REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar

A Nepali father rings the bell with his child at Bhagawati temple in the capital Kathmandu while observing Dasain festival October 9, 2005.

Nepalis are celebrating the biggest Hindu religious festival for ten days with all the government offices, education centres and other businesses closed during this period, as they celebrate the victory over evil worshipping Goddess Durga Bhawani.

A three month unilateral ceasefire announced by the Maoist rebels has added enthusiasm among the celebrants.

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Nepali girls enjoy playing on a swing in Tinkune, in the capital Kathmandu, October 8, 2005. Nepal is celebrating the Hindu festival of Dasain, one of the biggest festivals in the country, during which government offices and many other businesses remain closed for a period of 10 days to celebrate the biggest Hindu religious function depicting the victory of good over evil. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar

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EU warned of possible Nepal collapse

KATMANDU, Nepal, Oct. 6 (UPI)

Tom Phillips, leader of the delegation, told the BBC that failure of constitutional forces could lead to a breakdown of government institutions.

King Gyanendra seized direct power in February saying politicians had failed to tackle a Maoist the insurgency.

The EU team also accused the Maoists of recruiting child soldiers despite calling a cease-fire last month.

"We are greatly concerned that unless all involved move quickly to address the country's problems effectively, there is a strong risk of political collapse in Nepal," Phillips said at the end of a three-day visit.

He urged the Nepalese government to reach out to the political parties to return to multiparty democracy.

Phillips said the government and security forces must combat what they called the "culture of impunity" on human rights violations. But, he told Maoist rebels the EU rejected the use of violence.

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The Hindu News | India to discuss tiger poaching with Nepal, China

New Delhi, Oct 7. (PTI): Concerned over reports of sale of Indian wildlife articles like tiger and leopard skins in China and Nepal, India on Thursday decided to take up the issue with the two countries through diplomatic channels.

"The Minister of State for Environment is expected to visit China shortly to personally take up the issue with the Chinese authorities and request them to act urgently on the matter," Prime Minister's Media Advisor Sanjaya Baru said in a press statement here.

He said responding to reports from environment organisations regarding sale of tiger and leopard skins in countries along the northern border, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has "directed that the issue be taken up with the authorities in China and Nepal through diplomatic channels".

The Prime Minister has also directed that a detailed proposal for a National Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (NWCCB) be placed before the Union Cabinet by the third week of this month.

It has been decided that the Environment and Forests Ministry would immediately organize training of the staff of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Sashakta Suraksha Bal, the Border Security Force and Customs, who man the routes along the northern border which open into China and Nepal, for detection of cross-border trade in wildlife articles, Baru said.

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73 Maoist rebels surrender in Nepal

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Posted online: Thursday, October 06, 2005 at 0000 hours IST

KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 5: Seventy-Three Maoist rebels have surrendered to civilian authorities in Nepal in two separate incidents, a media report has said. ‘‘Of them, 68 Maoists surrendered to the district administration in Gulmi regretting their past acts of terror and violence and committed themselves to peaceful life,’’ state-run Radio Nepal said, quoting security sources. ‘‘Five rebels have surrendered in Dhading district,’’ the radio added. Meanwhile, a Royal Nepalese Army soldier was killed in Hetauda in Makawanpur district yesterday when he accidentally shot himself with his own gun, a senior officer said. In another incident, Maoists shot dead a civilian in Rautahat district. The victim’s mother was also attacked by them with sharp weapons and sustained injuries.

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AFP/File - Wed Oct 5, 5:35 AM ET
(AFP/File/John McHugh)

British rockstar Elton John has donated 25,000 pounds to Nepal's only gay rights group, the Blue Diamond Society, to help fight HIV in the Himalayan nation.

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EU team meets political leaders in Nepal

Kathmandu, Oct 5.(PTI): The visiting European Union (EU) delegation today held talks with leaders of political parties of Nepal in connection with King Gyanendra's February seizure of power and efforts to restore democracy in the Himalayan Kingdom.

The delegation, led by Tom Phillip, director for South Asia and Afghanistan at the UK Foreign and Common Wealth Office, will prepare a detailed report on Nepal, which will be the basis for EU's development assistance and other cooperation to Kathmandu.

The delegates has begun consultations with Nepalese political parties, government officials and members of civil society regarding the King's power grab, efforts to restore democracy and the Maoist problem, Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader Prakash Sharan Mahat said.

The EU is one of the major donor groups helping Nepal's development efforts.

The delegation last year visited Nepal when Sher Bahadur Deuba was the Prime Minister and increased assistance to Nepal from earlier 17 million Euro to 120 million Euro after assessing the situation, said Mahat, Foreign Minister in the deposed Deuba cabinet.

But following the February move, the EU did not release the additional assistance to Nepal.

During their brief stay in Nepal the Troika will hold meeting with Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, Nepal Communist Party-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, King Gyanendra's deputy Tulsi Giri, high officials of the Royal Nepalese Army and Nepal Police and leading human rights activists, said sources in the UK Embassy, which is currently heading the EU's Nepal mission.

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AFP/File - Tue Oct 4,12:27 AM ET

Nepalese soldiers. The mother of a teenaged girl killed while in military custody in Nepal demanded the soldiers responsible be tried in a civilian court after a military tribunal sentenced them to only six months in jail.
(AFP/File/Devendra M. Singh)

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Nepal govt has not fulfilled Human Rights Commitment:UN

Posted on 04 Oct 2005 # UNI

Kathmandu : Nepal's government has not fulfilled its own commitments on human rights expressed at the United Nations, a senior UN official based in the country said.

''There is gap between the commitment and its implementation,'' Ian Martin, the representative of the Office of the UN Human Rights Commission said at a function here, The Kathmandu Post today reported.
The official was referring to the government's 28-point commitment to human rights and international humanitarian law.
He alleged that the government had not implemented its commitment that arrested individuals will be informed of the reasons for their arrest.
''Also no steps are being taken to informing the whereabouts of individuals in detention to their family members and allow the detainees to talk to family members and lawyers,'' he said, noting that ''the government had committed itself to respect the orders of the judiciary or other suitable orders vis-а-vis habeas corpus and effective remedies.'' ''The government has also reneged on its pledge not to torture an accused, physically and mentally in the process of investigation.Besides, as per the commitment, the government had assured that the exercise of the right to assemble peacefully without arms would be permitted in an unobstructed way,'' Mr Martin warned that '''if peaceful means failed, UN member states were ready to take collective action.'' ''It is hard to find causes for optimism looking around the world. However, the global trends of accountability, and the responsibility to protect civilians, sovereignty notwithstanding, offer hope,'' he note.He reiterated the UN stance that it is important for political conflicts to be settled peacefully rather than by taking up arms.Mr Martin quoted UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour as saying that rulers and dictators who thought themselves immune are today facing trial.

