Dispatches From the People's War in Nepal

Li Onesto

Description

A Maoist revolution has been raging in Nepal since 1996. In 1999, Li Onesto became the first foreign journalist to travel deep into the guerrilla zones. Allowed unprecedented access, she interviewed political leaders, guerrilla fighters, villagers in areas under Maoist control, and relatives of those killed by government forces.



Millions in Nepal now live in areas under guerrilla control. Peasants are running grass-roots institutions, exercising what they call 'people's power'. Li Onesto describes these transformations -- the establishment of new governing committees and courts, the confiscation and re-division of land, new cultural and social practices, and the emergence of a new outlook.



Increasingly, the UK and US have directly intervened to provide political and military support to the counter-insurgency efforts of the Nepalese regime. Onesto analyzes this in the context of the broader international situation and the 'war on terrorism'.
Acknowledgements

Map

Preface:1996-2004: Eight Years of People’s War in Nepal

Introduction

1. Meeting the People’s Army

2. Villages of Resistance

3. The Raid on Bethan

4. Rifles and a Vision

5. Revolutionary Work in the City

6. General Strike in Kathmandu

Carrying the Story Forward: The Problem of Disinformation

7. Land in the Middle

8. Hope of the Hopeless in Gorkha

9. Preparing the Ground in the West

10. Learning Warfare by Waging Warfare in the West

Carrying the Story Forward: Revolutionary Policies

11. People’s Power in Rolpa

12. Guns, Drums, and Keyboards

13. Teachers in a School of War

Carrying the Story Forward: Children in the War Zone

14. Martyrs of Rolpa

15. Families of Martyrs: Turning Grief into Strength

Carrying the Story Forward: The Rising Death Toll

16. Women Warriors

17. New Women, New People’s Power

Carrying the Story Forward: The Fight for Women Leaders

18. Magar Liberation

19. Preparing for War in Rukum

20. Starting and Sustaining People’s War in Rukum

21. Camping with the People’s Army

22. Red Salute in the West

Notes

References

Index

Sujets

• Military Science
• Sciences et techniques
• News
• Nepal
• General officer
• Technology
• Journalism
• Engineering
• General
• Reportage

Informations

• Publié par: Pluto Press
• Date de parution: 20 novembre 2004
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781849642521
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 13 Mo

Extrait

Dispatches from the People’s War in Nepal

Li Onesto

P Pluto Press LONDON • ANN ARBOR, MI and

Insight Press, Inc. CHICAGO, IL

First published 2005 by Pluto Press 345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA and 839 Greene Street, Ann Arbor, MI48106 www.plutobooks.com and Insight Press, Inc. 4064 N. Lincoln Ave., #264, Chicago, IL 60618

Copyright © Li Onesto 2005

The right of Li Onesto to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN ISBN ISBN

0 7453 2341 3 hardback (Pluto) 0 7453 2340 5 paperback (Pluto) 0 9760236 0 1 paperback (Insight)

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data applied for

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Designed and produced for Pluto Press by Chase Publishing Services, Fortescue, Sidmouth, EX10 9QG, England Typeset from disk by Stanford DTP Services, Northampton, England Printed and bound in the European Union by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne, England

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People’s Power in Rolpa

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Preparing the Ground in the West

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12 Guns, Drums, and Keyboards

15 Families of Martyrs: Turning Grief into Strength

14 Martyrs of Rolpa

Carrying the Story Forward: Children in the War Zone

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Meeting the People’s Army

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Carrying the Story Forward: The Problem of Disinformation

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Teachers in a School of War

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The Raid on Bethan

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Land in the Middle

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Villages of Resistance

General Strike in Kathmandu

Revolutionary Work in the City

Rifles and a Vision

Carrying the Story Forward: The Rising Death Toll

List of Photographs Acknowledgments 1996−2004: Eight Years of People’s War in Nepal Map

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Carrying the Story Forward: Revolutionary Policies

10 Learning Warfare by Waging Warfare in the West

Photographs

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Hope of the Hopeless in Gorkha

