Nepal: HIV-AIDS along India border, non-traditional security threat
Sohini Nayak
Embodying one-quarter of the world’s total population, the South Asian region is a high priority zone for being in the midst of an epidemiological transition where the bulk of infectious diseases are demanding cross-border collaborations. The Indo-Nepal border is also of similar nature given its open structure.
HIV-AIDS constitutes one of the most potent non-traditional security threats claiming millions of lives worldwide. With an aspiration of “ending AIDS as a public health threat” by 2030, the United Nations member states have included this design in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Indo-Nepal border covers around 1751 km. With regard to HIV AIDS, the main mobility takes place from Dhangadi/Mahendranagar to Banbassa in Uttarakhand; Nepalgunj to Rupaidiha in Uttar Pradesh; Bhairahawa to Sugauli in Bihar; Birgunj to Raxaul in Bihar; Biratnagar to Jogbani in Bihar and Kakarbitta to Panitanki/Siliguri in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Lakhimpur Khera in Uttar Pradesh and East Champaran in Bihar are other two important places of such transmission.
Nepal also has a migration rate of 3.9 per cent. One of the most important categories identified is that of the truckers at the border crossings who are highly susceptible to HIV infection due to their riskier sexual interactions in a new social setting owing to established personal traits before their movement. The first case of AIDS was reported in 1988 and currently it has been declared as a zone of ‘concentrated epidemic’ by the United Nations. The government of Nepal has also started with the 2016-2021 strategic plan with ambitious global goals of 90-90-90, indicating the maximum presence of this disease among the male population which has kept increasing over the years and has been estimated to be the highest by 2020.
Cross-border action
This area is also marked with large scale migration across the border that has remained a challenge since the 1990s’. This is all at the national, regional as well as the household levels that increase the role of mobility in the spread of the disease. The people of Nepal are also mostly dependent on India as an overland transit to any other third country, apart from coming in for professional purposes, trade or for that matter pilgrimage and tourism.
This kind of disease transmission is mostly found during the festive season, while the workers move home, carrying the diseases along with them. There is also a high propensity of seasonal migration from the far-western regions of Nepal, who move into Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh in particular.
Since Nepal is a landlocked country, it does not have any choice but to encourage cross-border movements which in turn bring about security threats like HIV AIDS which are not always understood by the general population in proper medical terms. They are unaware of the basics of the disease itself, thereby making the entire security structure all the more threatened and vulnerable.
Apart from the accounted sources and history of migration, it must be mentioned here that Nepal is also one of the major source countries of Human Trafficking, India being the transit. Similarly, the widespread usage of drugs also finds its place in case of Nepal as well, facilitating AIDS. Apart from the migrants, there are also the local businessmen and students who are often found to be a part of such a network, purchasing from drug dealers or pharmacists from India, by illegitimately crossing across the border.
This is more so in the Terai towns of Nepal, which is in close proximity to Indian towns like Biratnagar and Dharan, Pani Tanki and Siliguri. In fact, the need is so in demand that the drug peddlers are even prepared to make day-long bus trips from Pokhara to Indian border towns like Sunauli, across Bhairahawa and Raxaul, across Birgunj, to have access to the required drugs in order to avoid police raids.
According to the Annual Report (2016-17) published by the Ministry of Health and Population, Government of Nepal, there are around 1197 children, up to the age of 14 years, who are living with AIDS, generally transmitted through the mother at birth, thereby making the disease being unbiased to age or sex at large, requiring immediate action and attention in the country. This is exclusive of the adult population making the country realize the value of fighting against the disease in a much wider scale and vigour.
There are several non-governmental organizations and other service- providing sectors in Nepal, who along with the government are working on eradicating HIV AIDS from the country. However, there are no concrete interactions between the governments of India and Nepal that reflect upon future measures to identify and deal with the disease. This is all the more important because there are several HIV positive people from Nepal who often cross the border to India for treatment.
There is no structured or detailed account of the number of people along with such patients who are staying back. Since the countries are immediate neighbours, it is extremely important to establish memorandum of understanding on HIV-AIDS. The major hindrance lies in the lack of understanding among common people about the disease.
It is here that the government can be of help with the creation of joint ventures or workshops for the people who are living in and around the border. The Indian as well as the Nepali governments and their departments of public health can get together and bring about proper solution in a scenario where strategists and policy makers often forget such intricate nuances of policy formulation on diseases, being busy in other domains like trade, energy or connectivity.
