Overview
Nepal is a landlocked kingdom located between India and Tibet in the Himalaya Mountains. The country was originally settled over 9,000 years ago and has been ruled by a series of kingdoms ever since. The most famous of these was Siddhartha Gautama, who left his princely life behind to become the Buddha. Modern Nepal came about in the late 18th century, when the Shah family unified the country under one king. Internal strife led to a series of abdications and revolts, which led to more than one king fleeing to India or Tibet. Experiments with democracy were short-lived until 1990, when student demonstrations forced the king’s hand. Since 1994, political power has fluctuated between the country’s congressional and communist parties. On June 1, 2001, Crown Prince Dipendra reportedly shot and killed his father King Birendra and other members of the royal family before killing himself. This led to peace talks with Maoist insurgents, but also more fighting before a cease-fire was finally adopted in 2003. Democracy came to Nepal in 2006, when the king reinstated parliament, and elections were held. In May 2008, the interim parliament declared Nepal a democratic federal republic, and the king abdicated a month later, in time for the election of the country’s first president. The United Communist Party of Nepal held a majority of the seats in the legislature until a coalition government excluding Maoists took control in May 2009.
The United States has provided bilateral aid to Nepal for decades through the Peace Corps and USAID. In recent years the US has emphasized the importance of maintaining stability in the country to avert the rise of terrorism that could destabilize not only Nepal but its neighbors, such as India.
Basic Information
Lay of the Land: Like a craggy stone wedged tight between two enormous boulders, the land-locked Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is situated precariously between India to the east, west, and south and Chinese-occupied Tibet to the north. The region is literally the top of the world, the Himalayas being the highest of all mountain ranges, and Nepal’s Mt. Everest towers above all others at 29,028 feet.
Population: 28.6 million
Religions: Hindu 81%, Buddhist 11%, Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 4.2%, Kirant (an indigenous animist religion) 3.7%, Christian 0.5%.
Ethnic Groups: Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Taman 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 35.5%.
Languages: Nepali (official) 41.0%, Maithili 10.3%, Bhojpuri 6.3%, Tamang (e.g. Western, Eastern, Northwestern...) 4.6%, Tharu (e.g. Ranu, Kochila, Kathoriya...) 4.4%, Newar 3.0%, Jumli 3.0%, Awadhi 2.1%, Magar (Easter, Western) 1.8%, Bantawa 1.4%, Limbu 1.2%. There are 123 living languages in Nepal.
History
Newars, peoples based on a single language and multiple ethnicities, were the first inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. They lived there for approximately 9,000 years sincethe fourth century AD, while people of Kirant ethnicity populated Nepal for 2,500 years.
Little of Nepal’s early history has been written down, but what is known comes from Neolithic evidence and Indian epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, which both mention Nepalis. The country’s recorded history begins in the 7th or 8th century BC, when the Kiratis ruled. Their rule lasted until approximately 300 AD and comprised a total of 29 kings.
Perhaps the most famous Kirat was Prince Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhartha Gautama, who was part of the Shakya clan. Siddhartha came to be known as the Buddha when he left his royal life to live a life of poverty and asceticism.
By 260 BC, most of North India and southern Nepal were ruled by the Maurya Empire. During this time, Buddhism came to the country for the first time. But by 200 AD, Buddhism had been replaced by Hinduism, which had been brought by the Licchavis. They overthrew the last Kirati king and introduced the caste system, which continues to this day.
The Licchavi people migrated to the Kathmandu Valley in 250 AD. They ruled between 400 and 750 AD, but suffered a break in leadership between 605 and 641 AD when the Abhira Gupta family took power. Throughout the Licchavi Dynasty, the kingdom became a cultural hub that connected central and southern Asia due to ties with Indian and Tibet.
The decline of the Licchavi Dynasty gave rise to the Magar Empire. Although the Magars were known for their warrior traditions, they were also hospitable. First,the Khasas entered as immigrants and were followed by Brahman Hindus escaping from Mugal forces . Soon, conflicting religious beliefs weakened the Magars’ rule.
