Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
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Maoist political party and military organization founded in 1994 and led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, otherwise known as Prachanda.
Overview
The CPN (M) was formed following a split in the Communist Party of Nepal (Unity Centre) and it used the name 'CPN (Unity Centre)' until 1995. On February 13, 1996 it launched what it refers to as the "Nepalese People's War", and it now controls much of the country. Its main goal is to overthrow the monarchy and replace it with "New Democracy".
The party follows the Maoist guerrilla strategy of "people's war" in which they attempt to take gradual control of the countryside to encircle the cities, only fighting with government forces on their own terms when they can significantly outnumber their enemy.
In 2001, the Nepalese Army began a military campaign against the Maoists, especially in the western areas of the country, although there have been intermittent ceasefires.
The CPN (M) is a member of the Revolutionary Internationalist Movement and the Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia.
The Trade union wing of the party is the All Nepal Trade Union Federation (Revolutionary).
The student wing of the party is the All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary).
In 2006 the CPN (M) signed a 12 point agreement with the Seven Party Alliance in order to further the Loktantra Andolan. Following this, a three month ceasefire was declared yet the process of 'forced donations' is alleged to be continuing.[link]
Criticism
The U.S. Department of State has placed the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) on its list of Terrorist Organizations, and has sent $20 million in aid to the government of Nepal. In August, 2005, the European Union condemned CPN(M) for using children as soldiers in the civil war of Nepal. It claimed that about 400 child soldiers had died in the country's civil war.
The post-Mao People's Republic of China also opposes the group as a destabilizing force in the region. The Maoist rebels, like Maoists internationally, accuse the PRC of having betrayed Mao's ideological legacy, a charge which the PRC largely also makes against the Maoists themselves, in common with some other admirers of Mao.
India has provided the Nepali government with aid to combat the insurgency.
In 2004, a small group split from the CPN(M) to form Janatantric Terai Mukti Morcha.
Party slogans
- "Workers of the world unite!"
- "Long live the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)"
- "Long live Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and Prachanda Path"
See also
- History of Nepal
- Politics of Nepal
- Geography of Nepal
- Nepal Civil War
- List of political parties in Nepal
- Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA)
External links
- [Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) official website]
- [Interview with Comrade Prachanda, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)]
- [BBC news Video/Transcript Interview with Prachanda]
- [interview with Baburam Bhattarai, No.2 in CPN(M)] Washington Times December 14 2002
- [Li Onesto, a sympathetic journalist who has spent a great deal of time covering the Maoists]
- [An audio presentation by Li Onesto on the people's war]
- [Left Hook on Nepal's Civil War]
- [Nepal Maoists, live news feed]
- [A critical view of the Maoists from Global Security]
- [National Geographic Slideshow "Inside Nepals Revolution"]
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