Youth, Media and Peace in Nepal-III

Shanta Pokharel

Peace

Since Nepal has been helping the UN to establish peace in various parts of the world, it is the responsibility of the UN to help Nepal acquire peace by resolving conflict. As Nepal is one of the members of the UN, it is natural for it to try to save a member country from becoming a failed state. The Nepalese media have, in fact accepted the UN's role in peace building by highly appreciating the appeal of the General Secretary of the UN Nepal wants to take advantage from the rich experience of the UN in peace keeping.

The mission of Nepalese media at this critical juncture is to stop militarization and encourage dialogue, consensus and national reconciliation. It should be realized that durable peace could be established only if the society can be transformed through forward looking reforms instead of going in for retrogression and status quo. Peace in absolute term, therefore, is not feasible. It should always be linked with freedom, equality, justice and democracy. Journalists should stand firmly to say 'No' to the cult of violence. There should not be dictation of weapons; reasoning must prevail. We can enjoy freedom of press only in peaceful and democratic atmosphere. Free press should stand as a defender of peace and democracy (Shrestha, 2004).

The Nepalese people want peace and settlement of the armed conflict through social –economic transformation. They want to build peace instead of the culture of guns. In this process, media can play vital role, because an aware and vibrant journalism can multiply the strength of the peace campaign (ICG, 2003).

In the context of present- day Nepal, the only mission of journalists is to create favorable people's opinion for a durable peace by helping bring about cease-fire and effecting a social transformation through dialogue and consensus. It is to create people's pressure against the option of military solution. The preamble of the constitution of the UNESCO stipulates: "Since wars begin in the minds of people, the defenses of peace must be constructed." The journalists, therefore, must nurture the culture of peace based on humanitarian laws and human rights instead of glorification of war.

Conflicts tend to be resolved by agreement, negotiations, comprise and social contract but durable peace can be achieved only if it is based on democratic principles and values. Hence, confidence-building measures can serve as a first step towards the declaration of cease-fire. Coordination of the behavior of all forces is essential to reach the common goal of democratic peace and strengthen cooperation among them through the formulation of common policies. Conflict can be regulated by cooperative means if peace-building strategies are employed to prevent and resolve the crisis. Negotiation should proceed with the goals rather than tinkering with the means, such as roundtable dialogue, constituent assembly.

With the broad range of issues that have been opened by the war and the constitutional crisis, a lasting solution demands the support and input of an array of social forces well beyond the king, the parties and the Maoists. Efforts to tackle the country's deep economic, political and social disparities should be paramount in constitutional reform. A large number of constitutional issues have to be tackled if Nepal hopes to resolve either the war with Maoists or its constitutional crisis. However, it will not be possible to forge a broad consensus on these issues if the King remains the supreme decision-maker and the peace talks remain behind the curtain.

Conclusion

When the Maoist insurgency started in 1996, Maoists did not have their army. They started out with small fighting groups of five or six people, armed with very primitive weapons – some single shot rifles and Khukuri. Over the first five years, the guerrillas built up their fighting capacity by carrying out guerrilla action against police and army post. They were able to capture weapons from government forces and step by step build up larger fighting units – from squads to platoons, and then later brigades and companies. At present media exposed their three divisions, nine brigades and 29 battalions. Among them most of the guerrillas are youth and about 30 percent are women. From the very beginning, the Maoist conceived of their insurgency as a protected war that goes through stages – from the strategic defensive, to strategic equilibrium, and now since August 31, 2004 to the strategic offensive.

The key actors of the Nepalese politics have been in a great dilemma as to how to resolve this conflict. This is obvious in the strategic and policy confusions of the five major parliamentary parties were in agitation before a few days against retrogression and at least four of them still in streets. The current situation of conflict has remained a major dilemma to the major key political actors of the country.

This has worried the common people and the civic society, which are creating popular pressure for the cease-fire and peace negotiation. The lust for power and the culture of violence cannot be challenged until an effective peace movement is built at the people's level. The youth and media people should play a role of vanguard in this peace movement. Establishing an all party interim government and assurance for constitutional assembly is present necessity of Nepal.