In the 12th century, the Thakuri king Arideva founded the Malla dynasty, which had its zenith in the 15th century under Yaksha Malla. In 1484, he decided to divide his territory for his sons into three kingdoms: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Patan. The next few centuries were characterized by internal wars between the siblings to gain territory and economic prosperity.
The already crippled kingdoms were easily invaded by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, a ruler of the Gorkha principality. Shah unified the kingdoms in 1769, and claimed Kathmandu as the capital of the Gordkha Kingdom, also known as modern-day Nepal.
After Shah’s death in 1775, his heirs expanded the country into northern India and Tibet. After 1800, however, rulers of the Shah Dynasty were unable to retain control of Nepal.
In 1814, Nepal and Great Britain went to war over territorial claims. Nepal’s loss in the Anglo-Nepalese War led to the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, in which Nepal ceded large portions of its territory to the British in return for autonomy.
Due to internal friction after the war, a failed coup to oust Jang Bahadur led to a regime change from a monarchy to a centralized autocracy. In 1846, Bahadur allowed the monarchy to cede power, but he personally retained power as the prime minister. This was the beginning of the Rana Dynasty.
Under their rule, the country enjoyed greater stability. But Rana policies isolated Nepal from external influences. This assisted in maintaining the country’s independence, but kept it from achieving economic development.
The Rana family enforced pro-British policies and allied British forces during wartime. The two countries signed an agreement of friendship in 1923 in which Britain recognized full Nepalese independence.
Nepali Congress factions in India began planning to overthrow the Ranas in 1947. As a result of political tensions, King Tribhuvan fled to India in 1950, which caused a revolt against the Rana kingdom.
The Shah family returned to power, and a non-Rana prime minister was appointed. During this time, the monarch ruled with the leaders of fledgling political parties who tried to frame a constitution for Nepal, following the British model.
In early 1959, King Mahendra, who had succeeded his father Tribhuvan in 1955, issued a new constitution, and the first democratic elections for a national assembly were held. Soon after, the country’s socialist party, the Nepali Congress Party (NCP), gained power. NCP leader, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, served as a prime minister in his newly formed government.
Declaring parliamentary democracy a failure 18 months later, King Mahendra dismissed the Koirala government and promulgated a new constitution on December 16, 1962. The new constitution established panchayats, or councils, that had no political party affiliation. The king believed this was as close to democracy as Nepalese culture allowed. The king remained as the head of state, with control over the cabinet and parliament.
King Birendra, then 27 years old, succeeded his father in 1972. Student demonstrations a few years later targeted the regime for overthrow, but the king called for a national referendum to institute a multiparty system or to continue the panchayat system with democratic reform. In May 1980, this referendum established the panchayat system as the winner.
In 1990, the country’s political parties pressured the king to restore democracy. The king sent the police to counter these demonstrations, and more than 50 people were killed in the violence. Hundreds more were arrested. In April of that year, the king was finally forced to reconsider, and dissolved the panchayat system. He released all political prisoners shortly thereafter.
On April 19, 1990, Krishna Prasad Bhattari became prime minister of the interim government. His cabinet consisted of members from the Nepali Congress Party, the communist parties of Nepal, royal appointees, and independents. A new constitution was adopted in November 1990, which ensured human rights and declared Nepal a parliamentary democracy under the monarch.
In mid-1994, the Parliament was dissolved due to opposition within the Nepali Congress Party. On November 15, 1994, a general election gave control to the world’s first communist monarchy, led by the United Marxist and Leninist Party (UML).
Over the next five years, unstable political conditions led to the beginning of the Nepalese Civil War in February 1996. It was incited by the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), which had evolved from the UML. The CPN aimed to change the regime to a democratic republic. Killings, torture, bombings, kidnappings, extortion, and intimidation against civilians, police, and public officials in more than 50 of the country’s 75 districts followed.