There is a need to remember that a healthy relationship between two countries are also dependent upon healthy people who are not affected by contagious or infectious diseases that hold within themselves the capability of destroying peace and stability of a border region.
Afghanistan: Presidential polls and need for unity in Govt
Sohini Bose
The upcoming presidential election in Afghanistan has been a much discussed issue in the past few months, especially in the context of the ongoing peace process and its subsequent cancellation. Originally to be held in April 2019, the elections got delayed to September owing to concerns over prevailing insurgency violence by the Taliban.
However, delayed concerns still abound about the security of the voters and polling officers during the election. The Taliban has issued a threat of violence if the presidential election is conducted. It has stated that they will particularly target election rallies and polling stations, besides warning people to abstain from voting calling the elections a sham because they believe the government and the election to be puppets of the USA.
The Taliban has turned more violent and its insurgent activities have increased since early September after US President Donald Trump called the peace talks ‘dead’ in the aftermath of a suicide-attack in which an US marine officer was killed. The Taliban had claimed the ownership of the attack. It has been reported that owing to the cancellation of peace talks, a secret meeting that had been arranged between Trump, Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban in the Camp David retreat has also been cancelled.
After the cancellation of the peace talks, Trump has stated that the US will continue to work to restore peace in the country in consortium with its allies in Afghanistan. The government, which was sidelined in the peace talks, has now stated that they will only consider negotiating with the Taliban after the elections are over.
Fraud and violence
The elections are scheduled to be held on 28 September and the Afghans are expected to participate in it though concerns remain about electoral frauds and lack of transparency. This is going to be the fourth election after the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001. According to the Independent Election Commission (IEC), around 9.5 million people have registered to vote.
Among the 15 candidates running for Presidency this term, the six most popular figures are Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, the current President of Afghanistan; Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan's chief executive officer; Ahmad WaliMassoud, the brother of former anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban commander of the Northern Alliance Ahmad Shah Massoud; Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, former war lord and leader of Hezb-i-Islami; Abdul Latif Pedram, leader of the National Congress Party of Afghanistan and Rahmatullah Nabil, twice head of the Afghanistan National Directorate of Security and a strong critic of both the Taliban as well as the government led by Ashraf Ghani.
The materials required for the elections have already been delivered to all the provinces in Afghanistan. It has been estimated that 5373 polling stations will be open on the election day. The earlier estimate, however, had been 7385 stations but it was reduced keeping in mind the security concerns and the reports from the IEC that it would not be able to guarantee their safety. Off these, around 500 centres are in areas of Taliban stronghold.
There are also serious concerns about the transparency and the credibility of the upcoming elections. As Yousuf Rasheed, the Director of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan, stated that the fear of insurgent attacks is still the greatest concern amongst voters. The difficulty in recruiting poll-watchers and transporting election materials is likely to increase the scope for fraud which will in turn make it hard to challenge the validity of ballots.
Unity for the sake of democracy
A wave of criticism has also erupted over the government’s efforts to protect voters from harm as there have been complaints about some polling stations being left open in dangerous areas and that others are being closed for political reasons. There have also been claims that the closure of some polling stations especially in the northern parts of the country where the Taliban are not in majority have not been due to security reasons but are the manifestation of political manipulation in favour of President Ghani’s re-election.
Such charges have mainly been pressed by the supporters of Abdullah Abdullah. Ghani has, however, brushed aside such charges, but the complaints have acquired importance in the light of Trump’s criticisms about Ghani’s government. This comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that the administration would cut the $100-million funding for an Afghan energy project because of government corruption and mismanagement. He also criticised two of Ghani’s high-priority programmes to monitor public spending and contracting, on the grounds of not being “transparent” or accountable.
In the midst of these political propagandas, the other candidate, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, recently made the statement that he would stand against fraud and foreign meddling in the elections and indicated possible adoption of insurgency. Also with the Taliban threat still fresh in the minds of people, many may refrain from voting and as a result, the winner would not have a strong majority backing. It therefore appears that not only the presidential election in Afghanistan is threatened from insurgency groups outside the government structure, but also the election’s credibility.
