National 1 (Spotlight Weekly)

In Critical Point

Will the government's decision to release three Maoist leaders rescue the talks?

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

The six-month-old ceasefire between the government and the Maoist rebels have landed in serious problem after the two sides have failed to bury their differences and sit for the third talks. Of late, the talks between the two sides are being held through exchanges of letters.

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In response to the rhetoric-filled and conditions-tagged letter from the Maoists, who had given five-day ultimatum for meeting their demands, the government gave a measured reply on Tuesday (July 29). As a gesture aimed at improving the environment for talks, the government released three central leaders of the Maoists' party and a leader of its student wing.

"Given the complex situation we decided to release these leaders to create favorable environment for talks," said Kamal Thapa, government spokesperson, Minister for Information and Communication and a member of government-Maoist talks team. Likewise, the government also made public the situation of 35 disappeared persons. "We will continue to make the whereabouts of such persons public immediately after we finish our investigation to locate them," said the Minister.

Responding to other Maoist conditions, the government said that "in normal situation, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) will remain in barracks but when the country is faced with difficult and unusual situation, an attempt to limit, control and constrict the role and working area of army, would not be in the interest of the nation." He added that at presently the army movement was not targeted at the Maoists. Minister Thapa said that the army would abide by all agreements reached by the government.

In the letter, the government has said that it has all the executive powers as bestowed by Article 35 of the Constitution. The government has, however, rejected the rebel condition of scrapping the anti-terror agreement with the US government. "The agreement is not targeted at any organization. The US government has reached into similar agreement with 40 countries around the world," he said. Likewise, Minister Thapa rejected another rebel condition of expelling American military advisors. "There are no permanent foreign military advisors here at all," he said.

In response to the government letter asking them to come for talks within mid-August, the Maoists had, on Monday (July 28) replied giving ultimatum (till July 31) to fulfill its five conditions. In what is seen as an ominous development, the Maoists had asked the government not only to fulfill its earlier demands like releasing its central leaders, implementing decisions taken at previous talks and seeking direct involvement of King in the talks but also posed new conditions like scrapping the anti-terror agreement with the United States and expel American military advisors from the country.

The rebels have warned that they would consider the talks broken if the government does not meet its ultimatum.

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, coordinator of Maoist talks team, in the letter had charged the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) of inviting hundreds of US military experts and advisors in the recent past, saying it has seriously undermined the national integrity and sovereignty. "The RNA is turning itself into a Royal American Army and working to abort the peace process and establish a foreign puppet military regime," it charged. "We want the immediate expulsion of all foreign military advisors and experts."

But RNA differs. "In January 50 American army had come to train in health treatment and technical cooperation. Two months later, 12 American army personnel had come to exchange experience on countering rebellion. All of them have already left. This kind of military exchange has been taking place since last one decade and more," said Colonel Deepak Gurung, spokesperson of RNA.

"At present there are just two military officers at the U.S. Embassy. There are no 'hundreds' as claimed by the Maoists. The joint military exercises are routine events. Not everything we do are targeted at Maoists," said Constance Colding Jones, counselor for public affairs at the American Embassy in Kathmandu.

In an interesting development, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, coordinator of the Maoists talks team, gave a call to Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) on Sunday (July 27) night telling them about the Maoists' mail to the government. According to Nepal, Dr. Bhattarai asked the parties to exert pressure on the government. The call is being seen as a desperate attempt by the rebels to gain their confidence and further drive the wedge between the parties and government — the situation, which would be favorable if at all they decide to revert to violence.

Analysts see the latest new conditions attached by the rebels as being their tactical move. "I believe their new conditions are just tactical ones aimed at pressuring the government to implement the earlier decisions," Yubaraj Ghimire, chief editor of the Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post, told TV talk show Dishanirdesh on Monday.

Meanwhile, analysts have asked both sides to honor the earlier agreements and sit for talks. "It does not look appropriate for the Maoists to back out from talks in this strange manner. Both sides have flouted the agreements. Even they have not honored the code of conduct. Any move to undermine talks would be disastrous for the nation," said an analyst.