By VOA News
29 June 2005
Nepal's military officials say at least 15 civilians were injured when Maoist rebels threw a crude bomb near a hospital in a southwestern part of the country.
They say the bomb, which was apparently aimed at an army truck passing by, missed its target and exploded near the gate of Nepalganj Medical College hospital late Tuesday.
One of the injured is said to be in critical condition.
The rebels have pledged not to target civilians, following a land mine explosion under a bus that killed at least 38 civilians earlier this month. The rebels admitted the attack was a mistake.
Rebel violence in Nepal has escalated after King Gyanendra seized absolute power in February, saying the government had failed to crush the nine-year-old insurgency.
Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
Nepal's children forced to fight | csmonitor.com
In rural areas, Maoist fighters are compelling families to send teens to the front lines.
By Bikash Sangraula | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
KATHMANDU, NEPAL – When Maoist forces broke into the house of farmer Pasang Sherpa in eastern Nepal, they were looking for one thing: an able body. They took Mr. Sherpa's 15-year-old son, Pemba.
Pasang was told that Pemba would be sent to the Dolpa district in far-western Nepal, so that he could serve in the "great people's war." But Pemba never made it to Dolpa. Only two months after his abduction last year, he was killed in his home district in a confrontation with the Army.
"He died without even understanding what Maoism means," says a tearful Pasang. "Pemba was a virtuous boy. He used to help me till land," he adds.
Forced recruitment of children has now become widespread in Nepal's remote hills, with the introduction some months ago of what the Maoists call "Whole-timers," or WTs. In rural regions under the rebel thumb, every family must send one member as a WT to aid the rebels' cause. The job often falls to the most dispensable family member - usually a child.
Both the Maoists and the Army have involved children in their bloody nine-year war. The Maoists, who are trying to overthrow the monarchy, control 75 percent of the country's territory - most everything but cities, towns, and district headquarters. They have set up their own courts and systems of taxation and governance. Over 8,000 children have been orphaned and tens of thousands displaced in a conflict that has claimed over 12,000 lives. The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has caused two-thirds of the deaths, according to INSEC, a human rights organization.
Fighting between the Army and rebels exploded over the weekend in western Nepal, reports Agence France-Presse. An Army spokesman claimed that more than 60 insurgents may have been killed in clashes that began when rebels attacked an Army checkpoint.
To escape Maoist atrocities, people with means continue to flee Nepal's hills en masse to the kingdom's relatively safer lowlands and cities, and to neighboring India. This has depleted the recruitment pool of adults for Maoists, making them turn to children.
Child rights organizations here say that it is not only the Maoists who abuse children, however. Many of the children who survive state bullets by surrendering to the RNA are then used as informers or porters by Army units. Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Dipak Gurung denies the charge. "We hand over children to organizations volunteering to support them," he says.
But Nepal's Army does not have a clean human rights record. Wayward soldiers have raped minors and have shot at school buildings, killing students. Cases of extrajudicial detention of children have also surfaced recently. On March 14, Ram Lal Tharu, 13, was released from the Banke district prison, in western Nepal, after a court issued his release order. Tharu had been arrested on June 25, on charges that he posed a "grave threat" to peace and security.
In a bid to weaken the rebels, the government announced a general amnesty in 2003 to those who surrender. State-owned Nepal Television has been broadcasting interviews of former rebels in programs designed to persuade disillusioned guerrillas to surrender and to spread an anti-Maoist message in rural Nepal. A significant number of the interviewees are children.
According to one estimate, the number of children under 18 in Nepal's Maoist insurgency makes up 25 to 30 percent of its total strength, and young girls are a significant presence in the ranks. Total rebel numbers are believed to be around 10,000.
"Until some months ago, rebels used children only as messengers, porters, cooks, and cultural troops," says Tarak Dhital, program coordinator of Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN), a nongovernmental organization working for child rights. "More recently, children are being used as soldiers. Most of the Maoist combatants who have surrendered ... are teenagers," he adds.
CWIN estimates that 405 children under 18, including 115 girls, have been killed in the conflict so far. But in a war where keeping count of the dead is difficult, identifying or guessing the age of the dead is a tall order. "There aren't figures out there, says Hrothgar Stibbon of International Committee of Red Cross. "There is only a war." Sphere: Related Content
By Bikash Sangraula | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
KATHMANDU, NEPAL – When Maoist forces broke into the house of farmer Pasang Sherpa in eastern Nepal, they were looking for one thing: an able body. They took Mr. Sherpa's 15-year-old son, Pemba.
