Nepalese Americas Council
Press Release
02/04/05

Protest Letter to the Government in Nepal
We, the concerned members of the North American Nepali Diaspora, strongly disapprove of the King?s dissolution of the civilian Government and his takeover of the power in Nepal on February 1, 2005. We urge the King toimmediately restore democracy and the rule of representative government in Nepal.

We believe that this decision by the King, while it may be intended to restore peace and democracy, in fact poses as the gravest threat to both democracy and peace in Nepal in recent times. Despite the stated aims in the King?s takeover speech, this move is certain to lead the country into a period of greater discord and violence.

Suspension of the constitutional rights to free speech and expression are a gross violation of the most fundamental rights of citizens -- rights Nepalis have fought hard to earn. Nepali citizens must have the assurance of living in a free world and we demand that such basic rights be restored without delay. We condemn the arbitrary arrest and detention of members of the political parties, students and dissidents. The detainees should be released immediately, and the sanctions imposed on the media should be removed urgently.

The imposition of an unaccountable and unrepresentative government upon 25 million Nepalis without their consent has undermined the basic tenets of a liberal democracy ?the process of competitive, participatory elections and the guarantee of liberty. By becoming the full executive head of the Nepali Government, the King has overstepped the boundaries of constitutional monarchy. His executive authority undermines the processes of a parliamentary system of government and removes the checks and balances guaranteed by the separation of powers. This precedent will only invite more controversy about constitutional monarchy in Nepal in the future.

At this darkest hour in Nepali history we are united, and express our deep dismay at the King?s takeover of the government in Nepal. We strongly urge the Royal regime not to harm or unduly detain civilians. We and the concerned world will intently watch the events in Nepal and will do our utmost to defend the lives, rights and freedoms of Nepalis faced with political persecution. No one should expect to be immune from the consequences of their actions.

At the same time, we appeal to the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) not to add to the suffering of the Nepali people by trying to take advantage of the present situation. The CPN (Maoist) must realize that it is largely their actions and atrocities that have paved the ground for the Royal takeover. Two wrongs don't make a right. The King's actions should not be deployed in anyway to justify or vindicate the Maoists? so called ?peoples? war.? Accordingly, we call upon the CPN (Maoist) to forsake the use of violence as a method of political change; to stop extortions, abductions, and destruction of the nation?s infrastructure; and come forward for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. Like the King, the Maoists have an obligation to abide by universally accepted norms of democracy and human rights.

Nepalis who have been witness to Maoist-induced deteriorating law and order and security situation in Nepal in the past decade take note of the stated intensions of King Gyanendra to restore order and peace in our embattled homeland. However, democracy and the restoration of peace are closely linked issues in Nepal as elsewhere in the world. By taking Nepal further away from the mainstream of democracy, the unilateral action of the King and the Royal Nepal Army, we fear, is liable to instigate more violence and further erode the already strained fabric of Nepali society and polity.

We concur with the concerns raised by the United Nations, India, United Kingdom, the United States of America, and many other international watchdog bodies over the assumption of all powers by King Gyanendra in Nepal. We appeal to King Gyanendra to take immediate and genuine corrective steps to restore Nepal?s democracy and the basic rights of its citizenry, starting with the freeing of detainees and the opening up of media and communication channels. These alone can bring about the necessary environment for establishing long-term peace, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Nepal.

Sincerely,
Nepalese Americas Council (NAC)
http://www.nepalcouncil.org

NAC member and other community organizations:
1. Association of the Nepalis in the Americas (ANA)
2. America Nepal Society (ANS), California
3. Nepalese Association in South East America ( NASeA)
4. Nepalese and Friends Association (NAFA)
5. Kaligandaki Friendship Society (KFC), Washington, D.C.
6. Nepali Youth Organization (NYO), Washington, D.C.
7. Society of Ex-Budhanilkantha Students - North America
8. Nepa Pasha Pucha Amerikaye (NPPA)
9. America Nepal Friendship Society (ANFS), New York
10. Nepal Cultural Society of B.C. (NCSBC)
11. International Nepali Literary Society (INLS)
12. Association of the Nepalese in the Midwest America
13. Nepal Seattle Society
14. Florida Nepalese Association (FNA)
15. Nepal Community Network of Canada (NCNC)
16. Nepali Women?s Network of North America
17. NCNC( North Carolina)
18. NAH ( Houston)
19. Nepalese Society of Texas ( Dallas)
20. Greater Boston Nepali Community ( Boston)
21. Nepali American Public Affairs Council (NAPAC)
22. Nepal Concern Group-Canada

