Review of World Politics
By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
Oli – the Indispensable Nepali Leader for Our Times?
The hyenas are circling the quarry for the final kill, but the targeted is making his last stand, i.e. Prachande, Makune and Jhallu Bhai think that they now have former Comrade Oli finally in the corner with no avenue of escape!
But the wily old fox still has a few tricks up his sleeve – not for nothing has he made Baluwatar and not Singha Durbar as the centre of political power in the Himalayan Federal Democratic Republic (HFDR). And he has made a major contribution to the English tongue by the major coinage of the term Oli-garchy [Oh what a great difference does the lowly hyphen make!].
Oli-garchy is unlike the original Greek oligarchy in which the state is governed by a small group of people having entire political control. It is more akin to ‘benevolent authoritarianism’ in which a great leader has accumulated all basic power for the good of his people. It is inspired to some extent by the Singapore model and nearer home by Rana rule. With some stretch of the imagination, it could also be compared to aristocratic governance favoured by the world’s first political scientist Aristotle over ‘plebian democracy’. Thus, Oli uncle can be compared to Shree Teen (the formal title of the Rana maharaja).
It is, therefore, not surprising that the young and bright commentator G.P. Acharya has written a paean to ‘The Great Leader’: “Why Nepal needs K.P. Oli” (myRepublica, March 3, 2021). The bottom line of the essay is that Shri Shri K.P. Sharma Oli is the indispensable ‘great helmsman’ to steer this Himalayan nation between the devil(s) and the deep blue sea. On the domestic front, it is facing multiple challenges: “intra-party conflict, economic crisis, pandemic, unemployment, income inequality, etc.”. Externally, “South Asian regional politics is getting complex day by day, while dynamics of geo-politics is changing every moment.” In such a fluid situation, “sensitive issues of territorial disputes, geopolitical influence and trade imbalance” have been superimposed.
The need of the hour is for the country “to secure its stability and maintain economic prosperity.” The Acharya concludes that “Nepal needs a bold leader who can strategically handle all these challenges and maintain strong bilateral relations.” This is especially crucial since the people, in general, have not been very discerning, and the leaders of all other political parties have turned out as nincompoops, and civil society as emasculated.
Furthermore, according to this astute observer, Oli has all the attributes of being a successful domestic problem-solver and a respected international statesman: “He is intelligent, visionary, unflinching, and strategic in handling the sensible [sic] domestic and bilateral matters.” In handling challenging situations in domestic, bilateral and world affairs, Oli possesses those qualities that are vitally necessary for abundance, to wit: “patience, prudence, calmness and boldness”. Can anyone of the other competing honchos be of the first water?
Oli has already demonstrated his unique leadership qualities:
– He is only the second PM after Mana Mohan Adhikari who has not been personally involved in corruption scandals.
– He is daring enough to make unpopular decisions for the sake of national wellbeing.
– He stood to stand fast on vital questions of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
– He stood his ground in Modi’s infamous and heinous five-months long border blockade after the terrible Great Gorkha Earthquake.
– He played a dynamic role in the Tarai-Madhesh Andolan [movement] and brought the Madhesi dissident C.K. Raut into mainstream politics
– Above all “he was instrumental …
– [at the time of the Acharya’s writing] he was attempting to do the same with the remaining Maoist insurgent Netra Bikram Chand, aka ‘Biplav’. In the meantime, this has been successfully concluded.
– He played a significant role in the promulgation of the current constitution in 2015.
– He saved the country from the risks of ethnic federalism and ipso facto from a civil war.
So is Oli the right man in the right place at the right time?
Myanmar: Brutal Military & Defiant Anti-Coup Movement
The international response to the security forces escalating brutal crackdown has not only been inadequate, it has been pathetic. The international community is obliged under international law – under the principle of Responsibility to Protect [R 2 P] to shield Myanmar citizens from being murdered in cold blood by their own generals. These unprincipled dictators in uniform cannot be allowed to hide behind state sovereignty in such a blatant abuse of fundamental human rights. The world’s leading nations must coalesce to joint find ways and means to bring the Burmese junta to its knees sooner than later.
