Despite ceasefire, displaced unready to return

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) throughout Nepal are not yet ready to return to their homes in large numbers despite the bilateral ceasefire and peace talks between the new government and Maoist rebels, NGOs say. The insurgency has dragged on for more than a decade and clashes between the Maoists’ People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and security forces have resulted in widespread displacement. The ceasefire has led to a trickle of returns as some villagers have taken the opportunity to reclaim property and livestock. But most IDPs are watching and waiting, aware that there have been many false dawns in Nepal’s volatile recent history. Although there are no accurate data for the number of IDPs in the Himalayan kingdom, the most reliable figures are said to be between 100,000 to 200,000 according to the Global IDP Project of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The Maoist’s Victim Association, a self-help NGO for the displaced, said there were at least 27,000 IDPs in the capital, Kathmandu, alone. A new government was formed in April by the seven main political parties who had spearheaded nationwide mass protests to end direct rule by the Nepalese monarch, King Gyanendra. Some activists are confident that the new atmosphere of dialogue in the country will soon foster returns on a large scale. “Maoist leaders have already reiterated their commitment in public to ensuring security and returning seized properties. Human rights groups are also doing everything to make sure that IDPs are fully protected,” Bhola Mahat, from prominent local rights group Insec, said from Nepalganj, a key border city 500 km west of the capital. NGOs like Insec have been active in helping IDPs to return to their villages. In late May it assisted 42 IDPs to return to their homes in the poor, remote district of Jumla, about 370 km northwest of the capital. “There is really no need for the IDPs to fear anymore, as none of those who have returned have been harmed by the Maoists,” said Rameswar Bhuju from Ockenden International, a British NGO working with IDPs in Nepal. It has helped to build low- cost temporary housing for 60 IDP families in Nepalganj. But the issue is more complex than just fostering safe returns; sustainability is key, others argue. “Most of these IDP families have been away for such a long time that they have no means of livelihood,” said Amar Bhattarai from the Community Study and Welfare Centre (CSWC), a local NGO campaigning for the rights of IDPs. The displaced themselves are currently sceptical and are waiting for a more concrete peace process to emerge before risking return. “Unless the Maoists disarm themselves, we will not return to our villages. How can you trust them when they walk around with guns?” asked Bishnu Prasad Neupane, an IDP whose house is occupied by the rebels in his village of Argakhanchi, 250 km west of the capital. Others say they need compensation for assets seized or destroyed by both sides in the conflict that has led to the death of more than 13,000. “We have lost so much by paying taxes to the Maoists who have also stolen our farms and houses. Will they return all the income that we have lost to them?” asked Kalyan Budhathoki, who fled his village in Ramechap, 150 km east of Kathmandu, after threats from rebels who demanded a US $500 “donation” to the insurgency. There are other issues to consider also. The United Nations Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR) has expressed concern that local rebels do not always follow orders, leading to problems for returnees. “During recent field visits, CPN-M [rebel] representatives at the village level informed OHCHR that returning IDPs might have to appear before Maoist people’s courts and be punished before being allowed back into the community,” said OHCHR-Nepal spokesman Kieran Dwyer in Kathmandu. He added that his office has also received reports of Maoist levies being imposed on returning IDPs.