Following the May 1999 general elections, the Nepali Congress Party once again headed a majority government after winning 113 out of 205 seats. But several more short-lived governments ruled over the next few years.
On June 1, 2001, a drunken Crown Prince Dipendra shot and killed his father, King Birendra, his mother Queen Aishwarya, his brother, his sister, his uncle, several aunts, and lastly shot himself. Two days later, Dipendra’s surviving brother, Gyanendra, was crowned king.
Bilateral peace talks were initiated between the government and Maoists in August, September, and November of 2001, but their failure led to continued violence.
King Gyanendra declared a state of emergency November 2001 and ordered the army to quell insurgents.
On May 22, 2002, he dissolved parliament and called for new elections. The interim government was led by Sher Bahadur Deuba.
On October 4, 2002, King Gyanendra removed Prime Minister Deuba and assumed executive power. The Council of Ministers was also dissolved, and he indefinitely postponed the November elections. On October 11, 2002, the king appointed Lokendra Bahadur Chand as prime minister.
Under Chand’s premiership, the government and Maoists declared a cease-fire on January 29, 2003, under the condition that the country’s communist party would be brought back into politics. In the face of growing pressure from political parties, Chand resigned from his post on May 30, 2003, after only seven months in power.
On June 4, 2003, the king appointed Surya Bahadur Thapa as the new prime minister. Additional peace talks were held, but on August 27, 2003, the Maoists broke the second cease-fire and withdrew from talks.Thapa resigned in May 2004 as a result of political pressure. One month later, the king reinstated formerly dismissed Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister.
With the hope of instituting a multiparty system in three years, King Gyanendra replaced the cabinet with the Council of Ministers under his chairmanship on February 1, 2005. In the same act, he once again removed Prime Minister Deuba and declared another state of emergency. Gyanendra also suspended nearly all fundamental rights for three months on the pretext of defeating Maoist insurgents.
On April 30, 2005, the king was forced to lift the state of emergency due to international pressure. Additionally, his attempts to crush Maoist insurgents were failing.
Although municipal elections were held in February 2006, major political parties did not participate, while other candidates were coerced to run by the army. Two months later, major parties and Maoist insurgents led organized demonstrations to restore democratic rule. As a result, Gyanendra reinstated the 1999 parliament.
A seven-party coalition ruled the government and removed most of the king’s powers. The coalition government was led by Former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala of the Nepali Congress Party.
The Maoists declared a three-month unilateral cease-fire on April 26, and initiated the first peace talks in May after three years. Five agreements have since been signed, which resulted in a peace agreement on November 21, 2006, that ended the insurgency.
On January 15, 2007, a 328-member multiparty interim Parliament, including former Maoist rebels, was inaugurated. Nine months later, the Communist party left the government because they wanted to remove the monarchy.
In December 24, 2007, Parliament removed the monarchy in exchange for Maoist participation in the government.
In April 2008, a newly elected Constituent Assembly declared Nepal a federal democratic republic. The first president, Ram Baran Yadav, was elected in July.
The Maoists resigned from the government once again in May 2009 as a result of Yadav’s decision to overrule the removal of the chief of the army staff. Prime Minister Prachanda also left office and was replaced by Communist Madhav Kumar Nepal.
In December 2009, Maoists incited riots and killings that gave rise to uncertainty over the success of the peace process. In January 2010, the PM Nepal stated that a new constitution would be written by May 2010.
A Brief History of Nepal (Nepal Home Page)
A Country Study: Nepal (Library of Congress)
History of Nepal (Wikipedia)
History of U.S. Relations with Nepal
The United States established diplomatic relations with Nepal in 1947. The first US Ambassador to Nepal was Henry Grady in May 1948, but the Kathmandu Embassy was not opened until 1959. US policy objectives include assisting democratic institutions, peace and stability, and decreasing poverty in order to prevent Nepal from falling under terrorist control or a Maoist takeover.
The US was the first country to provide direct aid to Nepal in January 1951. Since then, the US has supported Nepal with more than $1.4 billion in bilateral development aid.
