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The so-called Nepalese People's War was launched by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) on February 13, 1996. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) controls large parts of the country. In 2001, the Nepal government began deploying the armed forces against the Maoists, and since then more than 6,000 people have been killed. The Maoists started the rebellion following that the Samyukta Jana Morcha (United People's Front) failed to make any advance in the general elections 1994, winning only three seats. Following the electoral defeat, a hardline section broke away and formed CPN(M). Preparations for armed struggle were initiated immediately took place in 1995. Initially the Royal Nepal Army was not involved in direct fighting, because the internal conflict was seen as a political and police problem. Under the aegis of the global War on Terrorism and with the stated goal of averting the development of a "failed state" that could serve as a source of regional and international instability, the United States and India, among other nations, have begun providing extensive military and economic aid to the Nepal government. In response, Maoist leaders denounced U.S. involvement and threatened to target U.S. interests.
Nepal is currently one of a few absolute monarchies left on the planet. The King may dissolve parliament at will and frequently has done so.
Timeline
1996
- February 13 Initiation of the people's war by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
- Kathmandu: A soft-drink bottling factory owned by a multi-national company was attacked and a portion of the building torched.
- Gorkha district
- A liquor factory was 'blasted'.
- Office of the Small Farmer's Development Programme of the state owned Agricultural Development Bank in Chyangli VDC (Village Development Committee) ransacked.
- Kavre district: An usurer's house was raided at night, properties and cash reportedly worth 1.3 million rupees were seized, and loan documents worth several million rupees reportedly destroyed.
- Rolpa, Rukum & Sindhuli districts: One police outpost raided in each district. The outpost at Holeri, Rolpa had its store seized, including a "substantial amount of high explosives". Athbiskot-Rari, Rukum was also raided. The Sindhuligarhi post in Sindhuli was reportedly raided without resistance.
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
- May 28: Chairman Prachanda gave an interview with the journal A World to Win.
- November: Peace talks collapse. The monarchy declares a nationwide state of emergency and employs the Nepal Army to start attacking the Maoists. [1]
2002
- U.S. Congress approves US$12 million to train Royal Nepal Army officers and supply 5,000 M-16 rifles. [2]
- May: Peace talks collapse. [3]
- May 11 A photograph Discovered by Nepal government soldiers in western Nepal, the photograph depicts Nepal's Maoist rebel leaders Baburam Bhattarai, Hishila Yami, Ram Bahadur Thapa (alias Badal), and Pushpa Kamal Dahal (alias Prachanda). [4]
- May: King Gyanendra dissolves parliament due to opposition to the state of emergency, and orders new elections
- October: on the recommendation of his prime minister, King Gyanendra postpones elections indefinitely
2003
- January: The United States held exercises with the Nepali army. [5]
- January 29 A ceasefire is established and peace talks begin. [6]
- August 17 Killing of '19 rebels and civilians' in the Ramechhap district of central Nepal. [7]
- August 24 The Maoists threatened to withdraw from the cease-fire if the government would not agree to include discussion of their participation in the Constituent Assembly within 48 hours. [8]
- August 26 Maoist ultimatum expires. [9]
- August 27
- Strike. "the rebels called for a one-day strike to denounce the army's attacks on rebel cadres" [10]
- The rebels unilaterally withdrew from the January 29th cease-fire. Prachanda's statement revived the rebels' demand for an end to monarchic rule in favor of a people's republic. Excerpt of statement: "since the old regime has put an end to the forward-looking solution to all existing problems through the cease-fire and peace talks, we herein declare that the rationale behind cease-fire...and peace process has ended." [11]
- September 27 "Twelve Maoists were killed in a gunbattle with security forces at Chhita Pokhara in the Khotang district, 340 kilometres east of Kathmandu, a police officer said." "Elsewhere in eastern Nepal, the Maoists killed two policemen, Purna Giri and Radha Krishna Rai, and a woman selling beetle nuts, Kala Chaudhary, in the Jaljale-Gaighat area, an official said." "In Janakpur, an industrial hub on the Indian border 260 kilometres south-east of Kathmandu, the rebels carried out five early morning bombings that disrupted telephone service and power, police said." "He said the sites that were bombed included the offices of the roads department and the Nepal Electricity Authority and a telecommunications tower." "Troops and Maoists traded fire for nearly 40 minutes after the blasts but the rebels escaped and no one was injured, Mr Khadka said." [12]
- October 13 At least 37 people were killed when an estimated 1,000 Maoists attempted to storm a police training centre in Bhaluwang. "The rebels had snapped telephone cables, set up roadblocks by felling trees or blowing up highway bridges to prevent reinforcements from coming," a witness, Krishna Adhikary, told Reuters. [13]
