"So we have got a mixed bag with the Maoists. We have to engage them, we have to talk to them as a key actor in the peace process," said the ambassador-nominee when Senator Jim Webb, during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday, asked him how he viewed the Maoists. [break]
Replying to Senator Webb, who chaired the confirmation hearing before the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the ambassador-nominee lauded the Maoists for changing their conduct since the insurgency time. A video of the confirmation hearing posted on the committee´s website showed DeLisi appreciating the Maoists for their engagement in the peace process and constitution drafting, their taking part in the High-Level Political Mechanism, calling off the obstruction of parliament and discharging disqualified combatants.
But he was concerned over the Maoists for not renouncing violence and not fulfilling the conditions that the US has put forward for removing them from the State Department´s list of designated terrorists.
"Nonetheless, some of the fundamental things we have asked them to remove them from the list have to be addressed. One of the fundamental things we have asked is fundamentally renounce the use of violence and terrorism as a political instrument. It seems a simple step but they have yet to do that," the recorded video showed DeLisi saying in reply to Senator Webb during the question and answer session of the hearing.
US President Barack Obama nominated DeLisi as ambassador to Nepal in mid-November. The post has remained vacant since August when Nancy J. Powell returned to Washington to work as director-general at the Human Resources Department.
DeLisi told the Senate Committee that he was concerned over what he decribed as the criminal activities of the Young Communist League (YCL). "We are also concerned because the Young Communist League, the youth wing [of the UCPN-M] continues to engage in acts of violence and criminal activities to support their political agenda. They have to renounce …," he said.
At the outset of the hearing, he read out his testimony before the committee, outlining his priorities in Nepal if he were to be confirmed as envoy.
He said he would encourage the political parties to successfully complete the peace process. He was particularly concerned over the culture of impunity in Nepal and said that he would work vigorously with Nepal´s political leaders to end the prevailing culture of impunity regarding human rights abuses.
"If confirmed, I will press all of them [political parties, including Maoists, the army and police] to cooperate in a thorough and transparent investigation of human rights cases and will urge them to hold accountable those who committed abuses so that the nation can move forward on the path of reconciliation," he said.
On US, India and China
Senator Webb also asked the ambassador-nominee about how the US can use the strategic location of Nepal between China and India to serve the US interest.
In response, the career diplomat termed Nepal´s geographical position between two big countries - India and China - as interesting. He then said, "… Nepal is a platform to engage China and India on some issues of regional concern. With India there are many cross-border issues. We would talk on them and look at these issues regionally. Certainly, when we look at China, there is the issue of Tibetan refugees. Those refugees are in Nepal and there is engagement as well."
DeLisi is very familiar with South Asian affairs. In his career in the US Foreign Service, DeLisi has already worked in Mumbai, Islamabad and Colombo, besides having worked as Nepal desk officer in Washington.
"So, if confirmed, working in South Asia will be something of a homecoming for Leija [his wife] and me," he said during the hearing attended by family members and parents.
kiran@myrepublica.com
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