christmas eve, 2003

Christmas Eve
24 Dec. 2003
Patan, Kathmandu Valley

Dear family and friends -

Following a Christmas eve service, I walked back to my Patan apartment under a dark, starry sky. Orion, a constellation I'm used to seeing in the summer, lit my way through the dark back alleys. The “midnight mass” was held at 6:30 pm because of the security problems inherent in The Current Situation. The problems have heightened in the past few days as students have taken to the streets protesting the arrest on charges of sedition of three of their comrades who spoke out against the King. As we Americans enjoy one of our most festive times of year and celebrate the good things in life, Nepal is being ripped apart.

During my time in Nepal, I haven't written home much about The Situation, both to avoid raising alarm, and because it has taken a while to come to any sort of understanding of what's going on here. (I am dubious that Christina Rocca, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, was able to accomplish as much in her recent four-day visit.) However, as I heard the “good news” of peace, tolerance, and forgiveness tonight in the familiar lessons and carols, I was struck by the irony of this message in the midst of a country that is tearing itself apart in war. If any country needs prayers and wishes for peace, it is certainly Nepal.

Maoists control about three-quarters of the country, according to recent newspaper reports, maintaining their grip through a regime of terror. You are either with them or against them, in which case your family may be shot, your farm burned, your spouse disappeared. The military seems to have taken up similar tactics to prevent villagers from joining the Maoists. Bodies of those killed in combat are left where they lie, as villagers are afraid to move them lest the opposition take revenge. Rural areas have virtually no government. All officials, along with NGO and INGO staff, have been called back to Kathmandu. The fighting has also disrupted telecommunications in much of the country, cutting off the outlying areas.

Daily life in Kathmandu is relatively unaffected by all this, mostly because the military is a constant presence. Camouflage-clad soldiers decorate every street corner, march around the Palace, crouch behind sand-bag fortified installations, set up random checkpoints and close off streets when trouble threatens. Patan lies just across the Bagmati River from Kathmandu; some evenings, I have to pass through three checkpoints on my way home. As a bideshi (foreigner) in a taxi, I always get waved right through. Imagine the inconvenience for Nepalis going about their daily business. Even with the checkpoints and patrols, everyone is afraid of the mayhem that may happen after dark. Shopkeepers close up tight shortly after dark, lest the Maoists come knocking for 'donations' to their cause.

The armed police force, created to oppose the Maoists, augments the military. Decked out in riot gear to control student protests, the armed police force is an imposing presence, even when its members are lolling about in the sun in front of a motorcycle repair shop, as they were the other day. On a quiet sunny afternoon, with the usual urban foot traffic of local people going about their business, it seemed inconceivable that a riot was about to break out. Yet across the street from the sunny motorcycle shop is an engineering college campus, and the powers-that-be were taking no chances. Perhaps intimidation was enough to stave off a protest.

These details beg the question of what lies beneath The Situation. Perhaps if that were more clear, a peaceful solution could be found. At the simplest level, three intransigent factions - the monarchy, the Maoists and the political parties - oppose each other, unwilling to concede anything, fiddling and fighting while Rome burns. Kathmandu decision-makers, and especially the monarchy, have a long history of ignoring the hinterlands, to the point that much of rural development and infrastructure is now provided by INGOs. In such a ruggedly mountainous country, transportation and communication are undeniable challenges, but logistical difficulties are used to hide a lack of will. Perceived neglect from the center led to agitation for a more representative and inclusive government which the Maoists said they could deliver. So far, however, they seem to deliver only fear and to prevent the very development they propose to facilitate. Meanwhile, the other political parties seek a democratic government, and oppose both the Maoist strangle-hold and the monarchical neglect. The parties, however, are stymied by in-fighting and splinter factions. The demonstrating students belong to the student wings of the political parties, and oppose the King's usurpation of power since he dissolved parliament a year ago on the grounds that the Prime Minister was incompetent.

While the leaders of these three factions try to grab power, international good will, and donor aid, ordinary people's lives are disrupted. Schools are shut down, either because of Maoist- or student-called education strikes or because the teachers have fled to Kathmandu or because, in at least one case, bodies of dead combatants litter the school yard. Children witness terrible violence. Families are split up as men go off seeking a safer, more remunerative livelihood in India or Kathmandu or the Middle East. And each day, the newspaper carries the box scores of the casualties inflicted and received by the military.

Ever since my 1989 visit, I've believed that Nepalis are some of the most warm-hearted and friendly people I'd ever meet. They inhabit one of the most varied, beautiful, and inhospitable pieces of land in the world with a graciousness and generosity of spirit. Despite the challenges of agrarian life in steep mountains, Nepalis always seem to be singing and smiling. These days, that famous spirit seems to be wearing thin. Everyone is tired of the war, and tired of the fighting between the leaders. Yet, a clear direction forward has not been found. Some believe that foreign intervention and mediation is necessary to bring the factions together; others believe that The Situation could best be handled if all the foreign meddlers would just go away. Many believe that it is time for real democracy; many despise the current king (believing that he masterminded the royal massacre of 2001); some wish for a return to a strong and beloved monarchy. In contra-distinction to the Europeans, American foreign policy calls for the military solution of crushing the Maoists. The US is feeding guns to the military, even as the military proposes arming villagers!

Like everyone else here, I have no idea what the solution is. Foreigners occupy an odd spot: this is not our war, and we are not targeted, but it doesn't feel right to just stand by as a country in which we live by choice, not by birth, tears itself apart. So I resort to my hope that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword. I hope that sharing a little information about The Situation bring a little more understanding and compassion into the world. The people of Nepal deserve peaceful, prosperous lives, free of fear and intimidation. They deserve an effective resolution to this lengthy stalemate. In this season of peace and light and hope for new beginnings, I ask for your wishes and prayers for a peaceful Nepal. Despite my distaste for our current administration, I am ever more grateful to be a citizen of a stable, peaceful, democratic developed country governed by the rule of law, in which the government is kept in check by a free press and a unbiased judiciary. If Nepal could get just one of these intangible gifts, life could be so much better here.

Wishing you all the happiest possible holiday season filled with loved ones & light & peace & joy!