In 2005, I went to Nepal to try to photograph Nepal's Maoist rebels. Lodged in their mountain safe areas, they had already fought a decadelong insurgency against the Kathmandu-based establishment. What started out as a poorly armed, ragtag rebel movement had by that time fought the Nepali army and armed police forces to a bloody stalemate. More than 10,000 lives had been lost, the human rights of thousands violated, but at that time no end seemed in sight—neither the more than 200-year-old Hindu monarchy nor the democratic party establishment could quash the rebel movement, and the Maoist insurgents couldn't militarily take over Kathmandu.