Nepali Peace must be linked to Nepal Tourism Year 2011
Surya B. Prasai
December 25, 2010
In 2010, the United Nations Mission faced many hurdles in maintaining Nepali peace, which sadly did not culminate in a definite and logical conclusion as desired by the Nepali people and the global diasporas. While Nepali people seemed to be increasingly living at peace with one another, given the diverse ethnic backgrounds and multiple languages spoken at the regional level, Nepal's politicians squabbled incessantly to find a place for themselves on the road to Singha Durbar.
Thus caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal backed by the split among the 17 parties on an appropriate candidate, managed to continue staying at Baluwatar, even taking a few trips abroad in the name of Nepali diplomacy, peace and reducing LDC poverty. After the recent visit of Lynn Pascoe, the UN Political Affairs Chief in New York, it has become clear that the United Nations Mission in Nepal will not continue after January 15, 2011, despite efforts from the CPN-Maoists to extend it by one final six month term.
Resident ambassadors in Kathmandu from the UN Security Council Permanent Five have already indicated to Prachanda and the Maoists, that the solution to Nepali peace must be internal and interlinked to a common political accord among the ruling parties to find a plausible way out – namely the integration of ex-Maoist combatants into civil society or the Nepal Army. This, in turn, is interlinked to delays in the constitution statute drafting process which faces an uncertain future according to Nepali Congress Chief Sushil Koirala and the selection of the next PM through the Constituent Assembly, about which PM Nepal states someone will be found ´soon" to replace him.
While Nepalis celebrated Christmas with increased merriment crossing the Hindu-Buddhist line, proving that the country is indeed secular, Nepal Tourism Year 2011 will prove another great occasion for Nepalis to show their renowned hospitality, as they greet hundreds of thousands of tourists to the former enchanting Kingdom of Nepal caught best in Hollywood movies as a land of mischief, romance, fun, and adventure. This is why, starting 2011, the Nepali peace culture must be interlinked to the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 to cure the Nepali image abroad of ´turmoil in Shangrila´. It will also help the country overcome the pangs of the current political divide that is proving a major obstacle.
During his earlier visit to Nepal between October 6 to 8, the UN´s Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, had cautioned that swift action was required to overcome the political impasse in Nepal and to meet the mid-January 2011 deadline to wrap up the stalled peace process. In fact, in his New York briefing to the UN Security Council´s Permanent Five, USG Pascoe had cautioned "no breakthrough has been achieved…it is too early to conclude that the parties are on a course...that would see the Four-Point Agreement implemented by the January deadline." Pascoe even procrastinated, "The prolonged political stalemate in Nepal, most vividly symbolized by the continuing failure to elect a new Prime Minister, is compounded by persistent internal divisions within the main political parties, personal interests and calculations, and regional factors."
At the moment, the NC appears recalcitrant, refusing to withdraw the name of Ram Chandra Poudel as the PM candidate after nearly one and half dozen CA voting dramas where he got defeated. But Poudel remains the best bet for Sushil Koirala and his old time Kangressi foot soldiers. Prachanda´s name will again be proposed by the Maoists once the CA regulation change takes place, though one can only second guess he might not end up being PM given India´s policy to keep the Maoists in check as the number two party, that too in opposition. The CPN-UML too has a bunch of detractors opposed to PM Nepal while some independent voices within such as K.P. Oli have claimed the P.M. berth as their rightful possession.
Karin Landgren, the UNMIN Representative in Nepal has tried to convey a sense of urgency that the January 15 withdrawal deadline for UNMIN must focus on urgent political measures to end the prolonged stasis, but that is not happening. Meanwhile, India has tried to strengthen its security position vis-a-vis various vying geo political competitors from among the UNSC Permanent Five namely, the US, UK and in the main, China as a new Nepal political and economic bidder on Nepal. India commands loyalty among many in the ruling seventeen party coalitions which is to its political advantage beside sharing an open border system with Nepal. Also, India is eager to bolster defense cooperation with Nepal after UNMIN´s departure. According to Farzand Ahmed writing in India Today (Dec 23, 2010), "India is ready to provide all kinds of security logistics to its Himalayan neighbor but the proposal or demands for it should reach the government of India first. This was stated by Indian Army Chief Gen VK Singh. Gen Singh on a three-day official visit to Kathmandu and was quoted by the leading newspaper The Rising Nepal stating that India was ready to assist Nepal with all kinds of security logistics as demanded at any time." This is the first offer made by India for resumption of its direct military assistance to Nepal after the CPA 2006 was signed.