Pasang was told that Pemba would be sent to the Dolpa district in far-western Nepal, so that he could serve in the "great people's war." But Pemba never made it to Dolpa. Only two months after his abduction last year, he was killed in his home district in a confrontation with the Army.
"He died without even understanding what Maoism means," says a tearful Pasang. "Pemba was a virtuous boy. He used to help me till land," he adds.
Forced recruitment of children has now become widespread in Nepal's remote hills, with the introduction some months ago of what the Maoists call "Whole-timers," or WTs. In rural regions under the rebel thumb, every family must send one member as a WT to aid the rebels' cause. The job often falls to the most dispensable family member - usually a child.
Both the Maoists and the Army have involved children in their bloody nine-year war. The Maoists, who are trying to overthrow the monarchy, control 75 percent of the country's territory - most everything but cities, towns, and district headquarters. They have set up their own courts and systems of taxation and governance. Over 8,000 children have been orphaned and tens of thousands displaced in a conflict that has claimed over 12,000 lives. The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has caused two-thirds of the deaths, according to INSEC, a human rights organization.
Fighting between the Army and rebels exploded over the weekend in western Nepal, reports Agence France-Presse. An Army spokesman claimed that more than 60 insurgents may have been killed in clashes that began when rebels attacked an Army checkpoint.
To escape Maoist atrocities, people with means continue to flee Nepal's hills en masse to the kingdom's relatively safer lowlands and cities, and to neighboring India. This has depleted the recruitment pool of adults for Maoists, making them turn to children.
Child rights organizations here say that it is not only the Maoists who abuse children, however. Many of the children who survive state bullets by surrendering to the RNA are then used as informers or porters by Army units. Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Dipak Gurung denies the charge. "We hand over children to organizations volunteering to support them," he says.
But Nepal's Army does not have a clean human rights record. Wayward soldiers have raped minors and have shot at school buildings, killing students. Cases of extrajudicial detention of children have also surfaced recently. On March 14, Ram Lal Tharu, 13, was released from the Banke district prison, in western Nepal, after a court issued his release order. Tharu had been arrested on June 25, on charges that he posed a "grave threat" to peace and security.
In a bid to weaken the rebels, the government announced a general amnesty in 2003 to those who surrender. State-owned Nepal Television has been broadcasting interviews of former rebels in programs designed to persuade disillusioned guerrillas to surrender and to spread an anti-Maoist message in rural Nepal. A significant number of the interviewees are children.
According to one estimate, the number of children under 18 in Nepal's Maoist insurgency makes up 25 to 30 percent of its total strength, and young girls are a significant presence in the ranks. Total rebel numbers are believed to be around 10,000.
"Until some months ago, rebels used children only as messengers, porters, cooks, and cultural troops," says Tarak Dhital, program coordinator of Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN), a nongovernmental organization working for child rights. "More recently, children are being used as soldiers. Most of the Maoist combatants who have surrendered ... are teenagers," he adds.
CWIN estimates that 405 children under 18, including 115 girls, have been killed in the conflict so far. But in a war where keeping count of the dead is difficult, identifying or guessing the age of the dead is a tall order. "There aren't figures out there, says Hrothgar Stibbon of International Committee of Red Cross. "There is only a war." Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Indian girl killed in Maoist blast in Nepal - Sify.com
Saturday, 25 June , 2005, 12:01
Kathmandu: A seven-year-old Indian girl was killed and her parents injured in a blast triggered by Maoists in Nepal, the army said on Saturday.
The girl identified as Neha Gadaria from Kanpur died in a hospital while undergoing treatment for injuries sustained when a bomb hurled by Maoists targeting a security vehicle exploded at the busy Tribhuvan Chowk in Nepalgunj of western Nepal yesterday, it said.
The parents of the girl, who worked at a local hotel, also sustained injuries in the blast, the Army said.
Local rights workers and non-governmental organisations have condemned the incident, which occurred despite the Maoists’ recent public commitment to halt attacks on civilians and unarmed people.
In a separate incident, nine security personnel were killed during a clash with armed Maoists at the Rambhapur area of Bhojpur district in eastern Nepal last night, the army said.
The incident occurred when the Maoists ambushed a security patrol near the security base at Rambhapur.