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AP - Sun Oct 2,11:38 AM ET

Senior Maoist leaders Suresh Ale Magar, left, and Matrika Prasad Yadav, right, come out from a court at Patan, on the outskirts of Katmandu, Nepal, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2005. A court in Nepal began taking a statement from Yadav on Sunday, 20 months after he was arrested and held in isolation. The government, under pressure from the courts and rights activists, allowed the men to appear before the Lalitpur Appellate Court. Yadav is considered one of the top leaders of the Maoist rebels, who have been fighting since 1996 for a communist state.

(AP Photo/Binod Joshi)

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Guerrillas abduct 333 civilians in eastern Nepal

www.chinaview.cn 2005-10-03 16:17:01

KATHMANDU, Oct. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- The anti-government guerrillas of Nepal have abducted 333 civilians from different villages of a eastern district of Nepal, local government office confirmed here Monday.

"The guerrillas abducted them from Bharapa, Subhang, Panchami, Tharpu, Yoyang and Nagi villages of Panchthar district, some 500 km east of Kathmandu," District Administration Office said in a press statement.

The guerrillas took civilians to unidentified locations, the statement noted, adding, "The abducted, mainly between 17 and 35 years of age, included teachers, students and farmers from various parts of the district."

The guerrillas force the civilians, teachers and students to take part in their "ideological" programs and usually free them after a few days unharmed.

Meanwhile, 60 guerrillas have surrendered before the District Administration Office of western Gulmi district and mid-western Jumla district, state-owned Radio Nepal said Monday.

A total of 60 guerrillas including the heads of the self-styled"local peoples' governments" and some members of the militia force of the guerrillas outfit surrendered in Gulmi district, some 400 km west of Kathmandu.

Similarly, six guerrillas have surrendered in Jumla district, some 700 km west of Kathmandu.

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Jet Airways bomb hoax triggers panic in Nepal

	Sudeshna Sarkar (IANS) Kathmandu, September 29, 2005|00:05 IST A message received at Nepal's only international airport of a bomb in a Jet Airways flight from India on Thursday turned out to be a hoax. But the incident triggered panic and scary memories. The memory of an Indian aircraft hijacked from Kathmandu in 1999 was revived at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport here when the airport authorities received a message that an Indian aircraft flying in from New Delhi had a bomb in it. There was alarm at the airport as the aircraft belonging to private Indian airline Jet Airways, carrying 115 passengers and nine cabin crew, flew in. The authorities activated all security agencies, along with the fire brigade, a rescue squad and emergency services, and the Boeing 737 was made to land at the airport at 1.40 pm. After the landing, it was parked separately, passengers were evacuated and their belongings unloaded. However, the threat turned out to be a hoax with nothing suspicious being discovered on board. Ultimately, the aircraft was released for its regular flight to New Delhi at 5 pm. The authorities did not say immediately how they received information about a possible bomb.

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Reuters - Fri Sep 30, 8:41 AM ET

Communist Party of India (Marxist) member Sitaram Yechuri from India attends a news conference in Kathmandu before leaving for India September 30, 2005. The Indian politicians are in Nepal to express their solidarity with Nepal's democratic movement and assess the political situation.

REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar

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War-displaced people suffer from disease in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Sept. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Epidemics have broken out in a camp for people displaced by violence in two villages of mid-western district of Nepal, a local health worker said here Friday.

"The displaced people are suffering from diarrhea, typhoid and other water borne diseases for the past few weeks in Kiranlal and Rajhena villages of Banke district, some 600 km west of Kathmandu," said Manjan Shahi, assistant health worker, who has been providing free health service for the conflict-displaced people living at the camps.

The health of some 50-60 patients are examined everyday and many of them are found to be suffering from typhoid, fever and skin diseases, Shahi noted.

"The epidemic has mostly affected the children due to lack of cleanliness and the camp-dwellers have no money to visit a hospital located just 2 km away," according to Shahi.

"At least one member of each of the 216 families living in the camps has fallen sick," Shahi revealed.

Recently, the Himalayan Foundation, a non-government organization, had provided medicines worth 165,000 Nepali rupees (2357.14 US dollars), but there lacked of proper management, Shahi noted.

Disruption of food supply to the displaced people for a long time has further aggravated their problems, Shahi added.

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AFP/File - Thu Sep 29,12:28 AM ET
The death toll from landslides triggered by floods in western Nepal has risen to 51, and rescue workers fear the toll may rise further, police said.(AFP/File/Devendra M. Singh)   Sphere: Related Content

Indian delegation meets Nepal opposition leaders

September 29, 2005 16:30 IST

The current political situation in Nepal and restoration of multi-party democracy in the Kingdom figured in talks the visiting five-party delegation led by Communist Party of India Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury had with top opposition leaders in Kathmandu on Thursday.

Nepal seeks Indian help for resuming democracy

The delegation met Nepalese Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala. The current political situation, peace initiatives and the ongoing movement for restoration of democracy mainly featured during the discussion, Nepali Congress chief office secretary Basanta Gautam said.

They also met Nepal Communist Party-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and other senior leaders of the party at the CPN-UML's office at Balkhu, party sources said. The discussion covered a wide range of issues, including the problems faced by both the countries, said CPN-UML standing committee member Bamdev Gautam. "Our discussions mainly focussed on the ongoing movement for restoration of democracy," he said, adding the Indian leaders extended their solidarity and full support to Nepal's democracy movement.

Victory for Nepal king at UN

The delegation was greeted with black-flag demonstrations and stone-pelting by hundreds of pro-monarchy activists upon its arrival here on Wednesday. No one was injured in the attack. Sphere: Related Content

Political activists belonging to the seven major political parties shout anti-monarch slogans at Chhetrapati, in the Nepali capital Kathmandu September 27, 2005. Democratic forces in Nepal have been fighting to re-establish the democracy in the country since February.

REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar

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Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Nepal's Army Says Rebels Abduct Hundreds

Tuesday September 27, 2005 3:31 PM

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA

Associated Press Writer

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - Communist rebels have abducted hundreds of villagers, students and teachers, apparently forcing them to attend rallies and indoctrination sessions in remote areas of the mountain kingdom, the army said Tuesday.

The fate of those abducted wasn't immediately clear, but victims of such kidnappings are usually released after spending a few days being lectured about the rebels' struggle to overthrow Nepal's constitutional monarchy.

Rebel violence in Nepal has escalated since King Gyanendra seized control of the government in February. The king said the measure was necessary to quell the communist insurgency, which has left more than 11,500 people dead since 1996.

The rebels, who claim to be inspired by Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong, declared cease-fires in 2001 and 2003, but negotiations with the government failed both times.

At least 230 students and teachers were taken Sunday from the village of Himchadhari, about 375 miles northwest of Katmandu, the army said in a statement.

The same weekend, rebels kidnapped another 500 people in neighboring Gaira village and several villages in the remote mountains of Baitadi district to the south, the statement said.

