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Immigrants' Rights Whistleblower Targeted
$4500 for educational supplies for three children, ages 10 to 15, whose mother lost her job and faced threats for exposing flagrant disregard for health and safety as well as appalling medical… Read More
Location Withheld
Mother Beaten
$1000 for a computer for the 17-year-old daughter whose mother organized against government corruption in her home nation. She came to the U.S. after the military harassed and assaulted her.
Family Attacked
$1588 for tutoring and summer camp for the 15-year-old son whose father was driven out of his home country by officials opposed to his efforts to end political violence. He was harassed and jailed,… Read More
Father Flees
$2100 for childcare and a CIF award for two daughters, ages four and 22, whose father, facing persecution for his activism in his home country, came to the U.S. after several of his comrades were… Read More
Father Forced to Leave Country
$3000 for school tuition for two children, ages nine and 14, whose dad established an interfaith mosque to counteract society's negative bias towards Muslims in the post-9/11 era. He faced harassment… Read More
Mother Forced to Flee
$3200 for tutoring and summer camp for the two children, ages four and 13, whose mom was forced to leave their home country after witnessing the assassination of a doctor. She supported his efforts… Read More
Mom Fights for Indigenous Rights
$4000 for tutoring and recreational activities for the two siblings, ages five and seven, whose mom was repeatedly stalked and threatened for her efforts to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's… Read More
Mom Fights to End Tourture
$775 for volleyball programs for the 16-year-old daughter whose mother provided advocacy and assistance to women whose rights had been violated in their home country. She was detained and arrested… Read More
Gender Equality, LGBTQ, & Reproductive Rights
Daughters Assaulted
$1000 for school tuition for the 14-year-old son whose family had to flee their home country after his mother and two sisters were brutalized for the mom's work against female genital mutilation
Mother Threatened with Loss of Son
$1500 for equine therapy for the 13-year-old daughter whose mother, an LGBTQ rights activist, was threatened by the state with the removal of one of her children because of her organizing.
Animal Rights Activist Incarcerated
$1500 for music classes and counseling for the 18-year-old daughter whose father was jailed for destroying traps set for mountain lions and now advocates for wolves.
Environmental and Animal Rights
Anti-Environmental Racism Activist Targeted
$1500 for recreational activities for the 17-year-old boy whose guardian is organizing against processing plants being placed in their predominantly Black community. One of the companies filed a… Read More
Father Falsely Accused
$1500 for educational support and mental health services for the 15-year-old son whose father spent decades litigating against a large oil company and achieved a historic victory. As a result, the… Read More
Environmental Activists & Children Threatened
$2000 for physical therapy for the 11-year-old son diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder whose father and older brother have been harassed and faced death threats as a result of their work to… Read More
Environmental Lawyer Survives Assassination Attempt
$2000 for a music program and tutoring for the 15-year-old son whose father lives in exile in the U.S. He faced threats to his life for his advocacy work in his home country for rural communities'… Read More
Pipeline Protestor Imprisoned
$3000 for music lessons and educational support for three children, ages 10 to 13, from two families whose father helped shut down a pipeline to bring attention to the fossil fuel industry. He was… Read More
Mom Assaulted
$4200 for recreational activities, speech therapy, and driving school for three children, ages 13 to 18, whose mom fought against the construction of a pipeline. After being physically attacked… Read More
Parents Fight to Protect Environment
$18,760 for a broad range of programs for 12 children, ages five to 18, from four families. Some parents were beaten and arrested while marching against environmental racism; others were attacked and… Read More
CA, FL, GA


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The 2002 Harlow District Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of  Harlow District Council in Essex, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 9. The Labour party lost overall control of the council to no overall control.

Background
Before the election Labour controlled the council with 25 councillors, compared to 8 each for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, while there was 1 independent councillor. Boundary changes took effect for the 2002 election, reducing the number of councillors from 42 to 33 and the number of wards from 16 to 11 and meaning that the whole council was to be elected.

11 Labour and 1 Conservative councillors stood down at the election, including the Labour assistant leader Derek Fenny and a former council chairman Terry Abel.

Election result
Labour were reduced by 16 seats and thereby lost overall control of the council. Overall turnout at the election was 36.84%.

Following the election the Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders, Andrew Johnson and Lorna Spenceley, made an agreement to be joint leaders of the council.

Ward results

Bush Fair (3 seats)

Church Langley (3 seats)

Great Parndon (3 seats)

Harlow Common (3 seats)

Little Parndon and Hare Street (3 seats)

Mark Hall (3 seats)

Netteswell (3 seats)

Old Harlow (3 seats)

Staple Tye (3 seats)

Sumners and Kingsmoor (3 seats)

Toddbrook (3 seats)

