{"id":13,"date":"2006-04-18T23:12:00","date_gmt":"2006-04-19T06:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.harmonicminer.com\/wordpress\/?p=13"},"modified":"2008-06-14T23:40:05","modified_gmt":"2008-06-15T06:40:05","slug":"democracy-loving-maoist-rebels-for-democracy-sure-i-believe-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.harmonicminer.com\/wordpress\/2006\/04\/18\/democracy-loving-maoist-rebels-for-democracy-sure-i-believe-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Democracy Loving MAOist rebels for democracy… sure, I believe that"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the AP, in today’s article “<\/span>Rights groups urge sanctions against Nepal leaders<\/a>“, the King of Nepal is a really bad guy. May well be… but does the AP expect us to take seriously the notion of MAOist rebels for democratic rule in Nepal?<\/p>\n

Here’s a map showing Nepal’s proximity to China<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to the AP:<\/p>\n

King Gyanendra sacked the government and assumed full power in February 2005, vowing to crush a decade-old Maoist revolt in which more than 13,000 people have died.<\/p>\n

At least five people have been killed and hundreds wounded in police action against pro-democracy protesters, who are into the 13th day of a general strike that has brought the impoverished nation to a standstill.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And:<\/p>\n

King Gyanendra has offered to hold elections by April next year, but activists say he cannot be trusted and should immediately hand over power to an all-party government.<\/p>\n

….<\/p>\n

The United States and India, Nepal’s giant neighbour, have both called repeatedly for the restoration of democracy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This is typical MSM reporting, casting MAOist (likely Chinese backed) rebels as pro-democracy insurgents, and providing no background that really helps anyone to understand the players. Does the USA really back Maoist “freedom fighters”? Doubtful.<\/p>\n

Would it help our understanding of the context if the AP bothered to report on which nearby government is supporting the Maoist fighters?<\/p>\n

Are there any good guys here? Possibly not… but the wide eyed innocent face value acceptance of Maoist insurgency as “pro-democratic” is laughable.<\/p>\n

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