``The terrorists are continuing murder, terror, kidnapping, looting and similar activities,'' the army said.

The Maoist rebels did not immediately respond to the army's statement.

The mass abductions came despite the guerrillas' promise not to go after civilians during a unilateral cease-fire they declared Sept. 3.

Rebels said the cease-fire was intended to allow for a resumption of peace talks. The insurgents said they would defend their positions during the cease-fire but not attack any government officials or civilians.

However, human rights groups have accused the insurgents of taking hostages, and the abductions are the latest sign that little has changed for the vast majority of Nepalese.

In fresh violence over the weekend, the army said soldiers killed at least eight rebels in two separate incidents - the first reported violence since the cease-fire was announced.

The rebels claimed their fighters were arrested and then executed while the army said soldiers on patrol came under attack and the rebels were killed in ensuing gun battles.

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Support for Nepal's king vanishing - World - The Washington Times,

WORLD BRIEFINGS
By Chitra Tiwari
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
September 24, 2005

Nearly eight months after the royal coup of Feb. 1, Nepal's King Gyanendra is increasingly losing support as major parliamentary parties turn their backs on "constitutional monarchy" and prepare for a showdown against the king in alliance with the Maoist rebels.
On Sept. 1, the Nepali Congress (NC), the country's oldest and largest political party, removed from its charter its 60-year-old written pledge to uphold constitutional monarchy, though it left room to return to the former policy if the king agreed to remain a ceremonial monarch. But the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML), which gave conditional support to monarchy in 1990, decided clearly in favor of a "democratic republic."
Maoists call cease-fire
Analysts say the countdown for the Republic of Nepal appears to have begun in earnest.
In response to a request by the parliamentary parties to stop violence to pave the way for a party-Maoist alliance, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) declared a three-month unilateral cease-fire on Sept. 3. The Maoist party spokesman, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, made it clear his party's announcement was not aimed at opening negotiations with the king.
The leaders of the seven-party alliance, including Girija Prasad Koirala of the NC and Madhav Kumar Nepal of the UML immediately welcomed the Maoist unilateral cease-fire and urged them to return to peaceful politics.
The statement by Maoist leader Prachanda declaring the truce warned of renewed hostilities if the royal regime expands its military bases and keeps up its offensive. It also endorsed an interim government and elections to a constituent assembly as the only way to establish a "democratic republic," welcomed the NC and UML moves toward republican democracy, and voiced hopes that the truce would spur political powers, including the United Nations, to take new steps for reforms in Nepal.
King urged to reciprocate
The Maoist statement, however, advised the seven-party alliance that their demand for reinstating the parliament dissolved in October 2002 would not help solve the country's problems — "It would only give the palace an opportunity to conspire."
The international community welcomed the Maoists' unilateral cease-fire and urged the royal government to reciprocate.
India, which has an important stake in neighbor Nepal, issued a statement in New Delhi Sept. 5 saying the Indian government hoped the cease-fire announced by the Maoist rebels would create an environment in which the peace process could begin.
Interestingly, the Indian government statement was silent regarding its previous emphasis on a "twin-pillar theory" designed to bring the monarchy and parliamentary parties together to fight the Maoist rebels.
World voices hope
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the cease-fire Sept. 5 and expressed hope "all sides in Nepal will take measures which will lead to peace talks and the lasting peace the people of Nepal crave and deserve." He also repeated his offer of a United Nations role in searching for a peaceful solution, if the Nepali parties agreed.
A statement issued by the British Embassy in Katmandu in the name of the European Union on Sept. 7 welcomed the unilateral cease-fire and asked the government of Nepal to respond positively to the truce announcement in order to ensure a durable, negotiated solution.
The U.S. response to Maoist cease-fire, however, was belated and guarded.
"The United States welcomes any measures taken to reduce the violence in Nepal," said U.S. Ambassador James Moriarty on Thursday in Katmandu, but he cautioned "not to expect too much from the truce," adding that "the Maoists should show their commitment not only in words but in action."
The government of King Gyanendra, despite the overwhelming approval for the Maoists' unilateral cease-fire and calls for a similar response, did not reciprocate, saying the rebels cannot be trusted and that the cease-fire is only a ploy to regroup and rearm.
Consequences are many
The unilateral cease-fire of the Maoists killed many birds with one stone.
First, the rebels won popular appreciation for stopping the violence during the season of Hindu festivities.
Second, the rebels received a broad welcome from the political parties.
Third, many foreign governments and international organizations with stakes in Nepal welcomed the Maoist rebel move and turned their pressure on the royal government to reciprocate.
Fourth, the cease-fire spoiled King Gyanendra's plan to address the United Nations General Assembly to win favor by portraying his actions in Nepal as being for peace and against terrorism.
U.N. visit canceled
The king was to have addressed the General Assembly on Sept. 16, but his visit was abruptly canceled in view of the developing political situation in Nepal following the Maoists' unilateral cease-fire, as well as the cold shoulder the monarch was accorded by the international community.
Sources say diplomats from Katmandu's royal court failed to schedule a one-on-one meeting for King Gyanendra with President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Mr. Annan.
Adding to the international rebuff to King Gyanendra was the injury from the domestic opposition. The opposition seven-party alliance appealed to Mr. Annan on Sept. 6 not to recognize the Nepali king's legitimacy, saying he was going there to mislead the international community into thinking that he was fighting "terrorism" like Messrs. Bush and Blair, and that he deserved a lifting of the arms embargo imposed on Nepal after the Feb. 1 royal coup.
Army desertions rise
The Royal Nepal Army's ability to control the insurgency remains questionable in view of its past performance. Besides, sources close to Indian military intelligence say the RNA is suffering from desertion, if not defections to the Maoist side, of 200 to 300 soldiers per month.
The RNA suffers from a lack of ammunition because its suppliers — India, Britain and the United States — continue the arms embargo they imposed after the Feb. 1 royal coup. The Bush administration, silent about the Maoist cease-fire without asking the king to reciprocate, informed the royal government through its embassy in Katmandu early this month that $5 million worth of military assistance to Nepal proposed for fiscal year 2005-06 will not be forthcoming.
There are unsubstantiated reports that the RNA is obtaining ammunition from the Israelis and has proposed a deal with China for $22.5 million worth of arms, ammunition and other military hardware — which if true, must have raised eyebrows in New Delhi and Washington.
Charges of "terrorism," issued to ostracize the rebels, have failed to achieve their intended purpose as all political parties condemn King Gyanendra's effort to centralize power in his own hands. Analysts say the increasingly isolated royal regime is pursuing a military solution to the problem of the Maoist insurgency against the advice of many of its international backers and well wishers. The analysts also complain that the actions of the royal regime since the Feb. 1 takeover has eliminated the possibility of a peaceful solution of a deadly conflict that has already taken more than 13,000 lives.
• Chitra Tiwari, a former lecturer of political science at Nepal's Tribhuvan University, is a Washington-based freelance analyst of international affairs specializing in South Asia. He can be reached by e-mail addressed to cktiwari@verizon.net. Sphere: Related Content

Nepal's Leader Pledges Elections - New York Times

Narendra Shrestha/European Pressphoto Agency

In the Katmandu suburb Lalitpur Thursday, King Gyanendra and Queen Komal became Nepal's first royals to walk among the people.