However, it needs to be realised that Afghanistan is a unique case and the Afghan governmental system, including the opposition, must put up a united face in front of the Taliban. This is because the elections will be jeopardised if it falls prey to the promised insurgencies and also if the voters lose faith. Without a unified country represented by democratic leadership, Afghanistan will be unable to achieve the stability needed to defeat the insurgency and establish its credibility as a functional democracy. Only in this way can the Afghan people also be confident of their government, and only by doing so can Afghanistan gradually move towards peace with the Taliban.
Country Reports
Afghanistan
Respect laws: UK
Ahead of the presidential elections in Afghanistan, the British Embassy in Kabul has reacted to the threats of violence received from the former war lord Gulbudding Hekmatyar and the Taliban. The UK has urged all candidates and stake-holders in the presidential elections to follow due process and respect the rule of law. This comes as Hekmatyar recently made a statement that he would stand against fraud and foreign meddling in the elections and indicated possible adoption of insurgency.
US hope at UNGA
Addressing the 74
th session of the United Nations General Assembly, US President Donald Trump has stated that his administration was pursuing the hope for a brighter future in Afghanistan. He added that while the Taliban continues with their terror attacks, America would go on working with its coalition of Afghan partners to “stamp out terrorism” and will not stop trying until peace in Afghanistan is a reality. This comes as the Camp David meeting was called off.
Bangladesh
Compel Myanmar on Rohingyas: PM
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the international community to take all possible measures to force Myanmar to create conditions for enabling safe, dignified and voluntary return of Rohingyas to their home. The Prime Minister made this comment during an interactive session at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York this week. Prime Minister accused Myanmar government of systematically getting rid of the Rohingyas in Northern Rakhine through planned atrocities. Rohingyas are an ethnic community of Myanmar’s Rakhine province. The Myanmar government does not recognise them as a citizen and considers them illegal migrants from Bangladesh. In August 2017, hundreds and thousands of Rohingyas fled their home in Myanmar and took refuge in Bangladesh to avoid persecution by the Myanmarese security forces. Currently, around one million Rohingya refugees are living in Bangladesh. During the interaction, the Prime Minister informed that the EU, China and the USA have been extremely helpful to Bangladesh in dealing with the crisis.
ADB predicts 8 pc growth
Manila-based funding agency, Asian Development Bank (ADB), has projected that Bangladesh is likely to achieve the highest economic growth in Asia this year. The ADB estimated that Bangladesh’s economy would grow at eight percent this year, which would be the highest in Asia. According to the ADB, India will grow at 7.2 per cent and Vietnam 6.7 per cent. The ADB informed about the growth forecast during the releasing of its report on ‘Asian Development Outlook 2019 Update’ in Dhaka this week.
Bhutan
PM seeks climate action
Prime Minister Dr. Lotay Tshering, speaking at the Climate Action Summit in New York on 23 September, called on all countries to submit enhanced climate pledge and long-term low greenhouse emission development strategies. He appealed to global leaders that if concrete actions are not taken now, the world will be inflicted with incurable diseases. He said the Least Developed Countries (LDC) that includes Bhutan are ready to come forward with enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and long-term low carbon climate resilient strategies by 2020. But this, he said, cannot be achieved without the support of international community.
Universal health coverage
Bhutan will be the first country to achieve all the commitments relating to the universal health coverage agenda, Lyonchhen Dr Lotay Tshering announced at a high-level political forum on universal health coverage (UHC) in New York. Lyonchhen reiterated the government’s commitment when his party, Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa, came to power on the back of health agenda, promising reforms in health sector. Providing quality healthcare, Lyonchhen said, is embedded in the Constitution, which mandates free access to basic health care services. For services that are not available within, Lyonchhen said referral costs too are fully borne by the government. However, he said a poor nation like Bhutan is confronted with the challenge of sustaining the free healthcare services and ensuring its quality at the same time. Add to it the rugged geographical terrain, scattered settlements and inadequate public health infrastructure, it is difficult and expensive to provide services on time, said Lyonchhen.
India
Modi’s diaspora outreach
During his visit to the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a mammoth gathering of Indian diaspora at Houston, where US President Donald Trump and US House majority leader also joined him to address the gathering on 22 September.