Contact Persons:
Dr. Alok Bohora bohara@unm.edu
Dr. Ambika Adhikari ambika_adhikari@yahoo.com
Dr. Anup Pahari apahari@comcast.net
Mr. Girija Gautam Girijagautam@aol.com
Dr. Gaury Adhikary adhikary@med.umich.edu
Dr. Jeetendra Joshee JeetJoshee@yahoo.com
Mr. Puru Subedi psubedi@gmail.com
Ms. Mallika Shakya mallika_ldn@yahoo.com
Mr. Shambhu Lama shambhu.lama@nepalaffairs.org
Mr. Suman Timsina stimsina@yahoo.com
Mr. Arun Sharma Sharun5@aol.com
Mr. Sharda Thapa sjthapa@speedsite.com
Mr. Aditya Jha aditya@osellus.com
Mr. Naresh Koirala naresh1@shaw.ca
Dr. Shyam Karki nepal1975@yahoo.com
Dr. Shiva Gautam sgautam@bidmc.harvard.edu

and this one on King Mahendra from Time magazine dated may 15, 1964.

May. 15, 1964 Nepal's King Mahendra is a poet, tiger hunter and consummate wheeler-dealer. As monarch of a mile-high, land locked nation, one of whose principal exports is the steely little Gurkha soldier, Mahendra labors not only to hold his throne but also to keep his little kingdom from the jaws of its giant neighbors, Red China and India. He does this so successfully that, far from becoming a tasty morsel for its neigh bors, Nepal has wheedled all manner of goodies from both? not to mention the U.S. and Russia.

I find it outrageous that a scholar of isolated_freak's caliber should defend and promote as right the idea of absolute monarchy in today's world. I am inclined to think that there may be some personal interests involved.

In simplest terms, I think it is a fundamentally flawed notion that a son of a ruler must be automatically entitled to inherit the power to rule. To me, there can be no defense to it, period.

I think that the best that today's world can offer a monarch is an appropriate place (such as, figurehead) within a democratic system on the grounds of tradition. So it is imperative that any move by a monarch to seek absolute authority is bound to fail.

I think that the popular support that King Gyanendra currently appears to have garnered in Nepal is nothing but a spontaneous and ephemeral burst of relief after years of violence and extortion by the Maoists and the Army, and rampant corruption in all political quarters.

Eventually, Nepal is going to have to walk the same path forward again. There will be the Maoists again. The only way out will be to find a solution forward, not go backward like what has just happened because it only delays the effective institutionalization and stability of democracy.

Just my two cents. No offense intended.

No offense taken, Echoes.

I am not a scholar. I am just a student. And just like everyone has the rights to choose his political viewpoint, I think I have mine too, as long as I do not promote it in a manner that might be considered offensive.

There's no personal interests involved. I am in school, I have no intentions whatsoever to get involved in politics.. I am happy analyzing it, not engaging in it.

Also I am not defending absolute monarchy. All I say is, give King a chance. Maybe he will be able to clean up the mess that our nation currently is in. If there was a better, qualified leader in Nepal at this time, I would have supported him. However, in the absence of a credible, capable and a nationalist leader, you have to support the King, or just let the things as they are.

Also, I always say, which to some sounds like defending absolute monrachy, to some it makes no sense, and maybe to some, makes some sense: Let's work towards building and strengthening the institutions necessary to safeguard democracy first by solving the problems on hand, then go for an all out democracy. Sometimes a phase wise/gradual approach seems to work better in countries which do not have a tradition of democracy.

No offense taken. Its yoiur rights to ask questions and raise objections when you deem fit, and its my rights to defend my views and clear your objections/concerns/doubts, if I think its necessary to do so.

isolated freak!

I have just few healthy questions for you.
#We have already given one chance to King G when the the whole Royal family was massacred.3/4 of Nepalis people still believe he was the culpirit.I donot blindly say he was the one.But at least he could have proved he was innocent.But what he did the world knows just brough RANABHAT and made him say like RAT AT TAT TATAT....

## After taking power ,he just changed prime minister like clothes wihout any vision.He increased his own budget from 60 milliom to 600 million ? why he should have answer to Nepali people.And do u think people like Radhakrishna ,Dan Bahadur and Rameshnath could clear the mess.They are as corrupt as others and no better than garbage?

