Maoist party parties
Trip Start
Mar 04, 2010
1
11
12
Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
Kathmandu, Nepal
Friday, May 7, 2010
Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
Maoist form of Communism
influenced by Mao Zedong, Revolutionary Internationalist Movement, Sendero Luminoso and others
new doctrine "Prachanda path" as an enrichment of Marxism, Leninism and Maoism to give a new identity to Nepal's revolution
currently led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda)
1994 party was founded
13. February 1996 Maoists launched the "people's war" under slogan: "Let us march ahead on the path of struggle towards establishing the people's rule by wreaking the reactionary ruling system of state." after government didn't agree to list of 40 demands related to "nationalism, democracy and livelihood".
2001 People’s Liberation Army was founded as the armed wing of the party and lead by Prachanda
2001 civil war escalated, fighting was roughly continuous through 2005
22. May 2002 Premier Minister closed down parliament
2002 Maoists control 55 out of 75 districts in Nepal
03. September 2005 Maoists declare ceasefire and form pro-democratic alliance with mainstream parties in opposition to King Gyanendra
04. October 2002 King Gyanendra dismissed Prime Minister
11. October 2002 leading parties don’t support caretaker government
01. February 2005 King Gyanendea declares state of emergency and dismisses government but promised to reinstall democracy within 3 years, parties and public doubt, UNO and others criticize
07 -24. April 2006 general strike all over the country supported by parties and public
24. April 2006 King Gyanendra reinstalled parliament
18. May 2006 parliament reduced King Gyanendra to a representative position
16. June 2006 peace accord was signed ending the Maoist revolution, 10.000 – 15.000 deads are reported during civil war
24. December 2007 parliament abolished monarchy
17. January 2007 new parliament including Maoists was sworn-in
10. April 2008 Maoist became the ruling party during election, Prachanda became Prime Minister of Nepal
28. May 2008 Nepal became Republic
04. May 2009 Prachanda resigned over a conflict regarding head of the Nepalese army
banda (general strike)
24.April
Saw some wallpapers on the walls calling out maoist demo for 01.May.
Nobody of the locals is talking about it.
Auswaertiges Amt is not talking about it.
27. April
Auswaertiges Amt
"Für den 1. Mai haben die Maoisten umfangreiche Protestaktionen angekündigt. Es ist nicht auszuschließen, dass es zu heftigen Zusammenstößen zwischen Polizei und Demonstranten kommen kann."
29.April
Slowly locals start telling there might be a general strike on 01.May which means there will be no transportation because no vehicles will be allowed on the roads. Change my plan to go up to a little village and meet a friend who is starting a ecoresort because if situation might get more tense is would probably be better to be in Kathmandu with other tourists.
Newspaper "More than 40,000 maoist supporters have entered the Kathmandu valley. Maoist party is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar as they say the election was unconstitutional. They are demonstration for the formation of a Maoist-led government. Leaders vowed that protest will be peaceful. Prachanda warns that if demands are not met, they would enforce a nationwide indefinite strike from May 2."
30.April
For sure there will be demonstration tomorrow. I by some fruits and biscuits to survive 1-2 days. Who knows whats gonna happen.... Check the internet news and Auswaertiges Amt but there are no news. The owner of the internet cafe is quite nervous and wants to close the shop because maoists roaming around to collect "donations" up to 70 USD from all shop owners, which is pretty much for them.
01.May
Wake up at 7am as the voice of loud speakers is raising from the Durbar Square. Have a look from the rooftop and see little groups of maoists marching. Locals and tourists standing around watching them and taking pictures. Maoists carrying red flags & bamboo sticks and shouting out slogans. Looks more like they are having fun than beeing dangerous. Go down to join the onlookers and have a tea. It's peaceful but a very strong vibe comes from the maoists and they are well organised walking formed up in blocs and protect their open sides by holding hands or sticks with each other. Spend the day at the rooftop with my neighbour sharing our 'emergency' food. Public transportation is restricted and only few shops are open.
