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Democracy and Sherpas at risk in Nepal
Apr 27, 2004 16: 19 EST
When you make a search for the word "Maoists" on MountEverest.net, you'll find that already last year, and in numerous articles since, ExplorersWeb has alerted
about the Maoist's disastrous effect on Nepal tourism and economy.
Some opposed the concerns; "Nepal is safe as ever," they said. The Maoist leaders chimed in: “From a policy level, we have been banning abduction or physical attack upon a foreign citizen, tourist or government employees."
Since then, tourists have been beaten, forced to pay bribes, and even killed by a landmine this spring. Expeditions are so fearful of Maoists that they order up a helicopter to get them out. Not to mention how locals fear for their lives should they not obey a Maoists strike.
Our Sherpas and trekking agencies burden is twofold: Not only has tourism declined, if the Maoists take power, they - the trekking and Sherpa entrepreneurs - could be the first to go, according to Communist ideology.
We've already seen the reports from some of them, like the Dutch Everest climbers trekking agent who was imprisoned at their arrival.
In a report this week, Associated Press writes:
"Tourism, the biggest source of foreign income, has taken a major blow as hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists have avoided Nepal.
'I have had most of my reservations cancelled,' said Deepak Shrestha, who runs a hotel in Katmandu's tourist area, known as Thamel. 'If this keeps up ... our tourism will die.'
This year, with the unrest coming right in the middle of the spring trekking season, plenty of people are avoiding the mountain beauty. Many of the nations that send high-dollar tourists, including the United States, Britain and Australia, have warned their citizens to stay away.
Many of the most popular trekking routes have been abandoned in recent years, because of threats from Maoist rebels, who have been fighting since 1996 for a communist state. The insurgency has claimed more than 9,000 lives.
And the Maoists refuse talks, continues AP:
"'We have decided that the King is not serious about resolving the issues,” said Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the United Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Nepal'.
In an April 13 message commemorating the Nepalese New Year, King Gyanendra said the “highest priority” should be put on bringing back democracy before the year is over. “Let us make it a year of peace,” he said.
But Nepal has been in turmoil since King Gyanendra suddenly assumed the crown in June 2001 after his brother, king Birendra, was shot dead in a bizarre massacre at the royal palace, apparently by the crown prince, who then reportedly took his own life. The King was widely criticized for taking power, and soon after he was crowned, riots erupted in the streets of the Katmandu and the fighting between Maoist rebels and government troops intensified.
Nearly every day, angry people fill the streets of Katmandu, demanding a return to democracy in their Himalayan kingdom. Nearly every evening, hundreds of those same people pack the city's jails. Nepal, a country famous for its high mountain peaks, has turned into a place known for chaos, where protesters routinely shut down the capital and Maoist rebels control wide swaths of the hinterlands."(AP)
Image of a tire set on fire in Kathmandu, courtesy ExplorersWeb team in Kathmandu.
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