Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, May 28

The insurgency in Nepal and that of Peru in South America is parallel in many fronts and Nepal can share the Peruvian experience of tackling the rebel movement, visiting US scholars said in lecture-discussion programme on Tuesday.

The noted scholars, professors Scott Palmer and Dr Tom Marks, were speaking in a programme on “The Interrelated Economic, Political and Security Dimension of Conflict Mitigation, Citing Parallels and Differences in Insurgencies and Types of Responses” organised by Nepal Council of World Affairs.

Sharing their observation of insurgencies in Peru and across the world, the scholars said the Shining Path guerrilla movement in Peru was brought into knees by the “shield and support” strategy and “popular mobilisations” is essential to counter the rebel movements.

Professor Palmer stated that empowering local people to address their problem at grass root level with the required support can contribute a lot on tackling the insurgency.

Sharing his observations on various types of insurgencies, he suggested a set of steps to counter the rebel movements. The suggestions include establishing a small intelligence force within police force, revitalising military strategy, and selective attack not massive attack on the basis of intelligence.

The professor of International Relations at Boston University emphasised that civil defence with security support could be ‘effective’ on containing the rebel movements.

The rebel goes to the local area to tap the aspiration and grievances of the local people and organised themselves, said another scholar Dr Marks adding that social justice and giving reasons to the local to fight back can contribute much to the fight against insurgency.

“Popular mobilisations occur through the process of democratic empowerment,” said Marks, who has made a particular study of insurgency in many part of the globe.

Dr Marks is a consultant specialising in political risk and advises governments and private organisations on security matters.