Maldives
President addresses UNGA
Addressing the UN General Assembly as the first Maldivian President in seven years, incumbent Ibrahim Solih touched upon a vast canvas that is of concern and interest to Maldives -- the nation’s return to democracy, terrorism and climate-change. He underscored the need for ‘protecting the Indian Ocean’ and was unequivocal in backing the Palestinian cause, especially in the recent Israeli announcement to annexe ‘occupied territories’. While predecessor Abdulla Yameen had preferred not to take on the global stage and address the UNGA even once during his five-year term, his own predecessor Mohammed Waheed was tied down in knots over his take-over following the controversial resignation of Solih’s MDP party boss, Mohammed Nasheed, now Parliament Speaker.
Myanmar
Five-year plan for BRI
The governments of China and Myanmar are negotiating to draw up a five-year plan on economic and trade cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Myanmar’s delegation for the negotiation was led by U Aung Naing, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Relations, while China’s team was headed by Mr Wang Shengwen, director general of China’s Department of Outward Investment and Economic Cooperation. Some 70 representatives from relevant ministries and organisations from both countries were also present for the talks.
City under threat
Western governments have warned their citizens in Myanmar to exercise extreme caution in major cities in the Southeast Asian nation amid social media reports of alleged bomb threats by ethnic armed groups operating in the wake of a temporary cease-fire collapse. The U.S. Embassy in Yangon have issued an alert on 25 September to notify American citizens that Myanmar security forces are investigating reports of potential attacks in the capital Naypyidaw on Sept. 26, Oct. 16, and Oct. 26, and in Naypyidaw, Yangon, and Mandalay in the coming months.
Nepal
Oli unhappy with Cabinet
Prime Minister K. P Sharma Oli seems to be displeased with the performance of his Cabinet. There have been delays in the implementation and completion of project works. There have been major ‘bureaucratic shuffles’ as well in recent times. Given this circumstance, better results were expected. Nonetheless, the PM has instructed that all crucial works to be finished first.
FM leads UNGA team
The Nepali Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali is presently leading the country in the 74
th UNGA meeting in New York. Nepal participated in high level interactions on the global platform, dealing with issues like total elimination of nuclear weapons and the non-aligned policy of the country.
Pakistan
Qureshi boycotts Jaishankar
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi recently boycotted the Indian Minister of External Affairs Subramanyam Jaishankar’s speech at the SAARC Council of Ministers at New York. He stated that, “It is not possible for me to sit with the murderers of Kashmiris,” after boycotting the speech. This comes after the statement from the Pakistan government that it will not engage with the ‘Butcher of Kashmir’ unless India lifts the siege and puts an end to the ongoing atrocities.
Illegal funds ‘devastate’
Prime Minister Imran Khan, recently addressing the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development at the United Nations, stated that while illicit financial flaws adversely affect wealthy countries, the movement of such money is “devastating the developing countries” across the world. He further said that in the last decade, Pakistan had been under a corrupt leadership which had caused the national debt accumulated over 60 years to increase by four times in the last 10 years.
Sri Lanka
UNP agrees on Sajith
After internal bickering that threatened to break the party at one stage, Prime Minister Ranil Wickrmesinghe-led UNP has unanimously agreed to field deputy leader and Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa, son of late President Ranasinghe Premadasa, slain by an LTTE suicide-bomber in 1993. According to reports, Wickremesinghe, who has been hoping to field himself, given his majority in the party’s nominated working committee, gave in after UNP’s allies from the ‘minority communities’, whom he hoped to play against his rival, turned tables on him. Barring the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the rest rallied around Premadasa, Jr, while the TNA is undecided on supporting the UNP candidate, given his seeming reluctance to commitment himself on a promised political package to end the nation’s ‘ethnic issue’, even a decade after the end of the LTTE war and violence on this very score.
