Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-02-24-Speech-4-154"
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"en.20050224.13.4-154"2
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". – Mr President, I wish to congratulate Mrs Gill on her excellent speech.
We have heard that the King has declared a state of emergency, dismissed the government, assumed direct power and suspended civil rights indefinitely. Since then the King has continued to suppress the media and potential opposition, detaining thousands of people, including politicians, student leaders, human rights activists, journalists, professors and other important public figures. A few have been released since then.
Nepal is relatively new to the concept of multiparty democracy, which it established only in 1990 with the framework of a constitutional monarchy. I enjoy and respect constitutional monarchies. At this time, Nepal reinstated previously banned political parties and increased the civil liberties of the Nepalese people. Unfortunately, its attempt at democracy has been fraught with difficulties. Over the last 15 years, the credibility of the Nepalese politicians has been repeatedly undermined with allegations of corruption and self-interest. They refuse to put Nepalese interests first; they have been putting their own first.
Politicians have proved incapable of ridding Nepal of a group of so-called 'Maoist insurgents' that was launched in 1996 to bring down the monarchy and the regime. The ceasefire they attempted to negotiate with the insurgents broke down in August 2003. The King's recent actions exemplify someone who, on the one hand, wishes to rid Nepal of terrorism and, on the other, wishes to bring stability to a country whose democratic actors have failed to achieve it. He has decided to take matters into his own hands. However, in doing so, he has played into the hands of rebel forces and has infringed upon the very rights he was purportedly aiming to protect.
Nepal cannot be allowed to regress to a system whereby the King is undisputed ruler and the rights and lives of his subjects are in the hands of one man. The recent chain of events is extremely worrying and reminiscent of the Nepal of the Rana oligarchs, a Nepal whose human rights record the world had hoped was finally going to be laid to rest. We in the international community must encourage the King to undo his recent actions. If necessary, this may involve suspending military aid to Nepal until the King finally realises that the fight against terror is an international struggle which is best dealt with in an open and democratic society, as opposed to the oppressive, closed, authoritarian state which he is sadly attempting to recreate."@en1
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