Paper presented at a seminar organized by the telegraph weekly and FES. (Concluded)

Support of Remittance

Anup Bhandari

The history of Nepalese foreign labor migration dates back to 1814-1816 Anglo-Nepal war. During this period Nepali soldiers were recruited in the army of Sikh ruler, Ranjit Singh of Lahore. This trend earned the nickname Lahure for all those employed in foreign armies. Soon after the war, British also employed former Nepali soldiers into their forces. However in recent times Nepali migrants are engaged in occupation other than armed forces. In a research done by Nepal Rastra Bank in 2001 stated that 85% of Nepalese are working as labor, 13% are in armed force and 2% are involved organized government services in foreign land. Today, due to increase in unemployment and accelerated maoist insurgence the phenomenon of foreign labor immigration continues to increase. According to Department of Labor, excluding India, 122,764 workers went abroad in the year 2003/04 alone. Nepalese work in different countries around the world. Data published by Department of labor and employment promotion show that workers have migrated to 53 different countries between the years 1991/92-03/04. The inward remittance for the year fiscal year 2003-2004 was over Rs. 100 billion which consisted of 20 % of GDP.

A survey conducted by the Department for International Development (DFID) in 1997 states, 3.2 percent of the total population of Nepal worked in various parts of the world. Nepal received about US$ 506 million ( NRs. 35 billion equivalent) through remittances in 1997 and this figure almost doubled in 2002. Further increase has been noted in the year 2003-2004 where inward remittance stands at over Rs. 100 billion. The same year trade deficit was registered Rs. 70 billion. Despite huge trade deficit, BOP did not face any problems. The foreign reserves are adequate to sustain imports for several months.

Remittance is relatively a new topic for Nepali economy. However its contribution to Nepali economy had started when Nepali joined Indian and British army. Since then substantial amount of money entered in various forms like cash, gold, clothes, electrical equipment etc. After the restoration of democracy in 1990 the government adopted liberal policy. Which induced several joint venture banks. These banks helped the country to receive the remittance through formal banking channel. Furthermore, the central bank seemed to be liberal in giving permission to money transfer companies. Currently, NRB provides 15 paisa per dollar as incentives to the agent. Nevertheless according to NRB, estimates total money being remitted through banking channels constitutes only 40 percent.

With the trend of huge flow of remittance, apart from their banking network commercial banks of the country have started to establish relationship with money transfer companies. This enables reliable time bound service and high security with inflow of foreign exchange earnings to the country. Funds remitted from any part of the world through International Money Transfer Companies can be paid within 15 minutes. Banks invest heavy amounts in technology and on expansion of branches to provide convenient, efficient and reliable services. For instance, Bank of Kathmandu serves customers through its 9 branches in five development regions. The branches are connected to the central database via Wide Area Network (WAN) powered by Finnacle, state-of the-art banking application software supported by hardware such as SUN Fire V880 RISC server, VSAT etc.

Economic activities have slackened in all the sectors including tourism, manufacturing, investments etc. However, receipts of inward remittance have contributed to stop adverse effects on the BOP with huge trade deficit. At the same time it helped increase foreign exchange reserves with the banking sector in 2003 to 108.76 billion. It is estimated that every year 250,000 are added to the labor market. Foreign employment surrogates the incapability of Nepali labor market to absorb laborers. Nonetheless, policy makers should have a vision of how best to include foreign labor migration and remittances into the development strategy of Nepal.

In order to achieve beneficial results the government should formulate supportive policies. Hence, it is necessary to sign labor agreement with those countries where large numbers of Nepalese are working. The agreements should be concerned on safeguarding the interests of migrants’ workers and encourage them to invest their money back into Nepal. Furthermore lobby has to be done to see if Nepali workers can earn in same scale as their counterpart in the host country. It is prudent to provide short-term vocational training to the workers so that their income abroad can be maximized.

Looking back at the brutal killing of 12 Nepalese on 31 August 2004 government should effectively monitor the manpower companies as the cases of fraud and charging high commissions are emerging. Last but not the least the shocking figures which show that 60 % of remitted money enters through informal channels, the government should organize workshops on banking in coordination with manpower agencies so that their knowledge on the banking can be enhanced. This will help funnel the remittance through formal channels contributing to country’s foreign exchange reserves. Moreover in recent years western countries have focused to control laundering of money around the globe. The risk of terriost groups using such channels to transfer money is high. We would help in fight against terrorism.

CAMP: Conflict Afflicted Media Persons
"If Peace and Conflict are two sides of a coin, then the coin is Communication"

Background

The escalation of Maoists conflict in 1996 saw the beginning to reporting of the events and developments concerning conflict(s) in Nepal. This has led the media to realize the need to understand the sensitiveness and the accompanying complexities involved in the domain of conflict reporting.

Nepali press has already celebrated 100 years of its inception. However, this long period has not been smooth.

The popular revolt in 1990 saw the re-installation of multiparty democratic system in Nepal. All the paper works including the adoption of new Constitution were excellent. The constitution of Nepal (November, 1990) also guarantees the press freedom.