On June 29, 1958, the US, Nepal, and India signed an agreement to create a telecommunications system. Nepal would house 56 radio stations and would be able to communicate overseas.
The Peace Corps began working in Nepal in 1962 and focused on agriculture, health, and development.
Nepalese immigrants were once categorized as “other Asians,” but since 1975, they have been classified as “Nepalese” with the first wave of 56 immigrants.
In the 2000 US census, 11,715 people identified themselves as being of Nepali ancestry. They have formed communities in large metropolitan areas such as New York, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Portland, Gainesville, and St. Paul.
Current U.S. Relations with Nepal
Notable Nepali Americans
Kiran Chetry: She worked as a co-anchor for Fox & Friends from 2005-2007 and currently works as a CNN co-anchor on American Morning. She was born in Kathmandu to a Nepalese father and a mother of mixed European orign. She moved to the US at the age of seven months.
Samrat Upadhyay: He is “the first Nepali-born fiction writer writing in English to be published in the West,” and was published three times by the Houghton Mifflin Company. Upadhyay immigrated to Ohio with his family when he was 21 and moved to Indiana in 2003.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department are among US agencies that provide foreign assistance programs to support Nepal’s peace process and transition to democracy as well as promote long-term development through agriculture, health, family planning, environmental protection, and vocational education programs. USAID plans to provide $52 million in the 2010 fiscal year, which is a $7.6 million increase from 2009. The US also contributes to international institutions and private voluntary organizations working in Nepal.
Private institutions promoting US-Nepal relations include The Association of Nepalis in America and the America-Nepal Friendship Society.
American foreign policy interests have remained the same since 1974, but have begun to focus on the youth who are vital to future peace. However, due to instability and increasing security concerns, organizations such as the Peace Corps have suspended activities since 2004.
In 2008, Ambassador Nancy Powell stated that the US would continue providing aid to the Maoist-led government despite its label as a terrorist group.
In 2005, 18,476 Americans visited Nepal. The number of tourists has remained close to 19,000 since 2002.
In 2006, 9,768 Nepalese visited the US, 20.3% more than the 8,117 that came in 2005. More Nepalese have come to the US every year since 2002, when 6,407 Nepalese traveled to America.
Today, a US travel warning is in effect due to concerns about security. Despite elections in 2008, many groups continue to abduct and kill residents and attack vehicles, including US Embassy vehicles.
Nepal is also a target country for President Obama’s $3.5 billion Feed the Future initiative which aims to “reduce hunger and poverty in the developing world…”
US-Nepal Relations (US Department of State) (pdf)
US-Nepal Relations Complicated After Terror Group Wins Elections (Associated Press)
Nepal–United States Relations (Wikipedia)
US Envoy Meets Nepal’s Maoist Former Rebel Chief (by Krittivas Mukherjee, Reuters)
Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States (by Bruce Vaughn, Congressional Research Service) (pdf)
Nepal: Background and US Relations (by Bruce Vaughn, Congressional Research Service) (pdf)
Where Does the Money Flow
In 2009, US exports to Nepal totaled $31 million while imports amounted to $54.7 million.
The largest US export are civilian aircraft, engines, equipment and parts increasing from $1.2 million in 2005 to $9.0 million in 2009, followed by manmade cloth up from $905,000 to $3.2 million.
The increase in aircraft can be due to both aircraft repairs and recent agreements. For example, on December 24, 2008, a Nepal Airlines plane crashed during takeoff. Recent agreements include an deal between Boeing’s Airbus program and Nepal Airlines for two aircraft.
The largest US import from Nepal is still “rugs and other textile floor coverings,” despite a fall from $34.9 million to $27.0 million between 2005 and 2009, which accounts for about half of the imports in 2009. This is the second largest industry in Nepal (following tourism) and is home to many companies, such as Nepal Rugmark Foundation, Nepal Carpet Exporter’s Association, Central Carpet Association of Nepal, Nepal Rug Company, and more.