In another incident, five securitymen were injured in a clash with Maoists near Bardia National Park in Bardia district last night. Some Maoists might also have been killed in the attack, the army said." Sphere: Related Content
Kathmandu: A seven-year-old Indian girl was killed and her parents injured in a blast triggered by Maoists in Nepal, the army said on Saturday.
The girl identified as Neha Gadaria from Kanpur died in a hospital while undergoing treatment for injuries sustained when a bomb hurled by Maoists targeting a security vehicle exploded at the busy Tribhuvan Chowk in Nepalgunj of western Nepal yesterday, it said.
The parents of the girl, who worked at a local hotel, also sustained injuries in the blast, the Army said.
Local rights workers and non-governmental organisations have condemned the incident, which occurred despite the Maoists’ recent public commitment to halt attacks on civilians and unarmed people.
In a separate incident, nine security personnel were killed during a clash with armed Maoists at the Rambhapur area of Bhojpur district in eastern Nepal last night, the army said.
The incident occurred when the Maoists ambushed a security patrol near the security base at Rambhapur.
In another incident, five securitymen were injured in a clash with Maoists near Bardia National Park in Bardia district last night. Some Maoists might also have been killed in the attack, the army said." Sphere: Related Content
Friday, June 24, 2005
IOL: Rebel uprising leaves 21 dead along India-Nepal border
24/06/2005 - 08:01:53
Security forces fought rebels in a fierce gun battle today near India’s border with Nepal, leaving 21 dead in the first co-ordinated attack involving both Indian and Nepalese communist militants, police said.
The gun battle was triggered when some 400 suspected Maoist rebels attacked a police station and two state-run banks in Bihar state’s Madhuban village yesterday, said Director-General of Police Ashish Ranjan Sinha, the state police chief.
Madhuban is 90 miles north of Patna, the capital of Bihar.
The battle killed 17 militants, two police officers, one paramilitary soldier and a security guard at a government bank, said Sinha.
“The bodies of seven Maoists have been recovered, and a search is on for the rest,” said Sinha.
He said almost 100 Nepalese Maoists, fighting in the neighbouring country to topple the constitutional monarchy, were also involved.
The Nepalese rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal has previously said that communist rebels from Nepal and India were in close contact, but no joint attack had been reported until yesterday." Sphere: Related Content
Security forces fought rebels in a fierce gun battle today near India’s border with Nepal, leaving 21 dead in the first co-ordinated attack involving both Indian and Nepalese communist militants, police said.
The gun battle was triggered when some 400 suspected Maoist rebels attacked a police station and two state-run banks in Bihar state’s Madhuban village yesterday, said Director-General of Police Ashish Ranjan Sinha, the state police chief.
Madhuban is 90 miles north of Patna, the capital of Bihar.
The battle killed 17 militants, two police officers, one paramilitary soldier and a security guard at a government bank, said Sinha.
“The bodies of seven Maoists have been recovered, and a search is on for the rest,” said Sinha.
He said almost 100 Nepalese Maoists, fighting in the neighbouring country to topple the constitutional monarchy, were also involved.
The Nepalese rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal has previously said that communist rebels from Nepal and India were in close contact, but no joint attack had been reported until yesterday." Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Nepal rebels 'take 12 hostages'
Nepal's human rights commission has said that Maoist rebels have kidnapped 12 security personnel in the eastern hill district of Bhojpur.
The commission has urged the rebels to free the hostages who it says were kidnapped after clashes on Wednesday.
Casualties were feared on both sides, but the authorities said they had not received any details.
Violence between the rebels and security forces has escalated in recent month.
More than 12,000 people have been killed in the 10-year Maoist insurgency in Nepal.
Show of strength
The rebels say they want to replace the monarchy with a communist republic.
The Maoists have not commented on the allegations of taking hostages after the clashes in Bhojpur.
The fresh clash occurred less than a week after a rebel attack on the eastern hill district of Khotang.
At least five policemen were killed in the attack and 60 prisoners managed to escape after rebels broke into a jail, authorities said.
None of the prisoners were said to be Maoist cadres.
Correspondents say the attack appeared to have been intended as a show of strength by the rebels.
The attack came hours after the rebels said cadres had been ordered not to carry out 'physical attacks on unarmed people'.
