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Maoist Internationalist Movement

King's army in Nepal provokes civilians still

There is a report that on July 21st the king's army moved in to "guard" ministers in the interim government of Nepal that are anti-monarchist.(1) The ministers said it smacked of a coup or house arrest, but the king's army retreated and said the unit sent to guard the ministers was not one of the units infamous for killing civilians.

The anti-monarchist ministers from a party that conducted armed struggle against the monarchy say that they are considering leaving the interim government because of the guarding incident. The interim government has the purpose of running a Constituent Assembly election. The interim government itself was not elected but instead a bargain struck among parliamentary parties including one that left parliament to take up armed struggle.

There have been few real tests of the matter, but the thought of some may be that the king's army now answers to Prime Minister Koirala, who is supposedly a long-time anti-monarchist. How it occurs that the king's army that stood by the king through blood and tears now answers to Koirala is not known to anyone for sure; although there is doubtless high level intrigue.

On the very same day as the incident, the head of Nepal's royal army arrived in England to visit with the "Ministry of Defense."(2) The British imperialists also just raised the pensions of some soldiers they used from Nepal called the Gurkhas. Another ugly and revealing truth appeared thanks to the July 21st incidents:

"Each year, in return for the Gurkhas recruited by the MoD, the king receives part of a British government stipend estimated at about £600,000. For how long he receives such gifts is open to question. Last month the British ambassador boycotted the King's birthday."(3)
The British press questions the loyalty of the old king's army. It is hard to imagine it handling the Dalit-related (caste) agitation for example. Even the army of the Prachandaists will face some resistance on caste questions.

On July 14, Russian President Putin ordered 50 Russian military personnel to assist the United Nations in its peace process activities for Nepal.(4) In just the prior days, Prachanda had stopped the process of UNMIN registration of the fighters held in concentration camps dictated by the imperialist-monarchist alliance. It appears that registration will resume in mid-August say press reports.(5)

Prime Minister Koirala should declare a republic. It will be hard to believe that he commands the army if its political allegiance is not put to the test before the election. Let the caste-lovers in the king's army show their faces now. At one time or another, both the Prachandaists and UML (two of the three major parties) advocated integrating Prachanda's people into the state. At the moment it looks like there is no republic, because Koirala still depends on the king's army.

Notes:
1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6912312.stm
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2130575,00.html
3. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2126615,00.html
4. http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2007/jul/jul21/news02.php
5. http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=116838