02.May
In the morning the receptionboy says maoist demands are not met so there will be general strike for maybe 1 or 2 days - for sure it will not last longer. No need to worry. Other locals tell me the same. The teashop is not open, have to walk around to find something to eat. Nearly all shops are closed, internetcafe is not open too and public transportation is not allowed. Groups of maoists marching around. Have to spend a boring day at the hotel as there is nothing to do and nowhere to go. In the evening the receptionboy is frustrated as it seems the strike will carry on for a few days. He and most other locals are pissed of that politics run down economy. They claim maoist people promise they fight to improve the living conditions for everybody but finally they just harm everybodies life. Without stability there will be no chance for development.
Newspapers "General strike all over Nepal. Maoists blocking roads but emergency vehicles including media, ambulances, human rights officers, diplomatic vehicles and milk tankers are allowed. Most market places, educational institutions, offices and shops have been shut. Maoists are organising entertainment programs like dancing and singing in their demonstration.”
03.May
Chai, donut and newspaper for breakfast. Indefinite strike but despite maoists marching by from time to time everything is calm in Freak Street. There is no transportation at all, even bicycles are banned and all shops have to be closed between 8am and 6pm. But we find out most of them are half-door-open or you just have to knock on the door to get whatever you want. Hang out with friends and do what everybody else does – enjoy a relaxed holiday, drink chai and watch the kids playing football in the streets. Go to the internetcafe which is luckily half-door-open too but charges double price for the risk. Check the news and send a message home that nobody needs to worry. Feel the surge of adrenalin when the owner locks the doors from outsidewhen maoists marching by while we sit inside in the dark and listen to their voices. Return home in the evening and ask the receptionboy for news. He reports on maoists throwing stones to damage an open shop in Pokara and explains about the freedom of press in Nepal.
Newspapers: “The day was relatively peaceful but maoists vandalised a bank office and two shops and torched two motorbikes. They forced schools, factories, hotels, churches and restaurants to close but feed and accommodate their cadres for free. No one is talking to the press because they are afraid. Some of the mobilised masses got too bored to stay and many have fallen sick. Maoists prevented TV crews from filming people returning home. Public are having hard times to buy their daily essential goods as most market places are shut. Prices of vegetables increase. People are forced to walk to their offices and destinations. Industry has been brought to a stillstand. Containers carrying raw materials from India stranded along the Highways.
04.May
Having chai, donut and newspaper for breakfast and listen to the voice of the streets. A guy usually selling souvenirs at Durbar Square complains about the lack of solidarity. He opened his shop during the last days but now he has to close too because other shopowners are jealous and will send maoists to damage his shop. Another man struggles to find vegetables and food to feed his family as all the farmers have difficulties to reach the city. Newspaper sellers conquer the empty streets and make a big business with the most wanted good these days. Locals blame that maoists pay village people to come to the cities to run the bandhas. These uneducated people don’t know much about politics and come just for the money, for an interesting excursion (as many of them have never been to the cities before) or for a free meal per day. When I watch the demonstrations I see mostly young man but also older people and woman. Yes, the boys don’t look very serious but jump exited around more like innocent schoolkids on vacation than like terrorists. But to call them all uneducated village people makes the story more simple than it is I guess. I can see man with laptops and briefcases too and there are many city-like styled boys and girls. In Freak Street everything is still relaxed despite the group of maoists who urged the owner of my tea stall to close during daytime. But locals getting more frustrated and maoists start to attack more shops and people. I spend another day at the rooftop with friends, go out for lunch and dinner and check the internet to google background about maoist party. In his daily evening report the receptionboy tells me that more and more maoists return home to their villages because some are sick (water and food problems) and others simply want to work on their fields after the rainsaison has started now. Yes, they are farmers and no terrorists. What a wonderful end of a revolution would that be?