King Gyanendra assumed direct control of Nepal on 1 February, dismissing parliament and accusing politicians of failing to tackle the Maoists." Sphere: Related Content
The commission has urged the rebels to free the hostages who it says were kidnapped after clashes on Wednesday.
Casualties were feared on both sides, but the authorities said they had not received any details.
Violence between the rebels and security forces has escalated in recent month.
More than 12,000 people have been killed in the 10-year Maoist insurgency in Nepal.
Show of strength
The rebels say they want to replace the monarchy with a communist republic.
The Maoists have not commented on the allegations of taking hostages after the clashes in Bhojpur.
The fresh clash occurred less than a week after a rebel attack on the eastern hill district of Khotang.
At least five policemen were killed in the attack and 60 prisoners managed to escape after rebels broke into a jail, authorities said.
None of the prisoners were said to be Maoist cadres.
Correspondents say the attack appeared to have been intended as a show of strength by the rebels.
The attack came hours after the rebels said cadres had been ordered not to carry out 'physical attacks on unarmed people'.
King Gyanendra assumed direct control of Nepal on 1 February, dismissing parliament and accusing politicians of failing to tackle the Maoists." Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
WB announces $32 million IDA grant to Nepal : HindustanTimes.com
Washington, June 22, 2005
The World Bank has announced a $32 million International Development Association grant to improve rural transport infrastructure and international services in Nepal.
With the approval on Tuesday of the grant to finance essential road infrastructure in rural areas, the World Bank, in collaboration with the Government of Nepal, hopes to address one of Nepal's main constraints to economic growth and poverty reduction: the poor access to markets and services needed by residents in remote, rural, and hilly areas.
An estimated 36 per cent of Nepal's 24 million people live at least two hours walk from the nearest all-season road where public transport services may be available.
The lack of access is more severe in hill districts. At least 15 of the 75 district headquarters are still not connected by road.
Sixty per cent of the road network in the country and almost all rural roads are dry-season tracks that cannot be operated during the rainy season.
'Access to services and economic opportunities have been among the top casualties of Nepal's ongoing conflict, especially in the remote rural hinterlands,' says Kenichi Ohashi, World Bank Country Director for Nepal.
'This project takes the conflict into account and, by design, intends to build partnerships and mobilise communities in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects that best serve their needs.'" Sphere: Related Content
The World Bank has announced a $32 million International Development Association grant to improve rural transport infrastructure and international services in Nepal.
With the approval on Tuesday of the grant to finance essential road infrastructure in rural areas, the World Bank, in collaboration with the Government of Nepal, hopes to address one of Nepal's main constraints to economic growth and poverty reduction: the poor access to markets and services needed by residents in remote, rural, and hilly areas.
An estimated 36 per cent of Nepal's 24 million people live at least two hours walk from the nearest all-season road where public transport services may be available.
The lack of access is more severe in hill districts. At least 15 of the 75 district headquarters are still not connected by road.
Sixty per cent of the road network in the country and almost all rural roads are dry-season tracks that cannot be operated during the rainy season.
'Access to services and economic opportunities have been among the top casualties of Nepal's ongoing conflict, especially in the remote rural hinterlands,' says Kenichi Ohashi, World Bank Country Director for Nepal.
'This project takes the conflict into account and, by design, intends to build partnerships and mobilise communities in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects that best serve their needs.'" Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Nepal rebels storm town, 5 dead
Binaj Gurubacharya in Kathmandu | June 20, 2005 14:17 IST
Hundreds of communist rebels killed five policemen, destroyed buildings, freed scores of inmates and took eight government employees hostage Monday during a raid on a remote town in the mountains of eastern Nepal, officials said.
An additional 12 policemen were missing and the bodies of at least two rebels were recovered after the clash in Diktel, about 200 km southeast of Kathmandu, officials reached by telephone said.
The 63 freed detainees included suspected rebels, but it was unclear how many, the officials said.
Rebel violence has escalated since King Gyanendra seized direct control over the government in February, which he said was necessary to quell the Maoist insurgency, which has left more than 11,500 dead over nine years.
The night-time attack on Diktel followed a pledge Sunday by rebel leader Prachanda not to target civilians in his group's violent campaign to replace Nepal's government with a communist regime.
The rebels two weeks earlier killed 38 people and injured 71 in a bomb attack on a civilian bus that was widely condemned, and which the rebels later said was a mistake.