### I would appreciate ,if u kindly single out a single postive credential of King.

Thsankx

अझ पछाडि फर्किने कि, पृथ्वी नारायाण शाहका पालातिर। पृथ्वी नारायाण शाहले बेस्मारी दौडेर सप्पैलाई उछिनेर गोर्खा राज्य सप्पै जिते। खास भन्ने हो भने घलेहरुको दौडमा शाह भाग लिनै नपाउने हो नि हुन त, तर गएर जान्ने पल्ट्यो।

Dadagiri,

bro ko nepali itihas tyaha Meiji ra Herohito, Tojo Hidek padhera alik kamjoor bhaye jasto lagyo.. Prithvi Narayan Shah daudeko hoina, LigLig ma. Drabya Shah po daudeko. Prithvi Narayan Shah ta janmekai Gorkha ko rajkumar bhayera.


nepaliman,

We are analyzing the situation from totally oppisng view-points, so having a discussion will be a sheer waste of time for both of us. I appreciate your concerns for Nepal. Let's hope things will turn better soon.

Tojo Hidek = Tojo Hideki

यदि म गिरिजा हुन्थे भने... ... ... (If I were Ram Singh, I would drive the care carefully...यो ९ क्लासको कोर्समा थियो हाम्रो पाला, नेपेजी पुरानो शिक्षा भएकोले थाहा छैन होला।)

Hahahha dadagiri bro, SLC koon batch? How Bhairav Saved Ram Singh's Life.. Ram Singhe le tanker paltako hoina? Kaso bhairav le dekhecha ra hopsital purayo, nabhaye tyahi suinkinthyo tyo...

.

Nepe ji, Gaali nai garne ta maile pani dekheko hu ra maile "gaali
' nai ta nabhanau, kehi maan ko kura chai lekheko hu.

But would u mind explaning, why you pointed out on gagan thapa? There were eye witnesses expressing their experience about Mr. thapa. Now how would those persons ( EXCEPT the one with vulgur choice of words) be "bajraswaath"?

"Jaisi karani waisi bharani" bhyanne kura sabai lai nabhayepani koi koi lai chai milcha ni, hoina? Ki kaso?

Just wanted to hear from you about Mr. Thapa and the reason for your high reagdrs for him.
Lu ma chai lage...
Jai Nepal,
IndisGuise:)

P.S: La ta phone ko line khuleklo raicah khusi lagyo. Happy talkin to your loved ones PPL.

Indisguise ji,

What experience ? Witness who ?

Could you please cite specific charge (that is, personal, not institutional, cuz we all know NC, UML, NeBiSangh, Akhile are khattam) to him and this reliable witness you are talking about ?

IF,

It's only when we are in a propaganda mood, we can not have a meaningful debate. Otherwise, there is no reason why you and I can not have discussions.

And the topic you picked up is really interesting and I don't mind to share my views vis a vis yours.

To start with, I think what we are talking about belongs to what I will call 'Political psychology' rather than pure politics or history, for that matter. So let's separate the emotions and the facts.

Unification of Nepal is not a historical fact. It is a psychological fact.

Historical fact is, it was a RAJYABISTAR of an ambitious King, and an OK thing to do, going by prevailing norms at that time. There is nothing wrong with that.

Although my baraju (according to my grandfather's claim which could not be verified) might have a 'rajya' ruled by Khadkas in history, I am not going to claim that now !!

My identity is a proud citizen of Nepal. Since the time my first ancestor was born in the nation called Nepal, it has been so to them as well.

On this note, let's ask a hypothetical question (I had an interesting conversation with Paschim a long time ago in Sajha on exactly this question !)

Had our princely states by chance 'unified' by, let's say, the King of Punjab at that time, would this generation of us, you and me, be regretting not having hypothetical nation 'Nepal' or would be identifying ourselves, again by historical events, as proud citizens of India ?

I would like to quote (loosely) my lines which Paschim said striked him.

Beauty is skin deep and the National identity is one generation deep.

Change in national identity is painful (psychologically hard) for the current generation. From next generation, it normalizes- unless you are discriminated, of course.

The Sikkimelis who were born in independent Sikkim are still not settled with their identity psychologically. But the children of Sikkimelis born in Indian Sikkim identify themselves as proud citizens of India.

What this all means to us at this sensitive point of time ?

To me, it means, we have to everything possible to save our country from becoming another Sikkim. If it happened by any misfortune, next generation of ours is not going to fight to regain our independence.

What are the chances for this misfortune to happen ?

Pretty good chance.

People are tired. And Scholars like Dadagiri, NK and IF are conditioning them to accept unethical things.