The truth is: some accomplishments of UNMIN have been notable, namely the cantonment of the ex-Maoists combatants and their weapons in various camps, while it has not entirely succeeded in getting the Big Three and the smaller parties to come up with an agreeable timeframe on Nepali peace. UNMIN´s presence has also bound the Nepali army to strict guidelines which obfuscate its national security role, which NA has warned cannot remain so for a prolonged period of time. The major task for UNMIN before the January 15 departure remains integration and rehabilitation followed by Constitution writing, on which neither the UN Security Council Five nor Nepali political leaders know on whether the donkey or the cart comes first.
Despite these limitations to Nepali peace, Nepal Tourism Board is all set to receive the first visitor to Nepal from abroad on January 1, 2011. The Nepal Government seeks to draw 1 million tourists to Nepal in one single year, which is based on another old theme from late Prajapati Prasai, Prabhakar Rana, and Karna Shakya who jointly led the highly successful Visit Nepal 1998 tourism campaign with a similar goal. Nepal still does not have the middle to high end tourism infrastructure to accommodate such tourist intake even if all the hotel rooms, lodges and trekking route cabins were put together. Even if the ex-Maoists were to leave their cantonments opting for civilian integration, the remnant infrastructure if converted into tourist lodges (which are, in truth, for grabs by the Nepal Government at the behest of private tourism entrepreneurs) would not suffice for all. But what Nepal needs to promote first is the peace within which is through the culmination of the peace process, and the known peace outside – the enchanting smile of the Buddha born in Lumbini, which Nepali embassies and consulates are already promoting. Nepal also needs to upgrade its air safety standards, ensuring ICAO regulations are adhered to strictly in Nepal´s burgeoning open skies littered with aviation disasters and major near air mishaps in the last couple of years, 2010 being no major exception.
So, what must those claiming a stake in the Nepali peace think of then in the coming year? One believes, the answer lies in re-strengthening the core values of the Nepali peace culture and the change sought by Nepalis in a rapid transformation period affected by cultural, economic and political upheavals which started in 1996 and took a decade to end. Nepali politicians must now move beyond seeking a spot in Singha Durbar to focus on NTY 2011 to prove that Nepal can indeed provide quality services to foreigners and keep its adventure tourism promotion intact. This must be accompanied by a perpetual feeling of peace and security for the foreign visitor, not only Nepalis.
Everyone agrees Nepal is in the hot seat of globalization, a true budding yam between two gourds, China and India. Its economy is roaring due to growing remittances, Kollywood is following closely on Bollywood, and Nepali glamour and fame can be witnessed in the fashion catwalks of New York, including the Nepali topi these days donned by many other nationalities! While the Nepali state continues remaining poor infrastructure wise, Nepalis continue growing rich, the vast outreach of internet service providers in Nepal ensures that the new laptop culture in Kathmandu also infiltrates rural communities and villages, despite known electricity crunch. It proves, Nepalis want to connect with one another and share a common peaceful future.
In context, the UN too realizes Nepal´s geographical advantage and the Nepali people´s peaceful aspirations, and this is why it has sought to make January 15, 2011 the end date for UNMIN in Nepal. The UN has already accomplished a lot development wise in the past half decade in Nepal. Now it too must focus on the culture of peace and promoting Nepali tourism as a viable source of income for Nepalis still living below the poverty line.
Some countries such as the US, UK and China have also expressed their continued support to the Nepali peace process beyond January 15, 2011 through existing or stepped up aid management. One should not forget that a UN Security Council statement, in accordance with Resolution 1939 (100) states the importance of the agreement and implementation of a clear work plan from the Special Committee that includes timelines, benchmarks and arrangements for the management of UNMIN´s residual tasks, following its termination.
Nepali peace will not fade away with UNMIN but it must have a ripple effect on how foreign visitors, not only Nepalis see the Nepali events unfurl in 2011 namely that the Nepali peace process must underscore the need for continued progress hoping there is a ray of sunshine beyond the silver cloud lining. If this transpires, there will no major lament in the Nepali media; Nepalis will prove the end winner of the decade long civil conflict that changed Nepal´s political horizons forever. Tourists visiting Nepal in 2011 will also remember it as one of the most memorable trips in their lifetime.
