English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...

Conceptual frameworksecurity of Nepal is severely weak (ICG 2007) and challenged by more thanhundred of small armed groups. In addition, they are active in creatingsevere insecurity and violence and obstructing development programmeand projects. This is a serious and an immediate security concern thatstate has to address. 2Nepal is in critical transition because of power struggle among thecoalition parties, severely weak law and order, violent activities of interestgroups and extremely weak performance of the government (Upreti2009). General strikes, closures (sometimes indefinite) and blockadesare routinely observed across the country. Often they turn violent(blazing vehicles, smashing or destroying public and private properties,humiliating travelers, etc.). For example, only in one month (in August2007), 19 different groups 3 had called 55 bandhs and blockades in Nepal.Violent clashes between political wings of various political parties aremore frequent. Such incidents create further insecurity and developmentchallenges. The political parties are using development as means ofresource capture (as local parties' cadres divide the local financialresources for their personal and/or partisan benefit). The government isnot able to provide security to frontline development workers in the highrisk areas. 4 The triple bomb blast in Kathmandu on 2 nd September 2007 5 ,Kapilvastu massacre of 16 th September 2007, murder of Khyati Shresthaand Vivek Luitel, murder of media entrepreneur Jamim Shah, kidnappingand assassination of journalists and businesspersons are glaring instancesof the worsened security situation in the country. The violent clash in2Terai region has increasingly been insecure and prone to further violent conflict. Nepal Police haddeclared eight districts namely Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Sarlahi, Siraha and Saptarias 'highly sensitive' and other 13 Terai districts namely Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Makwanpur, Chitwan,Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilbastu, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts as 'sensitive'areas.3The groups calling bandhs and blockade were 1) businesspersons, 2) CPN (Maoist) affiliatedorganisations, JTMM (JS), Limbuwan, Chure-Bhabar Pradesh Ekata Samaj, Madhesi People's RightForum, Madhesi Revolutionary Front, Madhesi Tiger, Conflict Victims, Local communities, differentwings of seven parties, independent student groups, transport unions, Dalit and Janajatis organisations,Tamang Autonomous Region Democratic Front, United Tharu National Liberation Front and othergroups (see OCHA report of August 2007 for details).4For example, assassination of frontline government staff and local level politicians of mainly hill originin Terai by different armed groups is growing and the state is not able to ensure security and safety innation. Within six months (March to July 2007), more than seven people were assassinated by differentarmed groups (the people killed were Ram Brikshya Yadav, VDC secretary by Cobra Group; BasudevPaudel (trainer) by JTMM Goit Group, Nava Raj Bista (engineer), Purna Singh Pradhan (overseer) ArunPrasad Jaisawal (fireman) and Ram Hari Pokharel (VDC secretary) by JTMM-Jwala Singh Group.5On Sunday, the 2 nd of September 2007 at 16:15 hours, three bombs were blasted at crowed publicplaces of Sundhara, Balaju and Tripureshwor where two school children and one ordinary woman werekilled wounding more than 26 people including a two-year child. The so-called People's Army and TeraiArmy took its responsibility.30