Thousands of private schools in Nepal have re-opened after Maoist students withdrew a threat to bomb them.
The rebels' student wing issued its closure demand two weeks ago in protest at what it calls the "commercialisation of education" in the kingdom.
Students say the rebel change of tack followed appeals from the international community and human rights groups.
There was alarm that conflict had spread to Nepal's classrooms. Over 1.5m pupils study in 9,000 private schools.
During the two weeks that private schools were closed, the Maoist students carried out their bomb threat in a number of districts.
'Ready for talks'
Private schools in the capital, Kathmandu, were unaffected, but they stopped functioning in other areas.
The president of the Private and Boarding schools of Nepal (Pabson), Umesh Shrestha, told the BBC that normal classes had now resumed in all private schools across the country.
The Revolutionary All Nepal National Free Students' Union (ANNFSU) wants all private schools to be nationalised, accusing them of being profit-driven.
It says many poor students cannot afford admission to such schools.
Private school operators have rejected the criticism by say they are prepared to negotiate on possible reforms.
Sphere: Related Content
Friday, April 29, 2005
Thursday, April 28, 2005
UN sending human rights team to Nepal:
New Delhi, April 28, IRNA
Nepal-UN-Human Rights The United Nations is sending a human rights team to Nepal to monitor the situation there, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday, reported Press Trust of India.
Responding to questions on developments in Nepal at a press conference here at the end of his three-day visit, Annan said he has been in touch with King Gyanendra and told him about the need to return to constitutional rule 'as early as possible'.
It was made clear to the king that political parties in Nepal should be allowed to resume their activities. "In my discussions (with the king), I hoped this will happen," the UN chief said. He was asked about the arrest of political leaders, including former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Kathmandu.
On defense supplies to Nepal, he said individual countries have their own policies but 'as UN, we discourage transfer of arms' to any conflict area. However, sometimes legitimate authorities needed equipment and weapons for law and order purposes and so a decision has to be made by the concerned countries, he said.
Annan said the UN was prepared to do more in Nepal if so required.
The Nepal developments figured during talks Annan had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh and other leaders here. Sphere: Related Content
Nepal-UN-Human Rights The United Nations is sending a human rights team to Nepal to monitor the situation there, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Thursday, reported Press Trust of India.
Responding to questions on developments in Nepal at a press conference here at the end of his three-day visit, Annan said he has been in touch with King Gyanendra and told him about the need to return to constitutional rule 'as early as possible'.
It was made clear to the king that political parties in Nepal should be allowed to resume their activities. "In my discussions (with the king), I hoped this will happen," the UN chief said. He was asked about the arrest of political leaders, including former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Kathmandu.
On defense supplies to Nepal, he said individual countries have their own policies but 'as UN, we discourage transfer of arms' to any conflict area. However, sometimes legitimate authorities needed equipment and weapons for law and order purposes and so a decision has to be made by the concerned countries, he said.
Annan said the UN was prepared to do more in Nepal if so required.
The Nepal developments figured during talks Annan had with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister K.Natwar Singh and other leaders here. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Nepal ex-prime minister arrested
The former prime minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, has been arrested in Kathmandu after refusing to appear before an anti-corruption panel.
Mr Deuba was removed from office by King Gyanendra on 1 February when the king seized control of the government.
Mr Deuba's supporters chanted slogans when he was brought before the Royal Commission on Corruption Control later on Wednesday.
The former premier has called the panel unconstitutional and illegal.
Phone lines cut
A group of about 50 policemen arrested the former prime minister at his home in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Minendra Rijal, a member of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Party, told the AFP news agency.
The BBC's Charles Havilland in Kathmandu says that there had been days of speculation that Mr Deuba would be arrested.
The king says he acted as the government was not doing its job
Last Wednesday, Mr Deuba was summoned by the commission, which has sweeping powers of arrest and detention, to answer questions on alleged irregularities in a lucrative drinking water contract.
However, he refused to go, accusing the commission of waging a vendetta against those opposed to the king taking power.
When Mr Deuba was arrested authorities were keen to avoid media attention, our correspondent says, cutting power and telephone lines to Mr Deuba's house, before making their move.
The arrest comes just four days before the emergency measures imposed by King Gyanendra in February are due to expire.
The king said he seized absolute power and suspended civil liberties because Mr Deuba's government had failed to tackle a violent insurgency by Maoist rebels in which 11,000 people have been killed.
He also accuses the Deuba administration of failing to adequately prepare the ground for elections in the spring. Sphere: Related Content
Mr Deuba was removed from office by King Gyanendra on 1 February when the king seized control of the government.
Mr Deuba's supporters chanted slogans when he was brought before the Royal Commission on Corruption Control later on Wednesday.
The former premier has called the panel unconstitutional and illegal.
Phone lines cut
A group of about 50 policemen arrested the former prime minister at his home in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Minendra Rijal, a member of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Party, told the AFP news agency.
The BBC's Charles Havilland in Kathmandu says that there had been days of speculation that Mr Deuba would be arrested.
The king says he acted as the government was not doing its job
Last Wednesday, Mr Deuba was summoned by the commission, which has sweeping powers of arrest and detention, to answer questions on alleged irregularities in a lucrative drinking water contract.
However, he refused to go, accusing the commission of waging a vendetta against those opposed to the king taking power.
When Mr Deuba was arrested authorities were keen to avoid media attention, our correspondent says, cutting power and telephone lines to Mr Deuba's house, before making their move.
The arrest comes just four days before the emergency measures imposed by King Gyanendra in February are due to expire.
The king said he seized absolute power and suspended civil liberties because Mr Deuba's government had failed to tackle a violent insurgency by Maoist rebels in which 11,000 people have been killed.
He also accuses the Deuba administration of failing to adequately prepare the ground for elections in the spring. Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Nepal continues crackdown on poitical leaders
By Sudheshna Sarkar DH News Service, Kathmandu:
Parties sceptical about media reports from India saying New Delhi will resume military aid to Nepal.
Within days of King Gyanendra avowing “total and unflinching” support to multi-party democracy, human rights and rule of law at the Asia-Africa summit in Jakarta, security forces in Nepal continued arrests on political leaders and ransacked the office of the largest communist party in the capital.
The parties which flayed state interference include the Rastriya Janashakti Party floated by former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, deposed premier Sher Bahadur Deuba’s Nepali Congress (Democratic) Party and opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala’s Nepali Congress Party.
Parties sceptical about media reports from India saying New Delhi will resume military aid to Nepal.
Within days of King Gyanendra avowing “total and unflinching” support to multi-party democracy, human rights and rule of law at the Asia-Africa summit in Jakarta, security forces in Nepal continued arrests on political leaders and ransacked the office of the largest communist party in the capital.
On Tuesday afternoon, security forces arrested Gagan Thapa, leader of the student wing of the Nepali Congress party of former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, and two more student leaders, Sandesh Adhikari and Subodh Acharya.
The trio was arrested by security personnel in plainclothes from Adhikari’s residence without any warrant. The arrests come a day after masked security personnel stormed the office of the largest communist party in the kingdom, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML).
The UML was holding a condolence meeting on Monday following the demise of Shadhana Adhikari, widow of Manmohan Adhikari, the first communist prime minister of Nepal, when security personnel entered the party office and arrested a member. The attack united Nepal’s opposition parties, lawyers and human rights activists, who on Tuesday condemned the incident.
The parties which flayed state interference include the Rastriya Janashakti Party floated by former prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, deposed premier Sher Bahadur Deuba’s Nepali Congress (Democratic) Party and opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala’s Nepali Congress Party.
Senior political parties also said they would wait and watch for an official statement from India about its policy on renewing military assistance to King Gyanendra’s government instead of going by media reports. Last week, after King Gyanendra met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Jakarta at the Asia-Africa summit, the monarch reportedly said that New Delhi had agreed to resume military assistance to Nepal. “On the one hand, we have a report saying India would resume suspended military assistance to Nepal unconditionally and on the other, another report describing how masked securitymen arrested a student leader from a condolence meeting, intimidated members and vandalised the party office. This clearly shows how India’s military aid would be used to repress democratic forces,” UML spokesman Pradip Nepal said. PARTY MOVE Action against Manisha father Kathmandu, pti: The Nepal Congress party has initiated action against one of its Central Working Committee members, father of Indian film star Manisha Koirala, for allegedly supporting the February 1 royal coup.
The CWC has initiated disciplinary action against Prakash Koirala for expressing views in favour of King Gyanendra’s takeover of power, a statement issued by the party has said. Koirala’s recent statement, that termed the King’s move as “positive”, came up during Monday’s CWC meeting. The leader, son of Nepal’s first elected prime minister B P Koirala, had also criticised the joint movement launched by five political parties to oppose the coup as a futile exercise.
Sphere: Related Content
Monday, April 25, 2005
Children dead in Nepal bomb blast
Five children have been killed and three others wounded by a bomb left by suspected Maoist rebels, the army says.
Military officials said the children found the device on Saturday in a village about 400km (250 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu.
It exploded as they were playing with it. The army's statement on Sunday could not be independently verified.
Correspondents say the blast is reported to have gone off without warning in an area under rebel control.
In a separate incident, five people, including opposition activists, were killed by an unidentified group in the southern district of Rupandehi on Saturday night, authorities said.
The assailants lynched four villagers and shot dead a fifth person, officials said.
Those killed include a local member of the opposition Nepali Congress and two former local officials.
No group has said it carried out the attack and the motive remains unknown.
Security officials blamed Maoist insurgents, but there has been no response from the rebels themselves.
More than 11,000 Nepalese have lost their lives during the nine-year-old Maoist insurgency.
The rebels want to replace the country's monarchy with a people's republic. Sphere: Related Content
Military officials said the children found the device on Saturday in a village about 400km (250 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu.
It exploded as they were playing with it. The army's statement on Sunday could not be independently verified.
Correspondents say the blast is reported to have gone off without warning in an area under rebel control.
In a separate incident, five people, including opposition activists, were killed by an unidentified group in the southern district of Rupandehi on Saturday night, authorities said.
The assailants lynched four villagers and shot dead a fifth person, officials said.
Those killed include a local member of the opposition Nepali Congress and two former local officials.
No group has said it carried out the attack and the motive remains unknown.
Security officials blamed Maoist insurgents, but there has been no response from the rebels themselves.
More than 11,000 Nepalese have lost their lives during the nine-year-old Maoist insurgency.
The rebels want to replace the country's monarchy with a people's republic. Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Nepal’s war without end
Anuj Mishra
19 - 4 - 2005
King Gyanendra’s dictatorship and the Maoist insurgency in Nepal are locked in a dance of death. Anuj Mishra looks for a way out.
Nepal is teetering on the edge of becoming a failed state as a result of the 1 February military takeover by King Gyanendra. A new phase in the nine-year civil war is imminent, one with the potential to create a regional hotspot that could drag in India and China.
The king has marginalised the political parties and argues that he has cleared a single front to take on the Maoists in an attempt to end the nine-year war that has claimed 11,200 lives. The king is in direct command and the army is the de facto administrator. For thirty months – since Gyanendra first sacked the elected government on 4 October 2002 – Nepal has been in a constitutional impasse. Now the king has invalidated the constitution and brought about the death of democracy.