References

2002
2002 English local elections
2000s in Essex

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Feds deny minerals lease renewals for Twin…
Feds deny minerals lease renewals for Twin Metals mine near Ely
By Steve Karnowski | Associated Press
PUBLISHED: December 15, 2016 at 10:29 am | UPDATED: December 15, 2016 at 5:30 pm
Two long-standing mineral rights leases that are critical for a proposed large underground copper-nickel mine upstream from the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota will not be renewed, two federal agencies announced Thursday, but the company said it will press forward.
The decision by the Interior and Agriculture departments strikes a serious blow to the proposed $2.8 billion Twin Metals project near Ely, about 250 miles north of the Twin Cities. The agencies also announced other steps to protect the Boundary Waters watershed from future mining projects.
FILE – In this Oct. 4, 2011, file photo, a prospecting drill rig bores into the bedrock near Ely, Minn., in search of copper, nickel and precious metals that Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, hopes to mine near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota. Federal agencies say mineral rights leases that are critical for a proposed copper-nickel mine upstream from the pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota will not be renewed. The decision by the departments of the Interior and Agriculture strikes a serious blow to the proposed $2.8 billion Twin Metals project near Ely. But the company says it will press forward and is pursuing its legal options. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski, File)
However, the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump potentially could reverse the decision. Trump's nominee for interior secretary, Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana, has advocated for increased mining on federal lands.
In a statement, the agencies cited "broad concerns from thousands of public comments and input about potential impacts of mining on the wilderness area's watershed, fish and wildlife, and the nearly $45 million recreation economy."
Twin Metals Minnesota, which sued the federal government in September to force renewal of its leases, said it will continue pursuing its legal options. The lawsuit remains pending. The company issued a statement saying that if the decision stands, it "will have a devastating impact on the future economy of the Iron Range and all of Northeast Minnesota, eliminating the promise of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions of dollars in investment in the region."
But environmental groups that had fought the project for years welcomed the announcement.
Becky Rom, national chair of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters, said she believes the project is dead, and that it would be legally difficult for the Trump administration to undo the decision, but vowed that opponents will keep up the fight.
"We're going to continue to make our case to policymakers and the American public to raise awareness of this issue," she said. "By no means is our work done."
But Frank Ongaro, executive director of the trade group Mining Minnesota, called the decision "a perfect example of why Democrats lost rural America." It will chase investment away from the U.S. and make the country more dependent on foreign governments for metals, he said. He expressed hope that the Trump administration will revisit the decision.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the agencies plan to take a two-year "time out" to conduct a careful environmental analysis and engage the public on whether future mining should be authorized on any federal land adjacent to the Boundary Waters. His agency runs the Forest Service, which manages the wilderness area and nearby federal lands where Twin Metals wants to mine.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell noted that the Boundary Waters is the most visited federally designated wilderness area in the U.S., with 150,000 visitors annually. Her department runs the Bureau of Land Management, which controls the leases.
If the "time out" goes forward under the new administration, no new mineral exploration or development applications would be accepted for lands within the Boundary Waters watershed while the agencies conduct an environmental analysis to determine if the lands should be withdrawn for 20 years. A permanent withdrawal would require congressional approval.
The leases were first issued in 1966 and last renewed in 2004. They would have allowed the company to mine copper, nickel and platinum-palladium-gold group metals southeast of Ely. Environmentalists objected because the metals are bound up in sulfide-bearing minerals that can leach sulfuric acid and other pollutants when exposed to air and water. The agencies said acid mine drainage would pose a significant risk to the Boundary Waters.
But Twin Metals, which is owned by the Chilean mining group Antofagasta, said it can mine without damaging the wilderness while creating generations of badly needed jobs in an economically struggling region of the state.
Thursday's decision does not affect a copper-nickel mining project several miles to the southwest called PolyMet, which sits in a different watershed that eventually flows into Lake Superior. PolyMet, which is partly owned by Swiss commodities giant Glencore, is further along in the process. It has successfully completed its environmental review and is now applying for the necessary permits. The groups that oppose Twin Metals have also fought PolyMet.
Judge: Twin Cities German Immersion School demolition on hold but opponents must raise $2M in a week
A Ramsey County District judge on Monday granted a temporary restraining order sought by residents opposed to the demolition of the former St. Andrew's Church. The restraining order delays the Twin Cities German Immersion School's plan to demolish the building for an expansion project, but perhaps not for long. As part of her order, Judge Jennifer Frisch required residents opposed...
It's a sculpture, it's an aardvark, it's a … storage shed? Western Sculpture Park celebrates a functional new piece.
The Aardvark in the Park Festival in St. Paul on Saturday, July 27, will celebrate a quirky new sculpture. An aardvark joined the Western Sculpture Park's 15-piece collection last month. The work will serve as both art and a storage shed for youth workshops and other park programs. It provides 128 square feet of interior space to store art materials...
Congestion growing on Twin Cities metro freeways, study shows
Freeway congestion in the metro ticked up slightly last year, according to a new report. The percent of congested freeway miles was 24.2 percent last year -- up from 23.2 percent in 2017, according to the 2018 Metropolitan Freeway System Congestion Report released Monday. That's the highest percentage of congestion in the last 10 years. The analysis by the Minnesota...
Mall of America to open walk-in health clinic this fall
A walk-in clinic will open at the Mall of America in November, offering services for both workers and customers alike. The new clinic was announced Tuesday, and will be part of M Health Fairview, a partnership between Fairview Health Services and the University of Minnesota. To be located on the third floor of the Bloomington mall's east end, the 2,300-square-foot...
Lake Elmo Airport neighbors opposed to its expansion to meet
Neighbors opposed to the $10.9 million runway relocation and expansion project at the Lake Elmo Airport will meet this week. Lake Elmo Airport opened in 1951 and is one of 83 intermediate airports located in Minnesota. It's one of the state's busiest, but its 2,850-foot runway is the fifth shortest. The Metropolitan Airports Commission says a longer runway will be...
Giving is living: Twin Cities No. 1 in volunteering
Kathleen McNamara enters the classroom, pushing though the paper vines and monkeys dangling from the ceiling. She sits down in a ring of 13 preschoolers, and picks up the book "One Red Rooster." "The chicken book!" shouts one kid. "You wrote that book?" No, she says, and starts reading aloud -- her third act of volunteerism that day. McNamara is...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
District (LDS Church)
List of Peep Show episodes
Tha (Javanese)
Thai Airways International Flight 261
A conference is a meeting of people who "confer" about a topic.
Convention (meeting), meeting of a, usually large, group of individuals and/or companies in a certain field
Academic conference, in science and academic, a formal event where researchers present results, workshops, and other activities.
Business conference, organized to discuss business-related matters
Conference call, in telecommunications, a "multi-party call"
Conference hall, room where conferences are held
News conference, an announcement to the press (print, radio, television) with the expectation of questions, about the announced matter
Parent-teacher interview (conference), a meeting with a child's teacher to discuss grades and school performance
Peace conference, a diplomatic meeting to end conflict.
Professional conference
Settlement conference, a meeting between the plaintiff and the respondent in lawsuit, wherein they try to settle their dispute without proceeding to trial
Trade conference, or trade fair, with wider participation and providing the opportunity for business people and the general public
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Conference
A district of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is a geographical administrative unit composed of a number of congregations called branches. A district is a subdivision of a mission of the church and in many ways is analogous to a stake of the church. The leader of a district is the mission president, who selects a local district president as his agent. The district president may choose two men to assist him; the three together form the district presidency. The three members of the district presidency are given the honorific title "President".
Districts are usually established where the church is new or where there are insufficient numbers of church members to organize a stake. Prior to the late 1920s, districts were known as conferences. A district may be thought of as a stake in a beginning or embryonic state.
Notable differences between districts and stakes
A district has a function analogous to a stake, but is organized where there are too few members to organize a stake. Its relationship to a stake is similar to the relationship between a ward and a branch. Once the membership in a district achieves sufficient numbers, it may be reorganized as a stake. Districts differ from stakes in the following ways:
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/District_(LDS_Church)
Peep Show is a British sitcom starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb. It is broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. Written by Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain, the series explores the lives of Mark Corrigan (Mitchell) and Jeremy "Jez" Usbourne (Webb). It is filmed almost entirely from the physical points-of-view of the characters, and viewers can hear the interior monologues of Mark and Jez.
At the beginning of the series, Mark has a crush on his colleague Sophie (Olivia Colman), and Jez hopes to break through into the music business. As the series progresses, it becomes clear that Jez is unlikely to be successful. Jez falls in love with Nancy (Rachel Blanchard), an American Christian, and they get married, but mainly to get Nancy a visa. Mark begins to question his love for Sophie. They also marry, though Mark does not want to, and Sophie leaves Mark right after the wedding ceremony.
The first series began on 19 September 2003, and the ninth and last series started on 11 November 2015. The first series was directed by Jeremy Wooding, the second and third by Tristram Shapeero and the fourth through eighth by Becky Martin. Channel 4 was planning to cancel the show after the third series because of poor viewing figures. However, high sales of DVDs encouraged Channel 4 to allow the series to continue, with the fifth series commissioned before the fourth was broadcast. A sixth series was commissioned during the fifth series, and the seventh series before the sixth was broadcast.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/List_of_Peep_Show_episodes
Tha or THA may refer to:
Tha language, an Adamawa language of Nigeria
Temporary Housing Area
Thai Airways International
The Human Abstract, an American metalcore band
Tobago House of Assembly, a local governing body in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
Thailand Standard Time, see time in Thailand
Total hip arthroplasty, commonly known as a hip replacement
Transvaal Horse Artillery
Tha (Javanese) (ꦛ), a letter in the Javanese script
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/THA
ꦛ is one of syllable in Javanese script that represent the sound /ʈɔ/, /ʈa/. It is transliterated to Latin as "tha", and sometimes in Indonesian orthography as "tho". It has another form (pasangan), which is ◌꧀ꦛ, but represented by a single Unicode code point, U+A99B.
It's pasangan form ◌꧀ꦛ, is located on the bottom side of the previous syllable.
Murda
The letter ꦛ doesn't have a murda form.
Tha (Balinese)
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Tha_(Javanese)
Thai Airways International Flight 261 was a scheduled passenger flight from Bangkok, Thailand to Surat Thani, Thailand. On 11 December 1998, the flight was being flown by an Airbus Airbus A310-204, registration HS-TIA.
Thai Flight 261, carrying 146 people, took off from Don Mueang International Airport at 11:40 UST on a two-hour flight to Surat Thani. When the aircraft began to descend to Surat Thani Airport, the weather was bad with heavy rain and poor visibility, and the pilot executed a missed approach two times. On a third attempt to land, the aircraft stalled and crashed two miles southwest of the airport, killing 101 people (including both pilots) and injuring 45 people. Ninety passengers and 11 crew members died. The probable cause of the crash was determined to be "spatial disorientation when the nose pitched up sharply during a night time approach in stormy weather".
The accident remains (Mar 2015) the second-deadliest in Thailand, behind Lauda Air Flight 004.
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Thai_Airways_International_Flight_261
Latest News for: Tha conference
Eight people are crushed when bungling helicopter pilot hovers over children's party to throw down ...
The Daily Mail 16 Jan 2023
The Bangkok Post reported that the local Tha Chang municipal office had asked the navy's Chanthaburi and Trat Border Defence Command to arrange the flyover. Tha Chang mayor Tawatchai Chantakit said in an afternoon press conference that the municipality would fully compensate the injured.
Nadda in Aap Ki Adalat: BJP chief speaks on Rahul Gandhi, Nitish and BTS of ...
India TV 14 Jan 2023
'Yeh tay tha' (It was pre-decided).� ... Then why did you force Fadnavis to become the deputy CM? It was you who phoned him, when he was addressing the press conference? ... He had not made up his mind to become CM (unhone man nahin banaya tha CM banne ka), but we felt, he was an experienced leader knew much about Mahrashtra.
Sisodia meets family of Sultanpuri accident victim, promises government job
"We will leave no stone unturned to get justice for their daughter ... In a press conference on Wednesday evening, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh stated tha the has been continuously calling the Home Minister's office for an appointment, but they aren't ready to give time to the AAP delegation ... Delhi has once again seen gang wars under his watch ... ....
College Football Playoff moving from four teams to 12
New York Post 03 Sep 2022
In what was a unanimous vote, the group moved forward with the original 12-team proposal tha will see a field made up of the six highest-ranked conference champions and six at-larges. The top four seeds would be conference champions and receive byes into the second round.
Heat, humidity provide challenge for Charleston runners, dangers increase with heat
The Post and Courier 08 Aug 2022
With relatively flat terrain in the Lowcountry, serious runners like Diane Errington find their challenge in the air around them ... Bridge over the Cooper River. "So the bridge is our mountain and the heat is our altitude." ... Health ... The group gathers at Bar Mash, 701 E ... Charlamagne tha God hosting mental health conference for Black men in Charleston area.
Tidelands health renews prescription walk program at Brookgreen Gardens
When Lowcountry health care provider Tidelands Health launched its prescription walk program with Brookgreen Gardens in 2020, the program was quickly overshadowed by the worsening COVID-19 pandemic ... Health. Charlamagne tha God hosting mental health conference for Black men in Charleston area. By Zharia Jeffries zjeffries@postandcourier.com ... Buy Now ... Dr.
SC working group seeks to bolster mental health treatment in state
The Post and Courier 31 Jul 2022
Armed with significant funding from the Legislature, South Carolina health leaders aim to address the lack of emergency mental health treatment and create easier access for families to get the care they need ... Health. Charlamagne tha God hosting mental health conference for Black men in Charleston area. By Zharia Jeffries zjeffries@postandcourier.com ... .
Dr Zaheerul Islam, Bhopal's 1st plastic surgeon, passes away
The Times of India 28 Jul 2022
Bhopal. Dr Syed , Bhopal's first plastic surgeon passed away here on Wednesday. He was in his 90s ... He also was one of the first to use videos in medical conferences for demonstration. 'Mere janaze pe pura shahar tha sharik, ek tum nahin the jiska mujh ko intezar tha', he said in one of the final videos before his death ... .
Shenzhou XIII astronauts doing well after returning to Earth
SpaceDaily 30 Jun 2022
... news conference at the unit's headquarters in northwestern Beijing on Tuesday tha .
Snoop Dogg Impersonator Infiltrates NFT Conference, Real Snoop Dogg Reacts
Vibe Magazine 24 Jun 2022
While it's unclear whether the impersonator was hired by the organizers of the conference or Snoop himself, Tha Doggfather got in on the fun, retweeting Collier's post and acknowledging the look-alike's visible "Doop Snogg" name tag.
IPL 2022: Shane Watson confirms David Warner and Anrich Nortje available for Delhi Capital against Lucknow
The Times of India 06 Apr 2022
MUMBAI ... Last night, he passed his last sort of fitness test to get through and be passed fit for selection," said Watson in the pre-match virtual press conference. Bas aapka hi intezaar tha David Bhai 🥺Welcome back home to DC 💙#YehHaiNayiDilli . #IPL2022#TATAIPL ... "Mitch Marsh is progressing really well ... Anrich Nortje. Training. That's it ... .
IPL 2022: Shane Watson confirms David Warner and Anrich Nortje available for Delhi Capitals against Lucknow
Billie Eilish Responds to Kanye 'Ye' West's Plea to Apologize to Travis Scott
NBCBayArea 12 Feb 2022
Travis who?. After Billie Eilish stopped her Feb ... Her onstage remark--" I wait for people to be OK until I keep going"--didn't sit well with Kanye "Ye" West ... 9 ... was just helping a fan.". Famous Celebrity Feuds ... In December, he told Charlamagne tha God, "It wasn't really until minutes until the press conference until I found out exactly what happened." ... .
Billie Eilish Stops Concert in Atlanta to Help Fan Get an Inhaler
Billie Eilish is using her power for good. While performing on her "Happier Than Ever" World Tour on Feb ... Don't crowd." ... Scott, who is facing multiple multi-million-dollar lawsuits over the tragedy, also told Charlamagne tha God in December, "It wasn't really until minutes before the press conference until I found out exactly what happened." ... .
Travis Scott says he was unaware of issues that led to Astroworld concert crush
Gulf Daily News 12 Dec 2021
In is first interview about the crowd surge that injured scores of fans at his Houston concert on Nov ... "I didn't know the exact details until minutes before the press conference (after his performance)," Scott told radio host Charlamagne tha God in an interview that aired on his YouTube channel on Thursday ... I just didn't hear that," he said ... .


