NEPAL: Confidence building ahead of talks with rebels

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

KATHMANDU, 23 Aug 2005 (IRIN) - Nepal’s seven main political parties say they are preparing for talks with the leaders of the nation’s Maoist rebels, who have been waging a violent campaign against the state for the last nine years. Over 12,000 people have died in the continuing insurgency.

On Monday, party leaders reached a consensus on forming a monitoring committee to ensure the rebels adhere to promises made not to attack civilians, NGO staff or political party workers in areas of the country they effectively control.

Party representatives have said the success of the talks with the Maoists will become clear when the results of the monitoring process are known. They said that the talks would fail if the level of violence against their party workers or civilians escalates.

The monitoring work will start in a few days and negotiations are due to start following confidence-building measures leading to an atmosphere of greater trust.

In early July, Maoist supreme leader Prachanda proposed talks with Nepal’s seven leading political parties aimed at uniting against the government led by King Gyanendra, who suspended parliament and assumed direct rule on 1 February, 2005.

Despite promises by the Maoists leaders to abstain from violence towards civilians, their fighters have been involved in killings, torture and brutality, according to political party workers. The number of Maoist abductions of civilians is rising and there has been no attempt to respect human rights on their part, they add.

In spite of this the politicians remain optimistic.

“So far, we are positive that the political environment will improve but we are also actively observing whether they [the Maoists] will keep the word of their leaders,” explained Sashi Shrestha, spokesman for the People’s Front Nepal (PFN).

“But if they continue with their threats and violence, the political parties have to think twice about talks with the Maoists,” added Shrestha. The Maoists have still not released several PFN workers who were abducted nearly a month ago in Pyuthan district, about 300 km west of Kathmandu, the party said.

Observers say that similar promises to abstain from violence have been made by the rebels in the past. The difficulty at that time was ensuring that the undertakings of the senior leaders were adhered to on the ground by junior members of the movement.

[ENDS]