Ask Maoist combatants what they want

The handling of Maoist combatants is now a serious issue because Nepals political leadership never gave it the attention that it deserved.The political leadership kept postponing any discussion regarding the fate of the Maoist combatants since signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in November 2006, followed in December by another pact on monitoring of arms and management of the armies.Both the government and the Maoists do not want the problem resolved, top army officers reason.Their suggestion seems valid to an extent.A special committee formed by the Council of Ministers in July 2007 to supervise, integrate and rehabilitate the Maoist combatants has met only once.Minister Pradip Nepal, Communication Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Deputy Commander Prabhakar, Lt Gen Amar Panta and Maj Gen Shiva Ram Pradhan. Neither has there been any discussion, whatsoever, in the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee about Maoist combatants integration into the Nepal Army.This Committeethe only part of the peace process that has workedkept the issue postponing not to jeopardise the whole peace process.How can Maoist combatants be integrated back into the national army?

The handling of Maoist combatants is now a serious issue because Nepal’s political leadership never gave it the attention that it deserved.The political leadership kept postponing any discussion regarding the fate of the Maoist combatants since signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in November 2006, followed in December by another pact ... ...monitoring of arms and management of the armies.“Both the government and the Maoists do not want the problem resolved,” top army officers reason.Their suggestion seems valid to an extent.A special committee formed by the Council of Ministers in July 2007 to supervise, integrate and rehabilitate the Maoist combatants has met only once.Minister Pradip Nepal, Communication Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Deputy Commander Prabhakar, Lt Gen Amar Panta and Maj Gen Shiva Ram Pradhan. The special committee constituted a three-member task force to draft its terms of reference in line with the constitutional directive. This task force comprised Maoist Deputy Commander Prabhakar, Maj Gen Shiva Ram Pradhan and the-then Peace Secretary Janak Raj Joshi.The task force developed the ToR within the stipulated time but could not submit its recommendations to the Poudel committee.the report and where I left things,” said Joshi.moved to the Industry Ministry. Neither has there been any discussion, whatsoever, in the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee about Maoist combatants’ integration into the Nepal Army.This Committee — the only part of the peace process that has worked — kept the issue postponing “not to jeopardise the whole peace process.“How can Maoist combatants be integrated back into the national army?” asks a general. “Were they ever disintegrated from the national army?reintegrated into the society.These 19,000-plus combatants cannot be integrated into the army the way the Maoists want it, top generals echo the political stance maintained by key non-Maoist parties. “The Nepal Army is open to take them if they meet the general criteria and are selected on merit basis, as in the case of the others,” he says. “But they have to come in individually, de-linking themselves from the Maoist party.As the debate rages between Maoists and non-Maoists one key element apparently seems to be missing: The wishes of the Maoist combatants themselves.The political actors should perhaps identify the needs and priorities of the combatants, respecting their freedom to choose the occupation of their choice.

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