Come and join us for the first Steeple Leaze Farm Christmas fair with what promises to be a charming and atmospheric day in beautiful surroundings.
Please use the map below to find the farm. Using the postcode (BH20 5NY) in sat navs tend to take visitors to the church in Steeple. Please locate the farm track which is located about 1/4 mile west of Steeple. There will be plenty of signs and ample parking.
Item Reviewed: Steeple Leaze Farm Christmas Fair 9 out of 10 based on 10 ratings. 9 user reviews.


text:
All posts tagged game trailer
Is Deus Ex 3 a movie or a game?
Because it looks like it would be one hell of an excellent movie. I haven't seen a cinematic trailer this long, plotty, or robust in a while.
I mean, I'm totally aware that cinematic trailers can be like this. I didn't expect gameplay footage or anything. But usually when we see these kinds of things, they're only fifty seconds long. Just a short clip of characters pumping shotguns and saying "Let's roll!" in Clint Eastwood voices, or giving the camera heavy-lidded angst-eyes while titles and release dates flash by, or talking about why they love Commander Shepherd, or things like that. Clearly prerendered, but framed in such a way that we know we're talking about a game, here. Even the ME2 cinematic trailer was just a list of squad members presented flashily. The launch trailer was also a list of squadmates, and it even had some in-game sex-scene footage in it. It had the framing logic of an RPG. When we start talking lists of recruitables, we know we're talking about that kind of game. The Deuz Ex 3 trailer doesn't have any of that framing logic.
The other type of cinematic trailer we see is the type where everything is patently cutscene footage. But the Deus X trailer feels like it was taken from a larger story, from a whole movie's worth of story, not from just a few cutscenes. It feels like I'm going to want to play this game in a huge empty room with a bucket of popcorn and an Icee on hand. Which is, of course, kinda tough, right?
Here's the thing: I'm starting to think that part of the reason we're so skeptical of game movies (and I haven't yet seen Prince of Persia, so I could be totally wrong about this) is that it's not wise to try and make players feel the same way about a game character the same way we feel about a movie character, and vice-versa. Obviously, different strategies are involved in the characterization and the world-building, and so on. The kind of player-character that appeals to people in a game is often flimsy enough to be inhabitable, while simultaneously characterized enough not to feel like a sock puppet. Action-movie heroes are also vehicles for self-insertion, but in a different way: we spend more time regarding them from the outside than from the inside, so they're shinier on that side, so to speak.
From what I see of these characters in this trailer, they're the kind of people I want to regard from the outside. Or—I mean—they're the kind of characters I don't yet feel like I can regard from the inside, they've been polished up so hard.*
What do you guys think? I mean, when it comes to trailers-what-make-me-feel-excited, I think this is right up there among the best. But it doesn't feel much like a game trailer.
*Except for that giving-orders guy near the end. His voice acting just screams VIDEO GAME
by lauramichet on June 4, 2010 • Permalink
Posted in Musings, PC
Tagged Deus Ex 3, game trailer, movies, video games
Posted by lauramichet on June 4, 2010
https://secondpersonshooter.com/2010/06/04/is-deus-ex-3-a-movie-or-a%c2%a0game/
RT @TannerLPer: https://t.co/ojY43YY5Bv 27 minutes ago
RT @webbedspace: Roguelike equipment whose only ability is "When you lose the game, display a fun fact about the game's development", which… 27 minutes ago


text:
YANKEES SIGN ON TO UN SPORTS FOR CLIMATE ACTION FRAMEWORK
This week, Major League Baseball's New York Yankees became the first major North American sports team to sign on to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework.
Launched by UN Climate Change in December 2018, the Framework aims to bring the sports industry's greenhouse emissions in line with the Paris Climate Change Agreement and to inspire others to take ambitious action to combat climate change.
The organization joins numerous prominent international sports organizations committed to the Framework, including the International Olympic Committee, FIFA, the French Tennis Federation-Roland Garros, Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, 2021 Rugby League World Cup, Formula E and others.
Allen Hershkowitz, the Yankees' newly-minted Environmental Science Advisor and Chairman of Sport and Sustainability International (SandSI), said: "The organization, from the top down, recognizes they, the sports world more broadly, and all of humanity, are facing a global climate crisis."
In addition to carbon off-setting and greenhouse gas reduction guarantees, the Yankees and the other signatories have promised to support the following principles:
Undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility
Reduce overall climate impact
Educate for climate action
Promote sustainable and responsible consumption
Advocate for climate action through communication
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recognized the importance of having a team as prominent and influential as the Yankees endorse the Sports for Climate Action Framework.
"I welcome the announcement by the New York Yankees to join Sports for Climate Action," Mr. Guterres said. "With their rich winning tradition, the Yankees bring a new level of leadership to global efforts to tackle climate change. When it comes to safeguarding our future, it's time to play ball."
The Yankees have been at the cutting edge of Green-Sports since moving into the current Yankee Stadium in 2009. From attaining Zero-Waste status (diverting 90% or more of waste from landfill via recycling, composting and other methods) to funding the distribution of clean burning cookstoves to women in East Africa to help public health while reducing carbon emissions, and much more, the Yankees have already started down the path to reaching their Framework commitments.
"With this pledge the Yankees commit to continue to work collaboratively with our sponsors, fans and other relevant stakeholders to implement the UN's climate action agenda in sports," said Yankees' Principal Owner and Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner.
The New York Yankees, as a member of the Green Sports Alliance, were Official Shortlisters for the 2018 Sport for Climate Action Award. To learn more about the Beyond Sport Global Awards, click here. 2019 entries open on April 8.
Article originally published on the Green Sports Blog.
"GIRLS, INSPIRED" CAMPAIGNS FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN UK SCHOOLS


text:
Castello di Annone é uma comuna italiana da região do Piemonte, província de Asti, com cerca de 1.781 habitantes. Estende-se por uma área de 23 km², tendo uma densidade populacional de 77 hab/km². Faz fronteira com Asti, Cerro Tanaro, Quattordio (AL), Refrancore, Rocca d'Arazzo, Rocchetta Tanaro.

Demografia

Comunas de Asti (província)


The Bill Monroe biopic, first announced back in 2012 and based on the Richard D. Smith book, Can't You Hear Me Callin', is very much still an ongoing project. In an article last week on the new Gibson Bill Monroe F-5 mandolin, we erroneously indicated that the film project had been abandoned, which brought a quick reply from the producer, Trevor Jolly, to the contrary.
So we are delighted to share that Blue Moon of Kentucky, a movie about the life of Bill Monroe, is still very an ongoing venture. Jolly and his team are hard at work completing a script, finalizing casting, and raising the necessary funds for such a large-scale independent film.
When this was first announced in 2012, there was a great deal of buzz in the Hollywood community, as a number of A-list stars had been associated with the film, but as other commitments in their careers caused them to pull back, it seemed that the movie was dead.
But No!, as Trevor tells us. They are moving ahead as quickly as they can, dealing with the many intricacies and legalities required for a major motion picture. And, he tells us, the delay may actually prove to be a benefit, as they can now look at the possibility of reworking their plans for Blue Moon of Kentucky as a 90 minute feature film, and look at the possibility of rewriting it as a serial for streaming services like Netflix or Amazon.
So when he saw our story reporting that the project was moot, he reached out right away.
"It was a bit disconcerting to discover that the project that I and many others have been committed to for almost the past decade, has been 'abandoned.' It's perhaps understandable, though, because a movie in the development stage is often perceived as forgotten.
You could consider it somewhat akin to a baby developing in the womb, where there may be unanticipated complications and lengthy periods of no discernible movement. However, the ongoing tasks of financing, scriptwriting, casting, choosing a director, locations, music recording, music rights, and legal affairs, are just a few of the tasks at hand. Each one is demanding on its own.
Jolly has his star at the ready, Michael Shannon, who he tells us has the physical stature to properly conduct himself as Bill Monroe. Plus he is a musician, so the musical scenes can convey the verisimilitude required to sell the part. Shannon has appeared in several successful films (Take Shelter, Vanilla Sky, Pearl Harbor), and is eager to get started portraying Big Mon.
A musical score is nearly complete, with T-Bone Burnett and Ronnie McCoury producing. Artists featured include Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill, Chris Thile, Del McCoury, and many others.
It sounds as though this project is in very good hands. Jolly has worked for many years in Hollywood, and has credits in major hits like American Beauty, Lost, and Seeking Justice.
Let's all hope to see Blue Moon of Kentucky finished in the very near future. The story of Bill Monroe and bluegrass music is begging for this sort of treatment.


