100 DAYS OF FASCISM IN NEPAL
D. Michael Van De Veer -- Pokhara, Nepal
May 11, 2005
On Monday US Secretary of State for S. Asia Christina Rocca arrived in the capital of Kathmandu. She met with various
leaders of the major parties, held a press conference, and dinned with the King.
Rocca was one day late for the "U.S. Ambassador's Cup Golf Tournament", where the US Ambassador played 18 holes with the
most hated person in Nepal, Crown Prince Parres.
While US Under Secretary of State for S. Asia Christina Rocca turned her back on the Gestapo tactics of the King and
spoke of "mutual interest", and stated "Nepal needs to return to an electoral democracy", she and the American
Ambassador James F. Moriarty , pledged US "help with the Maoist problem".
The US promised to, "resume non lethal military aid and training", leaving some to speculate the "non lethal military
training" must be "cooking-school for the Security Forces".
This reporter after being apprised of the fact observed "white" (Caucasian) pilots in the military helicopters that are
raining-death on the villages in the Annapurna region. The U. S. having not officially resumed military aid or training
to the Nepali Security Forces needs to explain how these pilots, identified as American by locals, can pilot these US
made helicopters.
The Maoist insurgents continue to kill and kidnap Government appointees and expand their hold on the country-side and
many small and mid-size villages and towns.
In Pokhara, once a major tourist destination, many hotels and restaurants remain closed and Black Hawk(?) helicopters
shake the village as they go from the local airport to the battle front.
Paid youth on motorcycles rode through Pokara lake-side with Nepali flags to mark the 100 days since the Kings Feb. 1
power grab and then returned to the bars to spend the few rupees paid them by the Army...........
Ambassador Rocca seems ready ignore the suspension of civil rights, the jailing of party and human rights activist,
journalist, trade-unionist, and student-leaders, and to accept the Kings' promise of eventually restoring democracy, and
after patting the party officials on the head has promised to continue US military aid, without a word of encouragement
with those calling for peace-talks with the Maoist.
With tear-gas being fired one day before on a Pokhara campus and the Security Forces continuing their fascist tactics
there is no "light at the end of the tunnel" for democracy in Nepal .
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D.Michael Van De Veer-- Freelance Journalist
Contributor to Pacifica's FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
UnitedWeBlog ( Voice of Free Nepal)
Co-Host OUT OF THE BOX KKCR-FM www.kkcr.org
Reporting Daily from Nepal