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Friday 27 February 2009
ICBL’s Diplomatic Advisor visits Kathmandu.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is among several Asian countries afflicted with landmines and improvised explosive devices (IED). During the Maoist insurgency that lasted a decade, 1996-2006, the Maoist rebels made indiscriminate use of IEDs, while the security forces used antipersonnel landmines around their defensive posts. Consequently, 73 out of Nepal’s 75 Districts are landmine and IED contaminated. Several thousand innocent citizens have been killed or maimed by these weapons, and still continue to do so.
During the last couple of years, far-reaching political changes have swept the country – cessation of insurgency, abolition of monarchy and elections to the Constituent Assembly. Nepal has increasingly displayed political will to meaningfully address the landmine issue. Mine Clearance and MRE operations have been earnestly undertaken, partly with the help from UNMAS and UNICEF.
As a part of the ICBL’s continued drive towards universalisation of the Mine Ban Treaty, I visited Nepal on 13 – 17 Dec, 2008 in my capacity as the ICBL Diplomatic Advisor. In Kathmandu, ICBL’s energetic Campaigner and Chairperson of Ban Landmines Campaign of Nepal, Purna Shova Chitrakar, joined the lobbying mission. In October 2007, ICBL Executive Director, Sylvie Brigot, had led a similar mission. Since then, the political process in Nepal has made good progress and an elected government is in place. Time was, therefore, considered opportune for another visit to sensitise the Nepalese Government to the need for an early move towards accession.
Panelists address participants to the "Mine Action in Nepal" seminar. Photo: NCBL
To coincide with my visit, the Nepal Campaign also organized a Seminar, ‘Mine Action in Nepal – Success and Challenges’ on 16th December. The Seminar was highly successful in terms of the interest it aroused among the participants that included Members of the Constituent Assembly, representatives of various political parties, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction as well as the Nepal Army. Brigadier General Dhani Das Karki, Head of the Engineering Directorate of the Nepal Army and Purna Shova Chitrakar were the main speakers, and I had the opportunity of taking the floor on behalf of the ICBL.
The visit served a useful purpose, as the issue of accession to the Treaty was brought back on the new government’s agenda. Nepal has seen the misery that landmines cause among innocent citizens; it has never used landmines on its borders; it has no production facility and its stockpile is very small. Therefore, it is ICBL’s assessment that with the end of civil strife in the country and the political process firmly in place, Nepal should be in a position to join the Treaty sooner than later. Continuous engagement with the Nepal Government is desirable.
Satnam Jit Singh, ICBL Diplomatic Advisor
