IV 

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, 


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2 

•HRES 780 IH 

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 sevenparty 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 


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•HRES 780 IH 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) King Gyanendra should immediately release 

4 all political detainees, restore constitutional liberties, 

5 and undertake good faith negotiations with the lead6 ers of Nepal’s political parties to restore full democ7 racy and an elected government; and 

8 (2) all involved parties should put aside past 

9 differences and enter into a new phase of peaceful 

10 and good faith negotiations. 

Æ 


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