The military aid provided to Nepal’s government by India, the United States and Britain mean that these three countries were already heavily involved in Nepal’s conflict. Yet each denounced the King Gyanendra’s takeover as a major blow to the consolidation of democracy in Nepal. The United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan, deemed it a serious setback for the country itself.
If the consolidation of democracy in Nepal is indeed of paramount concern to foreign states and international institutions, then their focus ought to be on a democratic resolution of the civil war inside Nepal. Almost all major studies conducted since the insurgency began in February 1996 – from the International Crisis Group (ICG) to UN visitors and parties to the conflict themselves – share two conclusions: that the root of Nepal’s crisis is socio-political rather than ideological, and that there is no military solution.
A national tragedy
The Maoists who have been fighting the central government in Kathmandu have received criticism for their blatant abuses of human rights, their outrageous campaign of terror inflicted upon the ordinary people in whose name they claim to be fighting, and for their ambition to impose a new “people’s republic” according to the model of Mao’s China on a world where such retro-regimes appear discredited. Yet their immediate demand is for a peace process involving negotiations, and this is a test of the government’s own seriousness: does it desire a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the conflict? The Maoists’ call deserves a clear, unequivocal response.
The last negotiations were held in August 2003, at the end of a seven-month ceasefire. Then, the Maoists scaled down their original demand for a republic to a proposed election for a constituent assembly to draft a new Nepali constitution. They had publicly declared that they would respect any new constitution agreed through this democratic process, even if it were to allow the monarchy to maintain a constitutional role.
In the event, negotiations broke down on 27 August 2003 when the government installed by the king following his takeover of power ten months earlier rejected the Maoists’ demands while the Maoists refused demands that they disarm.
Now, the Maoists – emboldened by their increasing control of swathes of Nepali territory outside the major urban settlements, amounting to 75% of the national territory – respond to the king’s suspension of democracy by suggesting an alliance of all political forces and the abolition of the monarchy. But their spokesperson has indicated that there is room for negotiation.
The result of the king’s intransigence and the Maoists’ confidence is political and military stalemate. Politically, the rebels can’t be expected to abandon their rebellion and surrender their arms, while the king can’t be expected to surrender his own future by conceding a constituent assembly that is likely to draft a republican constitution – a credible fear given the massive unpopularity the monarchy has suffered since Prince Dipendra’s bizarre massacre of King Birendra and eleven other members of the royal family in June 2001.
Militarily, each side admits the impossibility of complete victory yet neither will envisage giving up the struggle. King Gyanendra’s new promise of a fight to the end makes a break in the patter unlikely. The king’s centralisation of power – reflected in the temporary detention of political leaders like the prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba – may be justified as a simplification of a complex power-struggle in order to confront the Maoists, but by suppressing political parties he has given the Maoists what they wanted all along – an alliance of political forces against the institution of the monarchy.
A global issue
If this stalemate is not halted, Nepal will spiral further into the condition of a “failed state” – which in many respects it already is. If forces inside Nepal cannot prevent this, can its neighbours? India cannot afford to see mayhem next door to its sensitive, populous states of Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal and Sikkim; these Indian regions have huge numbers of citizens with close ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and (most important) economic associations with the Nepalese.
Similarly, China would not wish to see a persistently troubled Nepal on the borders of Tibet, whose people have close affinities with many Nepalese hill communities and historic cross-border trade links with Nepal. The strategic interests of India and China lie in having a stable, peaceful and democratic Nepal on their borders.
The United States and Britain too have moral obligations to end the unnecessary conflict in Nepal, especially when the path beyond war seems clearly to lie in the democratic drafting of a new constitution to be approved by popular mandate.
Beyond the influence of these four powerful nation-states, the United Nations could also play a crucial role in ending the Nepalese conflict. Kofi Annan has already proposed to mediate, but his March 2004 offer (readily accepted by the Maoists) was declined by the government, who said it could resolve the crisis without outside help. There is an opportunity for a more extensive UN initiative, perhaps along the lines of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (Untac), guided by the aim of ensuring a safe and peaceful transition to a free, just and representative democracy that could put Nepal on the track to stability and development.
Any such UN initiative would be contingent upon China’s constructive engagement in a process that included American, British and Indian involvement. China traditionally maintains a policy of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries, a necessary posture given the sensitivity surrounding Tibet and Taiwan. Thus, the success of a UN intervention in Nepal depends on the other three powers convincing China that an escalation of conflict in a country adjoining Tibet is definitely not in China’s strategic interest.
In the post-9/11 world, democracy and freedom are being promoted as major guarantors of human and national security. To deny it in Nepal could bring regional insecurity with global ramifications. The world cannot afford another failed state. Sphere: Related Content
19 - 4 - 2005
King Gyanendra’s dictatorship and the Maoist insurgency in Nepal are locked in a dance of death. Anuj Mishra looks for a way out.
Nepal is teetering on the edge of becoming a failed state as a result of the 1 February military takeover by King Gyanendra. A new phase in the nine-year civil war is imminent, one with the potential to create a regional hotspot that could drag in India and China.
The king has marginalised the political parties and argues that he has cleared a single front to take on the Maoists in an attempt to end the nine-year war that has claimed 11,200 lives. The king is in direct command and the army is the de facto administrator. For thirty months – since Gyanendra first sacked the elected government on 4 October 2002 – Nepal has been in a constitutional impasse. Now the king has invalidated the constitution and brought about the death of democracy.
The military aid provided to Nepal’s government by India, the United States and Britain mean that these three countries were already heavily involved in Nepal’s conflict. Yet each denounced the King Gyanendra’s takeover as a major blow to the consolidation of democracy in Nepal. The United Nations secretary-general, Kofi Annan, deemed it a serious setback for the country itself.
If the consolidation of democracy in Nepal is indeed of paramount concern to foreign states and international institutions, then their focus ought to be on a democratic resolution of the civil war inside Nepal. Almost all major studies conducted since the insurgency began in February 1996 – from the International Crisis Group (ICG) to UN visitors and parties to the conflict themselves – share two conclusions: that the root of Nepal’s crisis is socio-political rather than ideological, and that there is no military solution.
A national tragedy
The Maoists who have been fighting the central government in Kathmandu have received criticism for their blatant abuses of human rights, their outrageous campaign of terror inflicted upon the ordinary people in whose name they claim to be fighting, and for their ambition to impose a new “people’s republic” according to the model of Mao’s China on a world where such retro-regimes appear discredited. Yet their immediate demand is for a peace process involving negotiations, and this is a test of the government’s own seriousness: does it desire a peaceful, negotiated settlement of the conflict? The Maoists’ call deserves a clear, unequivocal response.
The last negotiations were held in August 2003, at the end of a seven-month ceasefire. Then, the Maoists scaled down their original demand for a republic to a proposed election for a constituent assembly to draft a new Nepali constitution. They had publicly declared that they would respect any new constitution agreed through this democratic process, even if it were to allow the monarchy to maintain a constitutional role.
In the event, negotiations broke down on 27 August 2003 when the government installed by the king following his takeover of power ten months earlier rejected the Maoists’ demands while the Maoists refused demands that they disarm.
Now, the Maoists – emboldened by their increasing control of swathes of Nepali territory outside the major urban settlements, amounting to 75% of the national territory – respond to the king’s suspension of democracy by suggesting an alliance of all political forces and the abolition of the monarchy. But their spokesperson has indicated that there is room for negotiation.
The result of the king’s intransigence and the Maoists’ confidence is political and military stalemate. Politically, the rebels can’t be expected to abandon their rebellion and surrender their arms, while the king can’t be expected to surrender his own future by conceding a constituent assembly that is likely to draft a republican constitution – a credible fear given the massive unpopularity the monarchy has suffered since Prince Dipendra’s bizarre massacre of King Birendra and eleven other members of the royal family in June 2001.
Militarily, each side admits the impossibility of complete victory yet neither will envisage giving up the struggle. King Gyanendra’s new promise of a fight to the end makes a break in the patter unlikely. The king’s centralisation of power – reflected in the temporary detention of political leaders like the prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba – may be justified as a simplification of a complex power-struggle in order to confront the Maoists, but by suppressing political parties he has given the Maoists what they wanted all along – an alliance of political forces against the institution of the monarchy.
A global issue
If this stalemate is not halted, Nepal will spiral further into the condition of a “failed state” – which in many respects it already is. If forces inside Nepal cannot prevent this, can its neighbours? India cannot afford to see mayhem next door to its sensitive, populous states of Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal and Sikkim; these Indian regions have huge numbers of citizens with close ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and (most important) economic associations with the Nepalese.
Similarly, China would not wish to see a persistently troubled Nepal on the borders of Tibet, whose people have close affinities with many Nepalese hill communities and historic cross-border trade links with Nepal. The strategic interests of India and China lie in having a stable, peaceful and democratic Nepal on their borders.
The United States and Britain too have moral obligations to end the unnecessary conflict in Nepal, especially when the path beyond war seems clearly to lie in the democratic drafting of a new constitution to be approved by popular mandate.
Beyond the influence of these four powerful nation-states, the United Nations could also play a crucial role in ending the Nepalese conflict. Kofi Annan has already proposed to mediate, but his March 2004 offer (readily accepted by the Maoists) was declined by the government, who said it could resolve the crisis without outside help. There is an opportunity for a more extensive UN initiative, perhaps along the lines of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (Untac), guided by the aim of ensuring a safe and peaceful transition to a free, just and representative democracy that could put Nepal on the track to stability and development.
Any such UN initiative would be contingent upon China’s constructive engagement in a process that included American, British and Indian involvement. China traditionally maintains a policy of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other countries, a necessary posture given the sensitivity surrounding Tibet and Taiwan. Thus, the success of a UN intervention in Nepal depends on the other three powers convincing China that an escalation of conflict in a country adjoining Tibet is definitely not in China’s strategic interest.
In the post-9/11 world, democracy and freedom are being promoted as major guarantors of human and national security. To deny it in Nepal could bring regional insecurity with global ramifications. The world cannot afford another failed state. Sphere: Related Content
India 'lifts' Nepal arms embargo
Last Updated: Sunday, 24 April, 2005, 11:38 GMT 12:38 UK
India has decided "in principle" to resume military supplies to Nepal.
King Gyanendra has promised in return that democracy will soon be restored to Nepal, which he took under his absolute control at the beginning of February.
Delhi imposed an arms embargo soon after the Nepalese king dismissed the elected multi-party government.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the king for the first time since the widely condemned royal takeover, at an Asian African summit in Indonesia.
Unequivocal manner
The BBC's Sanjeev Srivastava in India says that Delhi's assurance about resuming military supplies to Nepal has not come as a surprise to diplomatic observers.
Amnesty says 3,000 political prisoners have been held in Nepal
He says India was looking for an opportunity to make up with the king of Nepal, who was reported to be "quite angry" by the strong and unequivocal manner in which Delhi had condemned the royal takeover.
Western powers like the US and the UK joined India in condemning the king's actions, but both Beijing and Islamabad were much less harsh.
Although India's relations with China and Pakistan have improved significantly in the last couple of years, Delhi still does not want their influence to increase in Nepal, our correspondent says.
