Public jubilation after the king's April climb-down
Nepal's Maoist rebels have reached a breakthrough agreement with the civilian government on ending the country's long civil war.
The agreement will see the rebels join a transitional government, while their arms will be put under UN supervision.
Why have the rebels suspended their armed struggle?
The Maoists called a ceasefire after King Gyanendra ended his controversial direct rule in April and restored parliament.
The king backed down after weeks of strikes and protests against his rule which saw huge demonstrations against him.
Political parties who were then in opposition, and are now in government, had promised to work with the Maoists as a prelude to bringing them into government.
What were the main issues for negotiation?
The parties and the Maoists had to draw up plans for elections to a constituent assembly they agreed to last year that will decide the country's future.
Key issues were:
How those elections and the constituent assembly would be organised
How power would be shared in the interim government when the constituent assembly is in place
Weapons decommissioning.
In theory, the issue of the monarchy has been resolved. Although the Maoists declared aim is for a communist republic, they say they will respect whatever the constituent assembly decides about the future of the monarchy.
Why did the king back down and agree to reconvene parliament?
The short answer is the sheer size of the demonstrations against him - some of the biggest that the country has ever witnessed.
King Gyanendra is now a ceremonial figure
Faced with this vast display of people power, analysts say that the king had no choice but to back down or the country would have descended into anarchy.
Observers say with international pressure mounting on him and the mood among his opponents at home hardening, particularly after the deaths of a number of protesters at the hands of the security forces, the king had few other options.
The current parliament has now effectively reduced the monarchy to a ceremonial role. It has also ended Nepal's status as a Hindu state and turned it into a secular state.
Why did the king seize power in February, 2005?
He accused Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's government of failing to win the support of the Maoist rebels for a deadline for peace talks and of failing to prepare the ground for elections in the spring of 2005.
However, analysts suggest the king might have been using these issues to strengthen his own role in Nepalese politics, perhaps seeking to create an absolute monarchy.
Whatever his intentions, his plans backfired and he finds himself in a much weaker position now, having in effect catalysed his opponents and the rebels into forging peace.
How strong are the rebels?
The Maoists are virtually in control of most of rural Nepal, although the authorities dispute this. Rebel fighters melt away into the hills when troops arrive in force.
They have frequently enforced blockades of major towns and cities through fear of reprisals, showing they have the power to paralyse the economy.
Senior military officers say there are between 10,000 and 15,000 well-trained rebel fighters, known as the movement's "hard core". It is estimated that there could be up to 50,000 so called "militia" who fight alongside them.
The Maoists claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong and want to establish a communist state.
Their shadowy leader's name, Prachanda, is translated as "the fierce one". The group is modelled on Peru's Maoist Shining Path guerrillas.
The army is better equipped, but mountainous terrain and popular support in some areas favours the rebels.
Analysts say that, as the war has progressed, it has become increasingly clear that neither side has the military muscle to win decisively.
What's the human cost of the conflict?
More than 13,000 people have been killed in violence in Nepal since the insurgency began 10 years ago, many of them civilians caught in cross-fire with security forces.
Both sides in the conflict are frequently accused of carrying out human rights abuses.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
The economy > Industry and trade
Industrial production represents a small but growing segment of economic activity. Most industries are small, localized operations based on the processing of agricultural products. The jute industry, centred in Biratnagar, is an important earner of foreign exchange. Sugar factories are located in Biratnagar, Birganj, and Bhairahawa. There are a sawmill and a meat-processing plant in Hitaura and a number of rice and oil mills in the Tarai. Other industries include brick and tile manufacture; processing of construction materials, paper, and food grain; cigarette manufacture; cement production; and brewing of beer. In general, there are more industrial enterprises in the private than in the public sector, although most of these are cottage industries. The main areas of manufacturing concentration are Biratnagar, the Birganj–Hitaura corridor, and the Kathmandu Valley.
Tourism represents a small but expanding industry. Foreign tourism is primarily confined to the Kathmandu Valley, which is the only area equipped with the necessary hotels, food supplies, roads, and international transport services. There are, however, many areas outside the Kathmandu Valley with potential for the development of tourism; these include Pokhara, the Mount Everest area, and the Narayani area (where big game exists).
For geographic and historical reasons, nearly all of Nepal's trade is with India. Attempts have been made to diversify trade through agreements with such countries as Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, the United States, Germany, Poland, and China. The state trading agency, National Trading Limited, has expanded its activities by fostering the development of commercial entrepreneurial activity. Large-scale commercial activity has hitherto been in the hands of foreigners, primarily Indians.
Nepal's foreign trade and balance of payments have suffered setbacks, and exports have not increased enough to pay for imports of consumer goods and basic supplies. Nepal's dependence on the Indian market for most of its imports and exports and on the port of Calcutta for its access to the sea has been the source of periodic friction between the two countries Transport facilities in Nepal are very limited; few independent nations in the world of comparable size have such little road mileage and so few motor vehicles. Construction of new roads has been undertaken since the 1970s with aid from India, China, Great Britain, and the United States. The main means of transportation has been the network of footpaths, which interlace the mountain terrain and valleys. Trails have evolved into main trade routes, which tend to follow the river systems.
The meagre road-transport facilities in Nepal are supplemented by only a few railway and air-transport links. Increased use of road transport has reduced the significance of the two narrow-gauge railroads that run from Amlekhganj to Raxaul (India) and from Janakpur to Jaynagar (India). The Royal Nepal Airline Corporation, an autonomous government agency, is the only commercial airline. Together with Indian Airlines, it operates flights from Kathmandu to various points in India and other nearby countries. Domestic air service within the country has been expanded. The United States built the Kathmandu–Hitaura aerial ropeway in the 1950s, and it is still used for carrying goods into the capital.
Tourism represents a small but expanding industry. Foreign tourism is primarily confined to the Kathmandu Valley, which is the only area equipped with the necessary hotels, food supplies, roads, and international transport services. There are, however, many areas outside the Kathmandu Valley with potential for the development of tourism; these include Pokhara, the Mount Everest area, and the Narayani area (where big game exists).
For geographic and historical reasons, nearly all of Nepal's trade is with India. Attempts have been made to diversify trade through agreements with such countries as Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, the United States, Germany, Poland, and China. The state trading agency, National Trading Limited, has expanded its activities by fostering the development of commercial entrepreneurial activity. Large-scale commercial activity has hitherto been in the hands of foreigners, primarily Indians.
Nepal's foreign trade and balance of payments have suffered setbacks, and exports have not increased enough to pay for imports of consumer goods and basic supplies. Nepal's dependence on the Indian market for most of its imports and exports and on the port of Calcutta for its access to the sea has been the source of periodic friction between the two countries Transport facilities in Nepal are very limited; few independent nations in the world of comparable size have such little road mileage and so few motor vehicles. Construction of new roads has been undertaken since the 1970s with aid from India, China, Great Britain, and the United States. The main means of transportation has been the network of footpaths, which interlace the mountain terrain and valleys. Trails have evolved into main trade routes, which tend to follow the river systems.
The meagre road-transport facilities in Nepal are supplemented by only a few railway and air-transport links. Increased use of road transport has reduced the significance of the two narrow-gauge railroads that run from Amlekhganj to Raxaul (India) and from Janakpur to Jaynagar (India). The Royal Nepal Airline Corporation, an autonomous government agency, is the only commercial airline. Together with Indian Airlines, it operates flights from Kathmandu to various points in India and other nearby countries. Domestic air service within the country has been expanded. The United States built the Kathmandu–Hitaura aerial ropeway in the 1950s, and it is still used for carrying goods into the capital.
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