By SOMINI SENGUPTA
Published: September 23, 2005

NEW DELHI, Sept. 22 - With thousands of protesters on the streets of Katmandu in Nepal's version of a Prague spring, the government of King Gyanendra promised this week to hold elections and described its commitment to democracy as "unflinching."

Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly late Wednesday, Nepal's foreign minister, Ramesh Nath Pandey, said local elections could be held next April and national parliamentary elections by April 2008. Although the king has repeatedly said he believes in an elected system of government, Mr. Pandey's comments offered the most specific timetable for elections.

Mr. Pandey said that the king had made a commitment to "re-energize multiparty democratic institutions by restoring sustainable peace and making democracy meaningful, matured, cultured and refined."

King Gyanendra removed the elected Parliament more than two years ago and assumed absolute control over Nepal's affairs in February by declaring emergency rule. At the time, the palace said that he had acted after politicians had failed to crush a Maoist insurgency because they were corrupt and ineffective.

Emergency rule has been lifted, but many restrictions on civil liberties remain, and Nepal, with about 23 million people, continues to be ruled by a hand-picked palace cabinet.

A coalition of seven political parties has been demanding reinstatement of the last elected Parliament. Early this month, the Maoists declared a unilateral cease-fire, though independent news reports suggest that forced recruitment and indoctrination for their forces continue.

Critics questioned the king's promises and how elections could be held. "The present regime has lost control, or does not sufficiently dominate, large areas of the country, and holding a credible election - with adequate security to candidates and poll officials - does not appear likely," said Ajai Sahni, of the Institute for Conflict Management in Delhi. "Dictators and autocrats are constantly trying to buy time for themselves by reassuring the international community that they cling to power only because they wish to restore 'complete democracy' at some constantly deferred moment in the future, even as they continue to undermine and destroy democratic institutions and processes in the present."

King Gyanendra was scheduled to attend the United Nations session but sent his foreign minister instead, as the heads of Nepal's embittered parties sent a stinging letter to the secretary general, Kofi Annan. "The present royal regime and its political representatives have no competence, authority and legitimacy to represent and speak on behalf of the sovereign people of Nepal," it said.

"The lasting peace can only be achieved through dialogue based on trust and confidence," Mr. Pandey told the General Assembly. "But any overture must be credible and sincere enough to dispel all doubts and suspicions surrounding it."

Renewed protests have gone on for two weeks, with hundreds of arrests and the United Nations' human rights agency accusing the police of using excessive force against protesters and torturing prisoners.

Gen. Ashok K. Mehta, a retired Indian Army officer who watches Nepali politics, said Mr. Pandey's comments showed the government had "painted itself in the corner."

Protests by all sections of society "represent the unfortunate struggle between the royal regime and the people of Nepal," General Mehta said by e-mail. "In his bid to grab absolute power, King Gyanendra risks losing all, including the royal dynasty." Sphere: Related Content

Nepali women clad in traditional farmer dresses wait for King Gyanendra to arrive at Patan in the capital Kathmandu September 22, 2005 Sphere: Related Content

Xinhua | Guerrillas abduct 2,000 civilians in far-western Nepal: official

KATHMANDU, Sept. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- The anti-government guerrillas have abducted at least 2,000 civilians in a far-western district of Nepal, local government office confirmed here Thursday.

"At least 2,000 civilians, most of them teachers and students, have been abducted in a week from remote villages of Achham district, some 700 km west of Kathmandu," District Administrative Office said in a press statement.

The guerrillas started abducting civilians from Saturday, the statement noted, adding, "The guerrillas abducted students and teachers of 30 schools located in different remote villages including Yalsa, Bayalpata, Barala, Binayak, Dhaku, Durmakada and Hirma of the district."

Meanwhile, the guerrillas have also abducted one member each of a family from 40 villages of the district.

"The guerrillas took the civilians towards an undisclosed location," the statement quoted the locals as saying.

This is the biggest incident of abduction by the guerrillas since they declared a unilateral ceasefire on Sept. 3.

The guerrillas often force the civilians, teachers and students to take part in their "ideological" programs and usually free them after a few days unharmed. Sphere: Related Content

Nepal police arrest 80 journalists staging press freedom protest

8 minutes ago

KATHMANDU (AFP) - Nepalese police arrested 80 journalists who staged a demonstration demanding the restoration of press freedom in the country which has been shaken by a wave of pro-democracy protests.

The journalists were arrested because they staged the demonstration in a central area of the capital Kathmandu where protests have been banned since King Gyanendra seized power in February, police said on Friday.

Although a number of journalists have been arrested in the wake of the king's takeover, this marked the largest single roundup.

"The journalists violated the prohibition law and this forced our men to clear them from the prohibited area. In this process, we arrested 80 journalists," a police inspector told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He declined further comment.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists said those arrested included the group's chairman, Buishnu Nishthuri, and Rishi Dhamala, president of the Reporters Club.

"Over a dozen journalists were injured in the police baton charge," federation general secretary Mahendra Bista told AFP.

An AFP photographer Devendra Man Singh was beaten over the head while covering the protest and needed stitches.

Thousands of people have been turning out for daily protests organised by an alliance of seven political parties demanding restoration of democracy in the impoverished kingdom.

The nation has been in turmoil since Gyanendra seized absolute power, a move he said was needed to end a deadly Maoist revolt aimed at overthrowing the monarchy.

