Published: February 06, 2006
Media And Terrorism: Peace and Democracy Inseparably Linked
Remarks by Nepal's Honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ramesh Nath Pandey at a dinner organized for the representatives of Kathmandu-based foreign media, February 5, 2006, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sheetal Niwas, Kathmandu
I am happy to welcome to all of you to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this evening. As a person with a long journalistic background, I obviously enjoy talking to friends like you. I believe that by sharing thoughts and views we can help each other in understanding things in their correct perspectives as well as dispelling apprehensions and doubts, if any. I am open to listen to your objective assessment and to share some of my thoughts with you on, the current situation in Nepal, especially in light of His Majesty's address to the nation on 1 February 2006.
[Nepal: King Proclaims Terrorism Must Be Defeated To Protect Democracy]
You are aware that His Majesty the King addressed the nation on February 1, 2006, outlining a roadmap to rid the country of the current difficulties. I request you to carefully read the following portion of the Royal Proclamation, "We believe that a roadmap to sustainable peace and reenergizing a meaningful democracy are two sides of the same coin. We are confident that a roadmap of consensus will forever end all possibilities of resurgence of violence and terrorism in our motherland, which will otherwise put at risk the universally acclaimed multiparty democracy and hurt the self respect of Nepal and the Nepalese people".
In achieving sustainable peace and reenergizing a meaningful democracy, His Majesty has again asked those who have been misled to renounce violence and join the national political mainstream. His Majesty has reiterated his call in clear terms with greater degree of flexibility as can be read, "If those who have gone astray wish to rejoin the mainstream of peace and creativity, democracy and coordination, and if they wish to dedicate themselves in the service of the people through the ballot, abjuring their murderous acts against the nation and people, we make it clear that they will be given the security and opportunity necessary to shoulder the responsibilities of governance in their capacity as the people's representatives, having won the confidence through the universally accepted democratic exercise"
His Majesty has made it amply clear that peace and democracy are inseparably linked and that one cannot be attained and sustained in the absence of the other. His Majesty's roadmap is based on our national experiences. We have witnessed how instability and insecurity hindered the exercise of democratic rights in the country. You all are aware that the elected Prime Minister dissolved the parliament in consensus with all major political parties. The local elected bodies were also dissolved thus leaving a dangerous political vacuum for the Maoists to cash in. Not even a single parliament was allowed to complete its tenure since 1990 by the same political party leaders that regularly hold mock session at street corners.
The idea of a roadmap to sustainable peace and reenergizing a meaningful democracy has opened wide the door for national reconciliation. Such a roadmap will have to be developed by the people on the basis of national consensus in a transparent manner. It needs to be broad-based and representative. In multiparty democracy, the representatives elected by the people on the basis of adult franchise are involved in such an exercise. When we seek national consensus within a framework of multiparty democracy, the role of the political parties becomes inevitable. It is the only democratic process on the basis of which can only be found an honourable national consensus. Such a democratic solution makes election all the more imperative. It is for this very objective that the country is all set to have all democratic institutions reenergized by April 2007 as committed by His Majesty the King.
So, what is the way forward? In my opinion, the time has come for all political forces in Nepal having faith in democracy to positively respond to His Majesty's call for national reconciliation by committing to honour the people's collective verdict beginning with the impending municipal elections. The time has come to consign the bitter recriminations to history and seriously engage in evolving national consensus for reenergizing all elected institutions through ballots. It is abundantly clear that without honoring the collective wisdom of the people no lasting solution is possible. And, elections at all levels of governance are critically important to achieve that.
His Majesty's wish is that a roadmap thus developed must promote a meaningful exercise in democracy to ensure that the kind of political instability the country witnessed in the past is not repeated and violence is not allowed to reemerge. And, a roadmap is sustainable when it is founded on lasting peace and the collective wisdom of the people. The commitment of the King to finding an honourable solution is deeply rooted in his conviction of political pluralism expressed in the form of multiparty democracy as can be understood from His Majesty's insightful expression, "In fact, the freedom to exercise one's vote through adult franchise forms the democratic basis for an honourable national consensus." What we infer from this expression is that His Majesty's commitment to multiparty democracy is total and unflinching. It is known to all that the people of Nepal have never experienced the Institution of Monarchy going against their will and consent.
Our well wishers and friends in the international community who are really interested to see a peaceful, stable democratic and prosperous Nepal will surely understand the sagacity and flexibility shown by His Majesty at this critical juncture of our history and lend their valuable support to the process of national reconciliation by encouraging political forces having faith in democracy not to miss the opportunity in the larger interest of the country and people.