Top level contacts
A report in the Hindu newspaper quotes an unnamed Indian foreign ministry official as saying that a consignment of arms would be delivered to Nepal "very soon".
Another newspaper, The Hindustan Times, quoted the king telling reporters on the sidelines of the Asia-Africa summit in Jakarta that military supplies from India would resume.
"We have agreed on certain things and we have got assurances that they (military supplies) will continue," the king is reported as saying.
The king has said the emergency is necessary to fight the Maoists
The 57-year-old monarch said sacking the government and imposing the emergency were necessary to protect democracy from the grave risk posed by the Maoist rebels against the monarchy.
Asked when he would lift the emergency, the king said his government had already called for municipal elections and the lifitng of the emergency would take place "in due course".
The BBC's Nagendar Sharma in Bandung says that Asian countries at the two-day summit kept aside their bilateral differences and concentrated on collective issues.
The Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf and Mr Singh praised each other while addressing the summit. Sphere: Related Content
India has decided "in principle" to resume military supplies to Nepal.
King Gyanendra has promised in return that democracy will soon be restored to Nepal, which he took under his absolute control at the beginning of February.
Delhi imposed an arms embargo soon after the Nepalese king dismissed the elected multi-party government.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met the king for the first time since the widely condemned royal takeover, at an Asian African summit in Indonesia.
Unequivocal manner
The BBC's Sanjeev Srivastava in India says that Delhi's assurance about resuming military supplies to Nepal has not come as a surprise to diplomatic observers.
Amnesty says 3,000 political prisoners have been held in Nepal
He says India was looking for an opportunity to make up with the king of Nepal, who was reported to be "quite angry" by the strong and unequivocal manner in which Delhi had condemned the royal takeover.
Western powers like the US and the UK joined India in condemning the king's actions, but both Beijing and Islamabad were much less harsh.
Although India's relations with China and Pakistan have improved significantly in the last couple of years, Delhi still does not want their influence to increase in Nepal, our correspondent says.
Top level contacts
A report in the Hindu newspaper quotes an unnamed Indian foreign ministry official as saying that a consignment of arms would be delivered to Nepal "very soon".
Another newspaper, The Hindustan Times, quoted the king telling reporters on the sidelines of the Asia-Africa summit in Jakarta that military supplies from India would resume.
"We have agreed on certain things and we have got assurances that they (military supplies) will continue," the king is reported as saying.
The king has said the emergency is necessary to fight the Maoists
The 57-year-old monarch said sacking the government and imposing the emergency were necessary to protect democracy from the grave risk posed by the Maoist rebels against the monarchy.
Asked when he would lift the emergency, the king said his government had already called for municipal elections and the lifitng of the emergency would take place "in due course".
The BBC's Nagendar Sharma in Bandung says that Asian countries at the two-day summit kept aside their bilateral differences and concentrated on collective issues.
The Pakistani President, Pervez Musharraf and Mr Singh praised each other while addressing the summit. Sphere: Related Content
Friday, April 22, 2005
Nepal frees ex-PM, 59 political prisoners
Kathmandu, April 22. (AP):
Authorities have freed a former deputy prime minister from house arrest and released 59 other political prisoners from jails across the country, police and the state news agency said Friday.
The move comes a day after human rights group Amnesty International accused Nepal's government of detaining more than 3,000 political prisoners since King Gyanendra sacked the government and seized power in February.
Bharat Mohan Adhikari, the deputy prime minister up until February, had spent 81 days under house arrest. He was prohibited from meeting his supporters or using the telephone. He was freed Thursday night, police said.
The report by the National News Agency, the government's mouthpiece, said that 59 other political activists had been freed but gave no other details.
Most senior political leaders in Nepal were detained in prisons or under house arrest soon after the king grabbed power and imposed a state of emergency.
Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was freed from house arrest last month. Sphere: Related Content
Authorities have freed a former deputy prime minister from house arrest and released 59 other political prisoners from jails across the country, police and the state news agency said Friday.
The move comes a day after human rights group Amnesty International accused Nepal's government of detaining more than 3,000 political prisoners since King Gyanendra sacked the government and seized power in February.
Bharat Mohan Adhikari, the deputy prime minister up until February, had spent 81 days under house arrest. He was prohibited from meeting his supporters or using the telephone. He was freed Thursday night, police said.
The report by the National News Agency, the government's mouthpiece, said that 59 other political activists had been freed but gave no other details.
Most senior political leaders in Nepal were detained in prisons or under house arrest soon after the king grabbed power and imposed a state of emergency.
Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was freed from house arrest last month. Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, April 21, 2005
Rights Group: Number of Detainees Surpasses 3,000 in Nepal
By VOA News 21 April 2005
Amnesty International says the number of people detained in Nepal since the king suspended civil liberties has surpassed 3,000.
The London-based organization says its estimate is based on reports from local human rights groups. It says the detainees include political and human rights activists, trade unionists and journalists. The group also said it has detailed reports of detainees being tortured.
Amnesty's report comes as Nepal's foreign minister defended King Gyanendra's decision to seize power on the eve of an international summit in Jakarta where the monarch aims to seek support for his power takeover.
No government comment on Amnesty's report was immediately available in Kathmandu. The monarch has said he fired the government because Nepal's squabbling political parties were not able to end the country's nine-year-old Maoist insurgency. Sphere: Related Content
Amnesty International says the number of people detained in Nepal since the king suspended civil liberties has surpassed 3,000.
The London-based organization says its estimate is based on reports from local human rights groups. It says the detainees include political and human rights activists, trade unionists and journalists. The group also said it has detailed reports of detainees being tortured.
Amnesty's report comes as Nepal's foreign minister defended King Gyanendra's decision to seize power on the eve of an international summit in Jakarta where the monarch aims to seek support for his power takeover.
No government comment on Amnesty's report was immediately available in Kathmandu. The monarch has said he fired the government because Nepal's squabbling political parties were not able to end the country's nine-year-old Maoist insurgency. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Deuba named in graft deals, refuses summons
Nepal's ousted prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was Tuesday summoned to appear before a newly appointed royal commission regarding a controversial multimillion-dollar water project.
The Royal Commission for Corruption Control, nominated by King Gyanendra within a fortnight of his sacking Deuba and assuming absolute power Feb 1, summoned the leader of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) party to answer questions about the $464 million Melamchi water project.
The Deuba government is accused of irregularly awarding the NRs.450 million contract for building four approach roads to a Chinese firm.
However, Deuba refused to heed the summons, saying he would not appear before the commission since he considered it to be illegal and unconstitutional.
Deuba's refusal came a day after a minister in his sacked cabinet, Prakash Man Singh, was sent summons to appear before the commission over the same project. Singh also refused to appear, saying the decision to award the contract was taken by an independent board overseeing the foreign donor-funded project.
The commission swung into action in March when it called six ministers of the sacked cabinet for questioning, alleging they had illegally disbursed money from the Prime Minister's Welfare Fund among party cadres. The opposition fears the summons might lead to Deuba's eventual arrest. Sphere: Related Content
The Royal Commission for Corruption Control, nominated by King Gyanendra within a fortnight of his sacking Deuba and assuming absolute power Feb 1, summoned the leader of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) party to answer questions about the $464 million Melamchi water project.
The Deuba government is accused of irregularly awarding the NRs.450 million contract for building four approach roads to a Chinese firm.
However, Deuba refused to heed the summons, saying he would not appear before the commission since he considered it to be illegal and unconstitutional.
Deuba's refusal came a day after a minister in his sacked cabinet, Prakash Man Singh, was sent summons to appear before the commission over the same project. Singh also refused to appear, saying the decision to award the contract was taken by an independent board overseeing the foreign donor-funded project.
The commission swung into action in March when it called six ministers of the sacked cabinet for questioning, alleging they had illegally disbursed money from the Prime Minister's Welfare Fund among party cadres. The opposition fears the summons might lead to Deuba's eventual arrest. Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Nepal's elusive Maoist rebel leader "Prachanda" has ruled out peace talks
Nepal's elusive Maoist rebel leader "Prachanda" has ruled out peace talks or a ceasefire with the government, predicting that the nine-year war would see the Maoists come to power soon.
"Right now, we do not see any possibility of talks with these mediaeval and barbaric feudal autocrats," he told Reuters in an interview by e-mail received yesterday.
"Right now, the possibility of a ceasefire does not exist."
Prachanda's combative words come two months after Nepal's King Gyanendra seized power, declared a state of emergency and vowed to bring peace.
Suspected Communist rebels killed a senior police official in southern Nepal.
Two men on a motorcycle opened fire killing police official Bishnu Pokhrel at the main market area in Janakpur, about 300km southeast of Katmandu, the state-run Nepal Television said. Sphere: Related Content
"Right now, we do not see any possibility of talks with these mediaeval and barbaric feudal autocrats," he told Reuters in an interview by e-mail received yesterday.
"Right now, the possibility of a ceasefire does not exist."
Prachanda's combative words come two months after Nepal's King Gyanendra seized power, declared a state of emergency and vowed to bring peace.
Suspected Communist rebels killed a senior police official in southern Nepal.
Two men on a motorcycle opened fire killing police official Bishnu Pokhrel at the main market area in Janakpur, about 300km southeast of Katmandu, the state-run Nepal Television said. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, April 18, 2005
Communists threat closes Nepal schools
Last Updated: Monday, 18 April, 2005, 07:26 GMT 08:26 UK
Rebels say private education is unfair A number of private schools in eastern Nepal have shut down following threats by Maoist rebels.
The rebels have been demanding that the government should take over private schools, accusing their operators of being driven by profits.
The rebel threat shut down private schools in the country's western region last week, though schools in the capital, Kathmandu, have defied it.
More than 1.5 million students attend some 9,000 private schools in Nepal.
The rebels' students wing, the All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary), has threatened to bomb the schools if they defied the closure call.
On Sunday, suspected rebels bombed a school in the south-western town of Nepalgunj after operator defied the threat.
Though the school building suffered some damage, nobody was hurt in the incident.
Schools in Kathmandu have defied the rebel threat and opened after a long vacation.
School operators and human rights organisations have appealed to the rebels to stop targeting schools, but the rebels have ignored the appeal.
The rebels began their fight to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with a communist republic in 1996. Nearly 11,000 people have died in the violence since then. Sphere: Related Content
Rebels say private education is unfair A number of private schools in eastern Nepal have shut down following threats by Maoist rebels.
The rebels have been demanding that the government should take over private schools, accusing their operators of being driven by profits.
The rebel threat shut down private schools in the country's western region last week, though schools in the capital, Kathmandu, have defied it.
More than 1.5 million students attend some 9,000 private schools in Nepal.
The rebels' students wing, the All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary), has threatened to bomb the schools if they defied the closure call.
On Sunday, suspected rebels bombed a school in the south-western town of Nepalgunj after operator defied the threat.
Though the school building suffered some damage, nobody was hurt in the incident.
Schools in Kathmandu have defied the rebel threat and opened after a long vacation.
School operators and human rights organisations have appealed to the rebels to stop targeting schools, but the rebels have ignored the appeal.
The rebels began their fight to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with a communist republic in 1996. Nearly 11,000 people have died in the violence since then. Sphere: Related Content
Nepal communists execute 10 villagers
2005-04-18 / Associated Press /
Communist rebels dragged 10 people from their homes and executed them in southern Nepal for refusing to join the guerrillas, officials and human rights activists said yesterday.
