The Issue of Army Integration and the Peace Process

By Jeevan Baniya

Recent development in politics of Nepal clearly indicates that the growing political polarization between political parties has threatened the main agendas Nepal has to focus on. If the political parties fail to work with consensus and cooperation, it is almost sure that the agendas like writing a new constitution, bringing the peace to a logical conclusion and pitching the road for prosperous and peaceful Nepal will be overshadowed.

Despites the articulations from various political leaders about taking the peace process to a logical conclusion, differences and disagreements on whether to integrate of former Maoists combatants into Nepal Army (NA) has further complicated the process.

While the Maoists are trying to make collective integration of the UNMIN-verified combatants, Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (UML) and other political parties have been stressing on the rehabilitation and adjustment rather than integration in the NA; some leaders even completely oppose the idea of integration of politically indoctrinated Maoists cadres. Although these kinds of expression have been humming around, their views seem to have come out of the increasing mistrust and rifts developed over the period.

It is a pity that leaders neither from the Maoists nor from the other political parties, a few like Gagan Thapa might be an exception, have ever attempted to understand the seriousness and sensitivity of management of Maoist combatants in the ongoing peace process. Very few literatures can be read about the issue being analysed with a serious consideration. It is however a bitter reality that no political party can run way from the issue if they are to craft a sustainable peace in the country in a real sense.

In the pretext when the Maoists have not got the decisive victory through the war although they sound as if they have, the issue of Maoists army integration stands as the issue to be addressed by political consensus. Many things need to be taken into account when undertaking integration and adjustment of the combatants. If the political leaders fail to introduce a holistic approach soon, which can facilitate the sustainable peace in the country, it will undermine the whole contributions and achievements the Nepali people have made till now. It is therefore the time for developing a pilot project to settle this issue. Imagine the scenario of lack of consensus in formulating a comprehensive strategy to manage the Maoists cadres in the peace process; it would be fatal not only for the political parties but also for the country itself.

According to Johan Galtung, an expert on conflict, conflicts are generally not solved. “What survives after a conflict has disappeared from the agenda is conflict energy reproduced and produced by the conflict.” This articulation is also supported by the emergence of many armed groups in Terai region. We can not imagine Nepal with the Maoist cadres returning to conflict in any form; thus their settlement remains a major part of the peace process. Nepal’s peace process which has passed the disarmament and demobilisation phases of Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reinsertion and Reintegration (DDRR) process, is now urgently in need of entering into other two phases. We must learn from conflict management experiences of various countries like South Africa, Nicaragua, Mozambique, Colombia and El Salvador where poor management and insufficient programmes after disarmament created further conflicts and the combatants got remobilised.

The Maoist army issue and its settlement is thus an integral part of the whole peace process and needs their reintegration no matter whether in security sectors or in any other areas. For this, it requires micro level to macro-level institutional changes for facilitating the sustainable peace. Among 32,250 Maoist cadres registered in 28 cantonments across the country and only 19,692 of which are eligible to be treated as combatants and have been living with their future uncertain. It is an urgent task to make a comprehensive decision on their integration, adjustment and rehabilitation by dismentaling the cantonments which are not benificial to be continued from finincial as well peace prospective. In the transition from war to peace the successful implementation of DDRR process and peace are strongly connected and can be counterproductive in case of failure to do it properly.

It should be seriously acknowledged that, if sent back to their societies empty handed, the situation will be more deteriorating. Although the slogan ‘bringing peace process into a logical conclusion’ is popular among political arena, it is evident that the political parties have been trapped in the vicious game of power politics and have failed to come up with best alternatives to tackle the issue. The leaders need a comprehensive consideration on the issue on its future social, economic, cultural and political implication. At the present situation, a number of alternatives, rather than a single idea of integrating them into the security forces, can be best applied to settling them.

One way of them as often discussed, employing some of the cadres in Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and in NA can be possible but they after that they must give up their membership from the party and agree on rules and regulations of the state force/s.
Similarly, giving choices to the Maoist cadres to go back to the community and then providing them with reinsertion assistance such as education, financial supports, food and health facilities can be an important solution. It is also necessary to place them into employment, provide them with skill development training to stop them from being remobilised.

A sensitive but rarely discussed issue would be those of child soldiers, women and injured cadres while undertaking the adjustment and rehabilitation. It is said out of the disqualified PLA members around 1,000 are young mothers and teenagers. What do we do for them? Those who have been unable to qualify for integration are very vulnerable people to be supported in the process with the right alternative. It is thus important to consider the social, cultural and psychological impact of the integration issue; reestablishing them into their respective societies is another challenging task. The state also needs to create proper environment so that the societies accept and support the former combatants. In the case of women in the country like Nepal, the issue is more serious as the women are the most vulnerable group; thus in need of special consideration for enabling them to lead a normal life in the societies.

If irresponsible comments on the issue of management or reintegration of the former Maoists combatants continue in the current fashion, and if it is not handled with serious consideration by the political parties, the country will enter into the darkest era of history.
May the God enlighten our political leaders and thereby well manage the issue soon.

(Baniya is a research fellow at Democracy and Social Movement Institute (DaSMI) Sungkonghoe University, Seoul, South Korea. He can be reached at: baniyajeevan@hotmail.com )

This article was originally published in online news portal of nepal: www.nepalnews.com