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62 armed forces and security personnel released under ICRC auspice

ICRC Press release

16 Sep 2005 09:20:00 GMT

Source: NGO latest

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - Switzerland

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - Switzerland
Website: http://www.icrc.org
Geneva/Kathmandu (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today facilitated the release and safe return of 60 Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) personnel held by the Communist Party of Nepal – Maoists (CPN-M). The 60 men had been captured during an attack on the RNA base camp in Pili (Kalikot district) in early August. On the same day, but at the other end of the country, one policeman and one RNA soldier were handed over to the ICRC in Udayapur district. The men had reportedly been captured on 16 and 28 August 2005 in two different incidents in the vicinity of Lahan (Siraha district). The ICRC handed over the released detainees to the authorities. The ICRC was not involved in negotiating the release of the personnel, but intervened in its capacity of neutral intermediary accepted by both parties to the conflict to facilitate the safe return of these men once the Maoists (CPN-M) had decided to release them. A confidential bilateral dialogue before the releases was key to ensuring that both parties agreed to create a safe environment for the duration of these operations. The release of the 60 detainees took place in a remote rural area of the eastern part of Jajarkot district, in mid-western Nepal. This meant a long and complicated trip for ICRC delegates, which started on 9 September and included a two-day trek to reach the detainees. Before starting on the long walk home with them, the team of six delegates (including one medical staff) spoke in private with all the detainees to ensure that they were returning of their own free will. In the past, the ICRC was instrumental in the release of 25 policemen in October 2001 and of 76 members of the Nepal Police, the Royal Nepalese Army and the civil service in 2004. In 2005, the ICRC facilitated the release and safe return of 29 government officials and armed forces and security personnel in four different events, the last one being on 18 July 2005 when 18 such personnel were released in Dhanusa district. The ICRC has been working with the parties to the conflict in Nepal since 1998 as an impartial, neutral and independent humanitarian organization whose purpose is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of conflict and internal violence. The ICRC strives to visit detainees held by both parties to the conflict and stands ready to facilitate releases, should the parties so request it.

[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Nepal's Maoists free 60 soldiers

By Sushil Sharma BBC News, Kathmandu

The rebels have fought an armed insurgency for 10 years

Sixty Nepalese soldiers are due to be reunited with the army soon after being released by Maoists rebels who had held them prisoner for more than a month.

The soldiers were captured following a rebel attack on an army barracks in the west of the country in early August.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) negotiated the release of the soldiers.

The release comes two weeks after the rebels declared a unilateral three month cease-fire.

The cease-fire has been widely welcomed across the country.

The government refuses to reciprocate.

'Good condition'

The soldiers were expected to arrive in the western town of Nepalgunj on Thursday after a two-day trek from the remote Jajarkot district where they had been freed in the presence of Red Cross representatives.

The rebels had captured the soldiers following a fierce attack on an army barracks in the neighbouring Kalikot district.

Fifty-five soldiers and 26 rebels died in the fighting.

A BBC reporter in the region says the freed soldiers are in good condition.

National and international human right groups had urged the rebels to unconditionally free the soldiers.

The rebels had earlier pledged to free them at "an appropriate time".

'Increased pressure'

The government is refusing to join in the rebels' ceasefire because it says the Maoists cannot be trusted.

Analysts say the move to release the soldiers at this point of time could increase pressure on the government to reciprocate the peace moves.

Twelve thousand people have been killed since the rebel insurgency began 10 years ago.

The rebels say they want an interim government and elections for a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution.

This, they say, will clear the way for replacing the monarchy with a people's republic. Sphere: Related Content

US says to continue arms embargo on Nepal

The United States will continue an arms embargo on Nepal because of its failure to restore democracy after a royal takeover in February by King Gyanendra, seen here in July 2005

09.14.2005, 07:11 AM

KATHMANDU (AFX) - A US arms embargo on Nepal will remain in place because democracy has still not been restored after a royal takeover in February and because of continued human rights abuses by the army, the US embassy said.

The US Secretary of State declined to certify that Nepal's army has complied with human rights guidelines or issue a waiver that would allow arms sales on national security grounds, embassy spokesman Robert Hugins said.

'The decision of the State Department to continue to withhold lethal arms supply to Nepal was taken this month and was conveyed to the Nepalese government recently,' Hugins said.

Arms sales were suspended after king Gyanendra sacked a coalition government and seized power to curb a Maoist insurgency that has claimed more than 12,000 lives since 1996.

Under US law, the State Department is required annually to certify that the army has complied with human rights guidelines, including access to civilians held in army detention centers, before any arms sales, Hugins said.

The Secretary of State can waive the human rights certification requirements on national security grounds, but declined to do so, he said.

Several countries have curtailed arms shipments to Nepal since the takeover, including India and the UK.

The US has called for a return to democratic rule, but also said it remains concerned about the Maoist rebellion and has maintained contacts with senior Nepalese officials.

On Tuesday, Lt. General John Brown III of the US Pacific Command met Nepal army chief Pyar Jung Thapa, an army statement said.

'Discussions on topical issues of mutual concern were held between the visiting US general and senior army officials,' it said. Sphere: Related Content

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - Asia: Nepal police beat, arrest protesters

Tuesday, September 13, 2005 · Last updated 11:52 a.m. PT

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Riot police wielding bamboo batons beat and arrested hundreds of protesters marching through Katmandu on Tuesday demanding the restoration of democracy in this Himalayan kingdom.

Top opposition leaders were among the 300 people arrested. About three dozen people were hurt, with some suffering head injuries, hospital officials said, when police beat them in an attempt to disperse the crowd of more than 6,000 gathered in the capital.

Police dragged about 300 protesters to police vans and trucks and drove them to detention centers.

The rally, led by top opposition leaders from Nepal's seven largest political parties, moved into the city center despite a government ban on gatherings there. The protesters broke through police lines, chanting slogans against the royal government.

"Down with autocracy! We want democracy! Give back power to the people!" the protesters shouted.

Protesters hurled rocks and bricks, injuring two police officers. One witness said a radio journalist covering the event also was beaten by police.

Protesters demanding the restoration of democracy in this Himalayan nation have held daily rallies in Katmandu over the past week to protest King Gyanendra's seizure of absolute power earlier this year. Tuesday's rally was the largest.

Seven major political parties have vowed to continue protests until the king gives up power and restores democracy.

The monarch said he was compelled to assume power to quell a communist insurgency, which has claimed more than 11,500 lives in nine years, and to end government corruption.

Nepali Congress, the country's largest political party, said its top leaders - including Ram Chandra Poudel, Susil Koirala and Ram Sharan Mahat - were arrested.

The Communist Party of Nepal, the second-largest party, said its leader, Madhav Kumar Nepal, and other top officials were detained.

It was unclear when they would be freed or if they would face criminal charges. Police officials said they were waiting for orders. Sphere: Related Content

BBC NEWS | South Asia | UN torture expert in Nepal visit

By Charles Haviland
BBC News, Kathmandu

Mr Nowak's visit comes during a rebel ceasefire
The United Nations official in charge of investigating instances of torture around the world has arrived in Nepal for a week-long visit.

Mr Nowak's visit comes during a rebel ceasefire

The visit by Manfred Nowak comes as concern grows at the increasing incidence of the practice in the violence-stricken kingdom.

Torture happened in Nepal before the start of the Maoist insurgency in 1996.

But with the onset of that conflict, human rights groups say the number of victims has risen.

They say both the government and rebel sides use torture on a widespread basis.

They also say that while each side sometimes takes action against its own people who have killed, torturers are never punished in the same way.

Victims afraid

A leading Nepali organisation, Centre for the Victims of Torture or C-Vict, says nearly 5,000 cases of physical or psychological torture were reported to it last year.

But it adds that victims are now getting more afraid of coming forward.