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Trump's Power Isn't Fear. It's Fatigue.
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Nobody is scared of getting their ass kicked by Donald Trump. But that doesn't mean he can't exhaust them into submission.
By John Paul Rollert
John Paul Rollert BuzzFeed Contributor
Posted on June 1, 2018, at 3:04 p.m. ET
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Nico Ortega for BuzzFeed News
Ever since Donald Trump descended his golden escalator and took over US politics and popular culture, those of us who teach future business leaders have faced a strange dilemma. The most powerful person on Earth has a long history of dispensing advice on leading, dealmaking, and wielding power: Should our students become his?
For more than a decade, I've taught classes in leadership at Harvard and the University of Chicago. In the almost three years since Trump's escalator moment, I have steadfastly refused to change my lesson plan (you can think of this as my modest contribution to the Resistance). But it hasn't been easy.
I've always told students at the very beginning of class that the chief misconception of those who aspire to positions of authority is the belief that leadership is an exercise akin to primal displays of male dominance. This is a fallacy that is most seductive to teenage boys and those who are developmentally indistinguishable from them. Unfortunately, it is also embraced by the president with all the enthusiasm of ungainly adolescence. Whether it is the superlatives that have become a mainstay of presidential rhetoric — everything inevitably has to be the best, the most, the biggest ever — or the greetings that look like an aggressive child learning to shake hands, our president's leadership style has all the subtlety of a silverback gorilla threatening beta-males.
And this is by design. Trump has explained his approach to power and authority in one of the most neglected entries in his literary catalog, Think Big: Make It Happen in Business and Life, a slightly sanitized title (and, therein, somewhat incomplete) relative to the original, Think Big and Kick Ass: In Business and Life.
The book was originally published in 2007, when Trump enjoyed the hubris of his billions and a hit reality TV show, without the occupational headaches of propriety and good taste. It portrays life as a series of roadblocks that must be bulldozed rather than bypassed, and applies this logic to the art of negotiations and dealmaking. "You hear lots of people say that a great deal is when both sides win," he observes. "That is a bunch of crap. In a great deal, you win — not the other side. You crush the opponent and come away with something better for yourself."
Despite living in gilded mansions and indulging every carnal desire, Trump's view of the world is remarkably bleak.
Ever since the beginning of his presidency, we have watched Trump vainly endeavor to apply this approach, especially to global affairs. In his efforts to strong-arm other countries, Trump has often petulantly walked away from the negotiating table or struggled to sit down in the first place. The consequences for US foreign policy have been alarming. On the one hand, with the abandonment of global agreements like the Paris Accords, the Iran nuclear deal, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, many of our closest allies have become skeptical that they can work in good faith with the administration. At the same time, hardliners and autocrats from the Philippines to Abu Dhabi have seen in Trump a leader whose brutal instincts they immediately recognize (and very much appreciate).
As the president insists in the pages of Think Big, human affairs offer two types of interaction: submission and dominance. Other people can either be cowed or crushed. In turn, despite living in gilded mansions and indulging every carnal desire, Trump's view of the world is remarkably bleak. There is no possibility of reliable allies. Faithful employees are a fiction ("My motto is 'hire the best people and don't trust them'"). And even close friends pose an ever-present danger. "They want your jobs, they want your house, they want your money, they want your wife, and they even want your dog," Trump warns. "Those are your friends; your enemies are even worse!"
Given such views, can it be surprising that Trump has accomplished so little on the global scene? The president's instinctive paranoia, together with a sense of self-esteem at once inordinate and fragile, have invited contempt from allies and manipulation by enemies. Consider North Korea's Kim Jong Un, who has, by turns, satisfied and starved the president's boundless ego. Just a few weeks back, Trump was reveling in the possibility of winning the Nobel Prize for bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula. Behind the scenes, the New York Times reported last week, administration officials were struggling to get North Korea to even return their calls.
Notwithstanding his failure to successfully exert his power in global affairs, many of my students are still inclined to believe that President Trump is the embodied wisdom of Niccolò Machiavelli. He was not above savage displays of power consistent with the so-called laws of the jungle, but insofar as a prince needed "to know well how to use the beast," Machiavelli counseled him to channel both the lion and the fox. The spirit of the lion was conducive to violent displays consistent with shock and awe, whereas a foxlike sensibility was essential to the slippery arts of duplicity. By those arts, Machiavelli did not merely have in mind the ability to tell a lie — a talent for which Trump has proven himself so gifted he tells them even when they're unnecessary — but a kind of social dexterity that allows one to be strategic in his behavior. A prince, he says, must be "a great pretender and dissembler" to win people's trust. He must selectively lie without giving the appearance that he is anything other than a model of candor.
Trump has proven himself ill adept at such duplicitous behavior. A recent poll shows that he has failed to convince the majority of Americans of his honesty, with only 37% saying he tells the truth "all or most of the time." Indeed, rather than strategically dissemble to achieve some goal, he more often using lying in a lionlike manner, as a club of sorts to achieve some purpose. As the New York Times' Maggie Haberman described this tendency in a December tweet, the president "wears people down by repeating the same falsehoods/criticisms of what he doesn't like over and over."
The observation provides a useful insight into Trump's unlikely success in politics, which has largely relied on exploiting norms of civility. For instance, in the early days of his presidential campaign, Trump benefited from the practice, routine even in the cynical precincts of US politics, of extending the benefit of the doubt to others — not only trusting what they say is accurate and true, but trusting that they believe it's true as well.
But these assumptions are only warranted if both parties hold truth and accuracy in relatively high esteem, and as journalists have rudely discovered, when one party dispenses with such commitments, it complicates matters mightily. You cannot take what someone is saying at face value, but you also can't accept as sincere any ensuing explanation for statements that otherwise appear incriminating. For example, when days after Fox News hosted the first GOP primary debate, Trump described moderator Megyn Kelly's performance in lurid terms — "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever" — many chalked up the line to a typically inarticulate candidate. He couldn't possibly have meant…
Nearly two years later, we know better: He certainly could.
A willingness to step aside may be an act of submission, but in polite society, it is more often the sign of exhaustion.
As Trump has lost the benefit of the doubt, he has increasingly relied on the strategy Haberman describes above, wearing down the resistance of disbelief until people just throw up their hands in exasperation. The success of such an approach doesn't rely on a foxlike cunning, but it also doesn't require the lion's threat of blunt force trauma. Yes, a willingness to step aside may be an act of submission, but especially in polite society, it is more often the sign of exhaustion.
And this makes for one of the great ironies of President Trump's leadership style: It intimidates not so much by fear as simple fatigue. Indeed, beyond a few weak-kneed House members and well-fed lackeys in the West Wing, no one really fears getting their ass kicked by Donald Trump. But they're terrified at the prospect of endlessly having to hear about it.
As one who spends considerable time teaching young people how to make sense of power and authority and, therein, how to cultivate their own capacity for leadership, I confess to having no interest in training them to discover their inner loudmouth. Yes, it is true that the Kick Ass attitude has succeeded for Trump, but even setting aside moral reservations about such behavior, I also think the president's success is far more the exception than the rule. The world may work a little differently for the extremely rich and well-known, and the sorry wisdom of the Access Hollywood tape ("when you're a star, they let you do it") suggests Trump knows this all too well. But for those who aren't already celebrities, the president's approach — that of a blinged-out human bulldozer — will typically succeed only in one being shown the exit, a fate that second-rate Trumpian pretenders have discovered in the White House when they have made the disastrous mistake of trying to emulate the boss.
As I tell my students, the power of persuasion can often seem like no power at all. It requires empathy, understanding, close attention to others, and compromise. These are traits the president has shown neither an aptitude for nor an interest in, and many of his failures in office reflect these omissions. Trump remains unbowed, however, for the Kick Ass ethic does not include learning from mistakes. "We think we're civilized," he says. "In truth, it's a cruel world and people are ruthless."
It is not, at least for now. But whether it remains that way depends on the leaders we choose — and those we challenge ourselves to be.
John Paul Rollert is an adjunct assistant professor of behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
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From Harvard to Nasdaq listing: Grab CEO's ride to world's biggest SPAC deal
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Author of the article:
Anshuman Daga and Aradhana Aravindan
Apr 14, 2021 • 20 minutes ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
SINGAPORE — The CEO of Grab, a popular app to book taxis, order food and make payments in Southeast Asia, has always been determined to win — from making his firm the best-funded regional start-up to defeating behemoth Uber Technologies.
On Tuesday, Anthony Tan set another record when Grab Holdings agreed to list on Nasdaq through a $39.6 billion merger deal with a blank-check company, Altimeter Growth Corp.
The transaction will be the world's largest merger involving a so-called special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The accompanying $4 billion fundraising from global investors is also set to be the biggest ever U.S. equity offering by a Southeast Asian company.
"Anthony focuses on what to do, and executes it well," said Chua Kee Lock, chief executive officer of Singapore-based venture capital firm Vertex, an early investor in Grab.
The deals validate the 39-year-old co-founder's strategy to go hyper local and expand further in a region whose digital economy is estimated to triple to $309 billion by 2025.
"This might be a precedent set not necessarily just from the point of view of start-ups themselves but from global investors starting to have their eyes open to the Southeast Asian opportunity," said Usman Akhtar, who leads Bain & Co.'s Southeast Asia private equity practice.