Maoist fighters stormed the village of Somani, about 250 kilometers southwest of Katmandu, on Friday night and began hauling males out of their houses, the Royal Nepalese Army said.
At least 10 people, including a 14-year-old boy, were shot dead, the army said. Two men survived and were being treated at a nearby hospital.
Akrur Newpane, of the Nepalese rights group INSEC, confirmed that villagers were taken from their homes and executed.
The rebels also set fire to nine homes and bombed four others in the village, the military said.
A village official, Madhav Sharma, told The Associated Press that Nepalese security forces had moved in and taken control of the village. "We have put soldiers to patrol the area to prevent further violence," Sharma said.
He said the government is trying to ensure the situation doesn't escalate into a series of revenge killings like those that occurred in nearby Kapilbastu district a few weeks ago after villagers killed 31 suspected communist rebels. In retaliation, the guerrillas killed 15 villagers, burned down houses, and slaughtered cattle.
The government - which established an army camp in the area to bring the situation under control - came under severe criticism for encouraging the villagers to take up vigilante violence against the rebels.
The guerrillas, who claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, began fighting to overthrow Nepal's monarchy and establish a communist state in 1996. More than 11,500 people have been killed in the insurgency.
The rebels have stepped up attacks in the past few weeks to protest King Gyanendra taking absolute power in February. Human rights groups have expressed alarm over the power grab, saying it would worsen the country's already deteriorating human rights situation.
Both the army and the rebels are accused of human rights atrocities, especially in the countryside. Sphere: Related Content
Communist rebels dragged 10 people from their homes and executed them in southern Nepal for refusing to join the guerrillas, officials and human rights activists said yesterday.
Maoist fighters stormed the village of Somani, about 250 kilometers southwest of Katmandu, on Friday night and began hauling males out of their houses, the Royal Nepalese Army said.
At least 10 people, including a 14-year-old boy, were shot dead, the army said. Two men survived and were being treated at a nearby hospital.
Akrur Newpane, of the Nepalese rights group INSEC, confirmed that villagers were taken from their homes and executed.
The rebels also set fire to nine homes and bombed four others in the village, the military said.
A village official, Madhav Sharma, told The Associated Press that Nepalese security forces had moved in and taken control of the village. "We have put soldiers to patrol the area to prevent further violence," Sharma said.
He said the government is trying to ensure the situation doesn't escalate into a series of revenge killings like those that occurred in nearby Kapilbastu district a few weeks ago after villagers killed 31 suspected communist rebels. In retaliation, the guerrillas killed 15 villagers, burned down houses, and slaughtered cattle.
The government - which established an army camp in the area to bring the situation under control - came under severe criticism for encouraging the villagers to take up vigilante violence against the rebels.
The guerrillas, who claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, began fighting to overthrow Nepal's monarchy and establish a communist state in 1996. More than 11,500 people have been killed in the insurgency.
The rebels have stepped up attacks in the past few weeks to protest King Gyanendra taking absolute power in February. Human rights groups have expressed alarm over the power grab, saying it would worsen the country's already deteriorating human rights situation.
Both the army and the rebels are accused of human rights atrocities, especially in the countryside. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Nepal’s Maoist road blockade winds up
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
KATHMANDU: An 11-day road blockade called by Nepal’s Maoist rebels to protest against King Gyanendra’s power grab ended on Tuesday but the army said it would keep escorting vehicles to prevent guerrilla attacks.
“Army escorts of vehicles coming in and going out of the capital (Kathmandu) will continue for some time,” a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’re serious about protecting vehicles and the public.
”The Maoists called the nationwide blockade to protest against Gyanendra’s decision February 1 to dismiss the civilian government and assume absolute power in what the monarch said was a move to end the deadly insurgency.
The protest was the latest in a series called by the rebels who have been battling since 1996 to topple the monarchy and install a communist government.
The blockade launched on April 2 cut the number of buses and trucks on roads in the Kathmandu valley by about 50 percent to 1,500, the security official said.Many vehicles defying the blockade covered their license plates to avoid identification by the rebels.
The blockades are enforced by fear of rebel attack rather than by roadblocks.
A senior official of the Federation of the Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, PR Pandey, expressed relief at the end of the protest.The blockade led to sporadic violence in the countryside controlled by the rebels and near the capital controlled by the government.
Meanwhile, a US-based media rights group called on Tuesday for an end to press censorship in Nepal and the release of at least 10 journalists it says have been detained since King Gyanendra seized power on February 1.
“The government’s crackdown ... is the most devastating blow to the country’s vibrant private media since democracy was re-established here in 1990,” said Ann Cooper, head of the Committee to Protect Journalists. Cooper, executive director of the group, was speaking in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu at the end of a week-long fact-finding mission to the impoverished country which is racked by a Maoist revolt.
“At least 10 journalists have been detained since the royal takeover February 1,” Cooper said. “We call upon the government to immediately free all detained journalists and restore press freedom in Nepal.” She added: “The government’s ban on news reporting by Nepal’s 46 private FM radio stations has deprived the Nepalese people of a crucial news source besides throwing 1,000 journalists out of work.
”Gyanendra dismissed the government and seized power on February 1, saying the move was necessary to tackle the increasingly bloody Maoist insurgency. Emergency rule provisions proclaimed at the time of his takeover suspended freedom of the press.
“The authorities seem determined to close down the media and force a return to the old days when news came only from tightly restricted state media,” Cooper said.
She called the growth of Nepal’s independent media since 1990 one of the country’s success stories and said “the private print and broadcast media had developed into the main forum for responsible, constructive public debate”.
The New York-based group said it had asked for a meeting with the king and senior government officials but the requests were refused.
afp Sphere: Related Content
KATHMANDU: An 11-day road blockade called by Nepal’s Maoist rebels to protest against King Gyanendra’s power grab ended on Tuesday but the army said it would keep escorting vehicles to prevent guerrilla attacks.
“Army escorts of vehicles coming in and going out of the capital (Kathmandu) will continue for some time,” a security official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’re serious about protecting vehicles and the public.
”The Maoists called the nationwide blockade to protest against Gyanendra’s decision February 1 to dismiss the civilian government and assume absolute power in what the monarch said was a move to end the deadly insurgency.
The protest was the latest in a series called by the rebels who have been battling since 1996 to topple the monarchy and install a communist government.
The blockade launched on April 2 cut the number of buses and trucks on roads in the Kathmandu valley by about 50 percent to 1,500, the security official said.Many vehicles defying the blockade covered their license plates to avoid identification by the rebels.
The blockades are enforced by fear of rebel attack rather than by roadblocks.
A senior official of the Federation of the Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, PR Pandey, expressed relief at the end of the protest.The blockade led to sporadic violence in the countryside controlled by the rebels and near the capital controlled by the government.
Meanwhile, a US-based media rights group called on Tuesday for an end to press censorship in Nepal and the release of at least 10 journalists it says have been detained since King Gyanendra seized power on February 1.
“The government’s crackdown ... is the most devastating blow to the country’s vibrant private media since democracy was re-established here in 1990,” said Ann Cooper, head of the Committee to Protect Journalists. Cooper, executive director of the group, was speaking in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu at the end of a week-long fact-finding mission to the impoverished country which is racked by a Maoist revolt.
“At least 10 journalists have been detained since the royal takeover February 1,” Cooper said. “We call upon the government to immediately free all detained journalists and restore press freedom in Nepal.” She added: “The government’s ban on news reporting by Nepal’s 46 private FM radio stations has deprived the Nepalese people of a crucial news source besides throwing 1,000 journalists out of work.
”Gyanendra dismissed the government and seized power on February 1, saying the move was necessary to tackle the increasingly bloody Maoist insurgency. Emergency rule provisions proclaimed at the time of his takeover suspended freedom of the press.
“The authorities seem determined to close down the media and force a return to the old days when news came only from tightly restricted state media,” Cooper said.
She called the growth of Nepal’s independent media since 1990 one of the country’s success stories and said “the private print and broadcast media had developed into the main forum for responsible, constructive public debate”.
The New York-based group said it had asked for a meeting with the king and senior government officials but the requests were refused.
afp Sphere: Related Content
Nepal Maoists declare indefinite school closure
Posted on 12 April 2005
(IANS News) Kathmandu, : Nepal's communist insurgents have announced an indefinite closure of all schools across the country from Thursday when the kingdom celebrates the start of the Nepalese new year.
The call has been given by the student wing of the underground guerrillas who sent emails to school authorities and educational associations, warning that they would bomb classrooms if their call was not heeded.
The disruption would affect about 8,500 schools with nearly 1.5 million students.
The banned student wing of the Maoist guerrillas have called the closure of schools "forever" without giving any reason, said Umesh Shrestha of the Private and Boarding Schools' Association Nepal (PABSON).
"Since they have given no option, we regard it as an attempt to create terror in schools for political reasons," Shrestha told IANS.
PABSON and other associations of guardians, teachers and human rights organisations have appealed to the rebels to withdraw the announcement.
They also held a meeting with Education and Sports Minister Radhakrishna Mainali Monday.
Though the government has urged the schools to defy the closure call and promised security, parents and school authorities are not assured.
"Kathmandu valley is not likely to be affected by the closure call due to the concentration of security forces here, but it will be a different matter in the outer districts," Shrestha said.
"It is not possible for anyone to provide all-round security to the 8,500 schools scattered all over the country."
According to PABSON, the rebel students had been circulating the disruption notice from nearly two months ago.
Recently, they have started targeting schools to intimidate school authorities.
Two weeks ago, the rebels reportedly set off a bomb at a school in Butwal district in southern Nepal. Blasts in or near schools have also been reported in Dang, a Maoist stronghold in central Nepal and districts in far western Nepal.
The announced school strike comes in the wake of an 11-day countrywide shutdown announced by Maoists from April 2, ostensibly to protest against King Gyanendra's coup on Feb 1 when he sacked the government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Closure of schools has been a frequently used ploy of Maoists during their nine years of escalating insurgency.
"In the last academic year, many school in trouble-prone areas could have only 120 days of class out of 220 class days," Shrestha said. "It is causing incalculable damage to future generations."
Despite repeated calls by international organisations like the Unicef and UN to respect schools as zones of peace, Maoists have been recruiting minors who are asked to carry weapons and explosives.
They are also reported to be abducting students from classrooms for indoctrination programmes and fighting security forces on school premises.
The armed uprising, inspired by Chinese leader Mao Zedong, seeks to overthrow monarchy and establish a communist republic. It has killed over 11,000 people, displaced tens of thousands and destroyed infrastructure worth billions. (World News) Sphere: Related Content
(IANS News) Kathmandu, : Nepal's communist insurgents have announced an indefinite closure of all schools across the country from Thursday when the kingdom celebrates the start of the Nepalese new year.
The call has been given by the student wing of the underground guerrillas who sent emails to school authorities and educational associations, warning that they would bomb classrooms if their call was not heeded.
The disruption would affect about 8,500 schools with nearly 1.5 million students.
The banned student wing of the Maoist guerrillas have called the closure of schools "forever" without giving any reason, said Umesh Shrestha of the Private and Boarding Schools' Association Nepal (PABSON).
