Asia
Nepal
Nepal has been mired in conflict and political turmoil for the last decade.
The Maoist insurgency launched in February 1996 and the Army’s subsequent counter campaign from 2001 have inflicted grave human and economic losses.
In 2001, the crown prince massacred the royal family and took his own life.
In October 2002, the new king dismissed the prime minister and his cabinet after they dissolved the parliament and were unable to hold elections because of the ongoing insurgency.
In June 2004, the king reinstated the most recently elected prime minister who formed a four-party coalition government, which the king dissolved in February 2005, declaring a state of emergency and assuming absolute powers.
The king's government ended the state of emergency in May 2005, but the monarch retained absolute power until April 2006. In that month, in defiance of tight security measures, a coalition of seven opposition parties and the Maoists organized massive demonstrations that forced the king to reconvene parliament, where women parliamentarians promptly founded their own caucus. The new government has restarted formal negotiations with Maoist rebels, and hopes of a permanent peace agreement have been renewed.
Conflict Background
BBC’s Q&A on Nepal’s Crisis
ICG’s Conflict History
UNOCHA’s Overview of conflict
Senate Resolution 451 (passed April 27, 2006) expressing support for the reconvening of the Parliament of Nepal
Sri Lanka
The government of Sri Lanka and the rebel Tamil Tigers have been battling for over 20 years. In 2002, both warring parties signed a cease-fire, but soon after, fighting broke out again, and there has recently been increasing violence. Over 64,000 people have been killed in the conflict, and over one million displaced. International efforts toward peace throughout the years have not had much success in finding a lasting solution to the conflict.
Through their efforts, Waging Network members Visaka Dharmadasa, founder and chair of Parents of Servicemen Missing in Action and the Association of War-Affected Women and secretary of the Kandy Association for War-Affected Families, and Shiranee Tilakawardane, a Supreme Court judge in Sri Lanka, are working to end the civil war by advocating for peace and regional stability.
Learn more about the Sri Lankan members of the Women Waging Peace Network.
Conflict Background
United States Institute of Peace resources