USAID plans to provide $40 million for Global Health and Child Survival in 2011, which is 96.4% of the U.S. government’s planned budget for “Investing in People” in Nepal to improve health and education. The US government aims to continue providing basic health services, especially to reduce newborn and maternal mortality rates and augment access to voluntary family-planning and HIV/AIDS services. USAID will market condoms in “hot zones” where HIV is rampant. USAID plays a major role in “leadership development” for Nepalese policies and programs and is the biggest donor to the Nepalese government in the health sector.
A request of $12.2 million for 2011 has been sent to Congress in the area of Peace and Security. To combat terrorism, funding provides for training on investigation techniques, and airport and infrastructure security. For example, the Terrorist Interdiction Programs will survey and install a Personal Identification, Secure Comparison, and Evaluation System at the Kathmandu International Airport. The US Department of Defense stated that it will help the Nepal Army to respond to domestic disasters by buying equipment necessary for prevalent disasters in Nepal.
For “Governing Justly and Democratically,” $6.1 million has been requested. USAID will help to draft a new constitution and train various committees and ministries. USAID will also support government and grassroots organizations to encourage youth participation to improve situations in conflict-prone areas.
The US hopes to provide $1.99 million in aid for Economic Growth. USAID will help the microfinance sector and disadvantaged youth in conflict zones through programs such as enterprise training and literacy development. USAID will also provide new agriculture technologies to improve competitiveness of products.
USAID has also been vital in improving Nepal’s education system which can be seen in the dramatic rise in the enrollment rate in the past 20 years.
Trade in Goods (Imports, Exports and Trade Balance) with Nepal (US Census Bureau)
Controversies
US asks Nepali Maoists to end or suspend strike
Maoists have been inciting protests and strikes resulting in “hardships for the people of Nepal.” In response, the government has enforced curfews. Additionally, schools and shops closed and transportation halted. Multiple rounds of peace talks have failed. The US has taken a stance to ask the Maoists to stop protests and strikes in order to restore peace and to stay on track to meet the May 28, 2010, deadline to bring a new constitution into effect.
The Maoists are on the US’s terrorist list “because of the violent activities of Young Communist League, and the failure thus far of the Maoists to completely renounce violence,” according to Assistant Secretary Robert Blake.
State Department Meets with Group Formerly Termed Terrorists
The US State Department, which has steadfastly refused to meet with terrorists, agreed to meet with Maoist rebels in Nepal in May 2008. The State Department had referred to the Maoist rebels as terrorists, but officials justified the visit as an attempt to keep communism from spreading. The Maoists have become a powerful part of Nepal’s political spectrum. In contrast, the US still refuses to meet with Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which control substantial parts of the political and military forces in Gaza and Lebanon. In the wake of the meeting, the US removed the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-M) from the international terrorist list.
Changing US terror policy in Nepal (by Elise Labott, CNN)
Arrest of Tibetans Prompts protest from US Pro-Tibet Group
In June 2008, Nepalese police arrested three Tibetans for protesting against China, prompting protests from a pro-Tibet group based in Washington, DC. International Campaign for Tibet protested the arrests, which came just weeks before the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games. Street protests resulted in Tibetan exiles shouting slogans and scuffling with police. Nepal considers Tibet part of China, which is a key donor of economic aid. About 20,000 Tibetans, who fled during the Chinese invasion of 1959, live in Nepal.
US group protests Nepal arrest of Tibetan leaders (by Gopal Sharma, Reuters)
US-Nepal Garment-Trade Issues
The Nepalese garment exports to the US have been on declining since the end of the Multi Fiber Agreement in 2005. Although a Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) was signed to improve bilateral trade, the two countries have failed to reach a preferential trade agreement or an agreement on a tax-free garment facility. Meanwhile, garment trade continues to be a trade issue.
