Labels

In studying non-state armed actors, I have been struck by the debate around labeling a group “terrorist”. The term has become so clouded with connotations of fear and evil that we hardly even know what it means anymore. Those falling under this label are doomed to exclusion and elimination, and efforts at understanding who these groups or individuals are becomes almost impossible.

The Maoists in Nepal are one group to have been labeled “terrorists”. While they have been known to use tactics of terror, there is much more to this group than that one-word label. During the ten-year civil war, the Maoists perpetrated 10% of the human rights abuses, while the Royal Nepalese Army committed about 90%. In this scenario, isn’t calling the Maoists “terrorists” a bit simplistic?

I have become especially focused on this issue because, during the war, the US government supported the Royal Nepalese Army and the monarchy. Even when the King seized control of the government in 2005 and Nepal’s other primary sources of aid, India and the UK, suspended their assistance, the US said it would review military assistance on a case-by-case basis, and did not explicitly cut off aid. As we heard in our documentary last week, the US supported the monarchy because they were afraid that if the Maoists won, Nepal would become “hospitable to groups like Al-Qaeda” and other “terrorists”. Rather than giving a legitimate reason for supporting a group with such a poor human rights record as the Royal Nepalese Army, this statement just gives me the impression that the US does not fully understand the Maoists or Al-Qaeda.

As an American, I can’t stand the fact that my government has been blinded by labels like this. I can’t help but think of the incredible Jitman Basnet, the human rights lawyer with whom we had the honour of speaking, and think that my government supported his torturers. Today, the US government is the second largest supplier of aid to the Nepal Army, and has proposed conditions for future military assistance, such as measures to protect human rights and address past violations. Would these conditions have an impact? And as the conflict parties move towards integration (especially in the military), will all parties involved be able to move beyond problematic labels like “terrorist”?

June 1st, 2001

Picture this: a man dressed in army fatigues wielding 5 guns including a M-16 and sub-machine gun opening fire on a family gathering inside their home.  This scene does not come from a Martin Scorsese movie or crime novel.  This is what happened on June 1st, 2001 in Kathmandu, Nepal.  As the old saying goes, fact is usually stranger than fiction.

In the case of the Royal massacre in Nepal, what is fact and what is fiction isn’t necessarily clear.  During the shooting 15 members of the Nepalese Royal family were brutally gunned down inside of the palace during a Friday night gathering.   Ten victims eventually died from the injuries they sustained including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya.  But who could possible be responsible for this massacre? This is where the facts become very blurry.

Left to Right: Crown Prince Dipendra, King Birendra, Prince Nirajan, Queen Aishwarya, and Princess ShrutiÂ

Many held Crown Prince Dipendra responsible for the crimes but this has never been proven.  As the story goes Prince Dipendra became increasingly angry with his parents for not allowing him to marry his long time girlfriend Devyani Rana, who’s family belonged to the rival clan of Queen Aishwarya.  He was also angry about his father’s decision to transition the Royal family from an absolute monarchy to constitutional head’s of state, much like the British Royals.  Some of the family members who survived that night did, in fact, say the Prince was the shooter before turning the gun upon himself.  He was shot once in the side of the head.

Even though it was believed at the time the Crown Prince was responsible for the killings he was still proclaimed king after the death of his father, instead of being accused of treason.  However, the Prince died from his injuries on June 4th, 2001, making his reign quite short.  King Birendra’s brother Gyanendra was then proclaimed king.  Many of Nepalese people blamed him for the Royal massacre believing he was actually behind the murders due to his own desire for the throne.  One rumor is that he ordered 2 men wear Prince Dipendra masks during the assassinations and that actually these men shot Prince Dipendra.  King Gyanendra was never received as the true king by many in Nepal, which only fueled the fire of the fight to abolish the monarchy.

No one knows what exactly happened the night of June 1st, 2001 inside the walls of the Nepalese Royal palace and probably never will.   However, the actions taken that night were a catalyst for Nepal’s changing ideologies.

Nepal Royal Palace in Kathmandu

Behind the news

The news from Nepal over the last few days has been describing the process of integration of former Maoist fighters into the Nepal army or into mainstream society accompanied by a rehabilitation package of what amounts to $6,000 to $10,000 U.S. dollars. Approximately 19,000 Maoist fighters have been living in 7 camps spread out across Nepal since the peace agreement signed in 2006. Under an agreement signed this month 6,500 of the Maoists will be recruited into the Nepal army and the rest will be reintegrated into civil society. Starting this week government monitors were visiting the camps and interviewing these former fighters to decide which option would be best for each one.

