Maoists must lay down their weapons before joining an interim govt: US Congressmen

Visiting US Congressmen Jim Kolbe and Brian Baird have said they support Prime Minister G P Koirala's position that the Maoists must lay down their weapons before joining an interim government.

Addressing a brief press meet organized at The American Center in the Nepali capital prior to the conclusion of their four-day visit to Nepal, leader of the delegation Jim Kolbe said it would be impossible to have democracy and stability if one side continued to have arms. "In order to move this peace process further, they (the Maoists) must keep their arms aside," he added.When asked regarding the role of the United Nations in Nepal's peace process, Mr. Kolbe – who is also the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs-- said whatever the mandate of the UN, it will not include the ability to use force to disarm the Maoists. The 11-time representative in the US House from the state of Arizona, Kolbe said it was absolutely essential that the Maoists agree to set aside their arms and take part in the political process. "They are acting in a fashion that is contrary to the peace agreement and contrary to the view of Nepali people," he added.In a joint statement issued at the press meet, Congressmen Kolbe and Brian Baird said, "In our four-day visit, we have been impressed by the promise of Nepal's young democracy. We also grasp the difficult challenges that must be overcome to ensure that this democracy flourishes and Nepal enjoys a peaceful and prosperous future."Responding to a query, senior Democrat Congressman Brian Baird said the delegation was very moved by the situation of Bhutanese refugees in the camps in eastern Nepal. "The ideal condition would be their repatriation to their homeland," he said. Baird – who represents Washington D. C.-- added that during their next leg of visit to Bhutan, they will be meeting Bhutanese officials and urging them to be more proactive especially in working with the Nepali government and not to let the situation worsen further with respect to the Nepali-speaking population within Bhutan.He, however, said some Bhutanese refugees could choose third country settlement as an option. "But that should not be seen by the Bhutan government as an easy solution to this problem. They have a great responsibility to resolve this problem and should not take it as an excuse for further suppression of their people," he added.Responding to another query regarding Tibetan refugees, Kolbe said the US had indicated willingness and desire to take additional five thousand Tibetan refugees to the US. "We are continuing to take some of them," he added.When asked about the timing of his visit, Kolbe said it was an appropriate time for the US delegation to visit Nepal when peace accord had taken place between the government and rebels. "I believe, we have a moral responsibility to help Nepal build democracy," he said adding, "Though a small country, Nepal was located strategically between the two Asian giants and success here in creating a democracy and bringing peace and stability would be extremely important not only for its neighbours but for the whole region.""We can do a lot, but in the end, it has to be the Nepali people themselves to take crucial decisions," he added.The four-member delegation of the US House of Representatives arrived in Kathmandu Friday morning for a four-day visit.
Other members of the delegation included Ander Crenshaw, also a member of the Foreign Operations subcommittee and Fred Upton, a senior official. The delegation will travel to Bhutan, India, and Mongolia after Nepa