Maoists continue to violate peace agreement - activists

The Maoists’ continued violation of Nepal’s peace agreement is a serious concern, say human rights groups.

In November, the Maoist rebels and interim government signed a historic peace agreement to end a decade-long conflict that had killed more than 14,000 people. The agreement, which took five months to negotiate, followed a mass uprising that ended King Gyanendra’s direct rule in April.

Rules for managing the armies and weapons of both sides were a key part of the agreement.

But local activists said they were worried that Maoist leaders had failed to control junior cadres who continued to violate the peace deal.

The Conflict Study Centre (CSC), a prominent research and policy group, said Maoist cadres had not stopped extorting taxes and levies from civilians and were still running their “kangaroo people’s courts”.

“Abductions of persons who do not agree with them are still occurring and they continue to harass political leaders and human rights defenders and journalists,” the CSC said in a new report.

King Gyanendra’s direct rule over the country ended in April following mass protests

The Maoists were also collecting their own taxes and interfering in police and government administrative work, despite their leaders’ promises that this would stop.

Gopal Siwakoti, a rights activist, said there appeared to be “total non-compliance” with the peace agreement.

“This is happening because the (Maoist) chain of command from the top to the bottom seems to be very weak,” he said.

The Maoist People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was still forcefully recruiting children and villagers to train with it, Siwakoti said.

Extortion was also taking place openly and even tourists were being asked to pay fees to the Maoists to visit trekking destinations, he said.

A tourist operator based in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, said there was no choice but to agree with the demands; the Maoists had threatened to bomb his office if he did not pay.

“Only a few days ago, we paid a huge sum of money to the Maoists and even their leaders and the government knows what is happening but they are doing nothing about it,” he said.

NN/GS/DS