A Fraying Trade (by Suvayu Dev Pant, Nepali Times)
Nepal-US Trade Talks Begin (by Bijaya Ghimire, República)
Human Rights
According to the State Department, Nepal’s human rights conditions have been slightly improving because all parties have joined the government. However, members of Nepal’s security forces committed some human rights abuses during the year, and the Maoists/YCL and members of other small, often ethnically-based armed groups committed numerous grave human rights abuses. Trials for human rights violators, freedom of the press, discrimination, trafficking, and arbitrary arrest continue to hinder Nepal’s human rights record.
Disappearances
According to a local NGO, Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), “seven persons were abducted by the unidentified armed groups and four were abducted by the YCL,” in January 2010.
The whereabouts of more than 800 people who disappeared during the 10-year Maoist insurgency remain unknown. As a result, the government set forth a draft bill that criminalizes enforced disappearances. In June 2007, the Supreme Court ordered the formation of a commission to investigate those disappearances; however, no action was actually taken.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) stated that 646 people had disappeared in 2006. According to the 2006 NHRC report, the government was responsible for the disappearances of 2,032 persons from 2000 until 2006.
Prisoners
Prison conditions were extremely poor and did not meet international standards. Corruption and impunity remained a problem in the police force.
Security forces engaged in torture to punish suspects or to extract confessions. Prisoners were threatened and subject to “beatings with plastic pipes, submersion in water, sexual humiliation, restricted movement, and prolonged sensory deprivation.” Prisoners were coerced to hold the same position on the floor with their hands cuffed.
There is no law against torture and no one has been prosecuted. Additionally, related laws such as the Torture Compensation Act, are mostly ineffective because victims are afraid of reprisal from police and also must file complaints through a flawed judicial system.
Judiciary
The law provides for an independent judiciary, but courts remained vulnerable to political pressure, bribery, and intimidation. However, delays remain a severe problem. As of December 31, 2009, the Supreme Court reported 10,306 cases that were unprocessed.
Despite the independence and unprejudiced nature of appellate and district courts, some are still prone to political pressures.
The courts can prosecute criminals based on terrorism or treason due to the Treason Act, but no prosecutions have occurred since 1991.
Nepali law gives a right to legal representation in courts. However, if those accused are unaware of the law, they will be deprived of representation.
Maoists announced their separation from the judicial system in 2007, although the group does hold their own trials. According to the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), the “Maoist judiciary system” does not provide due process and fair trial.
Under Nepali Civil Code, sentencing provisions for rape depend upon the age of the female victim. If a person is convicted of raping a girl under the age of 10, the possible jail sentence ranges from 10 to 15 years; if the girl is above 10 and below 14 years, the jail sentence ranges from eight to 12 years; if the girl is above 14 and below 16 years, the jail sentence ranges from six to 10 years; if the girl is above 16 and below 20 years, the jail sentence ranges from five to eight years; and, if the girl is over 20 years, the jail sentence ranges from five to seven years. The victim’s compensation is dependent on the degree of mental and physical torture suffered.
Societal Attitudes and Discrimination
Although prohibited by law, citizens practiced caste discrimination and discrimination against those with disabilities. In September 2009, Nepal “supported” a UN draft of principles to eliminate caste discrimination, but additional actions to implement such elimination have not been taken. Those in poverty are not properly represented and supported by law enforcement.
Societal attitudes in parts of the country viewed a female child as a commodity to be bartered in marriage, or as a burden. Some persons considered marrying a girl before menarche an honorable, sacred act that increased one’s chances of a better afterlife. As a result, although the law prohibits marriage for girls before the age of 18, child brides were common.
The law does not prohibit discrimination against persons with physical and mental disabilities, and there was discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, education, access to health care, and in the provision of other state services.
The law does prohibit religious, ideological, racial, sexual, and caste discrimination, but it is not properly enforced.
Domestic Violence
Domestic violence against women is a serious problem which receives limited public attention because police and other authorities are unwilling to recognize this as a problem.
The civil code outlines provisions for rape and compensation depending on the victim’s age and degree of torture. The maximum possible sentence is 10 to 15 years in jail. The 2006 Gender Equality Amendment Act includes marital rape as a crime.
