.
President George W. Bush
The White House Washington, D.C
Dear Mr. President
We are reaching out to you to beseech your immediate attention to the
simmering crisis in Nepal. As you are aware, Nepal, for the last ten years, has
been an unfortunate victim of some of the worst violence of terrorism in the
world. The Maoist terrorists have been committing horrific crimes unabated
despite the ceasefire agreement they signed with the government nine months ago.
The Maoists have used this ceasefire simply as an opportunity to maximize
their stranglehold on the people of Nepal. They have been extorting money from
citizens, terrorizing and killing individuals with impunity, forcibly evicting
thousands of people from their homes and lands, abducting little children from
schools and forcefully recruiting them into their militia on a massive scale.
They also have been preventing people from engaging in any religious and
cultural activities throughout the countryside. The present communist-dominated
government has shown no willingness or is unable to stop these barbaric acts
from being committed by the Maoists.
What’s more, our democracy has completely collapsed. We do not have a
democratically elected constitutional government. Mr. G. P. Koirala, who
mismanaged our country for sixteen years, who demonstrated an insatiable
appetite for power, corruption and nepotism, who was mainly responsible for the
destruction of our democracy and for the rise of the Maoists, and who virtually
destroyed the only democratic party in Nepal - the Nepali Congress - has
regained power as prime minister in a riot with the help of the Maoists. To add
insult to the gravest of injuries, the Maoists are soon going to be inducted
into the government without being elected by the Nepalese populous. The Maoists
have not renounced violence, and they have not surrendered their deadly weapons.
Instead, they have made it abundantly clear that they have no intention of doing
so.
Mr. President, we would like to recall the statement that you, along with
Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh of India, made in New Delhi: “The King should
handover power to the political parties. The Maoists should renounce violence
and surrender their weapons.” The King has already handed over power to the
Seven-party Alliance in Nepal. Yet, the Maoists have shown no indication of
their intent to join the civilized world by forsaking their violent ways.
We, Nepalese, are a proud and brave people. We have fought and protected our
national independence for more than two and a quarter centuries, against all
odds and mightiest of forces. Like most people around the world, we long to live
in peace, democracy and freedom. We also have a deep, abiding faith in our
religions and cherish our unique culture and our way of life. To these ends, we
will never flinch, nor choose the path of surrender or submission.
Mr. President, our principles and values may not be enough to defeat an enemy
that has dehumanized its own fellow citizens and used the most heinous and
brutal methods, including murder and plunder of innocent civilians, in order to
impose its tyrannical ideology in Nepal. Sadly, the world is still unaware of
the kind of pain and suffering the Nepalese people have been subjected to endure
for a decade. Our people have been silenced at gunpoint, and, to this day, our
media has not been allowed to report to the full extent the crimes committed
against the people.
Although, those of us, who still believe in democracy, have not given up the
fight. We have had little success so far. We are left with no choice but to
accept a group of power mongers, the so-called Seven-Party Alliance, and the
Maoist terrorist gang.
Indeed, it would be an understatement to say that Nepal is facing a difficult
road ahead. It is becoming increasingly clear that the Nepalese people, by
themselves, will not be able to defeat the deadly enemy that they are facing. We
urgently need political, diplomatic and moral support from the outside world -
particularly that of the United States.
We beseech you to take immediate steps to demonstrate your support for peace
and democracy in Nepal. We also urge you to support our people’s cry for
justice. The Maoists should be brought to justice for the appalling crimes they
have committed in Nepal, not welcomed into the government. As President John F.
Kennedy said, “Our goal is not the victory of might, but the vindication of
right - not peace at the expense of freedom, but both peace and freedom…”
To that end, we implore you to put every pressure on the present government
in Kathmandu to prevent the Maoists from joining the government. We believe that
all economic aid to Nepal should be suspended immediately. Furthermore, we hope
that you will withdraw U. S. government’s recognition of the present regime in
Nepal and initiate other sanctions to bring pressure to bear on the present
authority in Nepal. It is also paramount that the United States continues to
recognize the Maoists as a terrorist organization.
Mr. President, your timely action will go a long way towards ensuring the
future of peace and freedom in Nepal. We thank you in advance for your kind
consideration.
Sincerely
Signed by the Nepali people
Vijay K Sigdel Bishal Bikram Shah
Subhash Nepal Nhuchhe N. Dangol
Col. Kuber Thapa B. K. Newa
Sher B. Gartaula Pt. Ram Prasad Ghimire
Dharmendra Gopali Swamy C.P. Parajuli
Bandana Koirala Kamala Prasai
Prof. Uttam Dhungel Bhojraj Thapalia
Bijay Kharel N.M. Kharel
Bijesh Maskey Kamal Pande
Surya Lal Maharjan Gopi Lal Tamang
Victor Ghale Yuvaraj Gurung
January 11th, 2007
New York City, NY
Coalition for National Unity and Reconciliation in Nepal
PO Box 4291, New York, NY 10163 - 4291, USA
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