By Our Political Analyst                

Nepal and the USA have observed 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. After the UK, the USA is the second country with whom Nepal established diplomatic relations on 25 April 1947. India was not even born at that time. Nepalis remember the American support for the development of Nepal in different areas. Nepal highly appreciates American support. 

Coinciding the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Uzra Jeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, who is also the in-charge of the Tibet Affairs, is visiting Nepal. 

According to reports that appeared in different news portals, she is arriving on 20 May and returning on 22 May. 

According to the State Department, she has the authority to hold unconditional dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives.

After ratification of the MCC 60 billion rupees worth of grant project from Parliament, the American officials’ Nepal visit frequency has intensified.

Deputy Vice President of the MCC Jonathan Brooks was in Kathmandu last week. 

In the recent past, five-member American Senators visited Kathmandu and appreciated Nepal’s position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Earlier, Kelly Keiderling, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary was in town. 

Jeya is visiting Kathmandu after three weeks of her meeting with Pemba Kchering, chief, the Dalai Lama’s government in exile.

Nepal’s present government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba seems very friendly with the USA. 

On Russia-Ukraine dispute, Nepal, by crossing the foreign policy limit of non-alignment, had expressed solidarity on Ukraine’s stance and opposed the Russian invasion on Ukraine.

Political analyst and chairman of the Trimool Nepal Party, Bharat Dahal has remarked that currently, the world is passing through a critical juncture. 

It can be understood that preparation for a horrible war is underway. The situation for avoiding a horrible war has already gone out of hands. 

The only thing that we can do is to oppose attempts of the imperialists misusing our soil from making Nepal another Ukraine. If we don’t dare to oppose the American strategy, Nepal is going to become a victim of war, Dahal has opined.

Moreover, the Nepal government’s recommendation for Bishnu Pukar Shrestha as Nepal’s Ambassador to China has made Beijing suspicious. Shrestha, founding chairman of the Human Rights and Social Transformation Campaign (Kahurast) Nepal, has been recommended by the Maoist quota as ambassador to China. Shrestha has been working in the field of human rights for a long time. “Kahurast Nepal” is a non-governmental organization that came into operation after the Maoists entered the peace process. It is also the official human rights organization of the Maoists.

The Canadian Assistance Office has invested in a transparent and accountable governance campaign at the local level run by Kahurashtra Nepal. The $ 31,000 program seems to focus on making local bodies more transparent and accountable. The project focuses on the right to information at the district and local levels. The Canada Assistance Office is also working on behalf of independent Tibetans in India and Nepal. The office had invested $ 5.4 million in 2018 for the education of independent Tibetans in India and Nepal.

In Nepal, Canada has been working with UNHCR on a wide range of issues for independent Tibetans. It seems to have been investing in non-governmental organizations run by people involved in the campaign. The investment in Kahurast seems to have been due to the positive role played by its operators in favor of independent Tibetans. Shrestha is still the chairman of Kahurast. Details posted on Kahurasht’s website show that he has been active in the organization since its foundation.

The Lutheran World Foundation is a Church organization in Switzerland is a partner of Kahurast. The organization has been working on behalf of the independent Tibetans in Nepal under the slogan ‘have our own identity, have a future’. From this link one can learn how to raise the hopes of Tibetans in Pokhara. Another non-governmental organization in the United States, Open Contracting Partnership, is another partner of Kahurast. Due to its close ties with the United States, the organization seems to have helped Kahurast. Despite being recommended as ambassador to China, Shrestha has not yet resigned from Kahurashtra. Instead, he is seeking advice on how to enhance the role of ambassador from those living in Nepal and working for the United States. How is the US systematically transforming the Nepalese Embassy in Beijing into a US center? It has become clear, reports state.

It seems that those who work close to the United States have started taking more advantage from the Maoists because the Maoists have helped to pass the MCC. CPN (MC) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had said that he would not pass the MCC till the end and stopped the voices against the MCC. But, at the end, he decided to pass the MCC anyway, with the help of an explanatory announcement.

Assessing that the voice against the MCC had weakened, chairman Dahal had moved in favor of the MCC. Shrestha is one among those who helped Dahal to work in this aspect.