Say goodbye to the Nepal that once was: the trekker’s paradise, the peaceful Kingdom in the Clouds. The ongoing battle between the country’s king and thousands of Maoist rebels is pushing the country to the brink of all out war.
It is a conflict that has left more than 10,000 dead and many more Nepalese displaced — this for people in a country that is already one of Asia’s poorest. From both sides, the army and the rebels, there are numerous reports of torture, abduction, extortion, and murder, particularly in the villages distant from the capital Katmandu. In fact most of the country is under the control of the Maoists.
While the international community has done little to intervene in this conflict, some say that Nepal — nestled as it is between India and China — has the potential to destabilize all of South Asia.
Guests:
Eliza Griswold, freelance journalist who has covered conflicts in Congo, the Middle East, and Colombia, author of the article “It’s Not Easy Here in Katmandu” in the current issue of Harper’s Magazine
Anup Pahari, teaches Nepali Language and Culture at the Foreign Service Institute in Washington
Kunda Dixit, editor of the Nepali Times