The municipal elections are around the corner. His Majesty's Government has made strenuous efforts to come to this stage with a view to empowering the people in the process of governance. Ironically enough, those who claim to have democratic credentials have decided to stand against the municipal elections and are vowed to disturb the elections at any cost in a desperate attempt to undermine the exercise of people's sovereign rights. In democracy, everybody has the right to vote, but not the right to create obstacles for others in exercising their voting rights. No democrat, no democratic country would tolerate this. Demanding democracy and calling for boycott of elections is a paradox in itself. It is a well-grounded fact that in any democracy, elections are the only means to secure constitutional legitimacy. There is no democracy without elections. We will be doing nothing but debarring the people from exercising their fundamental rights if we create obstacles to municipal elections. When we hold municipal elections on Feb. 8th, we will be restoring at least one crucial element of elected institution of the country. After these elections, there will be mayors and deputy mayors along with other ward members in all 58 municipalities. As His Majesty said, "Democrats don't lose when democracy wins."
The country has invested energy and resources in rebuilding shattered democratic infrastructure and an important exercise of democracy is underway which should be reasonably expected to usher in the beginning of a more promising era of a meaningful exercise in democracy, which remained well below popular expectation during the last one and a half decades. The people's support to the municipal elections is both robust and overwhelming. This positive energy could be vital for the evolution of a healthy democratic culture in the country. The municipal elections will not only be a major democratic step forward, but also, as His Majesty has committed, pave the way for reenergizing all elected institutions before April 2007. The country will only be back on democratic track and the sovereign people of Nepal will exercise their powers as defined by the Constitution as well as other relevant laws and rules once both elections are held successfully in a free and fair manner. In this context, it will be entirely fitting to give serious thoughts to what His Majesty has said, "Activities like disrupting peace, encouraging discord and creating hurdles on the road to rapprochement in the name of democracy will benefit none".
There are some people who nurture a feeling that elections cannot be held under the prevailing circumstances. Some countries have even gone further to cast aspersions that the municipal elections will be a setback to democracy. We cannot understand the hidden meaning behind this. At a time when both the King and the people are solidly united to undertaking a major democratic exercise, such a lopsided assessment would only complicate the process. Again, they should enlighten us with established facts that if elections are a set back to democracy, through which means can democracy make a leap forward? Those who love democracy and wish to see democracy flourishing in Nepal should desist themselves from making any discouraging comments, otherwise we will be compelled to perceive that they do not have genuine willingness to help but have some other sinister designs to implement in Nepal.
By not holding elections for the last seven years, we have already emboldened the terrorists and facilitated their sinister designs aimed at overthrowing the established constitutional order. Elections are held in much more difficult situations around the globe than the ones we are facing today, including in our neighbourhood. Yielding democracy to terrorism will be a grave mistake that the people of Nepal are determined not to allow that happening. Mistakes are to be corrected, but not to be repeated. We are convinced that only by strengthening a meaningful democratic process, that is both inclusive and sustainable, can we best defeat terrorism. This is the age of ballots, not bullets, and history is replete with experiences to tell us that bullet-power has always been defeated. Those who preach political moderation and have faith in democracy must believe in ballots, otherwise bullet-power will continue to raise its ugly head and we will never experience a stable democracy in our country.
In the last one year, His Majesty has undertaken a series of visits to different parts of the country and has held direct interactions with the people of various walks of life. Spontaneous outpouring of respect expressed by the people to His Majesty during the visits has not only underlined the unique nature of relationship between the King and the people, but also reinforced our belief that deep and affectionate relationship between the King and the people constitutes the core of our national power. This relationship is based on an unshakable foundation of trust and has nurtured a culture deeply rooted in patriotism. The leaders of political parties who should have fulfilled this responsibility have, however, chose to confine them to the country's capital under the security coverage and are now busy mulling over ways and means to scuttle the democratic process that is underway.
Whenever the King reaches out to his people, some sections always feel unease and tempt to excite the people saying that the King is competing with parties for political power. There is no need for the King to compete with political parties and the King is not doing this at all. The tendency to assign blame to others for one's own failures is not a new thing for those who are more inclined to please foreign powers than to dedicate towards promoting the Nepalese nationalism and people's welfare. Those who have understood well the independent and glorious political history of Nepal and evolution of Nepali culture would certainly use their wisdom to convince themselves that the Institution of Monarchy is an indispensable institution, inspiring ceaselessly the Nepalese way of life.