Newspapers: “Violence is increasing. Clashes between locals and maoist cadres, police and demonstrators are reported. Many people are injured and a few are killed. Riot police have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident. Two shots were fired during demonstration of supporters and the protestors of the banda. Maoists said they will allow transport for basic needs but have obstructed vehicles carrying milk and vegetables. Farmers disposed their goods in the streets to protest as they could not sell it. Maoist held shopkeepers as they were trying to open their business. More and more maoist supporters decide to trek all the way home because of food and accommodation problems. Maoist politburo member flew to New-Delhi upon invitation of the Communist Party of India.”
05.May
Nobody expected the strike would continue for so many days. People getting more and more bored and tired of the bandha – me too. Watch another day passing by with reading, writing diary, checking news and spending hours in the internetcafe while the situation around is turning more violent. I am not worried about my safety but I think about water and food supply. The good side of the story is that there are no power cuts at the moment – imagine 24h electricity in KTM! Because all the factories are closed there is less demand and more power for the households and small shops. My neighbour reports his friend had to extend her visa as she is not able to leave via land to India at the moment (no transportation) so she had to go to the visa service and passing by at the central parade ground of the city where all the maoists gather together. Cars were burning and aggressive maoist people didn’t attack her but urged her not to be in the streets. She had to escape in a shop and sneak back to Freak Street without visa (later she had to pay a surcharge because the visa was expired).
06.May
Meet the brother of my Bhaktapur family for breakfast. He has been trekking and got stuck in the mountains but finally there are tourist busses connecting the most important places in Nepal and they are still allowed to operate. Another friend was not so lucky as he had to walk 2 days from the Langtantrek back to KTM. Later in the internetcafe two nepali girls and a boy spreading news about a anti-maoist-pro-peace-demonstration via facebook. A look to the pages shows facebook groups like “we hate Padchandra” and “fuck maoists” with stupid, egoistic, emotional and unobjective comments (as far as I can understand the ones written in english) like “Stop the bandha – I miss my friends and want to go back to university”. If this is the level of the future generation I am pessimistic about nepal. I check the official page for the peace demonstration and find out its organized for tomorrow at Durbar Square by the Professional Alliance for Peace and Democracy (PAPAD), Nepal Bar Association (NBA), Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agencies (NATTA), Nepal Teachers' Association, National Private and Boarding Schools' Organization of Nepal, Nepal Medical Association, Human Rights Organization of Nepal (HURON), professors, monasterys, media persons; several NGOs and youth organisations - looks like a proper background but I cant help to think it looks like a lobby of the upper class too. Of course they are the ones mostly harmed by maoists and bandha. I ask the three in the internetcafe (well educated modern young people) why they support the peacedemo. The effervescent girls tell me they supported the maoists before because all politics are shit so they simply wanted to try something new. But now they feel like Prachanda turned against them because he said that people of KTM valley are not really nepalis (somehow he is right – KTM valley represents the small upper and middle class minority of a very poor country of farmers). Now they want to “fight back, show their strength and defend their place in society. They boy tries to calm the emotions down by explaining “we all just want peace”. Aha, fight back for peace?? I am tired of this expression. You hear it everywhere all over Nepal at least once a day but only very few people start doing something in the way that they try to understand and respect others. I cant see peace but a tendency for civil war as there are so many different tribes and people are so egoistic and stupid although the have internet and radio and television – its unbelievable. Well, I am not in the position to judge it. I am just here to listen and for sure a peacedemonstration is better than bandha. I ask them if they think it will be peaceful – “yes of course” they say. Considering the fact that there are thousends of maoists in town I don’t think so. Guess I will stay at home tomorrow, mh or join the peacedemo? The French guy next to me is very exited – “vive la revolution” runs in his blood he says. The internetowner is frustrated and disenchanted. He says it doesn’t matter who has the power in Nepal because all politics are the same and very corrupt. But earlier it was a fight government – Maoists and now people are fighting with each other. Locals started to attack maoist people to stop the bandha. I would love to post some comments in all the stupid facebook groups to make them understand they are fighting against brothers but its not my fight so I just feel very sorry for Nepal and stay quiet.