The deviations that had crept in the functioning of the democratically installed governments after 1990 and their inability to inform the ignorant populace with the essence of a democratic system thus triggered the genesis of the armed conflict.

The 14 years of Free Nepali Press, on the other hand, in this short period of conflict situation (after 1996), has shown ample maturity by playing due role of being a watchdog by taking a critical look at the combatants, the two parties to the conflict, while analyzing the causes and consequences of a war altogether.

Reality: In democracies, media is regarded as the Fourth Estate behind legislation, execution and jurisdiction. It secures the process of political organization by freedom of speech. A political system is not regarded as a constitutionally free state unless this pre-condition is (not) fulfilled.

However, in Nepal the beginning of the Maoists insurgency in 1996 for both media institutions and news workers has been by far the cruelest.

In the recent past, the Nepalese media has found itself in an awkward and uncomfortable situation.

Having to work in one of the most awkward situation originating from the bloody conflict between the insurgents and the state led forces, the press have been hard placed to carry out their duties without the fear and intimidation.

The undemocratic behavior exhibited by successive democratic governments (?) towards the Free Press after the imposition of the state of emergency in November 2001 and by the insurgents hints to the fact that Nepali Press is also under a sheer attack. The Nepali press in plain words is the victim of the both: the Maoists rebels and the state security forces.

The recent brutal killing of a Radio Nepal journalist Dekendra Raj Thapa in Dailekh district by the Maoists has highlighted the problem faced by the media.

The problem was particularly serious because it occurred even as teams of rights activists and journalists had been working with the Maoist leaders to affect his safe release. Their ‘crime’ was to report incidents of extortion.

Likewise, this incident was followed by ‘death threats’ issued to ten more journalists. Dekendra Raj Thapa, and Gyanendra Khadka and many others working in this noble profession of enlightening the mass have been the victim of Maoists and as well, the State sponsored atrocities.

Need:Although in the last few months, both the Government and the Insurgents have clarified their policies of not harming any media persons, the abductions, death threats and brutal killings unfortunately continue with full force.

This double standard shown by both the warring sides has forced the journalists to sit together and ponder over the situation in order to find a viable solution to the impending threats to their lives.

Thus, there is a need for such a Forum for the journalists, housed and to be headed by a set of prominent Nepali journalists, which will conduct policy-oriented activities and engages in the (re) search for solutions in cases of actual or potential violent attack towards the media.

CAMP Objective: The forum has set forth the following objectives:

I.Research & Training

a.On peace and conflict resolution

b.Media functioning and journalists’ activities during war times

c.Enabling journalists’ to understand conflict situations

d.Unbiased reporting

e.Promoting Peace

f.Disarmament, conflict resolution

g.Other contemporary issues

(The training programs will try to focus those media personnel, who have been the victims of conflict and who are stationed in remote areas of Nepal.)

II.Serving victims of conflicts

I.The forum will try to raise funds to help the victim, (a media personnel) towards healing their agony.

II.The forum will give its major attention on the war-affected media persons stationed in remote areas of Nepal.

III.Other major concern would be for example: managing free schooling for the children, finding jobs for the family members of the victims and allowing concessions to the victim and his/her family members plus some other social aspects such as, Health, Insurance, etc..)

IV.Others: as and when such case crops up related to the victims.

Conclusion:

Conflict exists everywhere. Conflict is an indispensable part of life. They also help to identify differences and serve as important controllers of social and individual development. When there is a conflict should mean that the conflict is for a change in the society. As a journalist, we have to deal with them, face the challenges posed to the sector by such conflicts.

The ignorance on the part of the warring sides in Nepal in understanding to the practical details’ of the conflict has resulted in journalist being a victim themselves. As a result, it is becoming not an easy job in Nepal. Even at this difficult times this noble profession of "public enlightment" worth doing it in a more professional way for it serves reconciliation and peace that is a necessity for the stability in the region and the world at large.

If we want not to become a propaganda machine and try to enhance our understanding on the issues related to conflict and protect our brethren from becoming a victim of both the warring sides, there is an urgent need for establishing a forum, which will look after the above-mentioned humble causes.

CAMP office bearers:

Chairman: N.P.Upadhyaya, Chief Editor, The Telegraph Weekly

Vice Chairman: Kabir Rana, Chief Editor, The Deshantar Weekly,

General Secretary: Kishor Shrestha, Chief Editor, The Jan Aastha Weekly, Executive Committee Members:Lok Dip Thapa, Editor The Rising Nepal, Kedar Subedi, Editor Rastriya Bimarsh Weekly,Surya Thapa, The Buddabar Weekly, Nirmala Sharma, Freelance Journalist

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