The Maoist leaders are mere actors who are being used by different power centres. A main aspect of Maoist violence is the uncertainty we see in the tarai today. There is now a probability that foreign powers will use this excuse to enter Nepal. The day the power centres that are backing the rebels decide to dump them, the Maoists will be like flat tyres. They will look like squeezed lemons.

Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai don't seem to call the shots anymore. They go on making announcements that are never implemented. This gives us an idea of the circumstances under which the Maoists are being groomed. The two leaders have been saying that they will maintain brotherly relations with other political workers, but people are still being killed because they believe in other political principles. When we can see that the cadres do not obey the leaders, it becomes clear that there are other power centres that are actually in command of the Maoist fold.

When I say foreign powers may enter Nepal, I don't just mean India. When the back door is open, anyone can come in. With increasing militarisation and the stockpiling of arms, our northern neighbour is also getting worried. The other worry is that Maoists have plans to spread their base in the entire South Asian region after establishing what they call their 'model area' in Nepal. Then they plan to change the global political face. That means there would be increasing foreign intervention, and when neighbouring powers start interfering in Nepal's internal matters, the way western powers view the country will also change. Now they are opposing the Maoists. But when the country becomes the playground of regional powers, the western powers will certainly change their strategies on how to meddle and who to back.

The world community has been opposing the Maoist rebels' atrocities. Amnesty International's recent open letter to Prachanda is an indication that Maoist excesses have gone from bad to worse. Even human rights activists, journalists and teachers are becoming targets.

Like any other political party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) also seeks help from human rights organisations when it is in trouble. Our office (Human Rights and Peace Society) has been getting repeated calls from different Maoist quarters. They have been asking us to investigate several cases that involve what they call 'extra judicial killings' of their members, including Bharat Dhungana. But when we ask them to release the unarmed people they have taken hostage, they simply ignore our calls.

Once the rebels charge anyone of becoming a government informant or being corrupt, that is a terminal decision.

This proves they have no political culture and that they only rule by the gun. They have begun to use the gun even against human rights activists. They believe that they can treat us the way they did Ganesh Chiluwal, who was killed by their cadres a few days after he burnt effigies of Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai. The rebels are now openly abducting people in the name of spreading their programs, policies and philosophy. If this is the situation today, what kind of freedom will we have when they come to power tomorrow?