English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...
English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...
English - Support to Participatory Constitution Building in Nepal ...
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Conceptual frameworksecurity of <strong>Nepal</strong> is severely weak (ICG 2007) and challenged by more thanhundred of small armed groups. In addition, they are active <strong>in</strong> creat<strong>in</strong>gsevere <strong>in</strong>security and violence and obstruct<strong>in</strong>g development programmeand projects. This is a serious and an immediate security concern thatstate has <strong>to</strong> address. 2<strong>Nepal</strong> is <strong>in</strong> critical transition because of power struggle among thecoalition parties, severely weak law and order, violent activities of <strong>in</strong>terestgroups and extremely weak performance of the government (Upreti2009). General strikes, closures (sometimes <strong>in</strong>def<strong>in</strong>ite) and blockadesare rout<strong>in</strong>ely observed across the country. Often they turn violent(blaz<strong>in</strong>g vehicles, smash<strong>in</strong>g or destroy<strong>in</strong>g public and private properties,humiliat<strong>in</strong>g travelers, etc.). For example, only <strong>in</strong> one month (<strong>in</strong> August2007), 19 different groups 3 had called 55 bandhs and blockades <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong>.Violent clashes between political w<strong>in</strong>gs of various political parties aremore frequent. Such <strong>in</strong>cidents create further <strong>in</strong>security and developmentchallenges. The political parties are us<strong>in</strong>g development as means ofresource capture (as local parties' cadres divide the local f<strong>in</strong>ancialresources for their personal and/or partisan benefit). The government isnot able <strong>to</strong> provide security <strong>to</strong> frontl<strong>in</strong>e development workers <strong>in</strong> the highrisk areas. 4 The triple bomb blast <strong>in</strong> 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, kidnapp<strong>in</strong>gand assass<strong>in</strong>ation of journalists and bus<strong>in</strong>esspersons are glar<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stancesof the worsened security situation <strong>in</strong> the country. The violent clash <strong>in</strong>2Terai region has <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly been <strong>in</strong>secure and prone <strong>to</strong> further violent conflict. <strong>Nepal</strong> 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 call<strong>in</strong>g bandhs and blockade were 1) bus<strong>in</strong>esspersons, 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, differentw<strong>in</strong>gs of seven parties, <strong>in</strong>dependent student groups, transport unions, Dalit and Janajatis organisations,Tamang Au<strong>to</strong>nomous Region Democratic Front, United Tharu National Liberation Front and othergroups (see OCHA report of August 2007 for details).4For example, assass<strong>in</strong>ation of frontl<strong>in</strong>e government staff and local level politicians of ma<strong>in</strong>ly hill orig<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong> Terai by different armed groups is grow<strong>in</strong>g and the state is not able <strong>to</strong> ensure security and safety <strong>in</strong>nation. With<strong>in</strong> six months (March <strong>to</strong> July 2007), more than seven people were assass<strong>in</strong>ated by differentarmed groups (the people killed were Ram Brikshya Yadav, VDC secretary by Cobra Group; BasudevPaudel (tra<strong>in</strong>er) by JTMM Goit Group, Nava Raj Bista (eng<strong>in</strong>eer), Purna S<strong>in</strong>gh Pradhan (overseer) ArunPrasad Jaisawal (fireman) and Ram Hari Pokharel (VDC secretary) by JTMM-Jwala S<strong>in</strong>gh 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 ord<strong>in</strong>ary woman werekilled wound<strong>in</strong>g more than 26 people <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a two-year child. The so-called People's Army and TeraiArmy <strong>to</strong>ok its responsibility.30