Newspaper: “Maoist strike spins out of control. Anger grows over the strike and locals protesting against the banda clashed with maoists. Police used tear gas shells but resorted to minimum use of force. Locals obstructed buses carrying activists, seized weapons and chased away maoists. Anti strike demonstrations in Pokhara are staged. Medical care is badly affected because of the lack of transportation and drugs. The price of consumables has more than doubled. As youth is forced to stay at home Facebook has become a platform for airing their grievances and a place to debate the country’s political condition. At least 1,000 maoist supporters returned home trekking up to 5 days to reach their villages. They complain that they were brought to the capital for May Day rally but kept stranded for nearly a week. Leaders asked them either to donate money or to send a member from each family to attend the strike. Now they faced food and shelter problems in the capital and they started suffering from different diseases. Indian envoy meets Prahchanda and urges to lift strike but maoists decided to carry on until their demands were met.”
07.May
7:30 wake up with the sound of speakers from Durbar Square. Meet the neighbour at the rooftop and see three army trucks with riot police on Durbar Square. Leave together to organize food for the day as nobody knows whats gonna happen today. Open the door of the hotel and see riot police everywhere. They are well equipped, blocking all roads leading to Durbar Square and forming up in line on the square. But we are still in Nepal - they conquer the tea stall, hang around reading newspapers, joking, smiling and don’t look very serious at all. We are taking pictures while the locals watch them curiously. For me its shocking how young some of them seem to be and for Steve its shocking how many woman are there. We get some curd, biscuits and a newspaper and want to return to the hotel but end up in the core of the revolution instead. Standing at the stairs of a statue at the main junction where central Durbar Square meets other roads around we watch thousands of maoists coming up towards us while dozends of riot policemen are standing behind us to block Durbar Square. Imagine you being on a small island between a neverending ocean of red flags and an ocean of weapons, helmets and shields… Blood pumping, overwhelming and powerful but still peaceful – dogs sleep relaxed in the streets, policemen walk chatting and laughing in front of the demo, the street is lined with onwatchers taking pictures and the maoists are waving and smiling to us. Policemen leading the demo away from Durbar Square and they follow – no clashes. I assume the maoists must walk in a circle to present such a endless strong number of supporters as they keep coming and coming for about 20 minutes or something ;-). Its just crazy. Havent seen that in the last days. When we finally return to the hotel for breakfast we see the Durbar Square filled with thousands of people preparing for the peace demo. How can I go home? Skip breakfast, grap some food, water and batteries to get ready for the other side of the story. Cleave the crowds to find a safe looking place by the side of the stage with a wall in the back and policemen in front. There is no space left at Durbar Square – its full of exited people with nepali flags, and posters showing peace doves and slogans voting for peace. One of the temples is turned into a stage, media is everywhere, friendly volunteer stuff asks the crowd to sit on the floor and calms down people who are too exited and the smiling riot police in the background doesn’t harm anybody although people push them here and there. Speakers introduce an endless list of organizers, a famous singer sings a peace song, actors play a sketch, doves are released and people around translate a little bit for me. The atmosphere is very easy, relaxed and positive, indeed it’s a peace demonstration. Above all the images of the gods Shiva and Parvati overlook the crowd from their temple – wish you good luck on your way nepal!!
After the program is finished its time to go home. The younger crowd collects signatures and starts to roam the streets with their slogans. Considering the number of maoists around I decide its not a good idea to join them. Go to the interntecafe instead, read about the rising number of clashes all over the country and listen to two western girls speading panic. They booked their flight to india today, recommend everybody to leave nepal as soon as possible and tell stories about confiscated weapons, stopped water and food supply to Kathmandu valley, last outbound flights these days and an atmosphere of fear all over the country. I chat with a friend who’s sister is working for worldbank nepal and she comfirms my point of view – keep an eye on the news and be careful when and where to go out but otherwise it wont we dangerous for tourists. There are already government emergency plans for food and water and for sure flying out wont be a problem for tourists. Another girl in the internetcafe doesn’t know anything about Maoists, didn’t check any news in the last days and has no idea whats going on around. Immediately she calls her mum in germany and books her flight to india.