Tan and co-founder Tan Hooi Ling, who are unrelated, created Grab from a Harvard Business School venture competition plan in 2011. They launched a taxi app in Malaysia in June 2012 and then took it regional.
And while the charismatic Tan is the scion of one of Malaysia's wealthiest families, he decided to strike it out as an entrepreneur.
Tasting the Sherry-Aged Spirits of Gonzalez Byass (2022)
"He is a very determined character and does not give up easily," said Chua.
That resolve came in handy in Grab's costly five-year battle with Uber, when Tan told employees that when "a local champion stays true to their beliefs and strengths, they can prevail."
Uber exited the region in 2018 by selling its business to Grab and in return took a stake in the company.
The deal also laid the foundation for Grab's food delivery business, which has become its largest segment as stay-at-home customers ordered food and groceries online last year.
But the COVID-19 pandemic also plunged Grab into its biggest crisis after demand for ride-hailing services tanked, forcing it to lay off about 5% of its staff.
Tan sought advice from his investors, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella. Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son, whom Tan calls his personal mentor, also helped in Grab's decision to pivot into deliveries and expand its payments business.
"Anthony always had in mind a significant business that could include services beyond ride-hailing," said Frank Cespedes, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, who supervised the Tans' team in the business plan competition.
Those who have worked with Tan say he is passionate about Grab and has tremendous energy. Last year, when people mostly worked from home in Singapore, Tan often spent 15 hours a day at his standing desk, sometimes exercising with dumbbells.
He often jokes that he and his wife need to stay active to manage their three toddlers. They are expecting another child.
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SUPERMAN AND IRON MAN
While Grab is still loss-making like many early-stage high-growth tech companies, Tan said the firm, which has more than 7,000 employees, started thinking about a listing nearly a year ago.
Only this year, it seriously considered going public via a merger with a SPAC after receiving many offers.
Sources familiar with the matter said the IPO process was code named "Iron Man" while the SPAC route was dubbed "Superman."
"Superman is a good guy and he would go all out to serve society," Tan told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
Grab's funding comes as rivals including Gojek and Sea are also bulking up.
"Other founders, other entrepreneurs and the region will be able to attract even more capital, because now we've shown that investors can make money, can exit," said Tan.
Tech companies view the region of 650 million people as a big opportunity, but the markets' diversity has tripped up some global firms.
Much of Grab's success has been due to Tan's relentless drive to localize. It accepted cash when Uber only allowed card payments. Grab also moved early to offer motorcycle taxi rides in traffic-clogged countries of Vietnam and Indonesia.
After shifting its headquarters to Singapore, Grab gained access to some of the world's biggest investors and talent.
"Grab's sharp focus allows them to go very deep into the eco-system and be relevant across a person's everyday life," said Keith Magnus, Asia co-chairman at boutique investment bank Evercore, which was among Grab's advisers on the SPAC deal. (Reporting by Anshuman Daga and Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States
Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral
Relations with the United States
Bruce Vaughn
Specialist in Asian Affairs
Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations
with the United States
With its recent fundamental political shift from monarchy to republic, the
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal has entered a new phase in its political
development. Peace is being consolidated and elections have been held. That said,
much ground remains to be covered to fully consolidate these gains. Some observers
are concerned that widespread violence may return if the Communist Party of Nepal -
Maoist (CPN-M), the group which waged a 10-year armed struggle against the
former government of Nepal, feels its political agenda has been thwarted by political
opposition in the Constituent Assembly.
The Constituent Assembly elections of April 10, 2008, were a key step toward
consolidating peace in Nepal and enhancing Nepal's democratic process. The
Constituent Assembly has been elected to form the structure of the new government
of Nepal. It will also be confronted with the need to address economic development
and ethnic issues. The Maoists will likely lead this process as they have the largest
representation in the Constituent Assembly.
As violence associated with the former Maoist insurgency has abated, inter-
communal tensions have mounted and at times become violent. This has been
particularly acute in the Terai region where the Madhesi live. The Madhesi, or plains
folk, seek autonomy to free themselves from what they feel is domination by Pahadis
from the more mountainous parts of northern Nepal. The Madhesi have added a new
regional dimension to Nepal's struggle for political stability. A new threat to the
political stability of Nepal has emerged from a number of groups representing
Madhesi in southern Nepal.
Relations between the United States and Nepal have traditionally been friendly.
U.S. policy objectives toward Nepal include supporting democratic institutions and
economic liberalization, promoting peace and stability in South Asia, supporting
Nepalese independence and territorial integrity, and alleviating poverty. American
foreign policy in Nepal has sought to strengthen democracy and to prevent the
collapse of Nepal which, should it become a failed state, could undermine regional
stability. The United States had previously provided support in Nepal's struggle
against the Maoists. U.S. policy towards the Maoists, who remain on two of three
U.S. terrorist lists, appears to be dependant on the continued participation of the
Maoists in the democratic process.
Nepal has been described as a yam between two boulders. Nepal's geopolitical
status as a small, landlocked buffer state situated between two Asian giants — India
and China — has severely constrained its foreign policy and trade options. Although
Nepal has sought to maintain friendly relations with both neighbors, its cultural,
linguistic, religious and economic ties with India historically have been much closer
than those with China.
Nepal: Recent Developments.........................................1
Historical Context to the Present Political Situation.......................2
Constitutional Crisis...........................................3
The King's Takeover ..........................................4
Maoist Reaction...........................................5
Democratic Uprising...........................................6
Government, Politics, and Regional Tensions............................6
Structure of Government ........................................6
The Nepal Army ..............................................7
Intercommunal Strife and Regional Tension.........................8
Human Rights Concerns............................................9
The Economy....................................................10
External Relations................................................10
Relations with the United States.................................10
U.S. Foreign Assistance....................................11
India .......................................................12
China ......................................................13
Bhutan .....................................................13
The United Nations...........................................14
Chronology ......................................................15
Figure 1. Map of Nepal............................................16
U.S. Assistance to Nepal, FY2006-FY2009............................12
Nepal: Recent Developments
The Communist Party of Nepal -
Maoist (CPN-M), the group whichNEPAL IN BRIEF
waged an armed struggle against thePopulation: 29.5 mil; growth rate 2.1%
former government of Nepal, won whatArea: 147,181 sq. km.; about the size and
was a three-way power struggle with theshape of Tennessee.Geography: Relatively flat river plain of the
monarchy and a collection ofTerai in the south, central hill region and
democratic parties with their electoralmountainous Himalaya region of the north.
victory in the April 10, 2008Arable land accounts for 16% of the total area.
Constituent Assembly election. OverCapital: Kathmandu; 1.5 mil people
60% of Nepali voters cast ballots in theEthnic/Caste Groups: Brahman, Chetri,Newar, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu,
election that had been twice delayed.Sherpa, Tharu, et al.
What was surprising to many observersLanguage: Nepali (official); about 12 others
was that the Maoists won powerReligion: Hindu 80.6%; Buddhist 10.7%;
through the democratic process. TheMuslim 4.2%Life Expectancy at Birth: 61
Maoists had previously waged a 10-yearLiteracy: Total 45.2%; female 27.6%; male
insurrection between 1996 and 2006162.7%
that claimed an estimated 13,340 lives.Per Capita income: $387
During this period their stated aim wasUnemployment: 42%
to establish a peasant-led revolutionaryGross Domestic Product Growth: 2.6% GDP by Sector: Agriculture 38%, industry
communist regime.2 20%, services 42%.
Labor by Sector: Agriculture 76%, industry
Now that they are in control of the6%, services 18%.
democratically elected ConstituentKey exports: Carpets, clothing, leather goods,
Assembly, Nepal's legislature, thejute goods, grain.Population distribution: Rural 85.8%, with
Maoists are confronted by a number of49% of the population in the Terai region, 44%
pressing issues, including the drafting ofin the hills, and 7% in mountainous regions of
a new constitution, mounting ethnicNepal
demands particularly with the MadhesisSources: CIA, World Factbook 2007; ReutersNews; U.S. Departments of Commerce and State;
of the Terai region, and the need toWorld Bank; Asian Development Bank; Global
revitalize Nepal's economy. Some haveInsight.
speculated that the Maoists won the
election because many Nepalis viewed
1 See Ali Riaz and Subho Basu, Paradise Lost? State Failure in Nepal, (New York:
Lexington Books Division of Rowman and Littlefield, 2007) for historical background
relating to the current political situation in Nepal.
2 "Nepal Country Profile 2008," The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2008.
that as the best way to keep them from returning to their violent struggle for power.3
Addressing issues contributing to political instability and achieving a peaceful
transition to stable democracy are viewed by observers as key to providing the basis
for economic growth. The Maoists will likely focus on how to retain control of the
next government as the Constituent Assembly (CA) determines its form. Uncertainty
remains over how well Nepal will negotiate this political transition in the months
ahead.
Some analysts have expressed concern that the Maoists could once again resort
to widespread violence if they view their influence as curtailed too much by
democratic political opposition. Although the Maoists have the most seats in
parliament, they do not have an outright majority. This makes them to an extent
reliant on smaller coalition partners. The fact that the Maoists were not able to place
one of their own in the office of the president demonstrates that there are limits to
their power in the current configuration of government. The Communist Party of
Nepal Maoist (CPN-M) has been supported by the Communist Party of Nepal United
Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) and the Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum (MPRF) in the