Yesterday evening we had a conversation with Jitman Basmet, a human rights lawyer from Nepal, and the executive director of Peace Brigades International, Katherine Hughes-Fraitekh. Jitman described the structure of the Nepal army as being based on a caste system, and such a structure would be hugely problematic for the Maoists who fought against such structures in the decade long civil war. They described the tension and opposition to the signed agreement among former Maoist fighters due to the fact that they see it as a recruitment instead of an integration. They spoke of the possibility of a split in the Maoist party and the potential for the outbreak of violent conflict if this were to happen.

I am concerned when I read the news today reporting on this issue. I do not see any mention of the problems associated with this integration process that Jitman and Katherine spoke to us about. I suspect that there is still much to know after reading these short news articles reporting on a nation’s struggle to adopt a constitution and build sustainable peace. I expect that there will be much more to share once we are on the ground in Nepal learning and witnessing how this process is unfolding. I am very excited to be a part of this opportunity and honored to share this responsibility with my colleagues.

Reality Check

Human rights abuses happen. We hear about them in the news. Sometimes we see pictures of the victims, often times we don’t. Yet, have you ever thought human rights abuses were only something you see in documentaries or read about in scholarly articles? Its ok to admit–I’ll be honest with you, somewhere in the back of my mind thats what I thought too.  Reading about torture, hearing about it in documentaries makes it feel like something so far away. But tonight I looked into the eyes of someone who has lived through hell. A man who “has died 5 times.” He shared his story with us and gave a face and a name to torture. Human rights abuses are no longer just something I’ve read about or seen in a documentary filmed half way around the world from me.  I sat around a table with a man brave enough to speak out about what happened to him, and because of that conversation this issue is not just a distant theory, it is reality…and we haven’t even gotten to Nepal yet.

Last night and tonight, my colleagues and I had the honor of listening to and speaking with human rights activist Jitman Basnet from Nepal and Peace Brigades International Executive Director Katherine Hughes-Fraitekh.  They took the time out of their very busy schedules to share with us their experiences standing up for human rights and standing up to injustice around the world.  Jitman is a human rights lawyer, defender, and activist from Nepal who was abducted both by the Maoist and the (former) Royal Nepalese Army and severely tortured.  He told us that he literally died, fell unconscious, 5 times in his 258 imprisonment. What was his crime? Speaking out about grave human rights violations by both the Maoist revolution and the Nepalese Army and government. Just working for justice has put him in life threatening danger.  So why does he still speak out? Because he can’t stop. You should see his eyes, hear his voice when he tells you that this is his life, and he is happy with his work. He considers this his second life, his chance to live and make a difference.

His story of courage and defiance is not the only one. We have “met” several people in the documentaries that we’ve watched who are fighting for justice in Nepal. Speaking out against the State. Trying to make their country a better, safer place.  There is so much more to learn about this tiny country and its diverse people. Meeting Jitman has inspired me to stand up for injustice here at home and abroad. Tonight there are so many things running through my head but the loudest of them all is the question: What can I do to stand with him and so many others who are the victims of grave human rights abuses?

Jitman is an incredibly influential, inspirational, and kind person.  The way he speaks of the beauty and kindness of the people in Nepal, heightens my anticipation and excitement to get there to meet them!

T minus 50!

I think I might have asked my roommate twenty times if the books I ordered had arrived in the mail. I might or might not have walked outside to check if the mail truck was coming…I felt a bit ridiculous, but I was just really expecting for that mailman to bring my package! Fiiiiinally it came, and as I opened the package I could hear myself say “Wwwooooaaaaah” – there it was: my first travel guidebook to Nepal. Slowly but surely my stomach felt it was being pulled in two different directions. I took a deep breath while it slowly sank in: We’re going to Nepal!

The more I read and investigate about Nepal, the more eager I get about the trip… I’m feeding myself hurdles of documentaries and readings so I can start feeling more comfortable about the two weeks we’ll be spending there. And I guess I’m also feeling a bit anxious because there’s just so much to learn, and so little time to do it in. You see, it is not only about understanding the roots and effects of the conflict in Nepal, because since this is a peacebuilding course, we’re actually going to be studying and analyzing the immense work Nepal is doing to free themselves from the burdens and memories after 10 years of violent conflict. They were able to stop the bloodshed and even carry out democratic elections, but there are still so many more pressing tasks reconstruct a country that strives to achieve a poverty-reducing development process, to protect the safety and security of its civilians, to respect and represent all sides and faces of society, to reconstruct a war-weakened economy, the heal the wounds of their past… the list goes on and on … so much to do.

“People only see what they are prepared to see”... In order to maximize my learning and actually “see” everything I want and need to see in Nepal, I need to leave prepared. Really prepared. For now, I know I’ve only scratched the surface.- and with that I’m off to dig some more…!

