NAM, Nepal and the Western world

Last two years have brought great political upheavals in the Arab world. But now, there are two great things happening. One is the political uprising and the killings in Syria and the other is Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Conference in Iran.

The Prime Minister of Nepal Dr. Baburam  Bhattarai has flown to attend the two-day conference starting Thursday. As Nepal has become an important member of the Movement for long, it is not unusual that the chief executive of the country participated. But not any more!

Concerns of the Western Nations

On the eve of his travel, Kathmandu-based diplomats from the powerful nations tried to convince him not to go to Tehran. It’s not because they have differences with the NAM but because they ‘hate’ the host country.

They are scared that Iran may take this opportunity to garner broader legitimacy and international support to its Uranium enrichment project which the Western nations fear threatens global peace and security. They also fear that Iran may use this opportunity to legitimize its support to the President Bashir al-Ashad's brutal suppression of Syrian revolution.

Stop Dictating a sovereign nation!

While their concerns can’t be ignored outright and Nepal becomes cautious in not endorsing any such efforts by Iran, the western nations should stop dictating a sovereign country about where their chief executive can or can’t go.

Besides, when Ban-ki-Moon, the Secretary General of the UN, the lapdog of the powerful nations is attending the conference, the Western nations should take the lesson that the forum is too dear to overlook.

"Nepal should be cautious in not endorsing any such efforts by Iran. But the western nations should stop dictating a sovereign country about where their chief executive can or can’t go."

It is in their best interest if they looked at things the other way around and used the forum to convince Iran and other participating countries for the cause of global peace and solidarity.