"Since they have given no option, we regard it as an attempt to create terror in schools for political reasons," Shrestha told IANS.
PABSON and other associations of guardians, teachers and human rights organisations have appealed to the rebels to withdraw the announcement.
They also held a meeting with Education and Sports Minister Radhakrishna Mainali Monday.
Though the government has urged the schools to defy the closure call and promised security, parents and school authorities are not assured.
"Kathmandu valley is not likely to be affected by the closure call due to the concentration of security forces here, but it will be a different matter in the outer districts," Shrestha said.
"It is not possible for anyone to provide all-round security to the 8,500 schools scattered all over the country."
According to PABSON, the rebel students had been circulating the disruption notice from nearly two months ago.
Recently, they have started targeting schools to intimidate school authorities.
Two weeks ago, the rebels reportedly set off a bomb at a school in Butwal district in southern Nepal. Blasts in or near schools have also been reported in Dang, a Maoist stronghold in central Nepal and districts in far western Nepal.
The announced school strike comes in the wake of an 11-day countrywide shutdown announced by Maoists from April 2, ostensibly to protest against King Gyanendra's coup on Feb 1 when he sacked the government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Closure of schools has been a frequently used ploy of Maoists during their nine years of escalating insurgency.
"In the last academic year, many school in trouble-prone areas could have only 120 days of class out of 220 class days," Shrestha said. "It is causing incalculable damage to future generations."
Despite repeated calls by international organisations like the Unicef and UN to respect schools as zones of peace, Maoists have been recruiting minors who are asked to carry weapons and explosives.
They are also reported to be abducting students from classrooms for indoctrination programmes and fighting security forces on school premises.
The armed uprising, inspired by Chinese leader Mao Zedong, seeks to overthrow monarchy and establish a communist republic. It has killed over 11,000 people, displaced tens of thousands and destroyed infrastructure worth billions. (World News) Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Nepal to allow UN to monitor human rights abuses
Posted on 12 April 2005
IANS News
Kathmandu :
In a pre-emptive move to forestall harsher measures against it, Nepal has signed an agreement with the UN to allow its staff to monitor human rights abuses in the kingdom.
Nepalese Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Monday with Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The agreement paves the way for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to set up a monitoring operation in Nepal to establish accountability for human rights abuses and prevent further violations.
A UN technical team is headed for Kathmandu to set up the monitoring mission that will have a permanent office in the Nepalese capital with probably field offices in different regions. The funding is likely to come from the donor countries attending the Geneva meet that began on March 14 and will continue till April 22. The OHCHR Office in Nepal will "monitor the observance of human rights and international humanitarian law, bearing in mind the climate of violence and the internal armed conflict in the country".
Based on the information collected by the office, Arbour will submit periodic analytic reports on any human rights violations committed to the Commission on Human Rights, the UN General Assembly, and the secretary-general. Arbour hoped the monitor would ultimately lead to peace in Nepal, racked by a nine-year-old insurgency that has killed over 11,000 people.
"Breaking the cycle of serious and systematic abuses will be the first essential step toward achieving peace and reconciliation in Nepal", she said in a statement issued from Geneva. The office will also advise Nepal's government on matters related to the promotion and protection of human rights in Nepal and will provide advisory services and human rights support to representatives of civil society, human rights non-governmental organisations and individuals. It is expected to maintain "impartiality, independence, objectivity and transparency" and to work closely with local human rights defenders, including the press, in carrying out its investigations.
By agreeing to have a UN body monitor the rights situation in Nepal, King Gyanendra has averted harsher measures by donor countries following his Feb 1 coup. Monday was the deadline for the UN rights session to receive proposals regarding Nepal. The agreement to have a UN monitor comes even as Nepal's political parties as well as Maoist insurgents have urged for such a watchdog. Last week, three major opposition parties - Nepali Congress (Democratic) headed by former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Nepali Congress party of opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala, and the biggest communist party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist - called for UN monitoring in Nepal to check human rights violations. The Maoist insurgents have also asked for international supervision. Switzerland, the European Union countries, Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia had been pressing for a resolution against Nepal under Agenda Item 9. Resolution under Agenda Item 9 means that the UN appoints a Special Rapporteur to the country concerned to investigate human rights violations and suggest measures to be taken by the international community to bring greater accountability. However, they had said they would be willing to tone down their action if Nepal showed any progress.
The Nepalese government seized the opportunity and agreed to have a UN monitor, thus averting the threat. Subsequently, the critics will now put Nepal under the milder Agenda Item 19. It means the international communities recognise Nepal has a problem but one that can be overcome with their support. The international community is hoping that since the Maoists have also demanded an international monitor, they would allow the team access to their strongholds to investigate allegations of atrocities. Sphere: Related Content
IANS News
Kathmandu :
In a pre-emptive move to forestall harsher measures against it, Nepal has signed an agreement with the UN to allow its staff to monitor human rights abuses in the kingdom.
Nepalese Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) Monday with Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The agreement paves the way for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to set up a monitoring operation in Nepal to establish accountability for human rights abuses and prevent further violations.
A UN technical team is headed for Kathmandu to set up the monitoring mission that will have a permanent office in the Nepalese capital with probably field offices in different regions. The funding is likely to come from the donor countries attending the Geneva meet that began on March 14 and will continue till April 22. The OHCHR Office in Nepal will "monitor the observance of human rights and international humanitarian law, bearing in mind the climate of violence and the internal armed conflict in the country".
Based on the information collected by the office, Arbour will submit periodic analytic reports on any human rights violations committed to the Commission on Human Rights, the UN General Assembly, and the secretary-general. Arbour hoped the monitor would ultimately lead to peace in Nepal, racked by a nine-year-old insurgency that has killed over 11,000 people.
"Breaking the cycle of serious and systematic abuses will be the first essential step toward achieving peace and reconciliation in Nepal", she said in a statement issued from Geneva. The office will also advise Nepal's government on matters related to the promotion and protection of human rights in Nepal and will provide advisory services and human rights support to representatives of civil society, human rights non-governmental organisations and individuals. It is expected to maintain "impartiality, independence, objectivity and transparency" and to work closely with local human rights defenders, including the press, in carrying out its investigations.
By agreeing to have a UN body monitor the rights situation in Nepal, King Gyanendra has averted harsher measures by donor countries following his Feb 1 coup. Monday was the deadline for the UN rights session to receive proposals regarding Nepal. The agreement to have a UN monitor comes even as Nepal's political parties as well as Maoist insurgents have urged for such a watchdog. Last week, three major opposition parties - Nepali Congress (Democratic) headed by former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Nepali Congress party of opposition leader Girija Prasad Koirala, and the biggest communist party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist - called for UN monitoring in Nepal to check human rights violations. The Maoist insurgents have also asked for international supervision. Switzerland, the European Union countries, Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Australia had been pressing for a resolution against Nepal under Agenda Item 9. Resolution under Agenda Item 9 means that the UN appoints a Special Rapporteur to the country concerned to investigate human rights violations and suggest measures to be taken by the international community to bring greater accountability. However, they had said they would be willing to tone down their action if Nepal showed any progress.
The Nepalese government seized the opportunity and agreed to have a UN monitor, thus averting the threat. Subsequently, the critics will now put Nepal under the milder Agenda Item 19. It means the international communities recognise Nepal has a problem but one that can be overcome with their support. The international community is hoping that since the Maoists have also demanded an international monitor, they would allow the team access to their strongholds to investigate allegations of atrocities. Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Nepal 'downgrades' diplomats to tourists
Posted on 10 April 2005, © Indo Asian News Service
World News, Kathmandu : Authorities in Nepal have begun collecting a new tourist tax from diplomats, foreign government employees and foreigners living in the kingdom even though they are exempted from the levy.
This February, when the ambassadors of India, the US and European Union countries were summoned by their respective governments for consultations on the political changes in Nepal since the royal coup of Feb 1, they all paid the tourist tax. UN staffers posted in Nepal for three years, employees of foreign government organisations like Indian Airlines, India's national carrier, or the State Bank of India and all who hold a non-Nepalese passport have had to pay the levy meant only for tourists.
The Sher Bahadur Deuba government imposed the new tax in its last days to raise funds to fight Maoist insurgents. Earlier, tourists paid a two percent surcharge on bills as a "tourist service" charge. The government later simplified the process and collected a sum of Nepali Rs.500 while they were leaving the country. With a hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) to 13 percent, the amount increased to Nepali Rs.565.
The cash-strapped government is now collecting the toll from anyone who flies out of Kathmandu. It is a double blow for Indians since according to a pact between India and Nepal, each country has to give the other's citizens the same facilities as its own. However, as things now stand, while a Nepalese pays only Nepali Rs.791 each time he flies out of Kathmandu, an Indian has to pay nearly double that.
Indians have to pay the tourist tax of Nepali Rs.565, whether they are tourists or not, and the airport tax of Nepali Rs.791. Altogether, it comes to a hefty Nepali Rs.1,356. Before January, Indians had to pay only Nepali Rs.770 as airport tax. "When Nepal is desperate for tourists and airlines are slashing fares between Delhi and Kathmandu, it is sheer short-sightedness," said Prem Lashkari, founder of Nepal-India Friendship Society and convenor of the Dharmayatra Mahasangh that facilitates religious tourism in Nepal. "If the departure tax is more than half the air fare, why would Indian tourists come to Nepal? Besides, in India, Nepalese are not asked to pay any tourist tax. So why this discrimination?"
It is unfair to slap the tourist tax on non-tourists, said Raju Bahadur K.C., who heads the Board of Airline Representatives of Nepal. The board made a representation to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the state agency for promoting tourism, to scrap the tourist tax for non-tourists. But NTB said it was a government decision and it was powerless. Raju Bahadur feltthat if diplomatic missions made a representation to the government, it might produce results.
"Each time we express concern at any unconstitutional measure taken by the Nepalese government, it says it is an internal matter of Nepal," said a diplomat who preferred to remain unnamed. "
But when the government is raising money from us unfairly, it should realise it can't take that highhanded stand." Sphere: Related Content
World News, Kathmandu : Authorities in Nepal have begun collecting a new tourist tax from diplomats, foreign government employees and foreigners living in the kingdom even though they are exempted from the levy.
This February, when the ambassadors of India, the US and European Union countries were summoned by their respective governments for consultations on the political changes in Nepal since the royal coup of Feb 1, they all paid the tourist tax. UN staffers posted in Nepal for three years, employees of foreign government organisations like Indian Airlines, India's national carrier, or the State Bank of India and all who hold a non-Nepalese passport have had to pay the levy meant only for tourists.
The Sher Bahadur Deuba government imposed the new tax in its last days to raise funds to fight Maoist insurgents. Earlier, tourists paid a two percent surcharge on bills as a "tourist service" charge. The government later simplified the process and collected a sum of Nepali Rs.500 while they were leaving the country. With a hike in Value Added Tax (VAT) to 13 percent, the amount increased to Nepali Rs.565.
The cash-strapped government is now collecting the toll from anyone who flies out of Kathmandu. It is a double blow for Indians since according to a pact between India and Nepal, each country has to give the other's citizens the same facilities as its own. However, as things now stand, while a Nepalese pays only Nepali Rs.791 each time he flies out of Kathmandu, an Indian has to pay nearly double that.