It also says it is having problems funding professional treatment and sending its experts into conflict-hit areas.

Nepal has the world's highest rate of fresh political disappearances, and C-Vict says that people who disappear have often been tortured to death.

During his seven-day visit, the UN official is to visit places where the government side detains people.

Manfred Nowak will later submit a written report on Nepal to the next session of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

His visit comes a week into a three-month ceasefire called unilaterally by the Maoists.

Each side has already accused the other of behaving violently, but the size and frequency of such incidents do appear to be down.

Sphere: Related Content

The Nippon Myohoji Peace Pagoda in Lumbini,
birthplace of Lord Buddha and cultural hub of the Southwest

Sphere: Related Content

Reuters AlertNet - Nepal anti-king protests continue, dozens detained

08 Sep 2005 13:38:26 GMT

KATHAMNDU, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Pro-democracy protesters clashed with Nepali police for the fifth day on Thursday as protests raged against King Gyanendra who fired the government and took control seven months ago.

Police said 73 protesters from seven political parties opposed to the king's Feb. 1 move were detained and 12 were hurt in a scuffle as police stopped about 5,000 demonstrators from entering the city centre where anti-king rallies are banned.

Organisers said more than 100 people were put in iron-meshed police vans and driven to a police centre.

"We want democracy," activists shouted. "We don't accept absolute monarchy."

The protests came after Maoist rebels announced a three-month ceasefire at the weekend in a move to win the support of the mainstream parties opposed to the monarch who seized total power and suspended civil liberties.

He had said the move was necessary to quell a Maoist revolt in which more than 12,500 people have died. Sphere: Related Content

Riot police officers detain a protester during a demonstration organized by an alliance of seven major political parties of Nepal against King Gyanendra in Katmandu. Police in riot gear swung batons and fired tear gas at thousands of protestors who demanded the restoration of democracy in the Himalayan kingdom.

(AP Photo/Binod Joshi)
(September 05, 2005)
Sphere: Related Content

Reuters AlertNet - Nepal releases 160 pro-democracy protesters

05 Sep 2005 10:50:24 GMT

KATHMANDU, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Nepal's royalist government freed more than 160 anti-king protesters detained during a pro-democracy rally which turned violent at the weekend, police said on Monday.

The activists, including former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, were detained on Sunday during a rally criticising King Gyanendra's Feb. 1 power seizure and demanding the restoration of democracy.

"All those who were detained were released late on Sunday," a police officer told Reuters.

The 82-year-old Koirala who fainted during a scuffle with police when protesters tried to break through a police cordon was taken to his home and freed on Sunday.

Dozens of protesters from seven mainstream political parties were also injured when police used batons and lobbed tear gas shells in the old part of the temple-studded capital where the protests were organised.

Seven political parties that controlled more than 190 seats in the 205-member parliament dissolved in 2002 have been protesting since February when Gyanendra, officially a constitutional monarch, suspended civil liberties.

The king said his move was prompted by the failure of squabbling political parties to quell an increasingly deadly Maoist insurgency in which more than 12,500 people have died.

The Maoists want to overthrow the monarchy and set up a communist republic in the impoverished Himalayan kingdom.

The parties said they were undaunted by the crackdown.

"We will continue our protests until democracy is restored," said Subhash Nemwang, a senior member of the Communist Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML) party, the second largest group in the seven-party alliance.

He said activists would organise anti-king rallies in Kathmandu on Monday. Sphere: Related Content

Police Arrest Former PM at Nepal Protest - Los Angeles Times

6:32 AM PDT, September 4, 2005
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA, Associated Press Writer

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Police fired tear gas and used bamboo batons to stop pro-democracy demonstrators from marching into the capital's center Sunday, arresting a former prime minister and dozens of other protesters.

About 5,000 people chanting "We want democracy" marched to protest King Gyanendra's dissolution of parliament and institution of direct rule in the Himalayan kingdom Feb. 1. They tried to march into central Katmandu, where protests are banned, but were driven off by police.

Girija Prasad Koirala, a former prime minister and president of the Nepali Congress, the country's largest political party, was among those detained.

Koirala, 80, briefly lost consciousness during a scuffle with police. Authorities took him to Teaching Hospital, where doctors said his injuries were not serious.

"We condemn the use of such force on a peaceful protest. We will continue to our protests until democracy is restored," said Arjun Narsingh, spokesman for Nepali Congress.

Leaders and supporters of seven major political parties gathered in the Basantapur neighborhood and began marching toward the main market area when riot police charged them.

A few hundred protesters managed to break the police line but were quickly pushed back as several rounds of tear gas were fired at them.

Some injured protesters were treated at Bir Hospital. One of them, Madhav Poudel, said that police had beaten him with batons and that many marchers suffered injuries.

There have been several protests since Feb. 1 demanding that democracy be restored. King Gyanendra said he was compelled to assume absolute power to quell a communist insurgency that has claimed more than 11,500 lives in nine years and to end government corruption. Sphere: Related Content

Nepal rebels declare three-month ceasefire - World - smh.com.au

September 3, 2005 - 8:42PM

Nepal's Maoist rebels on Saturday announced a unilateral three-month ceasefire starting immediately in an effort to aid talks with political parties in the Himalayan nation.

Maoist leader Prachanda said he hoped the truce would create a "conducive atmosphere" for talks with the parties on forming a united opposition against the February seizure of power by King Gyanendra.

"During this period, our People's Liberation Army will not launch an offensive," Prachanda said in a faxed statement. "But if there are any attacks on our side by the army, we will violently retaliate."

Gyanendra sacked a four-party government seven months ago for failing to tackle the Maoist rebellion that has claimed about 12,000 lives since 1996.

Seven political parties formed an alliance in response, and last month they said they would hold talks with the Maoists on forming a broad front against Gyanendra, provided the rebels honour their promise to stop killing civilians.

Gyanendra responded with a renewed offer of dialogue with the political parties but was rebuffed last week by the two largest groups.

Human rights groups say the insurgency has led to major human rights violations by both the army and the rebels.

In 2003 and 2004, the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances said it had received more reports of disappearances at the hands of the Nepali government than from any other country.

Human rights groups have also accused the rebels of systematic abductions of students for indoctrination, and blamed the guerillas for the assassinations of government officials.

Last month, the rebels captured scores of soldiers and killed 40 in a major battle in western Nepal, according to the army. The Maoists said they lost 25 fighters in the clash and were treating the captives "in a humane manner".

The violence has brought international condemnation on both sides as well as reviews of military and humanitarian assistance from several countries including the US, Britain and India.

In response, the government in April invited the United Nations to appoint a high commissioner for human rights to the country to investigate complaints, a step also welcomed by the Maoists, who want the UN to mediate in Nepal.

AFP Sphere: Related Content

Despair of Nepal's unwanted exiles

By Charles Haviland
BBC correspondent, Kathmandu

In recent weeks the authorities in both Bhutan and India have foiled attempts by Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal to return home.

