Kathmandu, July 17: The head of the visiting European delegation, Neena Gill, today said the Maoists should be disarmed before the election to Constituent Assembly is held.
After meeting the Minister for Foreign Affairs, KP Oli, at Shital Niwas, Gill said acts like intimidation and threatening people were unacceptable. She said that if the rebels lay down arms, it would demonstrate their willingness to participate in the parliamentary democracy. Gill, who also met Speaker Subhas Nembang, said, “The Maoists should demonstrate their commitment and we urge them to disarm as soon as possible.”
Regarding Nepal’s request to United Nations on its role here, she said the European Union would encourage UN to do so. The delegation, which also met the members of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee, will also meet the Maoists leaders. Chakra Bastola, a member of the ceasefire monitoring committee, told the EU delegation that the Maoists were still “extorting people in the form of levying taxes”.
Thomas Mark, who is the president of the Tibet Inter Group in the European Parliament, had asked the MPs whether the government of Nepal was under any pressure from China on the issue of Tibetans or whether China had any influence on Maoists. MP Romi Gauchan (Thakali) told him: “Nepal believes in one China policy not because there is Chinese pressure, but because we have non-aligned foreign policy. We also do not believe that Chinese government controlled or influenced the Maoists.” On the Tibetan refugees, Gauchan said Nepal has policies for two categories of Tibetans.
“Registered Tibetans have been issued travel document, but the illegal Tibetan immigrants don’t enjoy the same,” said Gauchan.
On the delegation’s concerns on the big size of the army, the MPs said they also felt that there was a need to reduce its size. Luisa Morgantini, who heads the Development Committee in the European Parliament, told the MPs that the change has come not only because of the seven-party-alliance, but because of the Maoists and civil society.
