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Statement
of Ian Martin, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General
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Kathmandu
23 February 2007 (UNMIN)
The
United Nations Mission in Nepal completed the first stage of registration
of combatants and weapons at the Maoist army cantonment sites on 17 February.
I will focus today on explaining the outcome of this process, as well as
the next steps to be taken. I will also provide an update on other activities
of UNMIN in fulfillment of its mandate, in particular assistance to the
Election Commission in the preparation for the Constituent Assembly election.
Reports
have been made to senior representatives of the parties and to the Joint
Monitoring Coordinating Committee (JMCC) at three stages of the registration
process of combatants and weapons, giving the numbers of combatants and
the number and types of weapons registered at each stage. UNMIN delivered
a further report yesterday to the parties, much of which I am now making
public.
The
registration of Maoist weapons has not however been completed. The Agreement
on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies (4.1.2) provides that
"Security provisions will be made for CPN(M) leaders through understanding
with the Government." UNMIN has urged the parties to reach such an understanding,
which is under negotiation but has not yet been concluded. UNMIN has to
date registered some but not all of the weapons so far retained outside
cantonment sites by the CPN(M) for personal security of leaders; arrangements
have been made for registration to continue today.
The
total number of Maoist army combatants registered at the seven main cantonment
sites, including those from the associated satellite cantonment sites,
is 30,852. UNMIN is in the process of registering members of the Maoist
army currently engaged in leadership security arrangements or undergoing
medical treatment outside the cantonment sites. Brief details of each combatant
have been recorded at the first stage of registration, but have not been
verified; each has been photographed and issued with an identity card with
a UN bar code. Detailed information will be collected through individual
interviews at the second stage of registration. The full modalities of
the second stage process are under discussion in the JMCC, and it is expected
to begin by mid-March. In view of persistent concerns that minors and persons
recruited after the Ceasefire Code of Conduct continue to be associated
with the Maoist army, particular efforts will be made to ensure full respect
of the requirements of the Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of
Arms and Armies (4.1.3) that any combatant found to be born after 25 May
1988 will be honourably and automatically discharged, and that only those
individuals who were members of the Maoist army before 25 May 2006 are
eligible for cantonment.
The
total number of weapons registered so far is 3,428. The types of weapons
are: 91 mortars (of which 55 are locally-made); 61 machine guns; 2,403
rifles; 61 automatic weapons (sub-machine guns); 114 side-arms; 212 shotguns;
253 various/miscellaneous; and 233 home-made weapons. This includes 524
weapons retained for perimeter security by designated guards, in accordance
with the Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies (4.1.2),
and 49 of the weapons are so far retained away from the cantonments, pending
an understanding with the Government on arrangements for personal security
of leaders.
UNMIN
is not and will not be in a position to state whether the weapons it has
registered correspond to the full total of weapons held by the Maoist army.
The Nepal Army has made available to UNMIN a breakdown by types of 3,430
weapons which it states were taken from the Nepal Army, the Nepal Police
and the Armed Police Force. There is a high degree of correspondence between
the types of weapons listed by the NA and the types of weapons registered.
The JMCC has agreed to compare these listings and report its conclusions
to the parties. UNMIN is not in a position to confirm or refute reports
of weapons purchases by or on behalf of the CPN(M), although the weapons
registered include a number of weapons not held in the stocks of the state
security forces, such as AK-47s. Any allegation or report that weapons
continue to be held by the CPN(M) in breach of the Agreement on Monitoring
of the Management of Arms and Armies will be investigated by UN arms monitors,
including through Joint Monitoring Teams comprised of one UN monitor serving
as team leader, one monitor from the Nepal Army and one monitor from the
Maoist army.
The
weapons and ammunition stored at the seven Maoist army main cantonment
sites are locked in storage containers furnished with shelves for safe
weapons storage and easy control, with a complete inventory. As provided
in the Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies (4.1.2),
a single lock provided by UNMIN secures each storage container, the key
to which is held by the designated main cantonment site commander. UN monitors
carry out inspections of the arms storage area and containers in the presence
of a Maoist army representative. UN arms monitors and members of the Interim
Task Force are living at each of the seven sites in close proximity to
the weapons containers, which are under 24-hour surveillance.
The
Government has not yet made arrangements to put in place at all seven sites
the solid fence surrounding the weapons storage area, including a gate
with a lock and with signs on the fence clearly identifying the restricted
area. UNMIN has installed a 24-hour surveillance camera, floodlights, an
inspection registration device, and an alarm system connected to sirens
at the 3rd cantonment site (Chitwan), and will proceed to install these
systems at the other six sites as soon as possible.
The
Agreement on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies (4.2.3) provides
that the Nepal Army will store arms in equal numbers to those of the Maoist
army under equivalent monitoring arrangements. Through the JMCC, the Nepal
Army is studying the details reported on Maoist army weapons stored, in
order to propose equivalent weapons types for storage. Any allegation or
report that weapons are used by the Nepal Army in breach of the Agreement
on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies will be investigated
by UN arms monitors, including through Joint Monitoring Teams comprised
of one UN monitor serving as team leader, one monitor from the Nepal Army
and one monitor from the Maoist army.
The
determination as to whether the registration, storage and monitoring are
sufficient to allow for the entry of the CPN(M) into an Interim Government
is a decision to be made by Nepal's political leadership. UNMIN will continue
to provide objective reports to the parties to assist this consideration.
In
recent days, some registered Maoist army combatants have left or threatened
to leave cantonment sites, and their commanders have stated that this is
in order to secure work and lodging. Although weapons storage and perimeter
security arrangements at the cantonments have remained in place, this development
is of grave concern: such departures are a clear breach of the Agreement
on Monitoring of the Management of Arms and Armies and have been reported
to the JMCC. UNMIN has expressed its concern about conditions at the cantonment
sites and urges both parties to cooperate over urgent measures to improve
conditions. The United Nations stands ready to assist as may be requested.
I
am pleased to be able to inform you that other UNMIN activities in support
of the peace process are progressing well. UNMIN now has a total of 70
arms monitors in country. Twenty-two electoral advisors are now in the
country. They are engaged in a range of activities to support the Election
Commission, including the provision of technical advice regarding options
for electoral systems, technical assistance in planning voter education,
and assistance with coordination of donor support to the Commission.
Two
of the UNMIN helicopters are now operational, and with the delivery of
vehicles by the Government of India which I have just formally accepted
from Ambassador Mukherjee and the Government of Nepal, the logistical support
of our operations are greatly enhanced. This is especially important, as
UNMIN must be as mobile as possible to reach the regions and districts
of Nepal.
Before
closing, I would like to briefly reflect on the current challenges faced
by the parties to the peace process, and by the Nepalese people. I have
said on a number of occasions that any peace process is likely to involve
ups and downs, and that the parties to any peace process can expect to
face difficult challenges. We see this in Nepal today, with the developments
this week in relation to the Maoist combatants and the conditions in the
cantonments, and with the great challenge to address the concerns of the
diverse groups among the Nepalese people to ensure that they can participate
fully in this transition. It is essential that the parties to the process
fulfill their commitments at every stage; it is also essential that all
Nepalese people are able to participate in this process, and that they
do so through peaceful means. Dialogue and inclusion are essential tools
to achieve a successful peace process, in which differences can be peacefully
worked through to reach agreements. There will be difficulties, but with
goodwill and commitment they can be worked through. UNMIN is here to provide
the support of the United Nations to this Nepalese peace process, and once
again I pledge our best efforts to this end.
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Location:
Chitwan, Nepal
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Source:
UNMIN 2007
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