They are among 105,000 Bhutanese who have been in seven camps in Nepal since the early 1990s, largely ignored by the world.

All are from Nepalese ethnic groups; most were stripped of their citizenship by Bhutan or expelled after campaigning for democracy.

Their restless mood is evident in the three Beldangi camps near the town of Damak.

This is a part of Nepal so low-lying that farmhouses are built on stilts to prevent flooding.

'Ordered out'

Travelling there, we passed paddy fields and palm trees until the sudden appearance of the camps - rows of bamboo huts bordered by open scrub where children kicked balls around and refugees queued for the telephone.

Even children born in these camps call Bhutan "home". And every adult has a story of exile to tell.

Forty-four-year-old Hari Bangaley lives here with his family. He was ordered out of Bhutan after campaigning against new citizenship laws which he says were loaded against ethnic Nepalis.

He had been imprisoned and, he alleges, tortured by being hung upside down and beaten.

"When the blood came out of my nose and mouth, an official said, You still hang him like this - a person will not die unless three bottles of blood is taken out from his body," says Hari.

Another exile, Sita Maya Rai, showed us an old Bhutan identity card which appeared to mark her as a second-class citizen.

She says she and her family fled after being abruptly told they were foreigners and must leave Bhutan.

Indian authorities ferried the exiles across Indian territory to Nepal, despite laws which allow Bhutanese and Nepalis unrestricted access to India.

Ethnic expulsion

Bhutan's actions appeared to be based on a desire to maintain its secluded Buddhist identity. Many people there say this was threatened by the size of the mostly Hindu Nepali-speaking population.

Indeed, there are still far more Nepali-speakers within Bhutan than in the camps.

Bhutan insists many Nepali-speakers were illegal immigrants or otherwise non-Bhutanese, and that most people leaving around 1990 did so voluntarily, forfeiting their citizenship.

The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which is mandated to protect them, disagrees, saying these people are Bhutanese and were evicted. International human rights groups call the process "one of the largest ethnic expulsions in modern history".

The camps' confined conditions engender boredom and despair.

People depend on World Food Programme rations. Some do casual jobs like weaving, but officially, paid work is forbidden both inside and outside the camps.

Young people queue for special permits just to live in Damak to study.

"You depend completely on others," says Sita Maya. "It's a miserable existence."

Defiant

Earlier this month she joined hundreds of others in a bid to cross into India en route back to Bhutan. Indian forces chased them back.

The attempt was organised by political groups among the refugees. But the UNHCR criticised the groups for acting unilaterally and putting the refugees at risk.

"Can you imagine, they took very young children, handicapped people," says UNHCR representative in Nepal Abraham Abraham.

"They put them onto buses saying these buses were provided by UNHCR for them to return home."

He accuses the groups of using vulnerable refugees for political ends. Return programmes should involve both governments and the UNHCR, he says.

But refugee political groupings are defiant.

"People are ready to go back to Bhutan," says SR Subba, chairman of the Human Rights Organisation of Bhutan, which organised the abortive crossing. "They pressurise us to organise and lead them."

Days later another group were turned back at the Bhutanese border. Mr Subba says such attempts will continue "till we achieve our goal".

Some, however, wonder whether Bhutan will ever let them back, because even after 15 rounds of Nepal-Bhutan talks, not a single one has returned.

Frustrated

After the fifteenth and latest round, in 2003, Bhutan conceded that three-quarters of the refugees in the one camp surveyed had a right to return.

But it said nearly all would have to stay two years in transit camps while proving their loyalty to the country. Even bona-fide Bhutanese would not get their homes back.

Bhutan bans the UNHCR from its soil and the refugee agency has given up promoting returns. It suggests alternatives - resettlement in third countries, or in Nepal itself.

Like others, 30-year-old Manarath Khanal reluctantly admits he may have to settle for that.

His voice cracking with emotion, he says many refugees have committed suicide and that every time people think about Bhutan "they are frustrated and depressed".

"Bhutan is the best option," he says. "But I don't want to be a refugee any more. I am fed up."

For him, life in the camps is unbearable - and any way out is desirable. Sphere: Related Content

Nepal PM ready for talks with parties- The Times of India

TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2005 11:37:34 AM ]

KATHMANDU: Admitting that the gap between him and Nepal's political parties has "widened", King Gyanendra has said he is open for dialogue with the parties provided they make their stand clear on certain issues, including terrorism.

"I have never said that I will never meet them, but there has to be some basis for it," the King said in an interview to the official media.

"The political parties must possess crystal-clear views on four issues- terrorism, good governance and corruption, politicisation in bureaucracy and financial discipline - for talks," he said adding "if they make clear views on these issues then there will be room for dialogue".

Conceding that the gap between him and political parties has "widened", he said "there have been squabbles between the political parties and the King as between husband and wife, which is natural when we are too close". Sphere: Related Content

Reuters - Mon Aug 29, 5:46 AM ET

Nepali King Gyanendra arrives to inaugurate the 5th Information Ministers Meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in the capital Kathmandu August 29, 2005. REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar

Sphere: Related Content

Xinhua - English | Guerrillas abduct over 100 people in Nepal

www.chinaview.cn 2005-08-25 21:43:52

KATHMANDU, Aug. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- The anti-government guerrillas have abducted more than 100 people from various parts of Nepal in the past few days, Royal Nepal Army confirmed here Thursday.

"A group of guerrillas on Wednesday abducted 60 people from Sifti area in far-western Darchula district, some 800 km west of Kathmandu," Public Relations Directorate of the Army said in a press statement.

Similarly, at least 40 people were abducted on Tuesday from Deurali, Baluwa and Arwang areas of western Gorkha district, some 200 km west of Kathmandu, the statement revealed.

Meanwhile, the guerrillas abducted five villagers after opening fire Thursday morning at a minor community settlement in Jagatpur area of Saptari district, some 300 km east of Kathmandu.

The guerrillas also abducted a teacher and chairman of the management committee of Bhagiratha Secondary School in Sanischare area of Morang district, some 400 km east of Kathmandu, the statement noted.

"All of them have been taken to undisclosed locations," the statement added.

The guerrillas force the civilians, teachers and students to take part in their "ideological" programs and usually free them after a few days unharmed. ">Xinhua - English: "Guerrillas abduct over 100 people in Nepal
www.chinaview.cn 2005-08-25 21:43:52

KATHMANDU, Aug. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- The anti-government guerrillas have abducted more than 100 people from various parts of Nepal in the past few days, Royal Nepal Army confirmed here Thursday.

'A group of guerrillas on Wednesday abducted 60 people from Sifti area in far-western Darchula district, some 800 km west of Kathmandu,' Public Relations Directorate of the Army said in a press statement.