The commitment to upholding people's right with due consideration to national security underscores the fact that nothing is dear to His Majesty other than people's rights and freedoms, as can be understood from what His Majesty's has said, "It is not easy for a country combating terrorism to strike a balance between the compulsions of national security and upholding the rights of the citizens - this is a reality faced by all democratic countries afflicted with the scourge of terrorism. But it is our strong belief that the people must be allowed to exercise their democratic rights in a peaceful manner, with due consideration to national security." It firmly substantiates His Majesty's democratic credentials of the highest order. This is rarely seen even in advanced democracies fighting terrorism, let alone countries like ours.
It is a well-established fact that it is not always easy for a country fighting the worst form of terrorism to strike a balance between the exigencies of national security and safeguarding the rights of the people. Even the advanced democracies are not immune from this difficulty. There have been instances of human rights violations elsewhere in the world. When these abuses are made in developed society either they go unnoticed or are interpreted the way that suits their interest. Every country's constitution and laws allow restrictions on civil liberties for the shake of national security and when larger public interests are to be safeguarded. Moreover, international human rights instruments have also allowed the State to take certain restrictive measures in certain situations. What we have been doing here in our country is not something new and far from universally accepted norms and practices that should provoke the kind of hue and cry that we are witnessing these days. People should understand that the country has been fighting terrorism for a decade now and that even during the time of democratically elected governments some restrictions were imposed on civil liberties. Is there any difference in effects?
Our commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms is total and unflinching. We believe in universality, indivisibility and non-selectivity of all human rights. The people of Nepal have vividly witnessed how the very champions of human rights and civil liberties remained silent even when terrorists have committed gross violation of human rights by brutally killing unarmed police personnel a few days back. It is totally unacceptable that human rights organizations are increasingly behaving as political activists in breach of their professional ethics, including the core values of impartiality and neutrality. We stand firmly against any dictation by human rights activists on matters that fall essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of our sovereign country.
The culture of biasness and prejudiced attitude must be avoided. Some politically motivated people often loose their ethics in viewing things objectively as if there is no distinction between the right and wrong. If it meets their objective they do not hesitate to interpret wrong as right and the vice-versa. Taking this clue forward, I feel sad when I notice propaganda against the Royal Nepalese Army. I have not seen anywhere in the world the kind of remarks that are being directed against security forces in Nepal. It is simply a preconceived allegation that the Royal Nepalese Army is being used against the society and in non-professional activities. We firmly deny such an allegation as unsubstantiated and groundless and urge all those who nurture such a perception to refrain from making such remarks. The RNA has earned international repute for its outstanding performance, based on professionalism, dedication and impartiality, in various peacekeeping, peace-building and post-conflict recovery missions under the aegis of the United Nations. The international community is fully cognizant of this living truth.
His Majesty has eloquently articulated foreign policy of Nepal with a view to enhancing the dignity of the country in the international community. As a result, as His Majesty has expressed, "Nepal's foreign policy is now clear and stable" and that our foreign policy that is guided to serve and protect Nepal's national interest in a rapidly changing world has "restored Nepal's prestige and credibility in the international arena". Nepal's foreign policy is guided solely by her enlightened national interest, not by short-term calculations. When the objectives are clear and when the country acquires self-confidence, foreign policy assumes greater clarity and stability. In the last one-year the same has been achieved.
The last year remained highly successful on foreign policy front. His Majesty's participation in Asian African Summit in Jakarta, the Boao Forum for Asia in China, the Second South Summit in Doha, the 13th SAARC Summit in Dhaka and the Second World Summit on Information Society in Tunis have greatly contributed to the enhancement of Nepal's prestige and image in the international community while contributing to the success of these events. His Majesty's visionary addresses in these events have helped elucidate Nepal's commitments, stands and positions on many issues of international importance, including on terrorism, democracy, peace and international cooperation. For the first time, His Majesty the King also visited the Nepalese troops in Burundi stationed for UN peacekeeping operations. His Majesty's visits during the year to other countries in Asia and Africa, including to the UAE, Egypt and South Africa have also led to strengthening of bilateral relations between Nepal and these countries. Likewise, the official visits of Their Royal Highnesses the Crown prince and Crown Princess to Japan and the Republic of Korea have significantly helped strengthen Nepal's traditionally friendly relations with these countries.
