Chapter 11

Summary

The Chief's initial days at the Commission were fully occupied with meeting different stakeholders, in order to gain their trust in the election process. These included local partners and international contacts. Trust-building was essential for a successful election, after what was one of the highest intensity internal armed conflicts in the world. A lot was at stake; in the context of an increasingly globalised world, the success of Nepal's post-conflict election had direct ramifications for global peace and security.

The international community had become concerned about the conflict in Nepal after the imposition of a state of emergency in November 2001. This came only months after America's 9/11, and the inception of the resulting war on terror. The Nepalese government had resorted to a military solution to the Maoists' insurgency, mobilising the Royal Nepal Army. This military action resulted in serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests, detentions and extra-judicial killings by the state. As the violence escalated, the international community became nervous and took the initiative to resolve the armed conflict in Nepal as soon as possible.

One of the first steps was taken by a Geneva-based organisation called the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre), which strove to promote communication between the Maoists and the government. Padma Ratna Tuladhar, a human rights activist and facilitator of the peace process, put the Centre in touch with the palace and the Maoists.