Although many cases of rape are unreported, a 2008 survey reported 391 cases of rape and 75 cases of attempted rape during a four-month period.
The Domestic Violence Act 2065 suggests a fine of $40-330 and/or imprisonment for six months. Offenders who commit crimes more than once, receive double the punishment.
Traditional beliefs about witchcraft generally involved elderly rural women and widows. Shamans or other local authority figures sometimes publicly beat and physically abused suspected witches as part of an exorcism ceremony.
Trafficking
Although the law outlaws trafficking, many women and girls are trafficked and subject to sexual exploitation in other countries. About 12,000 females were exploited in Indian brothels while others were sent to Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and other countries. The NGO Community Action Center estimates that in August 2009, there were 5,275 women in the sex industry in Kathmandu Valley.
The number of females engaged in forced labor or sexual exploitation seems to be increasing.
Internal trafficking for forced labor and sexual exploitation is also increasing and is suggested to be a result of the Maoist insurgency. The 2007 NHRC reported that about 40,000 females between ages 12 and 30 work in the Kathmandu Valley under a false impression of a future job in foreign countries, particularly in the Middle East.
Nepali law outlaws selling people in the country and abroad and suggests imprisonment of 20 years if the law is violated. However, the 2007 Trafficking in Persons and Transportation Control Law is poorly enforced due to a lack of knowledge of the provisions.
Past Ambassadors
Henry F. Grady
Appointment: Feb 26, 1948
Presentation of Credentials: May 3, 1948
Termination of Mission: Left New Delhi, Jun 22, 1948
Note: Also accredited to India; resident at New Delhi.
Loy W. Henderson
Appointment: Jul 14, 1948
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 3, 1948
Termination of Mission: Left New Delhi, Sep 21, 1951
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Mar 2, 1949. Also accredited to India; resident at New Delhi.
Chester Bowles
Appointment: Oct 10, 1951
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 16, 1952
Termination of Mission: Left New Delhi, Mar 23, 1953
Note: Also accredited to India; resident at New Delhi.
George V. Allen
Appointment: Mar 11, 1953
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 5, 1953
Termination of Mission: Left New Delhi, Nov 30, 1954
Note: Also accredited to India; resident at New Delhi.
John Sherman Cooper
Appointment: Feb 4, 1955
Presentation of Credentials: Jun 3, 1955
Termination of Mission: Left New Delhi, Apr 23, 1956
Note: Also accredited to India; resident at New Delhi.
Ellsworth Bunker
Appointment: Nov 28, 1956
Presentation of Credentials: Mar 8, 1957
Termination of Mission: Superseded, Nov 25, 1959
Note: Commissioned during a recess of the Senate; recommissioned after confirmation on Jan 25, 1957. Also accredited to India; resident at New Delhi.
Henry E. Stebbins
Appointment: Sep 9, 1959
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 25, 1959
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jun 10, 1966
Carol C. Laise
Appointment: Sep 19, 1966
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 5, 1966
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jun 5, 1973
William I. Cargo
Appointment: Jul 16, 1973
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 28, 1973
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 3, 1976
Marquita M. Maytag
Appointment: Mar 3, 1976
Presentation of Credentials: May 18, 1976
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 22, 1977
L. Douglas Heck
Appointment: May 26, 1977
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 29, 1977
Termination of Mission: Left post, May 19, 1980
Philip R. Trimble
Appointment: May 23, 1980
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 10, 1980
Termination of Mission: Left post, Feb 21, 1981
Carleton S. Coon
Appointment: Jun 11, 1981
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 3, 1981
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 3, 1984
Leon Jerome Weil
Appointment: Aug 13, 1984
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 21, 1984
Termination of Mission: Left post, Nov 11, 1987
Milton Frank
Appointment: Mar 28, 1988
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 22, 1988
Termination of Mission: Left post, Sep 16, 1989
Julia Chang Bloch
Appointment: Aug 7, 1989
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 22, 1989
Termination of Mission: Left post, May 20, 1993
Sandra Louise Vogelgesang
Appointment: Feb 11, 1994
Presentation of Credentials: Apr 7, 1994
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 11, 1997
Ralph Frank
Appointment: Aug 1, 1997
Presentation of Credentials: Nov 4, 1997
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 10, 2001
Thomas P. Furey
Appointment: Nomination of Mar 2, 2000, withdrawn Apr 25, 2000
Michael E. Malinowski
Appointment: Oct 1, 2001
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 11, 2001
Termination of Mission: Left post Apr 23, 2004
James Moriarty
Appointment: Jun 30, 2004
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 16, 2004
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 13, 2007
Nancy Powell
Appointment: June 28, 2007
Presentation of Credentials: August 9, 2007
Termination of Mission: July 2009
Nepal's Ambassador to the U.S.