- October 27 "Lieutenant Colonel Adrian Griffith and six Nepali nationals were freed last week 42 hours after being taken captive in Baglung, 300 km (190 miles) west of Kathmandu, while on a drive to recruit young Gurkha soldiers to serve in the British army." Party chief Prachanda said "We are sorry for the incident that took place against the policy of the party". [14]
- November 11 The government Defence Ministry accused the rebels of abducting twenty-nine 9th and 10th grade students from Riva Secondary School in Mugu district, western Nepal during the previous week. [15]
- November 19 According to a Nepal army official, four people were caught at the Chinese Khasa border point, 114 kilometres northeast of Kathmandu, smuggling weapons from Tibet in to Nepal. The official named Hirala Lal Shrestha and Gyaljen Sherpa and said they were taken for interrogation in the Tibetan town of Xigatse. [16]
2004
- February 5 A government raid on a village in Bhimad, Makwanpur district occurred. Reports emerged that 14 suspected Maoist activists and two civilians were extrajudicially executed. Amnesty International later wrote a letter to Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa and Colonel Nilendra Aryal, Head of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) human rights cell demanding an immediate inquiry. [17]
- February 10 Two central committee members of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Matrika Yadav and Suresh Alemagar were reported to have been handed over by India to Nepal. They were reportedly arrested in Lucknow after Nepal provided information. [18]
- February 13 Ganesh Chilwal leads an anti-Maoist protest on this day, the ninth anniversary of the commencement of the revolution. [19]
- February 15 Ganesh Chilwal, a Nepal anti-Maoist leader was shot dead in his Kathmandu office by two men. The attack came two days he had led an anti-Maoist protest. [20]
- February 15 Fighting erupted at a Maoist jungle base in Kalikot district, 360km west of Kathmandu. The base was said to hold 1000 Maoist troops. On February 17, a security official said a private helicopter flying troops to Kalikot was hit by Maoist fire but that it returned safely to Kathmandu. On February 18, 65 were reported killed, though this conflicted with other reported death tolls of 35 and 48. [21] [22]
- February 15 and 16 State radio reported 13 rebels were killed in seven separate small clashes across the kingdom. [23]
- February 18 Lawmaker Khem Narayan Faujdar, a member of the parliament dissolved by King Gyanendra in 2002 was shot dead by two suspected Maoists riding a motorcycle in the Nawalparasi district, 200km southwest of the capital, according to police. [24]
- April 2(?) The largest rallies since 1990 begin in Kathmandu. They are variously labelled "pro-democracy" and "anti-monarchy".
- April 3 More than 12 trucks were burnt while waiting at a western Nepal border post to pick up petrol from India. India condmened the attacks and vowed to fight terrorism. [28]
- April 4 "Some 150 demonstrators were struck during a police baton charge" during demonstrations in Kathmandu. [29]
- April 4 "Hundreds of Maoist rebels" attacked a police post in Yadukuwa, Jadukhola killing at least nine police. 35 police were reported missing, 9 dead, and 7 wounded. 8 to 9 rebels were reported dead. "Witnesses said more than 500 rebels bombed the police post and began firing automatic weapons at around 9 pm (1515 GMT) on Sunday night. The fighting lasted two to three hours." Other reports stated 400 rebels. [30] [31] [32]
- April 4 In the west of the country three Indian traders were shot and injured and had their vehicles burned. [33]
- April 5 A three day national strike begins, called by CPN(M) and opposed by an "alliance of five political parties" who are protesting in Kathmandu against the monarchy and say the strike will hamper the movement of demonstrators in Kathmandu. Prachanda said "The time has come to win a united struggle against the feudal forces as the king is trying to take the nation back to the 18th century". [34] [35]
- April 5 In the morning, 3 soldiers are killed and 7 injured by a CPN(M) landmine activated by their vehicle at Dhalkhola, 50km east of Kathmandu. [36] [37]
- April 5 At least 140 people were injured in clashes in Kathmandu as "about 50,000" demonstrators confronted police. Demonstrators tried to break through a police barricade close to the royal palace. Police responded with tear gas and protesters were reportedly injured by police batons. Rocks and bricks were thrown by both sides. Demonstrations also occurred in Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. King Gyanendra has reportedly been away touring villages in western Nepal. [38] [39]
- April 5 The Indian government will no longer provide police escorts to Indian officials shopping in Nepal as a means to discourage such trips. Fears are based on CPN(M) targeting of Indians - "We are worried about possible reprisals here if the Maoists continue to target Indians inside Nepal" said a senior police official. [40]
- August 16 The Soaltee Hotel, a popular luxury hotel in Katmandu, was bombed for refusing a rebel demand that the hotel close.