If Gyanendra gives up his ambition, Nepal will live for good.

If Gyanendra continues his tyrant regime, people will not mind to integrate with India for peace, if not anything.

Let's defeat this ambitious tyrant with no waiting and save Nepal. If we wait and see, we will find ourselves as Indians.

'malai 3 minute dinnus ma sappai lai sweekar hune santi lyauna sakchhu'
Nepe ji reminded me one Hindi movie, nayak, where Anil kapoor becomes chief minister for one day to root out corruption from the country. Unfortunately this doesn't work in real time scenario.

Nepe ji i agree with you we are gonna be calle d indians...................
there is nothing to loose. specialy nepali people leaving out side nepal.............
i dont know why nepalli who converted in to citizen of other country...............
would want to say any thing in this matter..................................
Nepal is for nepali citizens..........................and they know better what will do good for them i think they know by 15 years what they really want.........
netas and meaningless democracy..............or kind in do or dies situation............or mobadi.................

I have been reading so many discussions on democracy and absolute monarchy. I still wonder if these discussions really work in Nepal. There is one old joke for democracy; 'if any one shouts, let him shout. He has the rights to shout and you have right not to listen him.' This is happening every where in the world, for instance, Musharraf took over (coup d'etat) Pakistan. Whole world shouted at him. Yes, in democracy, world has right to shout. Similarly, musharraf also has right not to listen them. The same democratic principle is being applied by our king. I wonder why our sajha dudes are voicing against our king since he is following one of the principles of democracy that is being adopted by so many countries in the world. But, I being a democracy follower, I don't object on your 'cry'. You have rights to cry and King has rights not to listen you.
Jai Nepal

FYI, the royals and the anti-royals... From the times of india.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1014377.cms

KATHMANDU: Human enterprise can shatter any artificially erected barrier. If King Gyanendra thought he could stop the information flow by imposing a blanket ban on telecom and Internet services in Nepal, he had not reckoned with the ingenuity of some of his subjects.


To beat the incoming and outgoing "communication blackout", several small-time cable and Internet operators in Kathmandu have rigged up satellite phones to help foreign tourists talk to their families abroad.

The satellite phones are, of course, also helping journalists tell the outside world about the emergency unleashed in the Himalayan kingdom. And the phone operators are merrily raking in the moolah.

"I am only charging Rs 200 a minute, others are charging even Rs 300 or more. What can we do? We have to make a living, with phone booths and Internet cafes shut since February 1," said a "satellite service provider", operating covertly from the tourist hotspot of Thamel.

They are indeed making a living, and a good one at that. The tourists, who did not flee the country in the wake of the political turmoil, are making a beeline for these satellite facilitators.

"I heard about this lifeline from others. I talked to my worried mother after a week and reassured her the situation is not too bad," said a Belgian girl, who came to Nepal in mid-January with her boyfriend to enjoy the "quaint culture".

"Communication blackout" was introduced to beat the communication system of Maoists.
Well, they have beaten so many such odds in the past. Definately it will backfire a bigtime.

Press Release from ICJ

http://www.icj.org/IMG/pdf/press_release03022005.pdf >

Press Release from ICJ

http://www.icj.org/IMG/pdf/press_release03022005.pdf

Nepal - HUNDREDS DETAINED IN NEPAL: King suspends human rights protections

4th February 2005
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) urges the King and Royal Nepalese Army to ensure the safety of the former President of the Nepal Bar Association, who along with hundreds of political and student leaders has been detained by the Nepali security forces. Mr. Sindhu Nath Pyakurel was arrested at his office in Kathmandu on 1 February and is being detained at Armed Police Force headquarters in Halchowk. The ICJ calls for his immediate release. ..

NEPE Jee,

The 3 minutes you need:

1. The 1st minute, to take off your throne.
2. The 2nd minute, to handover it to Baburam (Prachanda).
3. The 3rd minute, to take the Throne by Baburam (Prachanda).

Of course it will be peaceful for all.

Drabya Shah was Gorkhali, Baburam was Gorkhali too.
It will no more than ?The handover of Throne from one Gorkhali to another Gorkhali?.

Isn't it what Prachanda/Baburam looking for? Yes it's fair enough. JANATAKO CHHORALE PANI SHRIPECH PAHRINA SAKCHHA... ... ...

This is exactly what they call republican democracy.

There seems to be a new report available on NAC's website regarding its recent meeting in DC...It includes interesting presentations and pictures
http://www.nepalcouncil.org/News_detail.php?newsid=26