[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 48 (Thursday, April 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3693-S3694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO THE NEPALI PEOPLE

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to speak briefly about recent events 
in Nepal.
  As Senators are aware, last February 1 King Gyanendra seized absolute 
power, dissolved the multiparty government, and imprisoned his 
political opponents. He justified his power grab as necessary to bring 
peace and democracy to that impoverished Himalayan nation that has been 
in the throes of a bloody conflict with Maoist insurgents for a decade.
  Yet, as many predicted, in the past year the Maoists have gained 
strength while Nepal's fledgling democratic institutions have been 
badly weakened. Finally recognizing that the King's real purpose was to 
consolidate his own power and take the country back to the feudal days 
of his father, the people lost patience.
  Over the past few weeks, hundreds of thousands of Nepali citizens 
took to the streets in a show of defiance and braved bullets, clubs, 
and tear gas to force the King to back down.
  Tomorrow, Nepal's Parliament will reconvene and it is expected to 
begin discussion of a date for the election of a constituent assembly 
to draft a new constitution. Among the key issues to be addressed is 
what role, if any, the monarchy will have in Nepal's democratic future. 
Another necessary step will be to guarantee the army's subservience to 
civilian authority.
  I wish to pay tribute to the people of Nepal. They have suffered for 
generations from poverty, discrimination, corruption, and repression. 
Yet through it all they have persevered, and they have shown that not 
even the most recalcitrant despot who uses the national army as his own 
palace guard can withstand the will of the people when they are 
prepared to risk their lives for freedom.
  Today, Nepal begins a new chapter in its history. The future is far 
from certain and the road ahead is filled with potential pitfalls. But 
no one can doubt the opportunity that this moment offers, nor the 
importance of what is at stake for Nepal.
  It is up to Nepal's political parties, whose leaders have too often 
put their own personal ambitions ahead of the good of the country, to 
show that they have a practical vision for the future and that they can 
govern. In a democracy that means dialogue, it means tolerance, it 
means compromise, it means acting in good faith as representatives of 
the people, it means keeping one's commitments, and it means being 
willing to step aside for the next generation when it is their turn.
  The Maoists must also recognize that the Nepali people's foremost 
desire is peace. The Maoists have announced another cease-fire, which 
is welcome, but there is no justification for any return to violence. 
Too many innocent people have died and too many Nepali families have 
suffered needlessly. It is time for the Maoists to renounce violence 
and join in a national dialogue to restore democracy and develop a 
strategy to address the root causes of the conflict.
  The international community, particularly India, the United States, 
Great Britain, China, and the United Nations, also have an important 
role to play in supporting Nepal at this critical time. Like 
Afghanistan, East Timor, and other unstable countries emerging from 
years of conflict, Nepal will need technical assistance for the 
election of a constituent assembly and the drafting of a new 
constitution. It will need international monitors of the cease-fire and 
of the observance of human rights by both Maoists and the army. It will 
need resources to help build the institutions of democracy and to hold 
accountable those on both sides of the conflict who are responsible for 
atrocities.
  During the 5 years of his troubled rein, King Gyanendra took Nepal to 
the brink of disaster. He stubbornly ignored the pleas of Nepal's 
friends. He shamelessly used the army to trample on the people's 
cherished rights. He squandered his opportunity to continue on the path 
of his predecessor to nurture democracy and help guide Nepal into the 
21st century.
  The Nepali people, 15 of whom gave their lives in the protests, want 
nothing less than a democratic future. They want a government that 
respects the worth of every Nepali, regardless of the family they come 
from, their ethnicity, religion, gender or profession. It is time for 
Nepal's leaders to show that they are worthy of the Nepali people's 
confidence and support.

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