CARROLLTON, Texas, May 4 /
Christian Newswire/ -- "Nepal needs an absolute miracle," said Gospel for Asia President K.P. Yohannan after reviewing reports from Christian leaders in the strife-torn Himalayan country. "Right now we have a high emergency, but what is worse is that things could go back to the guerilla warfare that we had for the past 10 years."
Dr. Yohannan expressed concern on behalf of the 300 churches and 2 Bible colleges that his ministry helps support in Nepal. As he spoke en route back to the U.S., pro- and anti-Maoist demonstrators were burning tires and blocking streets in Nepal's capital city of Kathmandu.
The crisis began over a simmering dispute between the ruling Maoist party, which won the most recent elections, and the opposition over the integration of former Maoist rebel fighters into Nepal's regular army.
The peace accord that ended the decade-long civil war calls for the rebel soldiers to be taken into the army. But the question that has divided the government is how fast the integration should take place and whether individual former rebels should be screened before their acceptance into the military.
The dispute broke into the open when the Maoist Prime Minister, Prachanda, tried to fire the army's top general. Nepal's President, Ram Baran Yadev, a member of the main opposition party, told the general not to quit.
In what has been seen as a positive sign in support of Nepal's fledgling democracy, Prachanda chose to resign rather than escalate the situation.
Hopefully, his move will avoid action by the 19,000 former rebel fighters now confined to UN-supervised barracks. But in truth, no one knows what tomorrow may bring.
"We are terribly concerned about the future of Nepal," Dr. Yohannan said, "and we ask that Christians around the world pray for this volatile situation."
Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.
For Editors: Dr K.P. Yohannan is available for interviews. Please call 972-300-3379
