Word: nepal
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...Since writing Shadow Over Shangri-La, has your perception of the social and political conditions in Nepal changed...
Shadow Over Shangri-La is partly an autobiography, in that Pokhrel describes her experiences in Nepal, as well as her life after moving to the United States. It is also a call for a different kind of government in Nepal, not a slavish imitation of Western-style regimes but a balanced fusion of old and new, monarchy and democracy, Western innovations and Hindu traditions. But it is also, and fundamentally, a universal story of suffering and perseverance, written for--and dedicated to--all victims of human rights abuse...
...changed at all. It is still the same because even though democracy has been imposed, the people from the authoritarian regime are sharing power with the democrats, overshadowing the democratic forces. But it is a great achievement. There is freedom of expression: I could write my book in Nepal now; I might have personal enemies but not government enemies. The king has [effectively] stepped down... he is a consitutional monarch now. Those are very good changes... but in terms of people's lives, it is the same...
...appear to believe very strongly that Western-style democratic principles cannot be forced on Nepal from the outside, but that change must come from within Nepal itself. What role, if any, do you think other countries should play in the protection of human rights--and cases such as your...
...comes from a very poor background and never had connections or education or anything--he spent ten years in jail. Amnesty International and other human rights organizations knew of me and adopted me. But this other man was not released for such a long time. That always happened in Nepal: the main leaders [of a rebellion] were not killed, but innocent people who threw a bomb here or there were. This happened everywhere...