Maoists' truce 2005 Nepali Times: Ceasefire or no ceasefire(Nov 2005) Nepali Times: Nepal's war widows see red (Nov 2005) BBC: Ceasefire eases tensions in Nepal (October 2005) Nepali Times: Nepalis just want peace (October 2005) Nepali Times: "We want to go home" (October 2005) Nepali Times: The next move (October 2005) Nepal map

November 2005

Red is no longer just the colour of revolution, it also a symbol of women's empowerment
One month into the Maoist's unilateral ceasefire and two months to go, the people along the trails leading north from Okhaldhunga towards Solu are still reluctant to talk.

There is a resigned air as teashop owners, farmers and women collecting fodder shake their heads and refuse to speak to strangers. At Jantarkhani, a trader mutters under his breath: "Hard to tell who is a Maoist and who's a monarchist. Despite the ceasefire I am still forced to give rice to the guerrillas and then the soldiers come and kick me because I fed them."

November 2005

Ceasefire or no ceasefire

It doesn't seem to make much of a difference in the Maoist heartland.
Even though there is still a month to go for the unilateral Maoist ceasefire to end, tensions are already running high in these remote mountains where the Maoist war started nearly ten years ago.

There is nervousness on both sides and even a small incident could spark a premature end to the ceasefire. The rebels have been engaged in psywar with messages to the CDO and local security officials warning of an imminent attack. The Unified Command, meanwhile, has been sending patrols deeper into the Maoist-held hinterland.

Line of control

All is quiet on the western front, but for how much longer?
With only a month to go before the Maoists' unilateral ceasefire ends, a lone policeman this week guards the barbwired and landmined perimeter of Khalanga, the capital of Rukum. He hasn't seen any Maoists lately, just people streaming in and out for the festivals.

This sandbagged sentry post is as far as the government's writ goes in this midwestern district where the Maoist rebellion started 10 years ago. The ceasefire has brought down the daily death count in the war, development activities have picked up and political parties in many places find the situation more relaxed.

October 2005

Dhangadhi has suffered more insecurity than any other large town
Maoist rebels fighting Nepal's government are now more than half-way through the three-month ceasefire they called in early September.

The government, which King Gyanendra has led since seizing power in February, has refused to reciprocate the truce, saying it mistrusts the rebels' intentions.

There have been continuing reports of the army killing Maoists or Maoist suspects, sometimes unprovoked; and of the rebels victimising and sometimes killing civilians.

But the level of violence is markedly down, for instance in Kailali, a district very heavily affected by the insurgency.

October 2005

One month into the Maoist's unilateral ceasefire and two months to go, the people along the trails leading north from Okhaldhunga towards Solu are still reluctant to talk.

There is a resigned air as teashop owners, farmers and women collecting fodder shake their heads and refuse to speak to strangers. At Jantarkhani, a trader mutters under his breath: "Hard to tell who is a Maoist and who's a monarchist. Despite the ceasefire I am still forced to give rice to the guerrillas and then the soldiers come and kick me because I fed them."

October 2005

Last week we travelled to Chingar in western Nepal, hoping to interview some Maoists who control the area. As we walked on jungle trails outside the village of Dasrathpur, we spotted a girl in a blue and white school uniform who approached to tell us she was hiding from Maoists. It was clearly a cry for help and she was not alone, a boy and a girl in the same uniform were standing some distance away.

October 2005

Just about everyone agrees that King Gyanendra is contemplating a new move but no has a clue what it will be.

Trial balloons from the royal regime could indicate he is considering the option of scrapping the constitution altogether, after all there isn't much left to destroy. Hardline army brass make no secret of their preference for a ban on parties and still seem to have the king's ear.

More moderate advisers, however, argue that the royal takeover instead of helping crush the Maoists has actually put the monarchy in serious jeopardy and have told the king he should quickly backtrack.