Introduction

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Women Warriors

New Women, New People’s Power

Carrying the Story Forward: The Fight for Women Leaders

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Magar Liberation

Preparing for War in Rukum

Starting and Sustaining People’s War in Rukum

Camping with the People’s Army

Red Salute in the West

Afterword Notes References Index

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List of Photographs

 1 Revolutionary cultural program in Rolpa. 97  2 Revolutionary cultural program in Rolpa. 98  3 Women in eastern Nepal. 98  4 People’s Army guerrillas in Rolpa. 99  5 Eastern Nepal. In the distance, near the tree, a People’s Army platoon building a memorial for revolutionary martyrs. 100  6 Relatives of Kami Buda, a member of the Communist Party, killed by the government in 1955. Daughter, Moti Kali Pun, was three years old when her father was killed. Aas Mali is Kami Buda’s sister, Rukum District. 101  7 Wife and child of a guerrilla killed in the People’s War, eastern Nepal. 102  8 Mohan Lal B.K. and Pabita B.K., parents of Obi Ram B.K., 23yearold guerrilla killed in 1998, Rukum District. 102  9 Man with Maoist revolutionary newspaper, wearing a hat with shrapnel holes, taken from an election official hit by a landmine, Rukum District. 103 10 Village in eastern Nepal. The slogan on the wall reads: Get Rid of Oppressive Laws. Release Political Prisoners. Eliminate Liars and Conspirators [signed] CPN (Maoist). 104 11 Revolutionary posters in a village in Rolpa. 105 12 Women militia members in Rolpa. 106 13 Villagers greeting the author in Rolpa. 107 14 Local militia in Rukum. 108 15 Women guerrillas in the Middle Region. 109 16 Woman guerrilla in Rukum. 110 17 People’s Army guerrilla exercises in Rukum. 110 18 Women militia members in Rolpa. 111 19 Woman guerrilla carrying a handmade grenade, Rukum. 112 20 Peasant farmers in the Middle Region. 113 21 Village in eastern Nepal. 114 22 Daily life in Rolpa. 115 23 Schoolchildren in eastern Nepal. 116 24 Shepherds who provided shelter for guerrillas in Rukum. 116 25 Children in a village in the Middle Region. 117

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Children in a village in the Middle Region. Local militia in Rolpa. Local militia in Rolpa. Village women in the Middle Region. Villagers at a revolutionary program in Rolpa. Woman guerrilla in Rolpa.

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Many people helped make this book possible. A special thanks goes to my editor Sylvia Alexis for her dedication to this project from the very beginning. Before my trip, she helped me develop an approach to this story. When I returned she read hundreds of pages of my notes and critiqued my photos with her usual artistic rigor. Most importantly, she worked with me to construct the narrative and analysis ofDispatches from the People’s War in Nepal. She went through many drafts, and was always there with fresh ideas, encouragement, and friendship. We have been through a real journey together to produce a book that can bring this little known, but highly important struggle to the attention of people around the world. I have benefited enormously from the work of Bob Avakian. In preparing to witness a Maoist people’s war, I studied his bookMao Tsetung’s Immortal Contributions. And in thinking through and trying to understand the strategic problems confronting the revolution in Nepal, I have found his writings on Maoism and the world historic challenges of the communist revolution invaluable. His insights have provided a sweeping historical framework, not only for this project but also for my continuing study and analysis of developments in Nepal as well as other parts of the world. In one of the most remote corners of the earth, I was excited and heartened to see Maoist guerrillas reading the works of Bob Avakian. In the course of conceptualizing, researching, and writing this book, I have gained greatly from the suggestions and insights of fellow journalists, colleagues, and friends. Particular thanks go to my fellow writers at theRevolutionary Workernewspaper who have always been there with critical thinking, original ideas, and enthusiasm, and to Lisa Rivers for her meticulous and informed proofing. Thanks also to Raymond Lotta for his comments and input which helped hone the story and analysis. I am highly appreciative of the support and enthusiasm given by Roger van Zwanenberg at Pluto. Several people have provided technical and artistic assistance with my photos. These photos have been an important part of this story and have enabled many people to see the human face of this revolution. I am indebted to JT and ES for their hard work on my

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photography exhibits and on the design of the photo section of this book. Finally, I am greatly indebted to all those in Nepal who helped make my trip possible. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) gave me the unique opportunity to travel as a photojournalist into the guerrilla zones and allowed me access to political and military leaders, as well as to students, women, and peasants involved in mass revolutionary organizations. I thank the family members of people killed in the war, who came to tell me their painful stories in the hopes that, as a result, the world will know about their struggle. I am grateful to the many peasants who opened their doors to us on our travels, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning, offering us food, shelter, and conversation. And a special thanks goes to all those who translated for me while I was in Nepal, especially ‘Pravat,’ who not only provided a 24hour essential link to all the people around me in Rolpa and Rukum but also gave his friendship − and along with others, kept me from falling off steep cliffs as we trekked in the dark of night. The revolution in Nepal is generating important political and theoretical analysis, and in working on this book I have drawn from writings by Prachanda, the leader of the CPN (Maoist), as well as work by Baburam Bhattarai and Parvati. As the reader will soon discover, I have been deeply inspired by the energy, consciousness, and dedication of the masses of people in Nepal fighting to bring a new world into being. Ultimately, this book owes its existence to them.

19962004: Eight Years of People’s War in Nepal

February 13, 1996

May 1998

May 1999

March 2000

September 25, 2000

February 2001

The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) initiates armed struggle against the Nepalese government with simultaneous attacks in different areas of the country. Approximately 5,500 large and smallscale actions are carried out in the following weeks. The government launches Kilo Sera 2, a major counterinsurgency operation, transferring tens of thousands of specially trained armed police forces to 20 of the country’s 75 districts. In the first two months, at least 200 people are killed. K.P. Bhattarai is elected prime minister in nationwide elections boycotted by the Maoists. Prime Minister Bhattarai is ousted by Girija Prasad Koirala, who accuses Bhattarai of failing to maintain law and order. Koirala promises to use all possible means, including deployment of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA), to combat the Maoists. About 1,000 guerrillas raid the headquarters of the Dolpo District in Dunai. Fourteen policemen are killed. Prime Minister Koirala wants to send in the RNA in pursuit of the Maoists but the army brass refuses. Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi resigns in protest.

Parliamentary opposition parties demand Prime Minister Koirala’s resignation, citing his implication in a bribery scandal with Lauda Air, and his inability to maintain law and order.

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