CA. (See box below.) The Nepali Congress (NC) is the main opposition party. The
Economist Intelligence Unit has described the CPN-M as having "established its
political pre-eminence while falling short of outright dominance."4 The Maoist
government has received criticism in Nepal for not having made progress on drafting
a new constitution.5
Historical Context to the Present Political Situation
Nepal has been an independent kingdom since 1768. Never colonized, the
country was almost totally isolated from outside influence until the early 1950s. A
transition from strict rule by the king to constitutional monarchy began in 1959, when
then-King Mahendra issued a new constitution and held the country's first
democratic elections. In 1960, however, the king declared the parliamentary system
a failure, dismissed the fledgling government, suspended the constitution, and
established a partyless system of rule under the monarchy. Although officially
banned, political parties continued to exist and to agitate for a return to constitutional
In February 1990, student groups and the major political parties launched the
Movement for the Restoration of Democracy. The centrist Nepali Congress (NC)
party joined with the leftist parties to hold peaceful demonstrations in Nepal's urban
centers. In April 1990, after more than 50 people were killed when police fired on
a crowd of demonstrators, then-King Birendra turned power over to an interim
government. This government drafted a constitution in November 1990 establishing
Nepal as a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch as head of state.
3 "Nepal's Election: A Peaceful Revolution?" International Crisis Group, July 3, 2008.
5 "Govt Focusing on Statute Writing," The Katmandu Post, October 13, 2008.
The king at that time retained limited powers, including the right to declare a state
of emergency with the approval of a two-thirds majority of parliament.
In February 1996, the leaders of the underground CPN-M launched a "People's
War" in the mid-western region of Nepal, with the aim of replacing the constitutional
monarchy with a one-party Communist regime. The uprising appears to have been
fueled by widespread perceptions of government corruption and failure to improve
the quality of life of citizens, including providing access to cultivable land. The
Maoists ran a parallel government, established their own tax system, burned land
records, and redistributed seized property and food to the poor, in 45 districts.6 The
insurgency was waged, in part, through torture, killings, and bombings targeting
police, the military, and public officials. A number of bank robberies, combined with
"revolutionary tax" revenue, made the Nepali Maoists one of the wealthiest rebel
groups in Asia.7
The Kathmandu government faced additional turmoil in June 2001, when
Crown Prince Dipendra shot and killed his parents, King Birendra and Queen
Aishwarya, seven other members of the royal family, and himself reportedly after a
disagreement over whom he should marry. This incident did much to undermine the
legitimacy of the monarchy. King Gyanendra, the former king's brother, was
crowned on June 4, 2001, and he appointed a commission to investigate the
assassinations. By mid-June, the country began returning to normal following rioting
and widespread refusal to believe official accounts of the massacre. In July 2001,
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala stepped down amid fears of continuing
instability and his government's failure to deal with the growing Maoist insurgency.
He was replaced by NC leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, who then became the head of
Nepal's eleventh government in as many years.
Constitutional Crisis
During the summer of 2002, the government of Nepal was thrown into a
constitutional crisis that interfered with its ability to effectively combat the Maoist
insurgency. The crisis began in late May, when King Gyanendra, at the request of
the prime minister, dissolved parliament and unilaterally declared a three-month
extension of emergency rule, which had expired on May 24, 2002. The prime
minister, who also scheduled early elections for November 2002, reportedly took
such action after his centrist Nepali Congress party refused to support his plan to
extend emergency rule. Following the prime minister's actions, 56 former members
of parliament filed a lawsuit against him, claiming there was no constitutional
precedent for the dissolution of parliament during emergency rule. In August 2002,
the Supreme Court rejected this lawsuit. Although opponents of the prime minister
agreed to accept the verdict, they emphasized the difficulty of holding free and fair
6 Aniket Alam, "Abductions, a Political Message by Maoists?" The Hindu, January 23,
7 Bertil Litner, "Nepal's Maoists Prepare For Final Offensive," Jane's Intelligence Review,
elections two years ahead of schedule when much of the country was under either
rebel or army control.8
Although the prime minister pledged that there would be no emergency rule
during the scheduled November 2002 elections, Maoist attacks and threatened strikes
prompted the government to consider various measures to prevent a Maoist
disruption of the polls. The government discussed imposing a partial state of
emergency in areas most affected by the insurgency. However, opposition parties,
which urged the government to open a dialogue with the Maoists, argued that by
curbing civil liberties, emergency rule would inhibit free and fair elections. As an
alternative, the government announced in September 2002 that it would hold the
elections in six stages over two months, starting in mid-November, so that
government troops could be transferred around the country to protect voters and
candidates.9 After further deliberation, however, Nepal's cabinet concluded that the
security situation was too risky to hold elections. On October 3, 2002, the cabinet
asked King Gyanendra to postpone the national elections for one year.10 The next
day, the king dismissed the prime minister, disbanded his cabinet, and assumed
executive powers.
The King's Takeover
The security situation in Nepal deteriorated after the collapse of the ceasefire
between the Maoists and the government on August 27, 2003. The Maoists favored
drafting a new constitution that would abolish the monarchy. The king opposed such
a move and wanted the Maoists to relinquish their weapons. Accommodation
between the king and opposition democratic elements had been thought to be key to
creating the unified front necessary to defeat the Maoists. With his direct assumption
of powers, and arrest of opposition democratic elements, the king decided to try to
defeat the Maoists on his own. This move proved to be the beginning of the end of
the power of the monarchy in Nepal.
After seizing direct power in February 2005, King Gyanendra exerted control
over democratic elements, but made little progress in the struggle against the
Maoists. The king reportedly thought he could take advantage of a split in the Maoist
leadership and disarray amongst democrats to seize control and use the Royal Nepal
Army (RNA) to defeat the Maoists.11 The seizure of power by the king appears to
have been aimed as much, if not more so, at asserting the king's control over
democratic forces. Many observers felt that a military solution to the conflict with the
8 "Parties React to Court Ruling Backing PM's Right to Dissolve Parliament," BBC
Monitoring South Asia, August 7, 2002; Shusham Shrestha, "Nepal PM's Foes
Begrudgingly Accept Court Approval of Early Elections," Agence France-Presse, August
9 Binaj Gurubacharya, "Nepal to Hold Elections in Stages," Associated Press Newswire,
September 28, 2002.
10 Gopal Sharma, "Nepal Cabinet Seeks to Put Off Elections by a Year," Reuters News,
October 3, 2002.
11 Chitra Tiwari, "India Delivers Arms to Nepal," The Washington Times, May 14, 2005.
Maoists was not achievable and that a concerted effort by the king and the democrats
was needed to establish a unified front to defeat the Maoists.12
When the king assumed power he stated that he would take steps to reinstate a
constitutional democracy within 100 days, which he then failed to do. Although
some political prisoners were released by the king, hundreds of others remained
under arrest and restrictions on civil liberties, such as public assembly and freedom
of the press, remained in place. A U.N. Office of the High Commissioner of Human
Rights team was established in Nepal in April 2005 to monitor the observance of
human rights and international humanitarian law.13
By moving against the democrats, who under different circumstances could
have worked with the king against the Maoists, the king strengthened the position of
the Maoists. By some estimates almost half of the RNA was occupied with palace
security, civil administration, and efforts to restrict communications and civil rights.14
The king's legitimacy with the people was weakened due to the circumstances under
which he assumed the throne, the way he seized direct rule, and due to poor popular
perceptions of his son, Prince Paras Shah.15 The former Crown prince was unpopular
with Nepalis "for his drunken antics and playboy lifestyle."16
Maoist Reaction. From February 13 to 27, 2005, the Maoists reacted to the
king's actions by blockading major highways linking the country's 75 districts, as17
well as international road links to India and China. This led to clashes between
Maoists and the RNA and brought trade by road to a standstill. The army organized18
armed convoys which allowed limited trade to continue. The Maoists had earlier
cut off land routes to Kathmandu in August 2004.19 During the week-long blockade20
in 2004, prices of some basic foods more than doubled and fuel was rationed. This
increase in food prices reportedly recurred in the 2005 blockade. By blockading
Kathmandu, the Maoists successfully increased pressure on the king's government
and demonstrated their power.
12 "US Envoy Warns Political Crisis Could Benefit Maoists," BBC News, May 24, 2005.
13 "UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Appoints Chief for Nepal Monitoring
Operation," M2 Presswire, April 29, 2005.
14 S.D. Muni, "Thy Hand, Great Monarch!" The Hindustan Times, February 8, 2005.
15 Nepal: A Country Report, The Economist Intelligence Unit, February 2005. John
Lancaster, "King Claims Absolute Authority in Nepal," The Washington Post, February 2,
16 Charles Haviland, "Ousted Nepal Prince Leaves Nation," BBC News, July 2, 2008.
17 "Maoist Blockade Creates Chaos in Nepal," Hindustan Times, February 22, 2005.
18 "Nepal Rebels Attack Highway Convoy," Reuters, February 20, 2005.
19 "Maoist Rebels Cut off Kathmandu," ABC Radio Australia, August 8, 2004.
20 "Bombs on the Tennis Courts, No Petrol in the Pumps," The Economist, August 28, 2004.
Democratic Uprising
On April 24, 2006, mounting popular resistance in support of the political
parties led King Gyanendra to hand over power to the Seven Party Alliance. This
followed weeks of violent protests and demonstrations against direct royal rule in
Nepal. The Seven Party Alliance that opposed the king in April included the parties
as listed below. The Maoists were not part of the Seven Party Alliance, though they
worked with the alliance to oppose the monarchy. This was made possible by the
king's political crackdown on the democrats.
!The Nepali Congress (NC)
!Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist Leninist CPN (UML)
!Nepali Congress (Democratic) or NC (D)
!Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandi Devi) or NSP (A)
!Jana Morcha Nepal
!Samyukta Baam Morcha (United Left Front) or ULF
!Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP)
The seven parties worked together through their alliance to promote a more
democratic Nepal in the face of direct rule by the king. In May 2006, six of the seven
political parties formed a coalition government. On November 8, 2006, the Seven
Party Alliance and the Maoists reached a peace agreement ending a decade-old
