Washington, May 07: The United States called Thursday on Nepal’s Maoists to end a strike that has shut down much of the country, voicing fear that the standoff could spiral into violence.
Robert Blake, the assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs, encouraged all sides to try to resolve differences peacefully as hopes fade that Nepal will meet a May 28 deadline to complete a new constitution.
Blake, who visited the Himalayan nation last month, said that the general strike called by the Maoists “is creating serious hardships for the people of Nepal and the risk of dangerous confrontation is growing.”
“We call on the Maoists to end or suspend their strike and ease these hardships,” Blake said. “We urge both the Maoists and the government to exercise restraint and good judgment to prevent the outbreak of violence.”
Maoist guerrillas fought a bloody insurgency against the state for 10 years before a peace deal was signed in 2006, through which the former rebels achieved a key goal of abolishing the Hindu monarchy.
But Nepal’s politics have remained unstable and deep divisions remain in drafting a constitution. The Maoists won 2008 elections, fell from power the following year and called the current strike to oust the ruling coalition.
The United States branded Nepal’s Maoists as terrorists following a 2004 attack on the American Center in Kathmandu but has agreed to reconsider the blacklisting if the former rebels move ahead in the peace process.
—Agencies