National 8 (Spotlight Weekly)

External Assistance

Experts argue that the UN is uniquely placed to help Nepal pull itself out of its quagmire

By AKSHAY SHARMA

What is the first thing a country should do when it discovers it can no longer solve its problems on its own? Search for external help. The identification of a genuinely committed and credible partner makes all the difference.

The Nepal Foundation for Advanced Studies (NEFAS) recently organized a discussion among experts from various fields on conflict in Nepal to provide a scholarly perspective to the extent of the prevailing situation and efforts aimed at alleviating it.

About 66 participants took part in the discussions, which were divided into five sessions over two days. The first session introduced the theme of the discussions while the remaining four were working sessions where experts made their presentations and solicited opinions of the participants. The seminar, which was held on May 17 and 18, was a joint initiative of NEFAS and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Professor Ananda Srestha, NEFAS executive director, introduced the theme of the discussions to the participants. He asked the participants to seek the reasons that had kept the Nepali society peaceful for a long time. "Searching for a solution in the rich Nepali traditions may produce a solution to the rising conflicts," he said.

Yadav Kant Silwal, who chaired the inaugural session, said that conflict resolution could be a very twisting process in Nepal. Pointing to the Sri Lankan experience, he said that in spite of the efforts put in from both international and domestic quarters, the insurgency there is still continuing.

Silwal, an acclaimed diplomat who is also a former secretary-general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - which groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal Pakistan and Sri Lanka - said United Nations mediation would have produced a better outcome in Nepal.

"Because the UN had offered it, it had a high credibility, its vested interests were limited to the development of this country and Nepal had participated in its peacekeeping operations since the fifties, hence, is a good candidate," he said. "UN role would allay many apprehensions about Nepal going on the path of Sikkim," he added.

Regarding the ongoing peace talks between the government and the CPN (Maoists), Silwal said, "It is a sad fact that both sides to take up the economic and social agenda, thus far, which have been touted as the root cause of all conflicts in Nepal. It is this that is going to make the talks a long and tortuous process," he said.

But, as experts say, geography plays a big role in these types of issues. Moreover, the conflict in Sri Lanka is very different in nature from the one in Nepal. The Maoists have fought with a political agenda, while the conflict in Sri Lanka is ethnically motivated. As such, the nature and scope of mediation would go on to influence the long-term prospects of the country.

Associate Professor Dev Raj Dahal, in his paper titled "Conflict Resolution: A Note on Contending Issues," explored the theoretical aspects of conflict in general with references of Nepal and other countries. Those who commented on his paper were, among others, Prof. Guna Nidhi Sharma, Shrish Rana, K.R. Jha, and Lal Babu Yadav. Ananda Aditya chaired the session.

Dr. Krishna Bahadur Bhattachan spoke on "Sociological Perspectives on Internal Conflict Resolution/Management in Nepal". He pointed out to the injustices meted out to ethnic groups of Nepal by state policies.

The exercise threw up valuable inputs on ways of pulling Nepal out of what is acknowledged as the worst crisis in its modern history. Whether those responsible for doing the job are listening to - and are even capable of implementing - the suggestions is a different matter altogether.