Thus caretaker Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal backed by the split among the 17 parties on an appropriate candidate, managed to continue staying at Baluwatar, even taking a few trips abroad in the name of Nepali diplomacy, peace and reducing LDC poverty. After the recent visit of Lynn Pascoe, the UN Political Affairs Chief in New York, it has become clear that the United Nations Mission in Nepal will not continue after January 15, 2011, despite efforts from the CPN-Maoists to extend it by one final six month term.
Resident ambassadors in Kathmandu from the UN Security Council Permanent Five have already indicated to Prachanda and the Maoists, that the solution to Nepali peace must be internal and interlinked to a common political accord among the ruling parties to find a plausible way out – namely the integration of ex-Maoist combatants into civil society or the Nepal Army. This, in turn, is interlinked to delays in the constitution statute drafting process which faces an uncertain future according to Nepali Congress Chief Sushil Koirala and the selection of the next PM through the Constituent Assembly, about which PM Nepal states someone will be found ´soon" to replace him.
While Nepalis celebrated Christmas with increased merriment crossing the Hindu-Buddhist line, proving that the country is indeed secular, Nepal Tourism Year 2011 will prove another great occasion for Nepalis to show their renowned hospitality, as they greet hundreds of thousands of tourists to the former enchanting Kingdom of Nepal caught best in Hollywood movies as a land of mischief, romance, fun, and adventure. This is why, starting 2011, the Nepali peace culture must be interlinked to the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 to cure the Nepali image abroad of ´turmoil in Shangrila´. It will also help the country overcome the pangs of the current political divide that is proving a major obstacle.
During his earlier visit to Nepal between October 6 to 8, the UN´s Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, had cautioned that swift action was required to overcome the political impasse in Nepal and to meet the mid-January 2011 deadline to wrap up the stalled peace process. In fact, in his New York briefing to the UN Security Council´s Permanent Five, USG Pascoe had cautioned "no breakthrough has been achieved…it is too early to conclude that the parties are on a course...that would see the Four-Point Agreement implemented by the January deadline." Pascoe even procrastinated, "The prolonged political stalemate in Nepal, most vividly symbolized by the continuing failure to elect a new Prime Minister, is compounded by persistent internal divisions within the main political parties, personal interests and calculations, and regional factors."
At the moment, the NC appears recalcitrant, refusing to withdraw the name of Ram Chandra Poudel as the PM candidate after nearly one and half dozen CA voting dramas where he got defeated. But Poudel remains the best bet for Sushil Koirala and his old time Kangressi foot soldiers. Prachanda´s name will again be proposed by the Maoists once the CA regulation change takes place, though one can only second guess he might not end up being PM given India´s policy to keep the Maoists in check as the number two party, that too in opposition. The CPN-UML too has a bunch of detractors opposed to PM Nepal while some independent voices within such as K.P. Oli have claimed the P.M. berth as their rightful possession.
Karin Landgren, the UNMIN Representative in Nepal has tried to convey a sense of urgency that the January 15 withdrawal deadline for UNMIN must focus on urgent political measures to end the prolonged stasis, but that is not happening. Meanwhile, India has tried to strengthen its security position vis-a-vis various vying geo political competitors from among the UNSC Permanent Five namely, the US, UK and in the main, China as a new Nepal political and economic bidder on Nepal. India commands loyalty among many in the ruling seventeen party coalitions which is to its political advantage beside sharing an open border system with Nepal. Also, India is eager to bolster defense cooperation with Nepal after UNMIN´s departure. According to Farzand Ahmed writing in India Today (Dec 23, 2010), "India is ready to provide all kinds of security logistics to its Himalayan neighbor but the proposal or demands for it should reach the government of India first. This was stated by Indian Army Chief Gen VK Singh. Gen Singh on a three-day official visit to Kathmandu and was quoted by the leading newspaper The Rising Nepal stating that India was ready to assist Nepal with all kinds of security logistics as demanded at any time." This is the first offer made by India for resumption of its direct military assistance to Nepal after the CPA 2006 was signed.
