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Nepal

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, for raising the important issue of peace and democracy in Nepal and to all noble Lords who have taken part in a very significant debate. I admire the noble Earl’s first-hand knowledge and the penetrating analysis that he has provided, to which I listened with great care, as I did to the points that others have raised, to which I shall try to respond. Like a number of noble Lords, including the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, and the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Bramall, I share the sense of debt to Nepal, and in particular to the Gurkhas. The noble and gallant Lord, Lord Bramall, referred to an historic obligation, and I echo those words. The links that our forces continue to have under the broad basis of the 1947 tripartite agreement are fundamental as a basis on which the Gurkhas can proceed in their relationship with us. I also share the right approach of the noble Lord, Lord Howell, in locating the geopolitical importance of the region and I make my remarks in that context. It is no understatement to say that Nepal is at a critical point in its history. Following the tumultuous events in April when the Nepalese people rose up against the King’s failed attempt at direct rule, there is now a realistic prospect of a resolution of the 10 year-old conflict there, and a return to peace, stability and genuine multi-party democracy. But there are very serious challenges ahead. The King’s restoration of Parliament on 24 April was a victory for the democratic aspirations of the Nepalese people. The United Kingdom and the wider international community, including India, worked over many months in support of these aspirations. The new Government representing the Seven Party Alliance face major challenges in securing a fully functioning democracy. The internal situation remains fragile but, as the noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, said, bold steps have already been taken towards peace and reconciliation. Implementation of a verifiable and sustainable ceasefire with the Maoists is essential to underpin a comprehensive peace process in which the Maoists must abandon violence and rejoin the democratic mainstream, however ill that sits with their tradition and philosophy. The three-month ceasefire agreed by the parties must be made permanent. The Nepalese army needs to be brought under effective civil control and made fully accountable to democratic authorities. Civil society also needs strengthening to participate fully in elections to a new constituent assembly. We welcome the Government’s peace talks with the Maoists on 26 May and 15 June, and the agreement to a 26-point code of conduct governing the ceasefire and paving the way for elections to the constituent assembly. Like the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Bramall, we also welcome the first talks on 16 June between Prime Minister Koirala and the Maoist leaders Prachanda and Bhattarai that resulted in an eight-point agreement on interim arrangements leading up to the constituent assembly elections. We also applaud the work of the political parties in remaining united on a common government platform. I agree with the noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, that it is imperative that this unity is preserved over the difficult weeks ahead. The restoration of Parliament and the steps taken towards the constituent assembly elections present huge opportunities for a return to peace, democracy and stability in Nepal. The noble Lord, Lord Howell, rightly described that as moving in the right direction. I shall add nothing to what I said only a few days ago about the monarchy—it is a matter for the people of Nepal to decide, as several noble Lords have said. I also take completely the point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Northover. There has been no focus on women’s involvement and, therefore, on the inclusiveness for which she appeals, during this stage of the peace process. Both the Government and the Maoists have teams made up solely of men. Whatever proposals emerge for a future quota of 33 per cent of women in all public positions, there are only two women in the current Cabinet. However, women are more likely, we think, to be involved in the constituent assembly in the proposed second stage of the peace process. While we do not choose other people’s representatives in any such bodies, the Department for International Development is considering funding a number of projects that specifically relate to women’s inclusion in the democratic process. A number of noble Lords, particularly the noble Baroness, Lady Northover, and the noble Lord, Lord Howell, rightly raised concerns about Maoist intentions. We remain clear that the pursuit of political ends through violent means is absolutely unacceptable. For that reason, we need to proceed with great caution. The only way for the Maoists to gain acceptance as legitimate political actors is for them to take concrete steps towards a permanent end to the use of violence; there is no role for the gun in the pursuit of democracy. This will necessarily involve them laying down their arms for good, ceasing extortion, and working sincerely towards a durable peace process in which they become reintegrated into the democratic mainstream. The Maoists are well aware of our position from repeated public calls on them to renounce violence, to lay down their arms and to rejoin the democratic mainstream. The noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, asked about the United States’ position, and I am not aware of any change in that. It continues to designate the Maoists as a terrorist group. The noble Lord, Lord Howell, rightly, made a point with great force about the relationship with India and its role in the region and Nepal. It has the greatest influence there and we have sought a continuous and close dialogue with it. We routinely share analysis and thoughts on the steps that can be taken towards a resolution of the crisis. We both have in view multi-party democracy and the Maoists being brought firmly into that purpose. Perhaps I may add that there has been no change in the policy whereby the British ambassador and his senior staff do not have official meetings with Maoists. But unlike the United States, the UK has not designated them as