- August 18 A bomb explodes in a marketplace in southern Nepal. The blast kills a 12-year-old boy and wounds six others, including three policemen. Also, Maoist rebels demanding the release of captured guerrillas stop all road traffic near Katmandu by threatening to attack vehicles. Some Nepal businesses are shut down because of threats.
- September 10 A bomb explodes at the United States Information Service office in Kathmandu.
- September 13 U.S. Peace Corps suspends operations and non-essential U.S. Embassy personnel are evacuated from Nepal.
External Links
Websites
- Strategypage: Military news about Nepal.
News articles and press releases
- BBC Q&A on Conflict
- AFP via Australian Broadcasting Corporation, More die in Nepal Maoist insurgency despite truce call, September 28, 2003.
- A World to Win! via HumanRights.de. Interview with Chairman Prachanda. A World to Win. Interview took place 28 May, 2001.
- Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Central Committee Publications Department. The Worker (Issue 2), Review, June 1996.
- Revolutionary Communist Party, USA "Revolutionary Worker Online's" "People's War in Nepal" section.
- Kyodo. Nepal rebels abduct 29 students, Yahoo News Asia, November 11, 2003.
- Miglani, Sanjeev. Nepal's Maoist cauldron draws foreign powers closer, August 18, 2003.
- Pokharel, Tilak P. Nepalese Rebels Walk Away from Peace Talks, World Press Review, August 27, 2003.
- Reuters. Thirty-seven killed as Nepal rebels clash with police, Reuters Alertnet, October 13, 2003.
- Reuters. Nepal rebels regret kidnapping British officer, Reuters Alertnet, October 27, 2003.
- India hands over two Maoist leaders to Nepal, The Times of India, February 10, 2004.
- China arrests four Nepalese arms smugglers, The News, November 19, 2003.
- Nepal anti-rebel leader shot dead. BBC, February 15, 2004.
- 48 Maoists killed in Nepal army attacks, says state radio. AFP via Hindustan Times, February 17, 2004.
- 65 dead in Nepal fighting, The Australian, February 18, 2004.
- Nepal: Extra-judicial killings inquiry urgent, Amnesty International via Scoop. February 18, 2004.
- Police want ‘shopping trip’ slowdown in Nepal, The Statesman, April 5, 2004.
- NNN via INDOlink. 140 Injured As Clashes Rock Nepal’s Capital, NNN. April 5, 2004.
- Reuters via The Globe and Mail. Pro-democracy protest as Nepal turns violent, Reuters. April 5, 2004.
- Reuters via Utusan Online. Maoist rebels storm police post in Nepal, kill 9, Reuters. April 5, 2004.
- AFP via The Times of India. 9 cops killed as Maoists storm post in Nepal, AFP. April 5, 2004.
- AFP via Channel NewsAsia. Nine policemen killed as Maoists storm post in Nepal, AFP. April 5, 2004.
- Binaj Gurubacharya. Maoist rebels kill nine police in Nepal, The Independent. April 6, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: Maoists Temporarily Seize District Capital in Western Nepal, RWOR. April 11, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: Three-Day General Strike Great Success in Nepal, RWOR. April 25, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: Indian Government Grabs Another Top Nepali Maoist Leader, RWOR. April 25, 2004.
- People's War in Nepal: Reaching New Heights in the Himalayas, by Li Onesto, RWOR. May 1, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: Tharu Autonomy: When the Slaves Rise Up on the Nepal Plains, RWOR. May 16, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: Two Successful Actions in Nepal's People's War, RWOR. July 4, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: U.S. Intervention in Nepal: The Facts, RWOR. July 4, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: Nepali Maoist on Hunger Strike Against Torture, RWOR. July 18, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: European Governments Seek to Save Nepal Regime, RWOR. July 18, 2004.
- "Kidnapped" Nepali Students Recall Encounter with Maoist Fighters, RWOR. August 8, 2004.
- From A World to Win News Service: India Tortures Nepali Maoists Held in Patna, RWOR. August 8, 2004.