The violence in Nepal

Since the end of its self-imposed ceasefire at the beginning of January, the Maoists in Nepal have brought violence back to almost shocking levels.

The South Asia Terrorism Portal carefully tracks events in the region, and below is a list of violent incidents taken from the SATP's daily updates.

First, an update from Jan 2 sums up what the Maoists did in the preceding six months.

The first annual report of the Royal Nepalese Army’s (RNA) Human Rights Cell, the RNA Human Rights Report 2061, has recorded 10,725 abductions and 72 killings by the Maoists during the last six months of the year. It also recorded 65 cases of explosion, 40 cases of extortion and looting, and 30 cases of threatening by the Maoists. Citing an Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) source, the report stated that the country has already incurred financial losses worth $1,095 million due to the Maoist conflict.

The report also stated that the Maoists have destroyed 1,825 VDC buildings, 35 telecommunication towers, 420 post offices, 540 police posts and six hydro-power plants till date. Data in the report stated that 4,404 Maoists, 371 soldiers, 142 Armed Police Force (APF) personnel, 297 civil policemen, 15 personnel of the National Investigation Department and 579 civilians were killed within a year after the ceasefire was broken on August 27, 2003.

Jan 4 - A civilian was injured during a series of Maoist-triggered blasts, including one at the residence of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in the western city of Pokhara on January 3 evening, according to Nepal News.

Jan 5 - According to Nepal News, two police personnel and a civilian were injured when suspected Maoists opened fire at them at Bhanu Chowk in the Mahendranagar town on January 5, today. Meanwhile, a clash between security forces and Maoists was reported from Mauriya in the Dadeldhura district on January 4. Although no casualties were reported from both sides, security forces recovered arms, ammunition and logistics left by the Maoists.

Jan 6 - Himalayan Times reports that three police personnel were killed and two injured in a Maoist attack on an Armed Police Force (APF) security checkpost at Ranjha chowk in Nepalgunj on January 5. Meanwhile, at least two people were injured in a Maoist triggered explosion at the District Education Office in Biratnagar of Morang district on January 5.

Jan 7 - Three Armed Police Force personnel were killed and another sustained injuries when Maoists opened fire targetting a security patrol at Bhairahawa in the Rupandehi district on January 6, according to Kantipur Online. Meanwhile, at least one Maoist was killed in a clash with security forces at Chandranigahapur in Rautahat district along the Mahendra Highway on January 6. The clash ensued after a group of about three-dozen armed Maoists attacked a security patrol near the Unified Command Base Camp in the area.

Jan 8 - According to Nepal News, two security force (SF) personnel were killed and two others sustained injuries when Maoist insurgents opened indiscriminate fire at a group of SF personnel manning the Belahiya check post near Nepal-India border in the western district of Rupandehi on January 6-evening.

Jan 9 - Ministry of Defence sources were quoted as saying in Kantipur Online on January 8 that Maoists have killed two children, aged two and five, from the same family by detonating a bomb inside a house in the Pahara village of Dolpa district recently. Meanwhile, on January 8-morning, Maoists bombed the Nepalgunj Municipality building, completely destroying the building's ground floor. However, no casualties were reported. In another incident, Maoists detonated a bomb at the gate of Rastriya Banjiya Bank at Gothalapani, district headquarters of Baitadi, on January 7. Separately, security forces defused a bomb, planted by the Maoists, at the Mahendranagar Municipality building on January 8.

Jan 10 - Nepal News reports that a group of Maoists raided the state-owned Rastriya Banijya Bank’s district branch in Surkhet and looted over Rupees three million on January 9. However, no casualties were reported in the incident. On January 10 today, Maoists exploded a bomb at the Kanchanpur District Development Committee (DDC) office in Mahendranagar, according to Kantipur Online.

Jan 11 - According to Kantipur online, security forces seized a huge quantity of explosives after raiding a house at Nagdhunga in Pokhara on January 10. The seizure included 17 electronic time devices, 10 meters safety fuse, 135 detonators, 27 bombs and 27 electronic detonators.

Jan 12 - Twenty police personnel are reportedly missing following clashes between Maoists and security forces at Dhangadhi, headquarters of the Kailali district, on January 11-evening. Unofficial reports say at least seven police personnel were killed in the Maoist attack. In a separate incident, Maoists exploded two powerful bombs in the District Development Committee building at Gulariya in the Bardiya district on January 11-evening.

Jan 13 - According to Kantipur Online, ten Maoists were killed in two separate encounters with the security forces (SFs) in the Syangja and Tanahun districts on January 11.