insurgency that claimed over 13,000 lives. In it, the Maoists agreed to put down their
arms and postpone a decision on the future disposition of the monarchy until after the
election of a Constituent Assembly. Under the peace agreement, Constituent
Assembly elections were to be held by the end of June 2007. The June election date
slipped but Constituent Assembly elections were eventually held in April 2008.
Government, Politics, and Regional Tensions
Structure of Government
The structure of the current 601-seat legislature is a mixed member system with
240 members elected from single member constituencies and 335 members elected
on a proportional basis from party lists. A further 26 members are nominated by the
cabinet to represent ethnic and indigenous groups. Administratively, the country is
divided into 75 districts.21
21 "Nepal," CIA World Factbook, October, 2008 and Department of State Background Notes
"Nepal," 2008.
The CPN-M, with 220 seats and
36.6% of seats, is the largest party inKey Political Parties in Nepal
the Constituent Assembly. The 110
seats for the NC represent 18.3% of theCommunist Party of Nepal — Maoist
CA while the 103 seats belonging to the(CPN-M)
CPN-UML represents 17.1%. The 52The Nepali Congress (NC)
seats of the MPRF represent 8.7% andCommunist Party of Nepal — United
the 20 seats of the TMDP representMarxist Leninist (CPN-UML)
3.3%. Twenty other parties andThe Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum
independents, all with less than 2% of(MPRF)
the CA seats, account for the balance.22The Terai Madhes Democratic Party(TMDP)
The current government includesThe Sadhbavana PartyThe Rastriya Prajatantra Party
President Ram Baran Yadav of the
Nepali Congress Party and Prime
Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal — also known by his Maoist nom de guerre Prachanda
— as head of government. The president was elected by the Constituent Assembly
on July 21, 2008, while the prime minister was elected on August 18, 2008. In
accordance with the interim constitution, legislative powers passed from the previous
parliament to the CA after its election in April 2008. The prime minister is selected
by a vote of the CA. The CA is to develop a new constitution within a two-and-a-
half-year time-frame during which it will also perform legislative functions.23 Former
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress leader Girija Koirala accused the Maoists of
"hatching a conspiracy to end parliamentary democracy." Koirala has stated his
concern that the Maoists' communist model of a new socialist political system
represents a significant challenge to parliamentary democracy.24
The Nepal Army
The Nepal Army, which fought a protracted counterinsurgency war against the
Maoists from 1996 to 2006, has remained largely outside politics but could become
a key actor should the Maoists once again turn to violence as a means of achieving
their objectives. The NC has opposed Maoist plans to integrate their forces into the
Nepali Army. Instead, the NC advocates that they should be placed into an industrial
security force, the police, or other sectors.25 Some estimates place the number of
former Maoist fighters in cantonment at 20,000 or more.26 The Nepal Army is
thought to number approximately 95,000 soldiers that are divided into six regional
divisions. NC President Koirala has warned that a movement would be launched if
attempts are made to integrate former Maoist fighters into the Nepal Army.27 Vice
22 "Nepal Country Profile 2008," The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2008.
23 "Nepal," National Democratic Institute, [http://www.ndi.org].
24 "NC Prez: Maoists Targeting Democracy," The Katmandu Post, September 27, 2008.
25 "UNMIN Not Impartial," Kantipur, October 13, 2008.
26 "Prachanda's First Interview as Nepal Prime Minister," BBC News, September 3, 2008.
27 "Nepal Ex-Ruling Party Warns Against Integration of Army, Maoists," BBC News,
President of the NC Ram Chandra Poudel has stated that "If the rebel army is
integrated [into the regular Nepal Army] the country will once again see conflict."28
Intercommunal Strife and Regional Tension
As violence associated with the former Maoist insurgency has abated,
intercommunal tensions have mounted and at times become violent. This has been
particularly acute in the Terai region where the Madhesi live. An estimated 49% of
the country's population live in the Terai region. The Madhesi, or plains folk, seek
autonomy to free themselves from what they feel is domination by Pahadis from the
more mountainous parts of northern Nepal. The Madhesis also have closer ties to
India than other regions of Nepal. Madhesis have pressed for regional autonomy for
the Terai region where most Madhesi live. Other ethnic groups in the Terai have
opposed this.29 By some estimates there are 12 to 14 armed groups fighting a low-
intensity struggle for autonomy in the region.30 It has been estimated that over 200
were killed as the result of Madhesi agitation for autonomy over the past year.31 In
September 2008, fourteen armed groups reportedly met in the neighboring Indian
state of Bihar to discuss forming a unified armed movement to promote Madhesi
interests. 32
The Madhesi have added a new regional dimension to Nepal's struggle for
political stability. A new threat to the political stability of Nepal has emerged from
a number of groups representing Madhesi in southern Nepal. The MPRF, TMDP,
Sadbhavana Party and the Dalit Janajati Party represent Madhesis and command 85
seats in the CA. The new president and vice president are also Madhesi. Madhesis
are culturally and ethnically close to peoples of northern India. There have been
allegations from inside Nepal that Hindu radicals may have had a role in the violence
in the Terai.33 Madhesi have complained about their underrepresentation in
parliament, the government, police, and army as well as economic discrimination
against them.34
27 (...continued)
October 14, 2008.
28 "Army Integration to Lead to Violence," BBC News, October 3, 2008.
29 "Nepal Country Report," The Economist Intelligence Unit, August, 2008.
30 "Bomb Blast Kills Three in Southeast Nepal," Reuters, October 14, 2008 and Terai Group
Sets tough terms for talks," The Katmandu Post, October 13, 2008..
31 "Madhesi Issue Should be Resolved Through Peaceful Means," The Press Trust of India,
32 "Nepal's Armed Groups Begin unity Talks in Bihar," Indo-Asian News Service,
33 "BJP Has No Role in Terai Violence: Yashwant Sinha," Indo-Asian News Service, July
34 "Violence in the Terai and the Madhesi Movement," U.S. Institute for Peace, July 17,
Human Rights Concerns
Over the years both the Maoists and security forces have committed numerous
human rights violations. That said, some progress in the areas of human rights and
political freedoms have been achieved since the early 1990s. The king's dismissal of
government in 2005 led to many abuses and curtailments of civil rights. This setback
was reversed by the reinstatement of parliament in 2006. Trafficking in women and35
children and indentured domestic work remain problems in Nepal. Nepal also
suffers from widespread corruption. Nepal ranked 131 out of 180 countries in the36
2008 Global Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International.
The U.S. State Department Country Report on Human Rights in Nepal released
in March 2008 focused on events in 2007 states that
... the Maoists and its subsidiary organization, the Young Communist League, as
well as members of other small, often ethnically based armed groups, committed
numerous grave human rights abuses. In addition, the Madhesi, an historically
disenfranchised group, staged a mass political movement, marked by frequent37
periods of violence.
The Tibetan community in Nepal has, according to Human Rights Watch, been
subject to numerous abuses at the hands of Nepali authorities as Nepal has reportedly
come under pressure by China to quell any protests in Nepal over Chinese rule in
Tibet. Nepali authorities reportedly made an estimated 8,350 arrests of Tibetans, out
of an estimated total population of some 20,000 Tibetan refugees, exiles and asylum
seekers, during the period between March 10 and July 18, 2008. Nepal is a key transit
route for Tibetans seeking to reach India. Human Rights Watch accused the
Government of Nepal of unnecessary and excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest,
sexual assault of women during arrest, arbitrary and preventative detention, beatings38
in detention, and unlawful threats to deport Tibetans to China. Nepal Home
Ministry Spokesman Modraj Dotel stated in March 2008 that "We have given the
Tibetans refugee status and allow them to carry out culture events. However, they do
not have the right for political activities ... we will not allow any anti-China activities39
in Nepal and will stop it." (See below for more information on Nepal-China
relations.)
35 "Background Note: Nepal," Department of State, June 2008.
36 "Zero Tolerance on Graft Must for MDGs: UN," The Katmandu Post, October 20, 2008.
37 U.S. State Department, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Nepal Country
Report on Human Rights Practices 2005, released March, 2007.
38 "Nepal: Abuse Against Tibetans Protesting China's Tibet Crackdown," Human Rights
Watch, July 24, 2008.
39 "Human Rights Watch Urges Nepal to Stop Crackdown on Tibetan Protestors,"
International Herald Tribune, March 20, 2008.
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. Political instability and
insurgency-related violence of recent years has undermined the country's economy.
Over 76% of its inhabitants earn a living through agriculture while only 16% of the
land is arable. Major crops include rice, wheat, maize, jute, sugarcane, and potatoes.
Political uncertainty and continued reliance on subsistence farming could keep Nepal
poor for many years to come. Though the industrial base is small, Nepal produces
carpets, garments, and, increasingly, textiles, which now account for a majority of
merchandise exports. Other major revenue sources are tourism and remittances
including those from Nepal's famed Gurkha soldiers serving in the British and Indian
armies. Government efforts to increase foreign trade and investment have been
impeded by political instability, corruption, the resistance of vested interests, the
small size of the economy, its remote and landlocked location, the lack of
technological development, and frequent natural disasters, including floods and
landslides.
Nepal's infrastructure is poor and it has few commercially exploitable resources
other than hydro power and cement grade limestone deposits. Nepal also suffers from
low rates of investment and domestic savings. Firewood supplies an estimated 76%
of total energy consumed in Nepal and is used for heating and cooking. Nearly a
quarter of the national budget is externally funded through foreign aid. Real
economic growth averaged 3.5% between fiscal years 2002/03 and 2005/06. Growth
in 2006/07 is estimated by the Economist Intelligence Unit to be 2.6%. Remittances
have increased in importance as a source of foreign exchange as tourism has40
depended on an uncertain political situation in recent years. Nepal's key export
partners include most significantly India (70%), the United States (8.9%), and
Germany (4.1%).
The United States seeks to promote democracy and civil society in Nepal and
provide developmental assistance to its people. The United States became Nepal's
first bilateral aid donor in January 1951 and has since contributed more than $141
billion in bilateral development assistance to the country. The United States has
viewed the Maoists' past plans to institute a one-party republic, collectivize
agriculture, re-educate "class enemies" and export revolution as undermining
regional stability as well as the promotion of democracy and development for
41 FY 2006, Congressional Budget Justification for Foreign Operations, Department of
State, released February 15, 2005.
Nepal.42 The United States is now presented with the situation of having to develop
