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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 780 Introduced in House (IH)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 780

    Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that King 
 Gyanendra should immediately release all political detainees, restore 
 constitutional liberties, and undertake good faith negotiations with 
               all involved parties to restore democracy.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2006

    Ms. Eshoo (for herself, Mr. Shays, Mr. Honda, and Mr. Udall of 
Colorado) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that King 
 Gyanendra should immediately release all political detainees, restore 
 constitutional liberties, and undertake good faith negotiations with 
               all involved parties to restore democracy.

Whereas, on February 1, 2005, King Gyanendra of the Kingdom of Nepal forcibly 
        dissolved his government with the assistance of the Nepalese military, 
        declared a state of emergency, arrested government opposition leaders, 
        and assumed authoritarian control over the country;
Whereas for weeks following the King's overthrow of the government, telephone 
        and Internet access lines were blocked, independent news organizations 
        were shut down, freedom of speech and the right of assembly were 
        suspended, and political leaders were placed under house arrest;
Whereas after the United States, India, the United Kingdom, and other countries 
        and international organizations suspended military assistance, the 
        Nepalese political parties were allowed to resurface and eventually 
        formed a seven-party alliance to provide a common voice against 
        autocratic rule;
Whereas the seven parties eventually reached a tenuous agreement on a twelve-
        point program for a future democratic government and began a series of 
        protests which escalated into the riots and chaos that have now engulfed 
        the country;
Whereas, on April 24, 2006, King Gyanendra announced the restoration of 
        parliament four years after its dissolution, an offer which the 
        political parties have tentatively accepted, but which the Maoist rebels 
        within the country have openly rejected;
Whereas the United States and Nepal have longstanding ties of friendship and 
        good relations, and since contributing as Nepal's first bilateral aid 
        donor in January 1951, the United States has contributed more than $1.4 
        billion bilaterally and multilaterally to Nepal; and
Whereas it is the policy of the United States to prevent a Maoist takeover of 
        Nepal in order to achieve important United States regional and bilateral 
        goals, including preventing the spread of terror, enhancing regional 
        stability, promoting democracy, and protecting United States citizens in 
        Nepal: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) King Gyanendra should immediately release all political 
        detainees, restore constitutional liberties, and undertake good 
        faith negotiations with the leaders of Nepal's political 
        parties to restore full democracy and an elected government; 
        and
            (2) all involved parties should put aside past differences 
        and enter into a new phase of peaceful and good faith 
        negotiations.
                                 <all>
```