Indians have to pay the tourist tax of Nepali Rs.565, whether they are tourists or not, and the airport tax of Nepali Rs.791. Altogether, it comes to a hefty Nepali Rs.1,356. Before January, Indians had to pay only Nepali Rs.770 as airport tax. "When Nepal is desperate for tourists and airlines are slashing fares between Delhi and Kathmandu, it is sheer short-sightedness," said Prem Lashkari, founder of Nepal-India Friendship Society and convenor of the Dharmayatra Mahasangh that facilitates religious tourism in Nepal. "If the departure tax is more than half the air fare, why would Indian tourists come to Nepal? Besides, in India, Nepalese are not asked to pay any tourist tax. So why this discrimination?"
It is unfair to slap the tourist tax on non-tourists, said Raju Bahadur K.C., who heads the Board of Airline Representatives of Nepal. The board made a representation to Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the state agency for promoting tourism, to scrap the tourist tax for non-tourists. But NTB said it was a government decision and it was powerless. Raju Bahadur feltthat if diplomatic missions made a representation to the government, it might produce results.
"Each time we express concern at any unconstitutional measure taken by the Nepalese government, it says it is an internal matter of Nepal," said a diplomat who preferred to remain unnamed. "
But when the government is raising money from us unfairly, it should realise it can't take that highhanded stand." Sphere: Related Content
'India bars rights team from meeting Maoist prisoners':
2 Hour,47 minutes Ago
[World News] Kathmandu,
A European rights group has said its team was barred from meeting two senior Maoist leaders from Nepal being held in Indian prisons.
The team travelled through India in March to participate in a conference organised by the World People's Resistance Movement (Europe and South Asia), a London-based organisation.
The delegation wanted to meet Nepalese Maoist leader C. Prakash Gajurel aka Gaurav, jailed in Chennai after he was arrested with a fake passport, and Mohan Baidhya alias Kiran, arrested in West Bengal where he had undergone a cataract operation.
The team also tried to visit Beur prison in Bihar where 19 more Nepalese Maoists are reportedly being held.
The delegation, which returned to Europe last week, issued a statement saying that though an earlier delegation was allowed to meet Gajurel in prison in March 2004, India subsequent visits by international visitors.
It said though the Indian government had charged the two Maoist leaders with "sedition" and "incitement to wage war against the Indian state, it was yet to produce any "concrete evidence" of such acts. According to the team, the 19 other Maoists in Beur jail were being detained "solely for their political views and their admitted membership in or support for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)".
Indo-Asian News Service Sphere: Related Content
[World News] Kathmandu,
A European rights group has said its team was barred from meeting two senior Maoist leaders from Nepal being held in Indian prisons.
The team travelled through India in March to participate in a conference organised by the World People's Resistance Movement (Europe and South Asia), a London-based organisation.
The delegation wanted to meet Nepalese Maoist leader C. Prakash Gajurel aka Gaurav, jailed in Chennai after he was arrested with a fake passport, and Mohan Baidhya alias Kiran, arrested in West Bengal where he had undergone a cataract operation.
The team also tried to visit Beur prison in Bihar where 19 more Nepalese Maoists are reportedly being held.
The delegation, which returned to Europe last week, issued a statement saying that though an earlier delegation was allowed to meet Gajurel in prison in March 2004, India subsequent visits by international visitors.
It said though the Indian government had charged the two Maoist leaders with "sedition" and "incitement to wage war against the Indian state, it was yet to produce any "concrete evidence" of such acts. According to the team, the 19 other Maoists in Beur jail were being detained "solely for their political views and their admitted membership in or support for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)".
Indo-Asian News Service Sphere: Related Content
Nepal army kills 96 Maoists in battle
Saturday, 09 April , 2005, 21:23
Kathmandu: The bodies of 96 Maoist rebels have been recovered after a major clash with government forces in Rukum district west of the capital, state-run television reported on Saturday as it showed what it said were rebel corpses.
"This is a big setback for the rebels," said an army officer speaking to the television crew from the clash site.
The television showed pictures of dozens of bodies lined up on the ground, along with a large number of arms and ammunitions allegedly used by the rebels.
Three security personnel had also been killed in the action Thursday night, the official said.
On Friday an army official said Nepalese troops killed at least 50 Maoist rebels during a night-long battle in western Nepal to repel a larges-cale attack on a security forces base.
The army official, who requested anonymity, told AFP that there were "confirmed reports that the bodies of 50 rebels in combat dress and 31 automatic weapons have been recovered from the clash site."
Nine soldiers were also wounded in the attack on the base at Khara village in Rukum district about 400 kilometers west of the capital, he said.
It was not possible to independently verify details of the clash in the remote area.
The Maoists are fighting to overthrow the monarchy and establish a communist republic.
It was believed to be the largest clash between rebels and government security forces since King Gyanendra sacked the government on February 1.
Gyanendra sacked the government and declared emergency rule, including restrictions on news coverage, on February 1. He said his power seizure was necessary to tackle a Maoist insurgency that has killed more than 11,000 people since 1996. Sphere: Related Content
Kathmandu: The bodies of 96 Maoist rebels have been recovered after a major clash with government forces in Rukum district west of the capital, state-run television reported on Saturday as it showed what it said were rebel corpses.
"This is a big setback for the rebels," said an army officer speaking to the television crew from the clash site.
The television showed pictures of dozens of bodies lined up on the ground, along with a large number of arms and ammunitions allegedly used by the rebels.
Three security personnel had also been killed in the action Thursday night, the official said.
On Friday an army official said Nepalese troops killed at least 50 Maoist rebels during a night-long battle in western Nepal to repel a larges-cale attack on a security forces base.
The army official, who requested anonymity, told AFP that there were "confirmed reports that the bodies of 50 rebels in combat dress and 31 automatic weapons have been recovered from the clash site."
Nine soldiers were also wounded in the attack on the base at Khara village in Rukum district about 400 kilometers west of the capital, he said.
It was not possible to independently verify details of the clash in the remote area.
The Maoists are fighting to overthrow the monarchy and establish a communist republic.
It was believed to be the largest clash between rebels and government security forces since King Gyanendra sacked the government on February 1.
Gyanendra sacked the government and declared emergency rule, including restrictions on news coverage, on February 1. He said his power seizure was necessary to tackle a Maoist insurgency that has killed more than 11,000 people since 1996. Sphere: Related Content
Friday, April 08, 2005
Police 'arrest hundreds' in Nepal
By Sushil Sharma BBC News, Kathmandu
There have been a number of protests in KathmanduOpposition parties in Nepal say police have arrested more than 500 people across the country demonstrating against King Gyanendra.
They were protesting against his February take-over of the government.
They are the biggest protests since the king declared a state of emergency and suspended civil rights.
The king said the move was needed to combat Nepal's Maoist rebels who want to replace the monarchy with a communist republic.
Baton charges
Opposition parties say that about 100 people were arrested in the capital, Kathmandu, and that many others were taken into custody in other parts of the country.
The figures could not be independently verified.
The king assumed direct control on 1 February
There have been no comments yet from the authorities, who in the past have played down opposition claims.
The Kathmandu demonstrators shouted slogans calling for the restoration of democracy.
Police baton-charged demonstrators in some parts of the country.
Friday has a symbolic importance for the political parties. It was on this day in 1990 that joint opposition protests forced the-then king to establish multi-party democracy after 30 years of direct rule.
The opposition has once again come together following the royal assumption of direct powers on 1 February.
Opposition members have been holding protests at the royal move since then, despite rallies now being illegal.
The king said that he assumed direct powers because the parties failed to tackle the long-running Maoist insurgency.
Hundreds of opposition leaders and activists were arrested after 1 February.
About 300, including some top leaders, were freed last week.
The political parties have dubbed the royal move undemocratic and unconstitutional. Sphere: Related Content
There have been a number of protests in KathmanduOpposition parties in Nepal say police have arrested more than 500 people across the country demonstrating against King Gyanendra.
They were protesting against his February take-over of the government.
They are the biggest protests since the king declared a state of emergency and suspended civil rights.
The king said the move was needed to combat Nepal's Maoist rebels who want to replace the monarchy with a communist republic.
Baton charges
Opposition parties say that about 100 people were arrested in the capital, Kathmandu, and that many others were taken into custody in other parts of the country.
The figures could not be independently verified.
The king assumed direct control on 1 February
There have been no comments yet from the authorities, who in the past have played down opposition claims.
The Kathmandu demonstrators shouted slogans calling for the restoration of democracy.
Police baton-charged demonstrators in some parts of the country.
Friday has a symbolic importance for the political parties. It was on this day in 1990 that joint opposition protests forced the-then king to establish multi-party democracy after 30 years of direct rule.
The opposition has once again come together following the royal assumption of direct powers on 1 February.
Opposition members have been holding protests at the royal move since then, despite rallies now being illegal.
The king said that he assumed direct powers because the parties failed to tackle the long-running Maoist insurgency.
Hundreds of opposition leaders and activists were arrested after 1 February.
About 300, including some top leaders, were freed last week.
The political parties have dubbed the royal move undemocratic and unconstitutional. Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, April 07, 2005
Maoists are not interested in talks: US envoy
Posted on 07 April 2005, © Indo Asian News Service
World News, Kathmandu, April 7 : "The Maoists have made it clear that they are not interested in talking," says US ambassador to Nepal James Francis Moriarty, whose government has put the rebels on its list of banned terrorist outfits."
Since September, the Maoists have had reasonable offers to come to the table to talk and their response has been nonsensical. Initially, it was 'We'll only talk to the king'. Then, 'Maybe we'll talk if the government responds to (our) legitimate questions (whether it controlled the army and was not under the king)," the US ambassador told IANS.
Despite increasing propaganda by the government-owned media that the rebels are weakening due to fighting between their top leaders, Moriarty feels the insurgents represent a threat that could turn Nepal into a "poor man's Cambodia". "I don't think any of us has enough insights into what exactly the Maoists are doing and thinking to say with any degree of certainty that ... the tide has turned against them," he said.
"The threat they represent is terrific. They have talked about collectivisation of agriculture repeatedly, about re-education of enemies, about expanding the 'revolution' - all this is basically a formula for an absolutely terrific totalitarian state in Nepal that also threatens the stability of the entire region."If there is actual infighting among the outlaws, the envoy fears it could worsen the situation: "(Differences are) not uncommon among totalitarian parties.
When factionalism arises, the top dog crushes the other faction or gets replaced as the top dog. Perhaps you end up with a more brutal and more unified party.
"Given a choice between the communist rebels and a king who has repeatedly overstepped his constitutional authority, Washington would unhesitatingly support the latter, he said."My government sees absolutely nothing wrong with what the king said in his proclamation (through which he assumed absolute power on Feb 1) about his two main goals: the Maoist insurgency needs to be addressed and there has to be a game plan for bringing Nepal back to a multi-party functional democracy."We recognise that as of Jan 31, Nepal didn't really have a functioning multi-party democracy, it had a multi-party government. We are worried that what is happening in the interim will make it more difficult for the king to achieve these goals."To achieve these goals, he says there has to be reconciliation between the king and the political parties, who are currently agitating against the royal coup and have a large number of their leaders under detention."Both have to act together. If you have one side or the other pointing the finger and saying the other side must change its way of action, it must apologise for past actions, then you are not going to go anywhere. But if you have both sides agreeing that Nepal is facing a crisis - which it is - and agreeing on a way forward to address that crisis, then you are. It's not a question of one side or the other taking the lead but two sides agreeing on a common programme.
