Stories.

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Reflections on a visit to Lahan

Ambika reflects on her recent trip to Lahan in Nepal, and the importance of informal dialogue between groups in conflict

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The Hidden Story of the Disqualified Maoist Combatants

Report on the process of discharging Maoist combatants in Nepal, in face of opposition and challenges over their status

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Serena Rix on Nepal

Serena Rix of Search for Common Ground explains the importance of finding partners with a similar mission and goals

From the Editors

Nepal: Peace and Justice (January 2009)

A new report from the International Crisis Group fears that the failure to provide justice for the crimes committed during the civil war risks undermining the peace process.

“Failure to address the systematic crimes committed during Nepal’s ten-year civil war is threatening the peace process. There has been not a single prosecution in civilian courts for any abuses. The cultures of impunity that enabled the crimes in the first place have remained intact, further increasing public distrust and incentives to resort to violence. The immediate priorities should be prosecutions of the most serious crimes, investigation of disappearances and action to vet state and Maoist security force members.” Full Report …

Nepal peace process is being weakened by political animosity (January 2009)

The deadline for the completion of the new constitution, and the following elections, is rapidly approaching. But, animosity between political parties holds the potential for not only delaying a new constitution, but derailing the peace process altogether.

Nepal’s walk to peace from a decade long, Maoist-led bloody insurgency that ended four years ago could take longer than expected. That is, if the peace process, negotiated between the seven opposition parties and the formerly outlawed Maoist party, does not fail before reaching its logical conclusion – the completion of the new constitution by an elected assembly and the general elections soon thereafter.
The two-year deadline by which the constitution should be written and promulgated is May 2010. But the Constitution Assembly (CA) – tasked to draft the Constitution – has had to revise its calendar, a detailed date specific progress toward completion of the new Constitution, for the eighth time since it was convened in may 2008

Reuters AlertNet: ‘Political instability undermining development’ (9^th October 2009): Reports suggest that the political instability in Nepal is hampering development efforts. This, outlines the report, could worsen the existing humanitarian challenges in the already impoverished country.

‘Over three years have passed since a 10-year civil war between the state and Maoist rebels ended, but the country has been beset with political instability and weak governance, which analysts say is mostly due to constant feuding between Nepal’s biggest political parties.’