Kathmandu : A high-level political talks team has said that there is no conflict situation in the country. Now there is no conflict situation in the country as almost all groups except few, carrying out illegal activities, have already entered into the mainstream political process abandoning such illegal activities, according to the talks team.
Organizing a press conference at Singha Durbar today, the team said that there are no any armed rebel groups in the country as the previous armed rebel groups have already entered the peace process through talks and have submitted their arms to the state. Coordinator of the Talks Team, Som Prasad Pandey, said that there was no situation to hold talks with any groups except Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN (Maoist) having political status.
He said, “We have reached to a conclusion that the groups existing in the past now have no any status of political party and group. It will be their personal matter and if they carry out some criminal activities for personal interest. We have mentioned in the report that there is no situation to hold talks as there is no any armed rebel groups.”
The total 1176 cases related to various conflicts were recorded, according to a study carried out by the suggestion taskforce, 2071 formed to implement agreements made with various political parties and armed groups outside the constitution. Studying details of the 607 cases by the talks team, 328 could not be withdrawn as per the Law, and 279 could be withdrawn or pardon in them could be given.
The team said 90 cadres of the groups joining the talks were killed during conflicts, and 42 other injured. Of the total 45 groups deemed to come to the talks table, the talks team found the identity of only 26 groups, and of them, 20 have already disappeared, and the rest shunned their conflict after returning their arms, said Coordinator Pandey.
The team also concluded that there is no need to hold talks with CK Raut who is spearheading various anti-state activities in the Madhes as his group is considered to be a non-political. The door for talks with the Biplav-led Maoist was open and formal correspondence would be made for talks after holding a discussion with the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’, the General-Secretary of the same party.
Coordinator Pandey shared that although the talks with the second rank of leaders had ended on a positive note but nothing was heard from the leaders in the higher ups. Hence efforts were being made to hold other talks. The talk team had called for formal talks with all the groups what had or had not made agreements or had not participate in the talks in the past.
In the span of 4 months, formal talks were held with various 23 groups. Among them, three groups has given up arms and participated in the political process by being disarmed. Government through the Council of Ministers’ meeting on August 24 had formed a high-powered five-member talk team coordinated by Nepal Communist Party leader Som Prasad Pandey to hold talks with protesting groups. (RSS)