a terrorist group and has, therefore, not excluded its leadership from the UK. That might address one of the thoughts so tellingly offered to us by the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Bramall. Regarding ministerial contacts with the new Government, the EU welcomed Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mr KP Oli, for talks in Brussels on 15 June. My right honourable friend the Minister of State, Mr McCartney, also met Mr Oli in Geneva on 20 June. Another right honourable friend, Dr Howells, expects to visit Nepal in the early autumn to continue discussions. It is clear that any elections held in Nepal, whether to a constituent assembly or to Parliament, will require international supervision. The Government of Nepal will need to decide what assistance it requires from the international community in this respect. The UK itself will not be looking to take on this operation, but there may well be scope for the UK to volunteer election monitors as part of any internationally co-ordinated effort under the United Nations, or through the European Union. In order to cement the ceasefire and facilitate early elections, Nepal may want to take advantage of the assistance of an independent and credible external partner like the United Nations, whatever the reservations of some of its neighbours. In their talks on 16 June, the Seven Party Alliance and the Maoists agreed to request help from the United Nations in arms monitoring and management. We are pursuing with the Nepalese and our international partners, including India, how such external facilitation or monitoring could work. We know that India continues to have sensitivities in this regard which need to be addressed. But, as several noble Lords have remarked, the UN already plays a significant role in Nepal, including through the Kathmandu office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. I say to the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, that, as a result of the 16 June discussions and UN efforts, we are working with the Nepalese and all international partners on those objectives. I am not sure that a long menu of alternative ways of dealing with it would stimulate a rapid enough response, as people pondered them all, but I understand the intellectual integrity of the noble Lord’s point. Several noble Lords—the noble Lord, Lord Howell, in particular mentioned it as an interest—raised UK assistance to the new Government, especially through DfID, as mentioned by the noble Baroness, Lady Northover. As I said in the House on 15 June, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development is currently considering, with other donors and UK government departments, how best to respond to the new situation, including if and when to increase assistance to credible, accountable organisations. I agree with the noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, that poverty reduction is an important priority. Consideration is also being given to financial and technical support to the peace process through the interdepartmental Global Conflict Prevention Pool. It is too early to make formal commitments. The total planned bilateral DfID assistance for 2006–07 is £30 million. I shall raise the points of the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, about funding for resettlement and other things. But in the spirit in which he made his point, I tell him that EU help for every shortfall may be beyond the EU’s means. There are so many countries, with so many pressing demands. Any extension of work will require more money. It is worth arguing for, however, and I shall carry that point forward. The EU is also considering what peace-building support it can provide to Nepal, and the UK expects the European Commission to consider positively any requests by the Nepalese Government for assistance. Possibilities include support for elections, election observers, ceasefire monitoring and technical assistance with transitional justice. We are considering help with security sector reform, so that the security forces can be brought under effective civil control in a way which ensures their co-operation with the new Government. We will consider requests put to us by the new Government, but we are not aware that they are making any request for an extension of UN mandates at this time. In an accurate description of the human rights violations and those responsible, the noble Baroness, Lady D’Souza, recognised the engagement of the people in this process. She said that the people must be the drivers, and I strongly agree. Some noble Lords have rightly raised these human rights issues, which remain a cause of concern. Despite their commitment to human rights and multi-party democracy, the Maoists continue with abductions, extortion and other grave human rights abuses. The Nepal Army must also be fully accountable. Reports of illegal detentions and disappearances in 2003, as well as unlawful killings during the recent protests, must be fully investigated. We strongly support the work of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Kathmandu. We will continue to encourage the new Government to deal seriously with human rights violations, and help them with capacity building to meet that challenge. It was said in the debate that that is simply a matter of justice, and I fully agree. There are better prospects for peace and democracy now in Nepal than there have been for many years, but there are also serious challenges ahead. The UK is a historic friend and partner of Nepal. I warmly welcome the resumption of inter-parliamentary contacts with Nepal, including the recent visit in which the noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, and the noble Baroness, Lady Northover, participated. I also welcome their kind words about the positive role of our embassy and Ambassador Bloomfield during the recent troubles, and the support provided by the Department for International Development. We will continue to offer whatever assistance we can for the peace-building process and we will keep staffing and other resource levels under review. I urge all the actors to take advantage of the new opportunity to build a sustainable peace and a stable multi-party democracy. That was the burden of the requirement that the noble Baroness, Lady D’Souza, put to us. The people of Nepal have suffered much over the past 10 years; they deserve better and they deserve our help.