In the evening I find the receptionboy in a very dark mood. He says “We will have a civil war soon. We always see it in TV from other countries and now its gonna be here. People will fight with brothers.”. Mh, first that’s not a completely new situation in nepal and second why the hell doesn’t he do anything. He even didn’t go to the peacedemo.
Newspapers: “Will the maoists continue their agitation in face of what looks like growing public retaliation? People from various sectors are organising peace rallies across the nation to put pressure on the government and political parties for peace and statute. Some 48 associations jointly organized the peace assembly at Durbar Square and all over Kathmandu in total some 35.000 participants were demonstrating against the bandha. In some cities rallys could not take place due to maoist threats. Elsewhere peace demonstrators and the agitating maoists engaged in clashes. Teargas shells were fired to disperse crowds. Many violent incidents are reported. The situation pacified only after repeated attempts by the Maoist leaders to control the party cadres. International community urges maoists to end strike and warns Nepal to reach political consensus through dialogue within 24 hours. Prime Minister called an emergency meeting of the cabinet.”
08.May
Wake up, stand in the courtyard with a toothbrush and my mouth, meet the receptionboy: “BANDHA IS CALLED OFF!!”
Of course there have been several clashes between peacedemo-people and maoists yesterday.
Of course maoist leaders say they didn’t call off because of international pressure or peacedemo but because they realized they harm their own people too much.
Of course the maoist supporters are shocked because they didn’t expect that at all.
Of course the maoists promise to continue demonstrations to meet their demands.
And of course now that everything is possible again we cant decide what to do and just spend the day hanging out on the rooftop
Out in the streets everything is just as normal as before, it seems nothing has happened.
I learned a lot about politics and people these days.
Newspapers: “Life in the nation has limped back to normalcy. Transportation has resumed and market areas have been opened since early this morning. Maoist leader Prachanda says “We have called off the strike temporarily and not withdrawn it. The agitation will continue with more vigour, intensity and will be more effective. We made the decision keeping in mind the inconvenience to the people, because of the infiltration of various elements and to stop pitting people against each other." He issued a two-day ultimatum to the ruling parties and government to meet maoist demands. Maoists will not join the parties in the talks table right now though they put off the general strike. "We will wait and see their response.” His party will sketch out a new strategy including further demonstrations in the next days. If the party’s demands are not fulfilled they will go again for an indefinite general strike after constitution day May 28. Today thousands of maoist cadres took part in a mass assembly in Kathmand but large numbers of their supporters have started returning home too. Prime Minister welcomed the decision to postpone the general strike and expressed his confidence that it will pave the way to consensus, dialogue and cooperation. A meeting of the ruling parties concluded that the all the political parties including maoists should join hands to conclude the peace process and constitution drafting.”
10.May
Auswaertiges Amt: Auch nach Suspendierung der landesweiten Generalstreiks durch die Maoisten am 7. Mai muss weiterhin mit Beeinträchtigungen des öffentlichen Lebens und teilweise gewaltsamen Protestaktionen gerechnet werden, die u.a. auch zu heftigen Zusammenstößen mit den Sicherheitskräften führen können. Ab 25. Mai haben die Maoisten weitere landesweite Streiks angekündigt, wodurch erneut touristische Ziele und die Versorgung mit Grundnahrungsmitteln betroffen sein könnten.
25.May
no demonstrations, no bandha, no strike, no problems at all
28.May
Of course the constitution is not completed. In the middle of the night a few minutes before the time limit expires the government extended for another three months.
no demonstrations, no bandha, no strike, no problems at all
and no solutions and no changes
………….. to be continued……………