Sharma, Shankar
Shankar P. Sharma was appointed as the Ambassador of Nepal to the US on August 3, 2009.
In the fall of 1984, Sharma earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Hawaii.
Between 1984 and 1997, he held many positions, including a Senior Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance in the Nepali Government; a Senior Economist in the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore; and a Fellow at the East-West Center in Hawaii. He also served as a Professor of Economics in the Centre for Economic Development and Administration at Tribhuvan University in Nepal.
He worked regionally and globally for many organizations, such as the UNESCAP, World Bank, and ASEAN.
Dr. Sharma has edited or co-authored eight books such as Energy, the Environment and the Oil Market: an Asia-Pacific Perspective in August 1995 and more than fifty articles such as Trade, Protectionism, and Industrial Adjustment in Vegetable Oils: Asian Response to North America in 1989.
In 1997, he joined the National Planning Commission as a member and eventually became the Vice Chairman, a post he held until 2009.
In 2006, he introduced the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and Medium-term Expenditure Framework.
In late 2009, Sharma participated in forming the Constitution Committee on "Distribution of Natural Resources, Economic Rights and Public Revenue” as part of the drafting of a new Nepalese Constitution.
He currently is the Immediate Past President of the East-West Center Association in Nepal and is married with two children.
- Table of Contents
- News
- Overview
- Basic Information
- History
- Newspapers
- History of U.S. Relations with Nepal
- Current U.S. Relations with Nepal
- Where Does the Money Flow
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U.S. Ambassador to Nepal
Bodde, Peter
A career member of the Senior Foreign Service who has served before in Nepal and in neighboring India has been nominated by President Obama to be the next ambassador to Nepal. Peter W. Bodde was nominated on March 2, 2012, and is expected to be confirmed by the Senate.
The son of William and Ingrid Bodde, Peter Bodde was born in October 1954. His father was a Foreign Service officer who served as U.S. ambassador to Fiji, Tuvalu and Tonga (1980-1981) and ambassador to the Marshall Islands (1990-1992). His brother Christopher was also a Foreign Service officer.
Bodde earned his B.A. at the University of Maryland in 1976, and then worked as a commodity industry analyst with the U.S. International Trade Commission.
Bodde joined the Foreign Service in 1981, and served early career assignments at the embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 1982 to 1984; as minister counselor for Administrative Affairs at the embassy in New Delhi, India; in Copenhagen, Denmark; Sofia, Bulgaria; at the consulate in Hamburg, Germany; as deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Kathmandu, from 1994 to 1997; and in Georgetown, Guyana. He has also served in various State Department positions in Washington, most recently as the director of the management policy in the Office of Management Policy, Rightsizing and Innovation.
From 2002 to 2006, he was consul general at the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt, Germany. From February 2006 to August 2008, he was deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. Bodde served as ambassador to Malawi from September 2008 to July 2011. He has served as assistant chief of mission for assistance transition in Iraq and coordinator for minority issues at the embassy in Baghdad, since August 2011.
Bodde is married to Tanya Lee Will Bodde, who has also served in the Foreign Service.They have one daughter and one son. Peter Bodde speaks German, Bulgarian and Nepali.
-Matt Bewig
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