| "Nepal’s
response to the brutal killings of 12 workers in Iraq threatens
the country’s vital labor export." |
As the south Asian nation of Nepal has seen, the forces
of globalization may be both a blessing and a curse. While open
borders helped to develop trade, manufacturing, and tourism
as the country's economic pillars, a Maoist insurgency has devastated
the country in recent years. Amidst this social and financial
crisis, nepali workers overseas now bear the onus of supporting
Nepal's economy. A recent dealdy attic on Nepali workers in
Iraq and its domestic repercussion not only increases instability
in the country, but also threatens to shake up the crucial labor
export sector. Given the importance of the globalized labor
force, writes Kesang Sherpa, the Nepali government and the private
sector must do all they can to keep this portal open."
A the same time, decision-makers must find ways to restore domestic
political stability to allow for economic recovery and, ultimately,
help the country regain its global appeal as a tourist heaven.
— Yale Global
Kesang Sherpa, Yale Global, 27 September 2004
| With
two of Nepal’s main economic sectors — tourism
and trade —- seriously in trouble, workers’
remittances remain the only reliable source of much needed
foreign income. |
N EW YORK:, NY –– Most Nepalis once believed the
name of their country was actually an acronym for “Never
Ending Peace And Love.” This dream-image of Nepal as a
peaceful Shangri-la resonated globally, for forty years when
hundreds of thousands of tourists wanderd around the kingdom
ringed by the majestic Himalayas. Since 1996, however, a bloody
Maoist insurgency has stunted the country’s previous growth.
With two of Nepal’s main economic sectors — tourism
and trade —- seriously in trouble, workers’ remittances
remain the only reliable source of much needed foreign income.
The recent execution of Nepali workers in Iraq reminded Nepalis,
even that source is in jeopardy: Just as globalization opened
the doors for an exodus of cheap labor, it has rendered Nepali
workers abroad vulnerable to the same threat of terrorism that
respects no borders.
 |
| Professional warriors abroad: Nepali men in the British
army help sustain the economy at home, battered by insurgency.
(Photo: Ministry of Defense) it reaches to almost every
individual within the |
Nepal has a 200-year history of exporting its labor. After
the 1814-1816 Anglo-Gurkha War, many defeated soldiers, rather
than face humiliation at home, sought employment in the army
of Ranjit Singh of Lahore. Soon thereafter, the British recruited
their former adversaries into their forces. A more contemporary
trend has been the export of unskilled civilian labor. Malaysia,
the most favored destination, hosts over 100,000 Nepalis working
in the construction and furniture industries. The oil-rich gulf
countries have also attracted Nepalis; Saudi Arabia and Qatar
have absorbed 100,000 and 80,000 Nepalis, respectively. About
1 million Nepalis work worldwide as laborers, drivers, guards,
cleaners and cooks. Last year, they sent home an estimated US
$1 billion, a major source of income for one of the world’s
ten poorest countries.
In the past five years or so, the push factors forcing Nepalis
abroad have multiplied at a dangerous pace. The Maoist insurgency,
modeled somewhat on Peru’s Shining Path rebels, has rendered
millions of Nepalis jobless. In the name of the “People’s
War,” the Maoist insurgents have established “people’s
governments” and “people’s courts,”
which run the daily business of much of Nepal’s rural
countryside. To bring down the royal government the Maoists
have kept attacking schools, airports, hotels, and other valuable
infrastructure. Over 10,000 civilians have been killed in the
cross-fire between Maoist and security forces.
| To
bring down the royal government the Maoists have kept attacking
schools, airports, hotels, and other valuable infrastructure.
Over 10,000 civilians have been killed in the cross-fire
between Maoist and security forces. |
Increasingly, the Maoist cause has extorted “donations”
from both rural and urban Nepalis. In response to unmet monetary
demands, the Maoists have been known to set fire to factories
and homes, and sometimes kill entire families. Maoist bombs,
extortion, and forced closure of industries have severely affected
trade and manufacturing, as well. As a result of the political
instability and escalating violence, Nepal’s tourist industry
has been brought to its knees. Tourism had not only provided
incomes and increased the standard of living of most Nepalis,
but also shaped a valuable English-speaking workforce experienced
in catering to people from every corner of the world. With the
virtual closure of tourism and trade, Nepal has turned increasingly
to labor export as the sole path to economic survival.