In their statement sent late Sunday to news organizations, Prachanda said his fighters had strict orders to 'stop physical actions against all unarmed persons.'
In Diktel, the rebels destroyed six government buildings, including the local court house and district administration office, and freed all of the town's 63 inmates -- including rebel suspects -- from a jail, said the local military and government officials reached by phone.
They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals by the rebels.
The rebels also seized eight employees of the government's agriculture agency, which supplies farming equipment and seeds to the local farmers.
No other details of the attack were immediately available.
Rainfall was making it difficult for troops to reach the remote town. No roads link it with other districts and army helicopters were unable to land.
The rebels, who claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, began their violent campaign in 1996." Sphere: Related Content
Hundreds of communist rebels killed five policemen, destroyed buildings, freed scores of inmates and took eight government employees hostage Monday during a raid on a remote town in the mountains of eastern Nepal, officials said.
An additional 12 policemen were missing and the bodies of at least two rebels were recovered after the clash in Diktel, about 200 km southeast of Kathmandu, officials reached by telephone said.
The 63 freed detainees included suspected rebels, but it was unclear how many, the officials said.
Rebel violence has escalated since King Gyanendra seized direct control over the government in February, which he said was necessary to quell the Maoist insurgency, which has left more than 11,500 dead over nine years.
The night-time attack on Diktel followed a pledge Sunday by rebel leader Prachanda not to target civilians in his group's violent campaign to replace Nepal's government with a communist regime.
The rebels two weeks earlier killed 38 people and injured 71 in a bomb attack on a civilian bus that was widely condemned, and which the rebels later said was a mistake.
In their statement sent late Sunday to news organizations, Prachanda said his fighters had strict orders to 'stop physical actions against all unarmed persons.'
In Diktel, the rebels destroyed six government buildings, including the local court house and district administration office, and freed all of the town's 63 inmates -- including rebel suspects -- from a jail, said the local military and government officials reached by phone.
They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals by the rebels.
The rebels also seized eight employees of the government's agriculture agency, which supplies farming equipment and seeds to the local farmers.
No other details of the attack were immediately available.
Rainfall was making it difficult for troops to reach the remote town. No roads link it with other districts and army helicopters were unable to land.
The rebels, who claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, began their violent campaign in 1996." Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
ReliefWeb � Document Preview � Nepal's FM radios defy king's ban on news to broadcast report about him
KATHMANDU, June 15 (AFP) - More than two dozen private radio stations have defied a ban on news bulletins imposed when King Gyanendra grabbed power in Nepal in February -- to broadcast news about the king.
The FM stations cheekily used the occasion of Gyanendra's trip to Doha to test the government's seriousness about the ban, their representative said Wednesday, airing news of the royal visit on Monday and Tuesday.
Raghu Mainali, coordinator of the Movement to Save Independent Radio (MSIR), an alliance of private radios fighting the ban, said the two-to-four minute bulletins were broadcast by about 27 FM stations across the country in protest at the government's failure to meet radio station representatives to discuss the ban.
Apparently in a dilemma about how to punish stations broadcasting news of the king's visit to Qatar, the government has taken no action.
But the Communications and Information Ministry published a notice in local newspapers Wednesday warning that station owners would be punished if they continued to defy the rules.
Mainali said his group had managed to see officials from the ministry Wednesday and he was hopeful that formal talks between MSIR representatives and high-level officials would begin on Thursday.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists, the Forum for Environmental Journalists, the Nepal Press Institute and Media Service International have all expressed their solidarity with the MSIR.
Dozens of journalists have been rounded up by police but later released after staging protests in the last few weeks against the media restrictions, including the ban on radio broadcasts of news.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists says more than 2,000 reporters have lost their jobs since Gyanendra's power grab, with several news outlets shut down under a state of emergency that included press censorship.
The king lifted the state of emergency at the end of April but has continued to restrict press freedoms and the right to protest." Sphere: Related Content
The FM stations cheekily used the occasion of Gyanendra's trip to Doha to test the government's seriousness about the ban, their representative said Wednesday, airing news of the royal visit on Monday and Tuesday.
Raghu Mainali, coordinator of the Movement to Save Independent Radio (MSIR), an alliance of private radios fighting the ban, said the two-to-four minute bulletins were broadcast by about 27 FM stations across the country in protest at the government's failure to meet radio station representatives to discuss the ban.
Apparently in a dilemma about how to punish stations broadcasting news of the king's visit to Qatar, the government has taken no action.