Bibliography
Afghanistan
Opinion Pieces
David Zucchino and Fatima Faizi, “Afghan Presidential Vote Presses On Despite Concerns About Legitimacy”,
The New York Times, 27 September 2019
Mohammad Zahir Akbari, “Who Is Responsible for Rise of Civilian Casualties in Afghanistan?”,
Daily Outlook Afghanistan, 26 September 2019
Editorials
Daily Outlook Afghanistan, “Democracy – Path to Peaceful Coexistence”, 25 September 2019
Afghanistan Times, “Insecurity, fraud undermine elections credibility”, 23 September 2019
Bangladesh
Opinion Pieces
Hana Shams Ahmed, “
The Politics of Indigeneity and the Jumma struggle for land and recognition”,
The Daily Star, 27 September 2019
Eresh Omar Jamal, “
The prime minister’s crusade against corruption”,
The Daily Star, 25 September 2019
Mir Aftabuddin Ahmed, “
A story less told: Bangladesh’s success in green RMG production”,
The Daily Star, 24 September 2019
Bhutan
Opinion Pieces
Tenzin Lamsang, “
Bhutan and the death penalty”,
The Bhutanese, 22 September 2019
Editorials
The Bhutanese, “
Beyond outrage”, 24 September 2019
Kuensel, “
Clear and concrete planning wanting”, 21 September 2019
India
Opinion Pieces
P B Sawant, “
Abrogation of Article 370 is illegal, the ongoing lockdown unsustainable”,
The Indian Express, 27 September 2019
Maja Daruwala, “
A specific anti-torture law needs to be detailed, comprehensive and conform to international standards”,
The Indian Express, 27 September 2019
Rashesh Shah, “
Last week’s big bang reforms will remove obstacles in efficient use of capital”,
The Indian Express, 27 September 2019
Editorials
The Hindu, “
Subject to people’s will: On Karnataka bypolls”, 27 September 2019
The Hindu, “
Texas outreach: On ‘Howdy Modi’ Event in Houston”, 24 September 2019
The Hindu, “
Credibility deficit: On collegium’s recommendation on Justice Kureshi”, 24 September 2019
Myanmar
Opinion Pieces
Siddhartha Basu and Sudhanshu Sharma, “
Myanmar rice exports should focus on raising productivity, quality”,
The Myanmar Times, 27 September 2019
Nan Lwin, “
Badly Behaved Chinese Tourists Draw Local Ire in Myanmar”,
The Irrawaddy, 25 September 2019
Zarni Mann, “
Myanmar’s Ethnic Parties Dismiss NLD’s Ethnic Affairs Committee as Pre-Election Ploy”,
The Irrawaddy, 24 September 2019
Kyaw Zwa Moe, “
How Myanmar’s Military Chief Could Become President”,
The Irrawaddy, 24 September 2019
Nepal
Opinion Pieces
Shrijan Bahadur Malla, “Lessons learnt from the Bara-Parsa rainstorm reconstruction programme”,
The Kathmandu Post, 27 September 2019
Mahabir Paudel, “Don’t blame the constitution”,
Republica, 26 September 2019
Editorials
The Kathmandu Post, “The economic slowdown in India does not bode well for Nepal”, 26 September 2019
Pakistan
Opinion Pieces
Farieha Aziz, “Above the law”,
Dawn, 27 September 2019
Julian Borger and Azhar Farooq, “Imran Khan warns UN of potential nuclear war in Kashmir”,
The Guardian, 26 September 2019
Editorials
Dawn, “Mediator’s role?”, 27 September 2019
The Nation, “PM On Islamophobia”, 27 September 2019
Sri Lanka
Opinion Pieces
Rajan Philips,
“Party leaders and presidential candidates”, The Island, 29 September 2019
Kusal Perera,
“Minorities may decide Sinhala Buddhist President with ‘no return’”,
Daily Mirror Online, 27 September 2019
Ameen Izzadeen,
“Britain’s Supreme Court gives vital lessons to Lanka”, Daily Mirror Online, 27 September 2019
M S M Ayub,
“Election phobia”, Daily Mirror Online, 27 September 2019
Malinda Seneviratne,
“It is the season of ‘blufoonery’”,
Daily Mirror Online, 26 September 2019
N Sathiya Moorthy,
“Will China’s ‘carrier-gift’ to Pakistan impact on Indian Ocean neighbourhood security?”,
www.orfonline.org, 25 September 2019
Jehan Perera,
“Making transition easy through ensuring change with continuity”,
The Island, 24 September 2019
N Sathiya Moorthy,
“Can poll-date now UNP the SLFP way?”,
Ceylon Today, 24 September 2019
C A Chandraprema,
“Presidential election: A revolutionary, visionary reform agenda”,
The Island, 23 September 2019
N Sathiya Moorthy, “
Now, mother of all probes!”,
Colombo Gazette, 23 September 2019
Contributors
Afghanistan & Pakistan: Sohini Bose
Bangladesh: Joyeeta Bhattacharjee
Bhutan: Mihir Bhonsale
India: Ambar Kumar Ghosh
Maldives & Sri Lanka: N Sathiya Moorthy
Myanmar: Sreeparna Banerjee
Nepal: Sohini Nayak
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