Catholics welcome move to control Nepal’s Maoists

(January 24, 2011) A move by Nepal to formally bring Maoist insurgents under government control has been welcomed by Catholics and NGOs who also warned that further efforts and prayers would be needed. Nepal’s Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has agreed to hand over some 19,600 Maoist combatants and their weapons to the control of a special committee headed by prime minister Madav Kumar Nepal. The committee’s task is to resettle, integrate and rehabilitate the Maoists, known as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Naresh John Shrestha, a member of Kathmandu’s Catholic Assumption Church regarded the PLA handover as a goodwill gesture and hoped it will work out and is not just another political drama. He observed that peace cannot be established unless different political parties act to bring about positive changes. Ram Keshari Shrestha, a Catholic and head of the non-governmental organization, ‘Voices of Citizens’ urged that the practical needs of thousands of poor people who have been displaced in this long insurgency be addressed. Several countries, including India, US and China, have welcomed the move, which now requires the PLA to follow the new codes of conduct, such as refraining from any political involvement and any identification with the Maoist party.