But the Communications and Information Ministry published a notice in local newspapers Wednesday warning that station owners would be punished if they continued to defy the rules.
Mainali said his group had managed to see officials from the ministry Wednesday and he was hopeful that formal talks between MSIR representatives and high-level officials would begin on Thursday.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists, the Forum for Environmental Journalists, the Nepal Press Institute and Media Service International have all expressed their solidarity with the MSIR.
Dozens of journalists have been rounded up by police but later released after staging protests in the last few weeks against the media restrictions, including the ban on radio broadcasts of news.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists says more than 2,000 reporters have lost their jobs since Gyanendra's power grab, with several news outlets shut down under a state of emergency that included press censorship.
The king lifted the state of emergency at the end of April but has continued to restrict press freedoms and the right to protest." Sphere: Related Content
Monday, June 13, 2005
Reuters AlertNet - At least 14 killed in fresh Nepal clash
13 Jun 2005 13:39:36 GMT
KATHMANDU, June 13 (Reuters) - At least 14 rebels and security force members were killed in a gunbattle on Monday in Nepal, where Maoist insurgents are fighting to overthrow the monarchy and set up a single-party communist republic.
Soldiers recovered the bodies of six guerrillas after the fighting at Ghartichhap -- 100 km (60 miles) east of the Himalayan kingdom's capital, Kathmandu -- while six soldiers and two policemen were also killed, an army officer said.
'A massive search operation is under way. More rebels might have died in the fighting,' the officer said without giving details.
At least 12,000 people have died in the nine-year Maoist revolt that has plunged the world's only Hindu kingdom into turmoil.
King Gyanendra sacked the government and seized power in February, saying politicians had failed to bring peace or stability. He also imposed strict curbs on journalists reporting the conflict.
In Kathmandu, at least 50 journalists were detained and three wounded on Monday when police broke up a protest rally demanding the restoration of media freedom.
Despite the king's seizure of power, there has been no let-up in the violence.
Last week the Maoists set off a powerful landmine under a packed bus, killing 38 passengers and wounding another 72 in the worst attack on the civilians since their revolt began in 1996.
The rebels later apologised for the blast, saying they had been aiming for a passing army convoy instead." Sphere: Related Content
KATHMANDU, June 13 (Reuters) - At least 14 rebels and security force members were killed in a gunbattle on Monday in Nepal, where Maoist insurgents are fighting to overthrow the monarchy and set up a single-party communist republic.
Soldiers recovered the bodies of six guerrillas after the fighting at Ghartichhap -- 100 km (60 miles) east of the Himalayan kingdom's capital, Kathmandu -- while six soldiers and two policemen were also killed, an army officer said.
'A massive search operation is under way. More rebels might have died in the fighting,' the officer said without giving details.
At least 12,000 people have died in the nine-year Maoist revolt that has plunged the world's only Hindu kingdom into turmoil.
King Gyanendra sacked the government and seized power in February, saying politicians had failed to bring peace or stability. He also imposed strict curbs on journalists reporting the conflict.
In Kathmandu, at least 50 journalists were detained and three wounded on Monday when police broke up a protest rally demanding the restoration of media freedom.
Despite the king's seizure of power, there has been no let-up in the violence.
Last week the Maoists set off a powerful landmine under a packed bus, killing 38 passengers and wounding another 72 in the worst attack on the civilians since their revolt began in 1996.
The rebels later apologised for the blast, saying they had been aiming for a passing army convoy instead." Sphere: Related Content
Friday, June 10, 2005
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Nepal Maoists abduct journalist
The rebels have abducted several journalists in the past
Maoist rebels in Nepal have abducted a journalist, Bikram Giri, a Nepalese newspaper says.
The Kantipur newspaper says Mr Giri was on a reporting assignment last week when he was taken from a remote village near the Indian border.
There has been no reaction from the rebels as yet.
But correspondents say the rebels have abducted several journalists in the past, on the suspicion that they were spying for government forces.
Kantipur editor Narayan Wagle says Mr Giri has been out of touch ever since he left for his trip.
Bishnu Nisthuri, president of the Federation of Nepalese journalists, said the rebels publicly pledge to respect media freedom but rarely live up to their commitment.
