Facebook diplomacy, Kantipur

From The Nepali Press
Facebook diplomacy, Kantipur
Dinesh Wagle, 20 December

FROM ISSUE #584 (23 DEC 2011 - 29 DEC 2011) | TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Public discontent with Nepal's worsening political condition is spilling over into social networking sites as ordinary Nepalis take part in online diplomacy via Facebook with US ambassador Scott H. DeLisi. However, politicians in Kathmandu are upset with the ambassador and the amount of media attention these interactions are generating.

Throughout his time in office, DeLisi has been openly critical of political parties who have called nationwide strikes. In May 2010 he condemned the indefinite strike called by the Maoists and appealed to them to solve the political deadlock through dialogue. This past week he criticised the NC banda as being undemocratic, angering the party which describes itself as the 'most democratic'. NC leaders have labelled DeLisi's facebook campaign as 'irrelevant and uninformed'. Minendra Rijal was especially critical saying political parties in Nepal do not organise protest programs according to a foreign diplomat's whims, and dismissed DeLisi's remarks as 'unbalanced' and entirely personal.

There are people who see DeLisi's facebook campaign as part of his larger support for the peace process. However, ex-foreign minister Ramesh Nath Pandey feels such statements and actions go against the Vienna Convention and warned the diplomatic community that unnecessary interference in domestic affairs will make them unpopular among the people.

1. who cares
may be he posted his views as an individual.

Posted on: 23 DEC 2011 | 1:36 PM NST

2. TseringS
Decent human beings don't go around burning tyres, beating people up and making life miserable for others. That is not what the Gita teaches us and definitely goes against the enlightened one's dharma. I make reference to the two main spiritual bases of our nation's religions that spring from Ahimsa, the principle of non violence. What is it about the Nepali psyche that brings out the worst predatorial instincts to violate the right of others to live peacefully ? Ambassador Delisi spoke his mind and rightly so as did thousands of facebookers in expressing their total contempt and disgust for the under handed crass way in which these congress hooligans and their head honchos have tried to paint this as a moral battle of righteousness. I have nothing but loathing for these hyenas and wolves that pretend to be soldiers of democracy. Their hypocricy will consign this dead beat party to the dustbins of political history and what was once the grand old party of BP Koirala is now nothing but a motley crew of blubbering geriartrics and parasitic predators. Shame on you Koirala,Paudel, Bastola, Deuba and above all Gagan Thapa, because you just shot youselves in the foot and messed up any chance you had for the future. No wonder, Prachanda and his cohorts have you morons figured out and will keep twisting your tails. Grow up and eat some of that tainted Gud Pak and maybe you'll wake up vomiting and cleansing your corrupted innards. I am no fan of the Maoists but at least with them we get what we see. As for the other gang, the less said the better.

Posted on: 24 DEC 2011 | 5:08 AM NST

3. Thakur Krishna Uprety

'Jun jogi aaepani kaanai chireko'.

Hope that burning the old tyres in the middle of the road as part or everything of the demonstration, its health hazards and pollution will end soon.

Posted on: 24 DEC 2011 | 5:39 PM NST