Demonstrators have not been dissuaded by the brutality of the security forces. These fired gunshots also into houses as they carried out overnight raids in the main city and former capital Yangon [Rangoon] after breaking the latest protests against last month’s coup d’etat with teargas and stun grenades (Reuters, March 7).
The Civil Disobedience Movement also urged civil servants to boycott working under the military regime. The impact has been felt at every level of the national infrastructure, with shuttered hospitals, empty ministry offices, and banks unable to operate. The junta also made the empty threat of firing all civil servants who continued to boycott work (DW/Deutsche Welle, March 6). The street protests are not the only part of the protest movement. The resistance is evolving, and the military only reacts with threats and brute force.
The General Strike Committee of Nationalities announced that protests would be held in Yangon, the second city of Mandalay and Monywa – also centres of protests in which the United Nations stated that security forces have killed more than 50 people already.
The protests are becoming more broad-based and now various other ethnic nationalities – long-suppressed and terrorized by the military – are now joining the Bamar, the main ethnic group.
In a surprising new development, Israeli-Canadian lobbyist Ari Ben-Menashe, hired by Myanmar’s junta told Reuters the generals are keen to leave politics. They seek to improve relations with the United States and distance themselves from China. He said Suu Kyi had grown too close to China for the generals’ liking. All this is too good to be true, given Myanmar’s and the generals’ massive dependence on China. Rather it is more of an attempt to test the waters.
Humanitarian Crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region
The domestic and regional conflict in Tigray, the northern region of Ethiopia, has been unfolding under a media blackout by the central government since early November last year. Thousands of civilians have died as a result of the crisis. There are indications that the central government has colluded with one-time foe Eritrea in suppressing the perceived autonomy demands of the region.
The Eritrean soldiers have unleashed a reign of terror in the region. They have been looting and killing mercilessly. The public hospital in Adrigrat has received over 174 rape survivals and there are fears many more are trapped in villages. There is widespread anger and collective trauma scarring Tigray today. (DW/Maria Gerth-Niculescu: March 6).
Hostilities started when central government troops entered the region after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party in the region pre-emptively attacked the army’s Northern Command. Previously, the regional government had successfully held regional elections.
In addition to the Ethiopian National Defence Forces and the TPLF, Amhara special forces and militia, as well as Eritrean troops entered the armed conflict last November. The external forces are fighting alongside Ethiopian federal troops, against TPLF and forces affiliated with it. The government quickly declared victory and the end of hostilities at the end of November, but clashes were still ongoing in several areas. Ethiopian authorities insist the fighting is merely ‘sporadic’ and that interim government has been established in most districts. However, on the ground, residents and NGOs tell a completely different story, one of the daily battles and attacks.
Massacres against civilians are increasingly coming to light. Both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch confirmed that several hundred men were murdered by Eritrean soldiers in the town of Axum last November.
Last Thursday, the UN’s Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet issued a statement mentioning “reports of grave human rights violations and abuses.” Civilians from the capital Mekele as well as Central and Northern Tigray revealed that both Eritrean and Ethiopian defence forces were behind the mass killings and rapes.
For months now, international organizations and NGOs were not allowed into the region, worsening the humanitarian crisis in both Mekele and beyond. More than 61 thousand refugees have fled to neighbouring Sudan.
All Tigrayan political parties have rejected the current regional government appointed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad, head of the Prosperity Party, the result of a merger of several other parties in 2019. Observers are of the opinion that the TPLF’s refusal to join the Prosperity Party led to the current conflict in Tigray.
Now, because of the complicity of the Ethiopian government and military forces in the widespread massacres, even the Salsay Woyane party which had originally supported Ethiopia’s current federalist system, now firmly stands for Tigray’s independence.
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com
Login to add a comment