Jan 15 - 12 security force (SF) personnel were killed and eight persons, including seven police personnel, were injured in a series of attacks carried out by the Maoists at different police posts of the Kathmandu Valley on January 14, according to Nepal News. The insurgents attacked the Police Check Post at Thankot, killing at least 11 policemen and injuring one by surrounding the check post from all sides at around 5:35pm. In another attack, one sub-inspector was killed and seven persons were wounded when a group of Maoists attacked the Dadhikot Area Police Office in Bhaktapur district. In Bouddha, the Maoists exploded a bomb at the office of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No-6, slightly damaging the building. Meanwhile, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has said that at least 16 Maoists and one soldier were killed in fresh clashes in the western district of Syangja on January 14.

Jan 16 - According to Himalayan Times, one civilian was killed when a security patrol and Maoists exchanged fire for half-an-hour at Kohalpur in the Banke district on January 15. Separately, the Maoists exploded a bomb on Lekhnath Municipality building in the Kaski district on January 15. Further, the Maoists have vowed to disrupt the February 8 elections for 58 municipal councils. [Note: We'll return to the elections up ahead.]

Jan 18 - A Maoist insurgent was killed and two persons, including a civilian, were injured during a shootout between the Maoists and security forces in Tribhuvan Nagar Municipality of Dang district on January 17.

Jan 19 - Kantipur Online reports that Maoists on January 18 bombed a sub-station of the state-owned Nepal Television (NTV) in Hetauda-9 of Makwanpur district. Meanwhile, a report from Mahendranagar said Maoists bombed the office of the Mahendranagar Municipality on January 18 evening.

Jan 20 - Maoists shot and injured two police personnel guarding a police post near the Traffic Chowk in Mahendranagar bazaar of Kanchanpur district on January 19, according to Kantipur Online.

Jan 21 - Six police personnel were killed and four others were injured when Maoists launched simultaneous attacks on the BP Chowk security check post, Jamunaha Police Post and the Customs Office in the Nepalgunj town of Banke district on January 20.

Jan 22 - At least three Maoist insurgents were killed in encounters with the security forces (SFs) in the Palpa and Tehrathum districts on January 21, according to Nepal News. Meanwhile, a group of Maoists detonated a bomb at the Biratnagar Sub-metropolitan City office in Morang district.

Jan 23 - At least 17 Maoists, six security force (SF) personnel and two civilians were killed in a clash between a patrol team of the SFs and Maoists at the Jhurjhure and Jyamire regions of Makwanpur district on January 21-night. The gun-battle ensued after Maoists attacked the SFs on regular patrol in the area at around 6:45 pm. According to security sources, 18 other soldiers were injured in the incident. On January 22, suspected Maoists shot dead Bijaylal Das, president of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, at Janakpurdham in Dhanusha district. In another incident, SFs and Maoists clashed at Khatrikhola in the Syangjha district on January 22. Meanwhile, a report from Sarlahi said that the Maoists detonated three bombs at the Chhoti Customs Office at Tribhuvan Nagar Village Development Committee (VDC) on January 22-night. Himalayan Times on January 23 reports that hundreds of passengers and vehicles remain stranded following a Maoist roadblock at Rupandehi's Devdaha Sheetalnagar area on the Mahendra highway for the last two days.

Jan 24 - Security forces seized a large amount of explosives and detonators from the Maoists in the Bahuni area of Morang district on January 23, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The MoD statement said that 27,000 detonators, 1125 kilograms of explosives, including 25 kilograms of gunpowder packed in 22 sacks, were seized during the raid. Meanwhile, the Maoists have abducted 200 labourers working on the Chautara-Dolalghat road in Sindhupalchowk district on January 22.

Jan 25 - On January 24, two security force (SF) personnel, one Maoist and a civilian were killed and four SF personnel sustained injuries when Maoists launched simultaneous attacks in the Nepalgunj town of Banke district, according to Himalayan Times. The Maoists attacked the district police office, the regional police training centre, Nepal Rastra Bank, the municipal police office, the Royal Nepalese Army’s No 4 Company, district prison, zonal police office and the district administration office at the same time. Meanwhile, a group of around 15 to 20 Maoists detonated an improvised explosive device at the District Education Office in Bhojpur district. Separately, Maoists on January 24-evening triggered bomb blasts in the ward number two office of Banepa Municipality in Kavre district.

Jan 26 - The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has claimed that at least 25 Maoist insurgents were killed and several others sustained injuries in a gun-battle between the two sides in the Bhakunde area of the western district of Palpa on January 24, according to Nepal News. Meanwhile, the clash between Maoists and RNA has stopped in the far-western town of Dhangadhi. According to latest reports, the gun-battle ensued for around one hour after the Maoists attempted to mount simultaneous attacks at a number of security installations around 7:30 pm on January 25.