"You have to look at the situation in hand. There is no denying that the king has power... there is equally no denying that the parties ... are essential players (too). The good news is, if you look at them, their interests should coincide. The king says his major goals are combating the insurgency, restoration of multi-party democracy, good governance and corruption control. I don't think the parties disagree with that."
Washington, he says, continues to push the government to release all political detainees, restore constitutional freedoms and begin a process of reaching out to the political parties. Until there is progress on these issues, Washington's security assistance to Nepal's army, especially lethal security assistance - about 3,55 M16 rifles - are at risk.There is no lethal security assistance before the end of May. After that, according to Moriarty, there is also a fairly significant shipment of non-lethal items."We'll be manufacturing these items in the next couple of months. Once we finish manufacturing them, we've to decide what to do with them. If there is progress, we'll go ahead and ship them. If there hasn't been, there will be a lot of pressure not to ship them."
Regarding the ongoing 61st session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, where several countries are asking for stern measures against Nepal on reports of increasing human rights abuses by the security forces, Moriarty says the US is still reviewing its position vis-à-vis the Himalayan kingdom."What we'd really like to see is progress. A big debate is going on and a tough draft going around. Instead of a tough draft that doesn't change the situation on the ground, we would like to see enough progress on the ground so that the international community can focus on how to help Nepal..."There is a wider view in the US not to do anything that would harm the poor people of Nepal - both people who are poor and those suffering so much under the insurgency."
Despite the allegations of rights abuses against the Royal Nepalese Army at the Geneva meet, Moriarty thinks the army is cleaning up its act since Feb 1."We all assumed there would be an increasing culture of impunity (after Feb 1) but that hasn't happened so far... The army is clearly getting more aggressive in investigating allegations of abuse. I have raised specific cases of abuse and the army has gone out and investigated them in a serious fashion..."If people know they will be tried and if convicted, will spend years in jail, they become much more reluctant to commit abuses... I am not aware of a single Maoist who has been convicted of abuses by a Maoist court."Also, the National Human Rights Commission says they are getting much better access to detainees. I feel uncomfortable saying this - people will say I am an apologist - but I am looking at facts on the ground," he said. Sphere: Related Content
World News, Kathmandu, April 7 : "The Maoists have made it clear that they are not interested in talking," says US ambassador to Nepal James Francis Moriarty, whose government has put the rebels on its list of banned terrorist outfits."
Since September, the Maoists have had reasonable offers to come to the table to talk and their response has been nonsensical. Initially, it was 'We'll only talk to the king'. Then, 'Maybe we'll talk if the government responds to (our) legitimate questions (whether it controlled the army and was not under the king)," the US ambassador told IANS.
Despite increasing propaganda by the government-owned media that the rebels are weakening due to fighting between their top leaders, Moriarty feels the insurgents represent a threat that could turn Nepal into a "poor man's Cambodia". "I don't think any of us has enough insights into what exactly the Maoists are doing and thinking to say with any degree of certainty that ... the tide has turned against them," he said.
"The threat they represent is terrific. They have talked about collectivisation of agriculture repeatedly, about re-education of enemies, about expanding the 'revolution' - all this is basically a formula for an absolutely terrific totalitarian state in Nepal that also threatens the stability of the entire region."If there is actual infighting among the outlaws, the envoy fears it could worsen the situation: "(Differences are) not uncommon among totalitarian parties.
When factionalism arises, the top dog crushes the other faction or gets replaced as the top dog. Perhaps you end up with a more brutal and more unified party.
"Given a choice between the communist rebels and a king who has repeatedly overstepped his constitutional authority, Washington would unhesitatingly support the latter, he said."My government sees absolutely nothing wrong with what the king said in his proclamation (through which he assumed absolute power on Feb 1) about his two main goals: the Maoist insurgency needs to be addressed and there has to be a game plan for bringing Nepal back to a multi-party functional democracy."We recognise that as of Jan 31, Nepal didn't really have a functioning multi-party democracy, it had a multi-party government. We are worried that what is happening in the interim will make it more difficult for the king to achieve these goals."To achieve these goals, he says there has to be reconciliation between the king and the political parties, who are currently agitating against the royal coup and have a large number of their leaders under detention."Both have to act together. If you have one side or the other pointing the finger and saying the other side must change its way of action, it must apologise for past actions, then you are not going to go anywhere. But if you have both sides agreeing that Nepal is facing a crisis - which it is - and agreeing on a way forward to address that crisis, then you are. It's not a question of one side or the other taking the lead but two sides agreeing on a common programme.
"You have to look at the situation in hand. There is no denying that the king has power... there is equally no denying that the parties ... are essential players (too). The good news is, if you look at them, their interests should coincide. The king says his major goals are combating the insurgency, restoration of multi-party democracy, good governance and corruption control. I don't think the parties disagree with that."
Washington, he says, continues to push the government to release all political detainees, restore constitutional freedoms and begin a process of reaching out to the political parties. Until there is progress on these issues, Washington's security assistance to Nepal's army, especially lethal security assistance - about 3,55 M16 rifles - are at risk.There is no lethal security assistance before the end of May. After that, according to Moriarty, there is also a fairly significant shipment of non-lethal items."We'll be manufacturing these items in the next couple of months. Once we finish manufacturing them, we've to decide what to do with them. If there is progress, we'll go ahead and ship them. If there hasn't been, there will be a lot of pressure not to ship them."
Regarding the ongoing 61st session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva, where several countries are asking for stern measures against Nepal on reports of increasing human rights abuses by the security forces, Moriarty says the US is still reviewing its position vis-à-vis the Himalayan kingdom."What we'd really like to see is progress. A big debate is going on and a tough draft going around. Instead of a tough draft that doesn't change the situation on the ground, we would like to see enough progress on the ground so that the international community can focus on how to help Nepal..."There is a wider view in the US not to do anything that would harm the poor people of Nepal - both people who are poor and those suffering so much under the insurgency."
Despite the allegations of rights abuses against the Royal Nepalese Army at the Geneva meet, Moriarty thinks the army is cleaning up its act since Feb 1."We all assumed there would be an increasing culture of impunity (after Feb 1) but that hasn't happened so far... The army is clearly getting more aggressive in investigating allegations of abuse. I have raised specific cases of abuse and the army has gone out and investigated them in a serious fashion..."If people know they will be tried and if convicted, will spend years in jail, they become much more reluctant to commit abuses... I am not aware of a single Maoist who has been convicted of abuses by a Maoist court."Also, the National Human Rights Commission says they are getting much better access to detainees. I feel uncomfortable saying this - people will say I am an apologist - but I am looking at facts on the ground," he said. Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
US quietly put off military training in Nepal
Published on : 4/5/2005 12:17:00 AM
Category : kntimes.com
The US quietly put off a military training session for Nepal's army that was originally scheduled to take place last month.
Exercise Balanced Nail, a military training programme for Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) troops undertaken by the US Pacific Command (USPACOM) in coordination with the Office of Defence Cooperation in Washington since 2002, was to have been held in March. But it was put off silently without the alert Nepalese media getting a whiff of it.
Defence sources said Washington postponed the training following a tacit understanding with Britain and India that none of the trio would aid the RNA till King Gyanendra rolled back his royal coup. Sphere: Related Content
Category : kntimes.com
The US quietly put off a military training session for Nepal's army that was originally scheduled to take place last month.
Exercise Balanced Nail, a military training programme for Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) troops undertaken by the US Pacific Command (USPACOM) in coordination with the Office of Defence Cooperation in Washington since 2002, was to have been held in March. But it was put off silently without the alert Nepalese media getting a whiff of it.
Defence sources said Washington postponed the training following a tacit understanding with Britain and India that none of the trio would aid the RNA till King Gyanendra rolled back his royal coup. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, April 04, 2005
Environmental conservation work in Nepal
Restoration of Biological Corridors in the Terai Arc Landscape
Project details
Geographical location:
Asia/Pacific > Southern Asia > Nepal
Summary
The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) programme aims to restore forests and link 11 existing protected areas that are distributed over 49,500 km2 in the outer foothills of the Himalayas from Nepal's Parsa Wildlife Reserve in the east to India's Corbett National Park in the west. It is part of the Terai-Duar Savannas and Grasslands ecoregion.
Background
The TAL programme in Nepal seeks to protect endangered species and restore natural habitats by building upon and creating effective partnerships with local communities as resource managers, beneficiaries and stewards. Accordingly, the programme will pursue conservation through the economic and social empowerment of local communities and full participation of resource users and government departments.Outside of these protected areas, "conservation-friendly" land uses will provide sustainable natural resources and economic benefits to the local people while simultaneously connecting core areas to allow wildlife population dispersal and the encouragement of biologically viable populations.In the first 5-year phase of the project (2001-2006), the project will restore critical forest corridors, build up stakeholder capacity and develop partnerships with key agencies operating in the TAL. The programme will utilize various strategies such as community forestry, revenue sharing, and education to restore wildlife corridors, protect biodiversity and facilitate sustainable socioeconomic development.
Objectives
1. Restore and manage 2 degraded forest corridors and 3 bottlenecks to maintain links between protected areas within the TAL as dispersal corridors, through community forestry, plantation, natural forest regeneration and strengthening community forestry user groups.
2. Conserve tiger, elephant, rhino and other species of special concern by strengthening the community based antipoaching operations in the forest corridors of TAL.
3. Maintain and enhance environmental services for agricultural productivity, soil conservation and watershed management that enhance local livelihoods and reduce poverty through community participation, using innovative approaches to integrate conservation and natural resource management.
4. Promote conservation education to local communities and strengthen stakeholder capacity by supporting institutions, developing environmental education packages and conducting environmental interactions. Sphere: Related Content
Project details
Geographical location:
Asia/Pacific > Southern Asia > Nepal
Summary
The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) programme aims to restore forests and link 11 existing protected areas that are distributed over 49,500 km2 in the outer foothills of the Himalayas from Nepal's Parsa Wildlife Reserve in the east to India's Corbett National Park in the west. It is part of the Terai-Duar Savannas and Grasslands ecoregion.
Background
The TAL programme in Nepal seeks to protect endangered species and restore natural habitats by building upon and creating effective partnerships with local communities as resource managers, beneficiaries and stewards. Accordingly, the programme will pursue conservation through the economic and social empowerment of local communities and full participation of resource users and government departments.Outside of these protected areas, "conservation-friendly" land uses will provide sustainable natural resources and economic benefits to the local people while simultaneously connecting core areas to allow wildlife population dispersal and the encouragement of biologically viable populations.In the first 5-year phase of the project (2001-2006), the project will restore critical forest corridors, build up stakeholder capacity and develop partnerships with key agencies operating in the TAL. The programme will utilize various strategies such as community forestry, revenue sharing, and education to restore wildlife corridors, protect biodiversity and facilitate sustainable socioeconomic development.