The truth is: some accomplishments of UNMIN have been notable, namely the cantonment of the ex-Maoists combatants and their weapons in various camps, while it has not entirely succeeded in getting the Big Three and the smaller parties to come up with an agreeable timeframe on Nepali peace. UNMIN´s presence has also bound the Nepali army to strict guidelines which obfuscate its national security role, which NA has warned cannot remain so for a prolonged period of time. The major task for UNMIN before the January 15 departure remains integration and rehabilitation followed by Constitution writing, on which neither the UN Security Council Five nor Nepali political leaders know on whether the donkey or the cart comes first.
Despite these limitations to Nepali peace, Nepal Tourism Board is all set to receive the first visitor to Nepal from abroad on January 1, 2011. The Nepal Government seeks to draw 1 million tourists to Nepal in one single year, which is based on another old theme from late Prajapati Prasai, Prabhakar Rana, and Karna Shakya who jointly led the highly successful Visit Nepal 1998 tourism campaign with a similar goal. Nepal still does not have the middle to high end tourism infrastructure to accommodate such tourist intake even if all the hotel rooms, lodges and trekking route cabins were put together. Even if the ex-Maoists were to leave their cantonments opting for civilian integration, the remnant infrastructure if converted into tourist lodges (which are, in truth, for grabs by the Nepal Government at the behest of private tourism entrepreneurs) would not suffice for all. But what Nepal needs to promote first is the peace within which is through the culmination of the peace process, and the known peace outside – the enchanting smile of the Buddha born in Lumbini, which Nepali embassies and consulates are already promoting. Nepal also needs to upgrade its air safety standards, ensuring ICAO regulations are adhered to strictly in Nepal´s burgeoning open skies littered with aviation disasters and major near air mishaps in the last couple of years, 2010 being no major exception.
So, what must those claiming a stake in the Nepali peace think of then in the coming year? One believes, the answer lies in re-strengthening the core values of the Nepali peace culture and the change sought by Nepalis in a rapid transformation period affected by cultural, economic and political upheavals which started in 1996 and took a decade to end. Nepali politicians must now move beyond seeking a spot in Singha Durbar to focus on NTY 2011 to prove that Nepal can indeed provide quality services to foreigners and keep its adventure tourism promotion intact. This must be accompanied by a perpetual feeling of peace and security for the foreign visitor, not only Nepalis.
Everyone agrees Nepal is in the hot seat of globalization, a true budding yam between two gourds, China and India. Its economy is roaring due to growing remittances, Kollywood is following closely on Bollywood, and Nepali glamour and fame can be witnessed in the fashion catwalks of New York, including the Nepali topi these days donned by many other nationalities! While the Nepali state continues remaining poor infrastructure wise, Nepalis continue growing rich, the vast outreach of internet service providers in Nepal ensures that the new laptop culture in Kathmandu also infiltrates rural communities and villages, despite known electricity crunch. It proves, Nepalis want to connect with one another and share a common peaceful future.
In context, the UN too realizes Nepal´s geographical advantage and the Nepali people´s peaceful aspirations, and this is why it has sought to make January 15, 2011 the end date for UNMIN in Nepal. The UN has already accomplished a lot development wise in the past half decade in Nepal. Now it too must focus on the culture of peace and promoting Nepali tourism as a viable source of income for Nepalis still living below the poverty line.
Some countries such as the US, UK and China have also expressed their continued support to the Nepali peace process beyond January 15, 2011 through existing or stepped up aid management. One should not forget that a UN Security Council statement, in accordance with Resolution 1939 (100) states the importance of the agreement and implementation of a clear work plan from the Special Committee that includes timelines, benchmarks and arrangements for the management of UNMIN´s residual tasks, following its termination.
Nepali peace will not fade away with UNMIN but it must have a ripple effect on how foreign visitors, not only Nepalis see the Nepali events unfurl in 2011 namely that the Nepali peace process must underscore the need for continued progress hoping there is a ray of sunshine beyond the silver cloud lining. If this transpires, there will no major lament in the Nepali media; Nepalis will prove the end winner of the decade long civil conflict that changed Nepal´s political horizons forever. Tourists visiting Nepal in 2011 will also remember it as one of the most memorable trips in their lifetime.
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