Jan 27 - Maoists detonated a ‘socket bomb’ in the Gaur branch office of the Nepal Electricity Authority in Rautahat district on January 25-evening, according to Himalayan Times.

Jan 28 - Five Maoists were killed when a bomb in their possession accidentally exploded at Shiva Nagar area of Bariyarpatti Village Development Committee (VDC) in the Siraha district on January 26, according to Kantipur Online. Meanwhile, Maoists carried out atleast six blasts in different parts of Nepalgunj town on January 27 between 6 and 7 pm, reports Himalayan Times. Separately, the Maoists also attacked the SF base camp at Ghodetar in the Bhojpur district after surrounding it from all sides. Elsewhere, two trucks of the Royal Nepalese Army were damaged in a landmine explosion triggered by Maoists on the Mahendra Highway at Bhulahi in Devdaha area on January 27

Jan 29 - At least 11 Maoist insurgents and two security force (SF) personnel were killed in the overnight clashes in the eastern district of Bhojpur on January 27, according to Nepal News.

Jan 30 - Two Maoists were killed in a clash with security forces at Likawapokhari in Khotang District on January 29 afternoon, the Defence Ministry said. Separately, Maoists attacked the Banke District Police Office at Nepalgunj on January 29 evening, reports Himalayan Times. In the Bardiya district, Maoists detonated three bombs at the District Development Committee (DDC) building at Gulariya. Similarly, Maoists on January 28 night, simultaneously detonated bombs in three government offices at Jaleshwor, headquarters of Mahottari district.

Note: These accounts do not include incidents involving Maoists in neighboring India, of which there have been many.

In addition to the violence against police and army targets, there has been a campaign to terrorize and intimidate candidates for the upcoming February 8 elections. According to the BBC:

Up to 600 candidates for local polls in Nepal have withdrawn their nominations, according to election officials.

The main reason appears to be concerns over security after Maoist guerrillas issued new threats against those standing, say BBC correspondents.

The withdrawals mean there is no one contesting more than 1,000 out of 4,146 seats in the 8 February poll.

Hundreds of candidates have been placed in safe houses across the country to protect them from the rebels.
....
In many districts, there is just one candidate standing unopposed and others will be completely uncontested.

"The elections will be held in 36 municipalities only, in the other 22 there will be no contest because there are not enough candidates," said election spokesman Tejmuni Bajracharya.

King Gyanendra's government says these elections are a stage in a road map to democracy after he seized absolute power in February 2005.

But the main opposition parties are boycotting them and last week Maoists shot dead one candidate and kidnapped another.

They say the polls are aimed at legitimising what they call an illegitimate royal regime.

Life under the monarchy in Nepal has been far from ideal, but the violent Communist Maoists are a bloody, murderous insurgency that would not be a solution to Nepal's woes either.

This violent struggle does not garner a lot of attention in the West. There were only four questions on Nepal in the State Dept press briefings this month, and in none of his answers did the State Dept spokesman condemn the Maoists violence. He did rightly condemn the Nepalese government's crackdown on opposition parties, but here is a Jan 19 statement from the State Dept:

The United States condemns the decision by the King of Nepal to detain political party leaders and civil society activists in advance of political demonstrations scheduled for January 20. These arrests and harassment of peaceful democratic forces is a violation of their civil and political rights. The United States calls on the King to release these activists. Dialogue between the King and the parties and a return to democracy are the only effective ways to address the Maoist insurgency in Nepal.

One of the strongest aspects of President Bush's foreign policy is his firm insistence that the United States will not tolerate violence as a means of policy. Saying "dialogue" is the only effective way to address the Maoist insurgency seems to justify the violence. Blow up enough buildings and kill enough policemen and we'll talk.

A State Dept statement from Jan 3 about the ending of the ceasefire was more on target.

The United States is deeply concerned by the Maoists’ announcement January 2 ending their unilateral cease-fire. We condemn the Maoist bombings of government office buildings outside Kathmandu. The United States has consistently called upon the Maoists to abandon violence and rejoin the political mainstream. The end of the cease-fire at this time is unhelpful and contrary to that goal. There can be no excuse for the resumption of violence.

Yes, the Nepalese monarchy has not strongly encouraged open democracy, but that is a separate issue. As we condemn Palestinian suicide bombings, as we opposed and ultimately removed Saddam Hussein's murderous regime, so too should the United States be a strong voice condemning the Maoists and their constant violence.