Objectives
1. Restore and manage 2 degraded forest corridors and 3 bottlenecks to maintain links between protected areas within the TAL as dispersal corridors, through community forestry, plantation, natural forest regeneration and strengthening community forestry user groups.
2. Conserve tiger, elephant, rhino and other species of special concern by strengthening the community based antipoaching operations in the forest corridors of TAL.
3. Maintain and enhance environmental services for agricultural productivity, soil conservation and watershed management that enhance local livelihoods and reduce poverty through community participation, using innovative approaches to integrate conservation and natural resource management.
4. Promote conservation education to local communities and strengthen stakeholder capacity by supporting institutions, developing environmental education packages and conducting environmental interactions. Sphere: Related Content
Maoist strike cripples normal life in rural Nepal
Rupandehi (Nepal), Apr 3 :
A nationwide strike called by Nepal’s Maoists against King Gyanendra’s seizure of power has paralysed life for a second day on Sunday in Nepal. Normal life in the district of Rupandehi situated at the India-Nepal border was thrown off gear with fresh incidents of violence and a string of bomb blasts rocking different regions of the embattled kingdom.
The rebels called the 11-day strike on Saturday to protest against King Gyanendra’s seizing of power two months ago and the subsequent arrests of political leaders and suspension of civil rights. Officials say that the impact of the strike is more apparent in rural areas, where the Maoists regularly enforce strikes and blockades, with the otherwise busy market area bearing a deserted appearance with most shops downing their shutters fearing violence.
“On one hand the army talks of opening the shops. Some of the shops were even broken into. Traders are on the run. The whole market is empty due to the 11-day strike declared by the Maoists. Some people in the border areas tried to get out of the place, “ said Anil Kumar, from the India Nepal Friendship Group.
Cross border movement of traffic was also minimal with trucks ferrying goods between India and Nepal remaining grounded. Amar Singh, a truck driver, said: “As long as the road doesn’t open we would stay here. We can’t go back or unload the goods here. So we have to stay here until the road opens, where else can we go?
Residents also said that the strike had disrupted life in the Nepalgunj where a string of bomb blasts late on Friday killed one person and wounded 19 others. (ANI) Sphere: Related Content
A nationwide strike called by Nepal’s Maoists against King Gyanendra’s seizure of power has paralysed life for a second day on Sunday in Nepal. Normal life in the district of Rupandehi situated at the India-Nepal border was thrown off gear with fresh incidents of violence and a string of bomb blasts rocking different regions of the embattled kingdom.
The rebels called the 11-day strike on Saturday to protest against King Gyanendra’s seizing of power two months ago and the subsequent arrests of political leaders and suspension of civil rights. Officials say that the impact of the strike is more apparent in rural areas, where the Maoists regularly enforce strikes and blockades, with the otherwise busy market area bearing a deserted appearance with most shops downing their shutters fearing violence.
“On one hand the army talks of opening the shops. Some of the shops were even broken into. Traders are on the run. The whole market is empty due to the 11-day strike declared by the Maoists. Some people in the border areas tried to get out of the place, “ said Anil Kumar, from the India Nepal Friendship Group.
Cross border movement of traffic was also minimal with trucks ferrying goods between India and Nepal remaining grounded. Amar Singh, a truck driver, said: “As long as the road doesn’t open we would stay here. We can’t go back or unload the goods here. So we have to stay here until the road opens, where else can we go?
Residents also said that the strike had disrupted life in the Nepalgunj where a string of bomb blasts late on Friday killed one person and wounded 19 others. (ANI) Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Ex-Nepal prime minister released
By Charles Haviland BBC News, Kathmandu
One of Nepal's most influential politicians, GP Koirala, has been freed after two months of house arrest.
The Home Ministry says more than 250 people detained after King Gyanendra declared a state of emergency on 1 February were freed on Friday.
The king said he needed to assume direct power to defeat Nepal's Maoist rebel movement.
Mr Koirala has been prime minister three times and leads Nepal's biggest party, the Nepali Congress.
No access
For Mr Koirala, as for other top political leaders similarly penalised under the king's state of emergency, house arrest has not only meant being confined at home.
It also involved an almost total severance of communications such as phone lines and the cutting of their access to independent media.
Now Mr Koirala, who is over 80-years-old, has been freed three weeks after similar restrictions were lifted on Nepal's most recent prime minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Others, however, remain confined or detained, including the leader of the country's second biggest party, Madhav Kumar Nepal, who is reported to be in poor health.
India, a traditional ally of Nepal which has been highly critical of the royal takeover, wasted no time in welcoming Mr Koirala's release and its ambassador here paid him a courtesy call.
The home ministry gave no details of the 250 detainees it said were released on Friday.
Strict media censorship means it is difficult to know how many detainees there are.
However, in a notable development earlier this week, a pro-democracy demonstration was for the first time allowed to go ahead as hundreds of journalists marched through the capital demanding press freedom.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/4401519.stm
Published: 2005/04/01 14:00:12 GMT
© BBC MMV
Sphere: Related Content
Bombings Hit Nepal Before Maoists' Strike
02 April 2005
Officials in Nepal are blaming Maoist rebels for a series of bomb blasts hours ahead of a nationwide strike called by the Maoists to protest King Gyanendra's seizure of power.
Police say the bombings late Friday in the western town of Nepalgunj left at least 20 people wounded - some seriously.
Maoist rebels, who have been fighting since 1996 to replace Nepal's monarchy with a communist government, called for an 11-day general strike beginning Saturday to protest the king's actions two months ago.
On February 1, King Gyanendra assumed absolute power in Nepal's constitutional monarchy, accusing the government of not doing enough to fight the rebels. He had a number of political leaders arrested.
The country's popular former prime minister, Girija Prasad Koirala, and 258 other detainees were freed Friday amid mounting global pressure on the king. Sphere: Related Content
Officials in Nepal are blaming Maoist rebels for a series of bomb blasts hours ahead of a nationwide strike called by the Maoists to protest King Gyanendra's seizure of power.
Police say the bombings late Friday in the western town of Nepalgunj left at least 20 people wounded - some seriously.
Maoist rebels, who have been fighting since 1996 to replace Nepal's monarchy with a communist government, called for an 11-day general strike beginning Saturday to protest the king's actions two months ago.
On February 1, King Gyanendra assumed absolute power in Nepal's constitutional monarchy, accusing the government of not doing enough to fight the rebels. He had a number of political leaders arrested.
The country's popular former prime minister, Girija Prasad Koirala, and 258 other detainees were freed Friday amid mounting global pressure on the king. Sphere: Related Content
Friday, April 01, 2005
CHINA DEFIES WORLD TO SUPPORT EMBATTLE NEPAL KING
01 Apr 2005 11:41:11 GMT
Source: Reuters
KATHMANDU, April 1 2005(Reuters) -
China became on Friday the first major country to voice support for Nepal's King Gyanendra as the Chinese foreign minister ended a visit to the Himalayan nation globally isolated since the monarch seized power.
"The international community should respect the choice made by the Nepali people," Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wu Dawei told a news briefing in Beijing.
"We support the king and the government of Nepal to ensure national stability and reconciliation and for economic development," Wu said.
Beijing had earlier described as Nepal's internal affair the king's move in February to sack the government, declare a state of emergency and arrest political leaders. The rest of the world urged Gyanendra to restore democracy. The latest comments could spark concerns in India -- Nepal's giant neighbour to the south and a key trading partner -- which, along with Britain and the United States, has pressured Gyanendra to revoke his decisions.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is due to tour South Asia next week and will be aiming to cement an improvement in Sino-Indian ties when he visits New Delhi.
Wu's comments came as Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing -- the first senior foreign official to visit Kathmandu since Gyanendra took power -- rounded off talks with the monarch in what is seen as a signal that China would maintain friendly ties with Nepal.
"The visit was full of positive results," Li told reporters at Kathmandu airport before leaving for the Maldives.
"We'll continue to make it even more fruitful for the benefit of our people," he said without elaborating.
Gyanendra justified his decision to assume power as a necessary move to crush a nine-year Maoist revolt in which more than 11,000 people have been killed.
The Maoists have been fighting since 1996 to replace the Hindu monarchy with a communist republic. They have called for a 11-day general strike across the landlocked nation from Saturday to protest over Gyanendra's assumption of power.
The Nepali army said it had stepped up security along highways, and soldiers would escort trucks carrying supplies to the capital.
"We'll make sure that there is no shortage of essential goods in Kathmandu," Brigadier General Dipak Gurung told Reuters. "We have taken steps to neutralise their move."
Nepalese generally heed rebel strike calls and few drivers dare to defy their ban on vehicles.
In February, the Maoists killed a driver and set several buses and cars on fire for defying a road blockade, disrupting supplies of petroleum products and essential goods to the hill-ringed capital for two weeks.
Officials said Kathmandu, home to 1.5 million people, had stocks of fuel and food supplies to last more than a month.
(Additional reporting by Lindsay Beck in BEIJING) Sphere: Related Content
Source: Reuters
KATHMANDU, April 1 2005(Reuters) -
China became on Friday the first major country to voice support for Nepal's King Gyanendra as the Chinese foreign minister ended a visit to the Himalayan nation globally isolated since the monarch seized power.
"The international community should respect the choice made by the Nepali people," Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wu Dawei told a news briefing in Beijing.
"We support the king and the government of Nepal to ensure national stability and reconciliation and for economic development," Wu said.
Beijing had earlier described as Nepal's internal affair the king's move in February to sack the government, declare a state of emergency and arrest political leaders. The rest of the world urged Gyanendra to restore democracy. The latest comments could spark concerns in India -- Nepal's giant neighbour to the south and a key trading partner -- which, along with Britain and the United States, has pressured Gyanendra to revoke his decisions.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is due to tour South Asia next week and will be aiming to cement an improvement in Sino-Indian ties when he visits New Delhi.
Wu's comments came as Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing -- the first senior foreign official to visit Kathmandu since Gyanendra took power -- rounded off talks with the monarch in what is seen as a signal that China would maintain friendly ties with Nepal.
"The visit was full of positive results," Li told reporters at Kathmandu airport before leaving for the Maldives.
"We'll continue to make it even more fruitful for the benefit of our people," he said without elaborating.
Gyanendra justified his decision to assume power as a necessary move to crush a nine-year Maoist revolt in which more than 11,000 people have been killed.
The Maoists have been fighting since 1996 to replace the Hindu monarchy with a communist republic. They have called for a 11-day general strike across the landlocked nation from Saturday to protest over Gyanendra's assumption of power.
The Nepali army said it had stepped up security along highways, and soldiers would escort trucks carrying supplies to the capital.
"We'll make sure that there is no shortage of essential goods in Kathmandu," Brigadier General Dipak Gurung told Reuters. "We have taken steps to neutralise their move."
Nepalese generally heed rebel strike calls and few drivers dare to defy their ban on vehicles.
In February, the Maoists killed a driver and set several buses and cars on fire for defying a road blockade, disrupting supplies of petroleum products and essential goods to the hill-ringed capital for two weeks.
Officials said Kathmandu, home to 1.5 million people, had stocks of fuel and food supplies to last more than a month.
(Additional reporting by Lindsay Beck in BEIJING) Sphere: Related Content
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