Tuesday February 1, the Nepali King placed the government under house arrest, declared a state of emergency, closed the airport, cut phone and internet, and broadcast himself (repeatedly) making an unmoving speech saying that for the next three years—he was the government as the one (he previously appointed) was corrupt and did nothing to remedy the present ‘political situation’. The next day, he appointed new ministers. Five days later, there was an hour or so of local calling, and today, international calls and internet has (temporarily?) resumed. During this time, we were safe, and managed one satellite phone call home to reassure everyone that we were fine…Because of the change in the ‘political situation’, we are planning to come home earlier than planned.
Things I learned during a state of emergency:
-babies are still born
-as there is no news, and rumours are unreliable, just pack a bag and sit tight, things will probably get better
-in choosing a taxi driver, never, ever, choose a driver who wears his baseball cap backwards. If you don’t die in an accident, you will surely sustain a concussion, or the very least, a broken collarbone from being thrown around the backseat.
-the cost of a taxi ride from an area of high concentration of military to an area of low concentration of military is three times higher. Conversely, the cost of a taxi from an area of low concentration of military to an area of high concentration of military is ten times higher. If a curfew, or rumour of a curfew, is approaching, choose a Buddhist looking taxi driver, as delivering a woman to her children is considered to be excellent karmic points.
-always have enough food and water for 4 days. Although this was never necessary, it was the advice I received from the Canadian Co-operation Office (the mini-embassy) once local calls were restored.
-if the BBC is broadcasting Bush’s State of Union address, updates of the Pope’s health, and whether Beckham has lost his form, nothing really, really bad is happening in Nepal. If the BBC station is replaced with Nepali music, something really bad may be happening Nepal.
-don’t bother with retrospective analysis…such as, “Oh, that is why, just last week, the government of Nepal shut down the Tibetan Office used for processing and settling the 1000 Tibetan refugees who walk over the Himalayas in the winter to escape the Chinese oppressors—so that the Chinese government wouldn’t criticize the King for stepping into the role of dictator…” or “I wondered why I was frisked and politely asked to pass through a metal detector to walk into the bank…it’s the new normal I guess…”
-while pausing what you’re doing, the sound of horns beeping is reassuring and the sounds of no horns beeping is non-reassuring.
-carry cash. ATMs and Visa don’t work.
-don’t waste your cash on a newspaper as you will just read the King’s speech reprinted verbatim. You can also read that journalists are reminded to not criticize the King. Or, you can read reprinted articles from Delhi, Dhaka, and New York about how to lower the fat in your diet (Nepali diet is 90% carbohydrates), improve your study habits, or encouragement to start planning for the wedding season now.
-don’t discuss politics (or religion or sex for that matter) as someone could get in trouble. In King versus the Maoists—one can find oneself in trouble for holding any opinion—it is best to talk about fat in the diet, study habits, and planning for the wedding season. Know that during a state of emergency, the constitution is suspended so Nepalis officially (as opposed to unofficially pre-state of emergency) cannot offer their opinion, cannot demonstrate peacefully, or get together in a group. They can be arrested as a preventative measure. Their property can be confiscated and bank accounts cleaned out. They are, however, safe from being exiled or killed by the state after a fair trial (capital punishment). But if they are an immediate threat, there would be no trial and execution can just take place.