'We demand that the rebels immediately free the abducted journalist and respect rights of the media,' he is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Media under pressure
The report of the abduction comes a day after the government freed more than 50 journalist detained a day earlier while demonstrating against curbs on press freedom.
King Gyanendra introduced restrictions on reporting after assuming direct control of the country in February.
Under the new guidelines, criticism of the king, the government and the security forces is banned.
Around 12,000 people have died since the rebels launched an armed struggle 10 years ago to establish a communist state in the world's only Hindu kingdom." Sphere: Related Content
Maoist rebels in Nepal have abducted a journalist, Bikram Giri, a Nepalese newspaper says.
The Kantipur newspaper says Mr Giri was on a reporting assignment last week when he was taken from a remote village near the Indian border.
There has been no reaction from the rebels as yet.
But correspondents say the rebels have abducted several journalists in the past, on the suspicion that they were spying for government forces.
Kantipur editor Narayan Wagle says Mr Giri has been out of touch ever since he left for his trip.
Bishnu Nisthuri, president of the Federation of Nepalese journalists, said the rebels publicly pledge to respect media freedom but rarely live up to their commitment.
'We demand that the rebels immediately free the abducted journalist and respect rights of the media,' he is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
Media under pressure
The report of the abduction comes a day after the government freed more than 50 journalist detained a day earlier while demonstrating against curbs on press freedom.
King Gyanendra introduced restrictions on reporting after assuming direct control of the country in February.
Under the new guidelines, criticism of the king, the government and the security forces is banned.
Around 12,000 people have died since the rebels launched an armed struggle 10 years ago to establish a communist state in the world's only Hindu kingdom." Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
100 women dance naked for rain in Nepal village
June 07, 2005 15:01 IST
More than 100 women danced naked in a remote mountainous village in Nepal hoping the gods will be pleased and give them rain, a news report said on Tuesday.
The women gathered at a local school, smeared their faces with black powder and danced naked last week at Darbang village, about 280 km west of the capital Kathmandu.
'People in this area believe Mahadev (Hindu god) will be happy and provide rain once women perform such a nude dance,' The Kathmandu Post quoted a local teacher as saying.
Weather forecasters said the monsoon rain needed for crops has been delayed in the region this year." Sphere: Related Content
More than 100 women danced naked in a remote mountainous village in Nepal hoping the gods will be pleased and give them rain, a news report said on Tuesday.
The women gathered at a local school, smeared their faces with black powder and danced naked last week at Darbang village, about 280 km west of the capital Kathmandu.
'People in this area believe Mahadev (Hindu god) will be happy and provide rain once women perform such a nude dance,' The Kathmandu Post quoted a local teacher as saying.
Weather forecasters said the monsoon rain needed for crops has been delayed in the region this year." Sphere: Related Content
Monday, June 06, 2005
Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | 37 killed in Nepal as bus hits mine
Associated Press
Monday June 6, 2005
At least 37 people were killed and dozens wounded today when a crowded bus detonated a landmine believed to have been planted by communist rebels in southern Nepal.
The bus was travelling on a road near the village of Badarmude when the explosion ripped it apart, an army official said.
Thirty-seven people died and 72 were wounded, some critically. Doctors at a local hospital were overwhelmed, unable to perform surgery on so many people, local reporters said.
Police suspect the landmine was planted by Maoist rebels, who have been fighting since 1996 to abolish Nepal's monarchy and set up a communist state.
The guerrillas stepped up the violence after February 1, when King Gyanendra took control of the government and imposed a state of emergency that was lifted in April.
Government troops moved in after the blast, searching for rebels and taking control of the area, which lies 112 miles south-west of the capital, Kathmandu.
"There was a small bang and then our bus was thrown in the air. The bus was ripped into pieces and many people were killed," one passenger, Khum Bahadur Gurung, 62, told the Associated Press from his hospital bed.
Another eyewitness, Surya Gurung, 20, said the bus had been crowded, with nearly 100 people on board.
More than 11,500 people have been killed in the communist insurgency to date. Sphere: Related Content
Monday June 6, 2005
At least 37 people were killed and dozens wounded today when a crowded bus detonated a landmine believed to have been planted by communist rebels in southern Nepal.
The bus was travelling on a road near the village of Badarmude when the explosion ripped it apart, an army official said.
Thirty-seven people died and 72 were wounded, some critically. Doctors at a local hospital were overwhelmed, unable to perform surgery on so many people, local reporters said.