A Common Theme…

Every country has problems and Nepal has certainly seen its share these past fifteen years – most notably the conflict between Maoist fighters and the Royal Armed Forces. When I first heard about the Nepal peacebuilding seminar I felt excited for the chance to visit this beautiful and altitude-abundant country but also felt ill-equipped to understand all the various aspects involved in this conflict. I needed some quick education so I began viewing some films (which you can also watch for free at http://www.nepalupclose.com/Videos.aspx) on the Nepal civil war.

After watching a few documentaries about Nepal I noticed a re-occurring sentiment. Several Nepalese made statements like “We’re all women; I don’t know why we don’t help each other” and “All my neighbors know what happened to me, but they don’t say anything.” The war in Nepal has obviously destroyed trust, but it seems there are additional factors that are impeding progress to peace and true conflict transformation. Of course I am interested in researching the incorporation of Maoists into the government, new programs for disarmament, or other similar issues that dominate international headlines, but now I see it’s just as or even more important to dive deeper into the cultural and structural aspects of Nepalese life such as gender and religion that are hindering cooperation even now after armed conflict has ceased. I guess making peace involves more than just putting the guns down.

 

The Nature of Truth

After watching the documentary “Sari Soldiers”, which was a powerful piece that I would highly recommend to anyone interested on world affairs, I began to think about the nature of truth, both in the general sense and as it relates to conflict resolution. In part, this was provoked by reading I had just recently done for Pushpa’s Intro to Conflict Resolution course. In conflict, the establishment of truth means telling exactly what happend to you; your story. The documentary did an amazing job of telling Nepal’s story from a variety of perspectives- from soldiers to civilians, from Maoists to members of the Royal Nepal Army. Each person told their story; their truth. The subjectivity of truth is what makes conflict so dynamic and so complex. Everyone believes their truth to be the best representation of the sequence of events and of the nature of the conflict itself.

This brought to mind a quote: “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” It happens to be a favorite phrase of mine because it forces you to change how you view people, events, conflicts, etc. and to approach it from a different direction, thinking of it instead from their perspective. This is what I kept in mind while watching the documentary: truth is often only fully truthful to one person, but who are we to say that one truth is better, more “right”, or more “true” than another.

The film displayed Maoist soldiers asserting that they joined the ranks because they were fighting for the good of the people; that they were fighting to combat injustice. But in the same moment, soldiers who joined the Royal Nepal Army did so for the same reasons. Who is more right? Whose reasons were more justifiable?

This documentary reminded me of the open mind, and open ears, that we must maintain as we conduct our fieldwork, so that we are able to hear, understand, and learn from everyone’s story.

Inspiration…

This evening we watched our first documentary about the conflict in Nepal – “Sari Soldiers.”  First off, I have to recommend this powerful film to anybody and everybody.  A bit of background: the film follows six different women in different situations with different views of the conflict.  We learn the unique story of each woman in viewing their suffering, their hopes, their struggle in a divided society.

I admit to having a very limited knowledge about the Nepal conflict, based until tonight mostly on Wikipedia and Google news alerts.  However, witnessing these six different, powerful stories has expanded my understanding drastically.

I believe it is fair to say that the vast majority of people who view this film would agree that the story of Devi is simultaneously the most heart-wrenching, courageous, and inspirational stories in the film.  Devi first tells us how she witnesses and spreads the story of her 18 year old niece who is kidnapped, raped, and murdered by the Royal Nepalese Army in a small village because she is suspected of being a Maoist.  Because Devi publicizes the event, she becomes a target of the Royal Army.  However, when a group comes to take her from her home and she is not there, they kidnap her 15 year old daughter and refuse to admit the crime.  Devi, a Dalit or untouchable (a member of the lowest caste), takes her family to Kathmandu and fights courageously to make her case known throughout the world.  After months and months pass, she meets a high-ranking leader of the Royal Army and gets him to agree to look in to the “disappearance,” which leads to the discovery of her daughter’s death.

The results of the death is the first tribunal over such a case, but the soldiers responsible receive only six month sentences that they do not serve.  Devi continues to fight alongside another spectacular woman, Mandira – a human rights lawyer.  At the end of the film, they are finally granted some closure by being shown the burial sight and witnessing the exhumation of the body about 3 years later.