| In
a country with a per capita income of US$240 and 42 percent
of its population below the poverty line, foreign labor
provides thousands of Nepali families with an otherwise
unattainable degree of economic security. |
W ith no political or economic solution in sight, many rural
Nepalis descend to Kathmandu, where they join thousands of disgruntled
urban youths lining up outside recruiting agencies that send
workers overseas. They typically borrow between US$1,500 and
US$2,000 to cover agent’s fees and travel expenses. If
they are lucky, they will be able to pay back the borrowed sum
after working abroad for a year or two. In the Middle East,
many Nepalis hope to fill the post-war reconstruction demand
for cheap labor in order to send much needed remittances to
their families back home. An estimated 15,000 Nepalis already
work in Iraq, for the most part illegally. They earn about US$275
a month, and in some cases, their jobs include benefits and
facilities, such as a tennis court, swimming pool, and a mini
DVD theater. Many Gurkhas, Nepali soldiers famed for their bravery
at war, are also in Iraq. Unlike other migrant laborers, they
work mostly for British security firms as private bodyguards,
armed escorts, and security advisers, earning as much as several
hundred dollars a day, according to press reports. In a country
with a per capita income of US$240 and 42 percent of its population
below the poverty line, foreign labor provides thousands of
Nepali families with an otherwise unattainable degree of economic
security.
Among these Nepali laborers were twelve men who were recruited
via a Nepali labor agency to work as cooks and cleaners in Iraq,
but were intercepted while attempting to illegally cross the
border from Jordan into Iraq. On September 1, 2004, Islamist
fundamentalist group Jaish Ansar Al-Sunna brutally killed these
workers, thus raising a big question mark over the future of
overseas deployment of Nepali labor force. Using American symbolism,
the Nepali media dubbed the events “Black Wednesday”
or “9/1,” to mark the day when Nepal faced the harsh
reality of international terrorism and suffered equally violent
consequences at home. In Nepal, angry mobs burned and looted
Muslim homes and businesses, a mosque, offices of Middle Eastern
and Pakistani airlines, and over 300 labor recruiting agencies.
| The
anti-Muslim attacks have received wide play in the Arab
media, and some say this will reduce the number of Nepalis
traveling to the Middle East and other Muslim countries.
This will, in turn, undoubtedly hurt Nepal’s economy,
which was bolstered during troubled times with remittances
sent by overseas workers. |
During the 12 workers’ captivity, Nepalis preparing to
go to Iraq remained unfazed, viewing the danger in Iraq as comparable
to the danger from Maoists at home. Now, many fear that the
attempted revenge against Muslims and labor recruiting agencies
will endanger the jobs and lives of thousands of Nepalis working
in Muslim nations and, further, reduce the prospects for those
who seek employment overseas. Nepali workers in the Middle East,
Malaysia, and Indonesia have pleaded with those in Nepal not
to worsen the situation, as they fear further persecution from
Islamist fighters, their Muslim employers, and the larger society.
The anti-Muslim attacks have received wide play in the Arab
media, and some say this will reduce the number of Nepalis traveling
to the Middle East and other Muslim countries. This will, in
turn, undoubtedly hurt Nepal’s economy, which was bolstered
during troubled times with remittances sent by overseas workers.
Trade and tourism — two vital sectors of the economy
— will only recover, predicts the Asian Development Bank
(ADB), if the political and security situation improves in Nepal.
Many analysts regard the foreign labor industry as a safety
valve, without which Nepal would be far worse-off. The Nepali
government and the private sector must do all it can to keep
this portal open, while seeking a solution to the current political
dilemma so that tourism and trade can be reopened and Nepal
can regain its global appeal.
| "Analysts
regard the foreign labor industry as a safety valve, without
which Nepal would be far worse-off. " |
The execution of the 12 Nepalis, intended as a lesson to others
for supporting what the Islamic militants call the “crusaders,”
was upstaged in the international media by a larger hostage
crisis in Russia. If anything, 9/1 has helped Nepalis reflect
on domestic problems: the Maoist insurgency and its violent
kidnappings and killings, which have in large part contributed
to the exodus of Nepalis overseas. Even the anti-Muslim riots
are rumored to have been fueled by a Maoist youth faction. The
government recently paid a visit to India, whose leaders pledged
to lend their support in resolving the Maoist problem through
peace talks. Although both Maoists and other political forces
are wary of India’s involvement in what is considered
a domestic problem, the overwhelming desire for peace and economic
recovery may eventually necessitate outside intervention in
Nepal’s future.
Kesang Sherpa graduated from Yale University in Film
Studies and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration Studies. She has
worked on several documentary films and is an Editorial Assistant
at YaleGlobal Online.