Police suspect the landmine was planted by Maoist rebels, who have been fighting since 1996 to abolish Nepal's monarchy and set up a communist state.
The guerrillas stepped up the violence after February 1, when King Gyanendra took control of the government and imposed a state of emergency that was lifted in April.
Government troops moved in after the blast, searching for rebels and taking control of the area, which lies 112 miles south-west of the capital, Kathmandu.
"There was a small bang and then our bus was thrown in the air. The bus was ripped into pieces and many people were killed," one passenger, Khum Bahadur Gurung, 62, told the Associated Press from his hospital bed.
Another eyewitness, Surya Gurung, 20, said the bus had been crowded, with nearly 100 people on board.
More than 11,500 people have been killed in the communist insurgency to date. Sphere: Related Content
Saturday, June 04, 2005
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Lawyer rally broken up in Nepal
Lawyer rally broken up in Nepal
Lawyers say rule by decree has replaced the rule of law
Nepalese police have stopped lawyers protesting against the king's seizure of power from marching on his palace.
Nepal's Bar Association said three lawyers received minor injuries when police baton-charged demonstrators in Kathmandu, but no-one was arrested.
Up to 1,500 lawyers marched demanding the restoration of civil liberties suspended after the royal takeover.
The royal palace is in one of the areas that the authorities have declared off-limits to demonstrators.
Mock parliament
When the lawyers tried to move towards the palace police blocked them and, the Bar Association's president said, beat some of them with bamboo batons.
The disturbances came a day after hundreds of lawyers at a national conference accused the king and his government of undermining the constitution and the independence of the judiciary.
They said rule by decree had replaced the rule of law.
On the same day, seven political parties opposed to the king staged a big mock session of the dissolved parliament, calling for it to be restored.
The king says his takeover was constitutional and necessary to combat a 10-year-old Maoist insurgency and corrupt politicians.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says the legal system in Nepal does retain independence - since February the Supreme Court has challenged many of the royal authority's actions.
But he says many lawyers have been dismayed by the chief justice's open and firm support for the royal takeover." Sphere: Related Content
Lawyers say rule by decree has replaced the rule of law
Nepalese police have stopped lawyers protesting against the king's seizure of power from marching on his palace.
Nepal's Bar Association said three lawyers received minor injuries when police baton-charged demonstrators in Kathmandu, but no-one was arrested.
Up to 1,500 lawyers marched demanding the restoration of civil liberties suspended after the royal takeover.
The royal palace is in one of the areas that the authorities have declared off-limits to demonstrators.
Mock parliament
When the lawyers tried to move towards the palace police blocked them and, the Bar Association's president said, beat some of them with bamboo batons.
The disturbances came a day after hundreds of lawyers at a national conference accused the king and his government of undermining the constitution and the independence of the judiciary.
They said rule by decree had replaced the rule of law.
On the same day, seven political parties opposed to the king staged a big mock session of the dissolved parliament, calling for it to be restored.
The king says his takeover was constitutional and necessary to combat a 10-year-old Maoist insurgency and corrupt politicians.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says the legal system in Nepal does retain independence - since February the Supreme Court has challenged many of the royal authority's actions.
But he says many lawyers have been dismayed by the chief justice's open and firm support for the royal takeover." Sphere: Related Content
Friday, June 03, 2005
Heat wave claims five lives in Nepal
Kathmandu, June 2 (PTI): At least five persons have died due to the intense heat wave conditions in Dhanusha district of Nepal even as the capital recorded an 11 year high of 35 degrees celsius, official sources today said.
Those who died of the hit wave included a 15 year-old boy as well as a 60 year-old man, the sources were quoted as saying by the National News Agency.
With day temperatures hovering around 43 degrees celsius, normal life in southern Nepal towns including Hetauda, Birgunj and Janakpur has been disrupted. In Kathmandu, the mercury hit 35 degrees celsius yesterday.
Weather department sources said the dry spell would continue till the third week of June." Sphere: Related Content
Those who died of the hit wave included a 15 year-old boy as well as a 60 year-old man, the sources were quoted as saying by the National News Agency.
With day temperatures hovering around 43 degrees celsius, normal life in southern Nepal towns including Hetauda, Birgunj and Janakpur has been disrupted. In Kathmandu, the mercury hit 35 degrees celsius yesterday.
Weather department sources said the dry spell would continue till the third week of June." Sphere: Related Content
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