility of the political parties and Maoists teaming together. A few parties have already joined the Maoists and more could follow. This could bring disastrous results.
The present move by the king is a terrible stint to gain power in today’s world under the disguise of democracy. He has acted in self-interest. Interestingly this draws striking parallels to that of George Bush with his bid to give democracy to the people in Iraq.
posted by suvecha @ 9:54 AM
0 comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home