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Nepal
2008: Facts on the Conflict
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Small
arms fill power vacuum
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KATHMANDU,
14 May 2008 2008 (IRIN)
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| Civilians
are becoming more vulnerable to attack by militant groups and criminal
gangs in the Terai region of southern Nepal as a result of the apparent
proliferation of small arms and improvised explosive devices, local analysts
say.
Easy
access to guns has led to an increasing number of killings, abductions,
attacks and cases of looting and extortion, they said. "The control of
small arms still seems to be a low priority for political parties and the
government; such neglect has led to a dangerous situation in the Terai,"
independent conflict analyst Bishnu Upreti told IRIN in Kathmandu. |
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Some
20 violent incidents - including killings, child kidnappings, rape, shootings,
abductions and bomb explosions - have taken place in the past two weeks,
according to the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), a local human
rights group. It said about five people had been killed and 14 injured
in the incidents - mainly in the Terai.
The
Madhesis dominate the Terai but feel they have been sidelined and excluded
from national politics and development. Over a dozen armed political groups
and criminal gangs (mainly Madhesi) have emerged
in recent times, analysts said.
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| A
new report by Amnesty International said there were over a dozen armed
groups in the Terai, including the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM),
led by the Jaya Krishna Goit (JTMM-G) and Jwala Singh (JTMM-J) factions.
''There
is virtually no government presence as the ruling parties are too busy
fighting for power and seats in the new government.'' |
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According
to the Nepal police, there are also other armed groups like the Madhesi
Mukti Tigers (MMT), Samyukta Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (SJTMM), Liberation
Tigers of Terai Elam, Terai Cobras, Madhesi Virus Killers, Terai Army and
the National Defence Army.
Analysts
are concerned that many criminal and armed militant groups have taken advantage
of the recent power vacuum (a government has still not been formed over
a month after the 10 April elections), and have been able to bring in arms
and use them at will.
"There
is virtually no government presence as the ruling parties are too busy
fighting for power and seats in the new government," Bhagyanath Prasad
Shah, president of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Madhesh (MJF-M), told IRIN.
Officials
from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) agreed the security situation
was tense in the Terai.
"This
is why we have stepped up security by stationing more security personnel
in most of the areas," senior MoHA official Ekmani Nepal told IRIN. He
said a large contingent of the Armed Police Force (APF) - originally deployed
to cover the election period - would remain in the Terai to protect civilians.
Nepal said the issue of small arms would remain a priority after the formation
of the new government.
Frustration
Experts
and analysts lobbying for tighter controls on small arms are frustrated
that no party has yet spoken out on the issue.
"The
new government should immediately put the control of small arms at the
top of its agenda, as this is a crucial step for the peace process," said
independent conflict analyst Shovakar Budathoki.
"A
clear policy on small arms is needed and there is a need for border checks,"
said conflict analyst Upreti.
Upreti
and Budathoki said there had not been enough pressure from the media, academia
and political parties to tackle the issue.
Credit
IRIN 2008
Copyright
© UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2008
[
This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]
Integrated
Regional Information Networks (IRIN), part of the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
| Madhesi
factbox |
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 Nepal's
largest
ethnic group; make up about one third of Nepal's 27 million people
Concentrated
in the lowland Terai region, southern Nepal, the country's industrial and
agricultural heartland
Traditionally,
their main ethnic rivals are the politically dominant hill people known
as Pahades
Comprised
of various sub-groups with several different languages and dialects and
have only recently developed a political consciousness and unity of purpose
Campaign
for regional autonomy for the Terai, a federal Nepal, and greater representation
in parliament
Militant
factions such as the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) and the Janatantrik
Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) have carried out violent acts
Not
allied in any way to the Maoists who have separate political goals
Include
some of the most impoverished and disadvantaged castes in Nepal such as
Badis (traditional sex workers) and Kamaiyas (bonded labourers)
According
to rights activists, Maoist leaders are unable to control their supporters. |
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