Despite Maoists murdering people like Ram Hari Shrestha inside UNMIN monitored cantonments, despite Maoists using UNMIN tagged weapons to extort the public, despite Maoists walking out of these same cantonments at will to trash locals for light relief, despite Maoists using sophisticated weapons, supposedly under lock and key inside UNMIN’s containers, to terrorise political opponents, we know what UNMIN does don’t we? Yes, it gets the ICG and OHCHR to issue statements denigrating the Nepal Army or issues statements denying all accountability for anything.  But given the fat salary cheques and the good life that goes with a typically ineffective, corrupt and bloated bureaucracy of a UN mission like UNMIN, should we be surprised that it is trying to extend its stay in Nepal? If we have nothing better to do than to put up with the rubbish statements that UNMIN habitually comes-up with, why not just pay the propaganda department of the Maoist party?

Far from being its honest broker, UNMIN has now become an obstacle and a liability for sustainable peace in Nepal. It’s time to send this white elephant packing. Enough is enough.