a relationship with a democratically elected group that it recently opposed.
The United States has been described as taking "quiet steps to reorient its
policy" towards Nepal.43 Prime Minister Dahal traveled to the United States in
September 2008 to attend the United Nations General Assembly. During his eight-
day visit in the United States he met with a number of foreign leaders, including
President Bush, whom he reportedly met only briefly.44 Dahal reportedly asked
President Bush for support and assistance. Dahal also met with U.S. Assistant
Secretary of State Richard Boucher and expressed his concern that his Maoist
organization remained on the U.S. list of terrorist groups.45 Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Evan Feigenbaum explained
in May 2008 that while the Maoists were included on the Terrorist Exclusion List and
the Specially Designated List, they were not on the Foreign Terrorist Organization
(FTO) list. The FTO has a more stringent set of requirements than the other two lists.
Feigenbaum added that "... the degree to which we can work with parties in Nepal
will depend very directly on the degree to which they continue to embrace the
political process and abandon violence."46 In October 2008 it was reported that while
the United States would support the elected government of Nepal it would not change
its policy towards the CPN-M. That said, travel bans on Maoist leaders were relaxed
and a dialogue had been established with Maoists by the Fall of 2008.47
U.S. Foreign Assistance. In recent years, U.S. attention to Nepal has
focused on issues related to the past Maoist insurgency, though non-military
assistance has been far greater. The United States provided former Nepali
governments with light weaponry and other military assistance to help the previous48
government of Nepal in its former fight against the Maoists. U.S. assistance to
Nepal has also focused on strengthening Nepal's democratic institutions. Economic
Support Funds (ESF), Development Assistance (DA), and Child Survival and Health
(CSH) programs have sought to enhance stability and security while seeking to
strengthen governance and protect human rights. International Military Education
and Training (IMET) programs have sought to develop Nepal's military's ability to
conduct operations while "following the rules of engagement that respect the rule of
law, international human rights standards, and democratic values."49 For further
42 "Christina Rocca Delivers Remarks at the Institute of Foreign Affairs," Federal Document
Clearing House, May 10, 2005.
43 "Nepal's New Political Landscape," International Crisis Group, July 3, 2008.
44 "Visit Successful," The Katmandu Post, October 1, 2008.
45 "Nepal's Maoist PM Speaks on UN Visit," BBC News, September 30, 2008.
46 "U.S. — Nepal Relations," U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, May 29, 2008.
47 "US Not to Relax Policy on Maoists," The Katmandu Post, October 14, 2008.
48 Jahn Lancaster, "King Claims Absolute Authority in Nepal," The Washington Post,
49 "Nepal," in U.S. Department of State, South and Central Asia, Budget Justification
Document, 2007.
details of U.S. assistance programs to Nepal see the U.S. Agency for International
Development's website.50
U.S. Assistance to Nepal, FY2006-FY2009
(In U.S. $ thousands)
Account F Y 2006 F Y 2007 F Y 2008estimate F Y 2009request
CSH 18,613 18,090 19,891 13,667
DA 8,393 10,447 9,136 -
ESF 4,950 11,250 9,423 13,015
IM ET 644 793 752 800
INCLE003010,000
NADR 0 840 1,141 700
P.L. 480 Title II1,2136,0560-
T otal 33,813 47,476 40,373 38,182
Note: See CRS Report RL31362, U.S. Foreign Aid to East and South Asia, by Thomas Lum. (CSH)
Child Survival and Health, (DA) Development Assistance, (ESF) Economic Support Fund, (FMF)
Foreign military Financing, (IMET) International Military Education and Training, (NADR)
Nonproliferation, Antiterrorism, Demining, and Related Programs, (INCLE) International Narcotics
Control and Law Enforcement. U.S. Department of State, South and Central Asia, Budget Justification
Document, FY2008.
Nepal is heavily dependent on India as the primary source of imports, the main
market for exports, and for access to the sea through the major port of Calcutta. A
significant percentage of all foreign investment in Nepal is thought to come from
India. Moreover, the Himalayan mountain range along Nepal's northern border limits
access to China, whereas the 500-mile southern border with India is relatively open.
India has considered Nepal a strategic link in its northern border defenses.51 New
Delhi has viewed Nepali instability as a potential catalyst for the destabilization of
India's own troubled northeastern states.52 Maoist success in Nepal may also have
a negative impact on India's own Maoist problem, which has increased in recent
years.53 It has been reported that India will support a Maoist-led government in
50 "Nepal," U.S. Agency for International Development, May 4, 2008,
[http://nepal.usaid.gov/].
51 "India Pledged to Support Nepal in Rebel Fight," Reuters News, August 23, 2002.
52 Mandavi Mehta and Nisala Rodrigo, "Nepal Update," South Asia Monitor 53, Center for
Strategic and International Studies, December 1, 2002.
53 CRS Report RL32259, Terrorism in South Asia, by Alan Kronstadt and Bruce Vaughn.
Nepal and that the Maoists may demand a review of Nepal's treaties with India
including the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship.54
While leftists in India welcomed the electoral outcome of the April 2008 CA
election, the opposition Hindu right was reportedly "seething" over the result and
viewed the Indian government as "derelict of its duties [and] violative of its oath of
office to safeguard the country's interests...." It is thought by some observers that
much of this concern stems from a fear by some in India that China's power in the
region would grow as a result of the outcome of the CA election.55
The Nepali leadership has long resented Indian economic influence and has
sought to establish a more independent foreign policy. Kathmandu has at times
"played the China card" in seeking to counterbalance what it considers undue
pressure from India. Beijing has contributed economic aid to Nepal. Observers have
noted that Nepal's stability is important to China, given that it serves as a buffer
between China and India. Nepal also borders Tibet, whose spiritual leader the Dalai
Lama has sought a degree of autonomy from Beijing for the Tibetan regions within
China.56 Unrest in Tibet manifested itself most recently in March 2008 through a
series of demonstrations marking the 1959 failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese
rule.57 It was reported in September 2008 that China had approved RS 100 million
in military assistance to Nepal during a visit to China by Nepal's Minister for
Defense Ram Bahadur Thapa.58 It appears that Nepal will continue with a one China
policy and continue to take a hard line on Tibetan refugees as the CPN-M and other
major parties will likely be reluctant to offend China.59
Nepal's relationship with Bhutan is largely defined by tensions over ethnic
Nepalis who are in Bhutan or who have fled Bhutan. The Government of Bhutan has
been experiencing problems with an estimated 100,000 Bhutanese of Nepali
background, many of whom it views as having settled in Bhutan illegally. This
Nepali minority group are known as the Lhotshampa. They are a Nepali speaking
Hindu people that inhabit Bhutan's southwest. Many Lhotshampa left Bhutan as a
result of attempts over recent decades to integrate them into mainstream Bhutanese
culture. Such attempts at assimilation have been viewed as a threat to the ethnic
54 Krishna Pokharel, "Nepal's Maoists Soften Tone," The Wall Street Journal, May 2, 2008.
56 Philip Pan, "China Backs Nepal Over Maoist Rebels; Move Reflects Beijing's Growing
Interest in Fostering Stability, Not Revolution," Washington Post, July 14, 2002.
57 See CRS Report RL34445, Tibet: Problems, Prospects, and U.S. Policy, by Kerry
Dumbaugh for further information.
58 Prerana Marasini, "Nepal to Get Chinese Military Aid," The Hindu, September 28, 2008.
As of October 2008 one U.S. dollar was equal to approximately 77 Nepal rupees.
Nepalis' own culture. The program was aimed at assimilating the Lhotshampa by
having them adopt the Bhutanese language Dzongkha, as well as the Bhutan's
Buddhist religion and its cultural dress. This tension led to unrest in the south of
Bhutan in the early 1990s. There are some 107,000 Lhotshampa in seven refugee
camps in Nepal. The United States agreed to take some 60,000 of the Nepali
Bhutanese refugees beginning in 2008.60 Only about 25,000 of the Lhotshampa
refugees in Nepal have thus far registered for resettlement in third countries and only
10,000 are expected to be resettled by the end of 2008.61 Some of the Lhotshampa
have reportedly been denied citizenship by Bhutan.62
Formal assistance from the United Nations was requested by the Nepalese
government in July 2006. Following this, the U.N. dispatched a pre-assessment
mission that helped the seven-party alliance coalition and the Maoists to resolve
differences on the issue of arms management. The U.N. monitored the cantonment
of combatants and the caching of arms as specified under the peace agreement.63 The
Security Council established the U.N. Political Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) through
Resolution 1740 in January 2007. Under Resolution 1740, UNMIN was tasked to
monitor the management of arms and armed personnel of both sides; to assist the
parties through the Joint Monitoring Coordinating Committee in implementing their
agreement; to assist in the monitoring of the cease fire; provide technical support for
the planning, preparation and conduct of the election of a Constituent Assembly; and
to provide a small team of election monitors.64 UNMIN's mission has been extended
until January 23, 2009, to allow for continued monitoring of former Maoist rebels
and their arms. The NC has voiced its criticism of UNMIN, claiming that it has
refrained from criticizing violence perpetrated by the Young Communist League and
the lack of movement by the Maoists in returning private property confiscated during
the Maoist insurrection.65
60 "Bhutan: Country Report," The Economist Intelligence Unit, February 2008.
61 "First of 60,000 Refugees From Bhutan Arrive in U.S.," CNN Asia, March 25, 2008.
62 "Voting on the King's Orders," The Economist, March 29, 2008.
63 "Nepal Monitor: The National Online Journal," at [http://www.nepalmonitor.com/2007].
64 "Security Council Establishes UN Political Mission in Nepal," United Nations Security
Council SC/8942, Department of Public Information, News and Media Division, New York,
January 23, 2007.
Chronology66
Crown Prince Dipendra kills his father King Birendra and nine other members of the
Royal Family including his mother, sister, and brother. Dipendra also kills himself.
Dipendra's brother Gyanendra becomes king.
King Gyanendra dismisses the government, declares a state of emergency, and
assumes direct rule.
Maoists and political parties agree on a plan to restore democracy.
Opposition demonstrations force the king to reinstate parliament and abandon direct
rule. The Maoists declare a cease-fire.
Parliament cuts the king's political power and the government begins talks with the
Maoists.
The king's power over the armed forces is taken away.
A peace agreement between the government and the Maoists ends the ten-year
insurgency. The Maoists agree to join a transitional government and have their
weapons monitored by the United Nations.
Unrest in the Terai mounts.
The Maoists join an interim government headed by Nepali Congress Leader Koirala.
Constituent Assembly elections are held.
The monarchy is formally abolished and Nepal becomes a Republic.
Ram Baran Yadav of the Nepali Congress becomes president.
A Maoist led government takes office.
66 This chronology is drawn from "Timeline: Nepal," BBC News, January 16, 2007 as well
as Economist Intelligence Unit reports and other sources.
Figure 1. Map of Nepal
iki/CRS-RL34731
s.or