The fundamental thrust of Nepal's foreign policy is that Nepal wants friendship with all, enmity with none. It has been a long-standing policy of Nepal that our soil will not be allowed to be misused by elements that are hostile to our two neighbours. Mutuality of benefit constitutes the core of our cooperative relations with all friendly countries. Based on these salient features, we have enlarged the ambit of our foreign policy in recent months by establishing diplomatic relations with a number of countries and we are determined to carry forward the process. Similarly, we have given due priority to our relations with countries where they deserve most. So, speaking precisely, the process of expansion and consolidation is taking place simultaneously and we have been able to achieve some encouraging results as well. Relations with some countries have markedly widened and deepened. Our participation in multilateral organizations has become more effective and we aspire to assume an important international responsibility soon.
The most notable development on foreign policy front in the last one-year has been the historic decision of His Majesty to make Nepal a transit point between our two neighbours, India and China. The concept of transit point is the singular innovation ever made in Nepal's foreign policy. It underlines His Majesty's profound commitment to give Nepal's foreign policy a distinctive look and character. His Majesty's vision of peace, stability and prosperity is not only confined to Nepal, but has received wider appreciation in the international community. It also reflects our profound desire to bring our neighbours ever closer by facilitating greater interaction between them in various fields
Against this backdrop, it is futile to maintain that Nepal is being isolated from the international community. It is true that some countries are aspiring undesirably to influence the internal affairs of Nepal after certain forces within the countries have surrendered themselves to the merci of foreign powers, seeking blessing to restore their ailing political privileges. In this context, I have some observations to make. First, we have made it clear that Nepal's foreign policy is guided solely by her national interest, not by manipulation of any kind from external powers. When such countries find the space for their maneuverability shrinking, it becomes convenient for them to spread propaganda like this. We are a confident nation with considerable international recognition, and are a responsible member of the comity of nations. When our firm stance on national interest provides us with an impregnable shield to withstand undue external pressures, the external powers seeking to influence our national agenda do not hesitate to engage in exercise in public relations to spread unwanted confusions. It is now crystal clear which external forces have a genuine sympathy towards Nepal and her people and which are bent on implementing their sinister designs taking advantage of the difficult situation. It is our firm conviction that as the custodians of Nepal's glorious and independent history, the Nepalese people are quite capable of determining Nepal's national agenda and their own destiny. We have firmly rejected all attempts to dominate Nepal in the past and will continue doing so in the future. Secondly, how can they say Nepal is being isolated from the international community against the backdrop of rapidly increasing number of countries having diplomatic relations with Nepal? Again, how did we win the membership of UNESCO Executive Board in 2005 when we had lost in the same election in the year 2004? There have been no less interactions with any friendly countries than in the past. In fact, contacts have increased. Important exchanges have taken place and many more are in the pipeline.
I personally feel that the correct picture of Nepal is not depicted in international media. The basic reason behind this is that whatever inputs our media provide to the international arena are often not based on objectivity and in some cases do not conform to professionalism. It does not mean that every journalist is guided by certain political objectives. I have seen many journalists who are careful about their professional ethics and have maintained an independent way of analysis free of any prejudices while reporting events that interest them. In a democratic and pluralistic society like ours, a culture of honesty and discipline has to be developed otherwise democracy cannot function properly. It is often alleged that there is no press freedom in Nepal. It is nothing more than propaganda. A close look at editorials and news items in print media would reveal that some media in Nepal are bent on propagating media anarchism in the name of press freedom. They are not guided by the vital national interest of Nepal, which is not the case in any country. The long-practiced standard of protocol is often not maintained while writing about the revered institution of the country. This is not going to help the country in any way. His Majesty's Government is committed to see that a healthy media society is developed in Nepal to adequately cater for the information needs of the people. This does not mean that the media should conform to what the Government says. We expect responsible media, but not the one that is accountable to the Government. Like other institutions of the states, they have an important responsibility to the people and more so in the context of the countries like ours where, as what His Majesty stated last year, "an independent press serves as the medium for raising the level of democratic consciousness".
As representatives of foreign media in Nepal, I hope you will disseminate news that will give a positive picture about the country. We in the government regard all of you in high esteem and the Nepali people too admire all your efforts and it is but natural to expect that much of constructive approach from all of you. Perhaps, some prominent destinations of the country can be promoted through your media so that tourism of Nepal also gains from your presence here. Possibly Nepalese culture, traditions, business and investment opportunities can be publicized so that information can go straight to those investors in foreign countries that are interested. Simply reporting of brick batting and violence will only harm the country's image and as I said, we do request you for this support during these trying times.
I have tried to give you the correct picture of the current situation in Nepal. HMG is more than willing to listen to your constructive views and ideas and I also hope to make this event a continuing one.
Search News