Similarly, at least 40 people were abducted on Tuesday from Deurali, Baluwa and Arwang areas of western Gorkha district, some 200 km west of Kathmandu, the statement revealed.

Meanwhile, the guerrillas abducted five villagers after opening fire Thursday morning at a minor community settlement in Jagatpur area of Saptari district, some 300 km east of Kathmandu.

The guerrillas also abducted a teacher and chairman of the management committee of Bhagiratha Secondary School in Sanischare area of Morang district, some 400 km east of Kathmandu, the statement noted.

'All of them have been taken to undisclosed locations,' the statement added.

The guerrillas force the civilians, teachers and students to take part in their 'ideological' programs and usually free them after a few days unharmed. " Sphere: Related Content

The rebels aim to replace Nepal's monarchy with a communist republic

Nepal's Maoist rebels say they will allow the families of 60 captured government soldiers to meet them.

The soldiers were captured three weeks ago after a raid on an army camp in western Nepal.

It was some of the bloodiest fighting since King Gyanendra seized direct control of the country in February.

The rebels have been under pressure from international human rights group to treat the captives humanely and also release them immediately.

The rebels have released the names of the captured soldiers and say they are being treated well.

"We want to inform that the soldiers are being treated as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention," the Associated Press news agency quotes a rebel leader, Sudarshan, as saying.

He also said journalists and human rights groups could meet the soldiers.

Violence

Clashes between rebels and government troops have increased since King Gyanendra dismissed the government and assumed direct power in February, saying politicians had failed to tackle the insurgency.

The attack on the army camp earlier this month provoked the US to warn Nepal's king to return the country to democracy or face a slide towards chaos.

More than 12,000 people have been killed since the rebels launched an armed struggle to replace the monarchy with a communist republic in 1996.

Sphere: Related Content

AP - Wed Aug 24, 6:26 AM ET

College students hold torches and chant slogans against Nepal's King Gyanendra to protest the recent price hike in petroleum product, in front of the Tribhuvan University building in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005. Nepals royal government had raised the price of petroleum products, citing increased prices in the international market.
(AP Photo/Binod Joshi)

Sphere: Related Content

Riot police throw brickbats at protesting students during a demonstration against King Gyanendra in Katmandu, Nepal, Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. Nepal's royal government had raised the price of petroleum products, citing increased prices in the international market.
AP Photo/Binod Joshi) Sphere: Related Content

Nepal political parties to hold talks with rebels

23 Aug 2005 05:02:13 GMT

Source: Reuters

Background

CRISIS PROFILE: What’s going on in Nepal?

MORE

KATHMANDU, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Nepal's main political parties said on Tuesday they were preparing to talk to Maoist rebels to plan joint protests against King Gyanendra, reversing an earlier decision to shun the guerrillas. The decision by the seven parties came after Maoist leader Prachanda last month agreed to key conditions set by them. Prachanda promised that the rebels would not target unarmed civilians, stop extortion and urged the parties to name negotiators for talks on a united campaign against the king. "The parties will set up a team for meeting the Maoists in due course," Gopal Man Shrestha, chief of the third biggest group, Nepali Congress (Democratic) party, told Reuters. Shrestha was speaking on behalf of the seven parties which held talks among themselves late on Monday and agreed to discuss joining hands with the rebels to restore democracy after King Gyanendra's dismissed the government and took power in February. "The Maoists have made some positive gestures. We'll first set up a panel of distinguished citizens to monitor whether those promises were translated into practice or not," Shrestha said, referring to Prachanda's offer. He said the parties would try to convince the rebels to give up violence and join peaceful pro-democracy rallies. Seven political parties that controlled more than 190 seats in the 205-member parliament dissolved in 2002 have been protesting against Gyanendra's Feb. 1 sacking of the multi-party government and assumption of absolute power. The Maoists have been fighting since 1996 to topple the Himalayan kingdom's constitutional monarchy and establish one-party communist rule. The king says his move to take power was prompted by the failure of squabbling parties to quell the increasingly deadly Maoist revolt in which more than 12,500 people have died. Violence has escalated despite his move. "The fact is neither the Maoists can win through violent means nor can the government crush the rebels militarily," Shrestha said. Nepal's key donors, including India, Britain and the United States, have urged the king to unite with political parties and restore democracy. But he is not close to any deal with the parties or the rebels. Sphere: Related Content

Nepal king tours rebel areas after landmine blast

22 Aug 2005 12:13:39 GMT
Source: Reuters

Nepali students shout slogans during a demonstration against the king and protest against the price hike on petroleum products, in Kathmandu, August 22, 2005.
REUTERS/GOPAL CHITRAKAR

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Nepali students shout slogans during a demonstration against the king and protest against the price hike on petroleum products, in Kathmandu, August 22, 2005.
REUTERS/GOPAL CHITRAKAR

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Nepali students throw stones during a demonstration against the king and protest against the price hike on petroleum products, in Kathmandu, August 22, 2005.
REUTERS/GOPAL CHITRAKAR

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People watch as students take part in a demonstration against the king and protest against the price hike on petroleum products, in Kathmandu, August 22, 2005.
REUTERS/GOPAL CHITRAKAR

CRISIS PROFILE: What’s going on in Nepal?

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(Recasts with king's tour) KATHMANDU, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Maoist rebels blew up a police vehicle in western Nepal on Monday, killing four policemen, as King Gyanendra began a tour of an area further to the west, officials said. The Maoists, who have been fighting to replace the constitutional monarchy with a communist republic for the past nine years, set off a mine under the police vehicle near the town of Butwal, 300 km (185 miles) west of Kathmandu. "It was a big mine. The blast has caused a huge crater on the ground and the vehicle has broken into pieces," a police officer told Reuters by phone. A palace official said the king would spend a week touring areas in and around Kalikot, 600 km (375 miles) west of Kathmandu, where the army lost at least 55 soldiers in a fight with the Maoist rebels two weeks ago. It was the bloodiest clash between the two sides in the past one year. Twenty-six guerrillas died in the clash sparked by a rebel raid on an army base. The king was not scheduled to go to Butwal. "The objective of the visit is to assess the situation and meet the people," the official said, without giving details. Maoist violence has escalated in the impoverished Himalayan kingdom after King Gyanendra took control of the government nearly seven months ago, saying politicians had failed to tackle the insurgents. The rebels said they had captured 60 soldiers and a large arms cache after the Kalikot gunbattle on Aug. 7 and 8. The army said the soldiers were missing and troops were hunting for them. Nepal's leading human rights group, INSEC, said in a statement late on Sunday that 27 soldiers captured after that battle were safe in rebel custody, quoting a local journalist who had met the captives in a remote mountain village in west Nepal. It posted photographs on the Web site, www.inseconline.org, of the soldiers, some with bandages, but said nothing about the remaining soldiers. More than 12,500 people have been killed since the revolt began in 1996. Sphere: Related Content