I was struck by this story in an intensely emotional way.  The six women that were focused on were all amazing in the courage and spirit although they came from different places and were on different sides of the conflict, but Devi’s story of am illiterate woman from the lowest caste of society fighting against a divided system, doing everything she possibly can and creating change through conflict is completely inspiring.  Even though she loses her child in the end, Devi still does not give up and works even more to gain justice for her family’s loss.  The line that really hit me was when she responds to the 6 month sentence: “Would I be given six months in jail if I killed somebody… and not even spend any time in jail?”  Wow.  This is a woman with no formal education and she is stronger and more courageous than I could ever hope to be.  Devi is somebody that we can all learn from.

On a broader note, this film screening has given me more insight to the conflict itself.  First of all, the gigantic role of women as community leaders, soldiers, revolutionaries, etc is amazing.  Secondly, the scope of the conflict is more than I expected.  I knew it was between the monarchy and the Maoists, but I did not realize that the political parties played such a vital role as well.  It is important to realize going forward that Nepal was a constitutional monarchy before the Parliament was completely dissolved and the country became an absolute monarchy.  There are so many levels of escalation between the various parties, that it is important to gain a more complete understanding so I will be able to hit the ground running in January.

I am excited to continue this learning experience and I look forward to meeting a Nepalese human rights activist at the end of this week!

Frames of War

Mother and Father Holding Missing Persons Poster

            In the two months leading up to our departure I have made it my one of my goals to watch as many documentaries and programs focusing on Nepal as I can.  On Saturday night I watched “Frames of War,” a documentary about the civil war in Nepal through the eyes of the Nepalese people.  “Frames of War” told stories from both the Maoist and Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) perspectives.  I would like to share and reflect on three stories in the documentary: the first of a Nepalese youth crippled by the war, the second a man trying to provide for his family after the fighting has ceased, and the third a mother looking for her lost son.

The youth, who appeared to be in his teens when this movie was made, was hit by a bullet as a young child during the war.  The bullet entered the front of his neck and exited through the back.  The trauma caused nerve damage throughout his young body including his legs, which are now only partially functional.  During the interview the boy’s mother began to explain that he is now looked down upon in the village for being crippled.  She said that the other villagers often taunted him as he walks down the street and do not like to be around him.  His story really struck me because he was just a small child, neither a Maoist nor a RNA soldier, and he will have to pay for the rest of his life for something he had no control over.  I hope that when we get to Nepal we can work with a program that works with Nepalese youth and organizations like the Nepalese Youth Foundation or Youth Action Nepal.

The second story was of a man who worked as a rickshaw before the war but was wounded badly and could no longer walk.  He was so worried about how he would provide for him family and where he would find work.  In my Women in War class this semester we spoke of the importance of the reintegration of combatants into the post-conflict society.  From what I understand thus far about the situation in Nepal is that it is very hard for soldiers to do just this.  It seems to me that, while there are a small of NGO’s and programs working to help these combatants reintegrate, the need is very great due to the sheer number of soldiers and the resources being few and far between.  This ties in with the third story of a mother searching for her son who is one of the thousands of Nepalese citizens who went missing during the war.  The mother said that her son was “taken” by the Maoists and forced to fight, she has not seen him since.  The mother was completely distraught and had walked for days to Kathmandu to try and find answers.  She did not but continues to hold out hope that one day she will find some answers.  This is a topic that I hold to research further before we get to Nepal and while we are there.  I would like to know what is being done to try to find the missing and who is helping the families.

The documentary “Frames of War” was a good jumping off point to better understand the situation in Nepal and to start to think about what parts of the story I would like to delve deeper into.

And So Begins Another Journey…

The excitement has begun! We are getting ready for another field course…this time to Nepal! The students have been selected (12 from MIIS and 2 from Middlebury), the host organization identified (Peace Brigades International), tickets have been purchased, visas are being sought and engaging conversations taking place in many forums. We are not fully ready but we are ready to embark on the journey.

This is my third time leading a J-Term course (sites.miis.edu/peacebuilding). The first, in 2009, was to Cambodia and the second one was to Sierra Leone in 2010. I guess you could say that I am now somewhat experienced in leading field courses and dealing with group dynamics. Lots of lessons learned that I hope to apply to this group and this course making it a more enriching experience for all.

  2012 Nepal Group (Missing Kaori)

MIIS Nepal Group

Nepal is a land of contrasts. It has seen violent conflict, much disparity, divisions and sufferings. It is a country that is struggling to bring peace to its citizens. Nepal has an interesting history and stories of legendary courage and resilience of its people. It is also rich in cultural heritage and natural beauty. Oh, the Himalyas! We want to see, hear, experience and learn about every aspect of Nepal.

We hope you will follow us on this blog, as we document every step of our journey.

Postscript: The header picture for this blog is Buddha’s eyes painted in red, white, blue, black and orange on Boudhanath Stupa in Kathmandu.