Real News stories from Nepal, visualizing Nepal

Sagar Timilsina : Did you get my invite ?

2011-12-19T15:14:00.001+05:45

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On Tuesday 29 November 2011, I invited you to become part of my network of contacts on Viadeo.

Kind regards,

Sagar Timilsina

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Sagar Timilsina : Did you get my invite ?

2011-12-09T15:14:00.001+05:45

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Hello,

On Tuesday 29 November 2011, I invited you to become part of my network of contacts on Viadeo.

Kind regards,

Sagar Timilsina

Accept the invitation from Sagar

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Message from Sagar Timilsina

2011-11-29T15:13:00.001+05:45

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Result of SLC Published

2008-06-22T21:32:00.000+05:45

The long awaited result of the most notable and deserved School Leaving Certificate SLC examinations held on Chaitra 2064 has just been published. The results of the SLC can be found by many ways, visit the following links and use their services:

www.slc.ntc.net.np >> for direct SLC symbol numbers from NTC
www.ntc.net.np >> for information on how to get SLC result by SMS from Mobile
www.doe.gov.np >> result @ Department of Education
www.slc.net.np >> SLC result website
www.educationsansar.com >> Education Sansar for SLC

The SLC result can be obtained by dialing 1600 on landline telephones or sending an SMS message to 1400. Some of the websites even claim that users or students can view their SLC result marks or percentages using them.

Nepal's last King Gyanendra leaves the (former) Royal Palace

2008-06-11T21:12:00.000+05:45

The Narayanhity royal palace, Nepal's best-known landmark built in the 18th century by the Shah kings to commemorate their bloody victory over the Rana prime ministers, will see the final fall of the dynasty on Wednesday when Gyanendra, the last king of the 239-year-old line, makes his final departure.

Dethroned king Gyanendra and his wife Komal will leave the palace where, by a quirk of fate, they had first moved in as regent and queen on a Wednesday in July 2002, 13 months after he was crowned king following the assassination of his brother, king Birendra.

"The king will leave on Wednesday," Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula told journalists in the capital on Tuesday. "Before his departure, he will hand over his crown, sceptre and other artifacts of historic importance to the government."

On May 28, Nepal's newly elected constituent assembly, that took the place of the interim parliament, formally proclaimed the Himalayan kingdom a republic and ordered the former royals to vacate the palace within 15 days.
Though the deadline ends on Thursday, Sitaula said: "Why wait till the final moment?"

The minister, who had met the deposed king last week to discuss his safe exit from the palace, said he had advised Gyanendra to leave the palace in a dignified manner for the benefit of both the royal family and the nation.

However, though the former king and queen would vacate the palace, members of the dynasty would continue to live there.

The former king's 80-year-old stepmother Ratna Shah has been allowed by the government to stay in her mansion in the palace, where she had moved in 1952 as the bride of the then crown prince Mahendra.

Another small house in the palace has been given to a 91-year-old woman, Sarala Tamang, who was the concubine of the king's grandfather Tribhuvan.

Sitaula said the physical planning and work ministry has been given the task of fencing in the two residences from the main palace, which would become a national museum.

Gyanendra has been allowed by the government to take up residence in a summer retreat built by the royal family on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

Text adapted from http://www.deccanherald.com/

Nepal king leaves royal palace

2008-06-11T20:54:00.000+05:45

Nepal's besieged King Gyanendra has left the Narayanhity royal palace from where his ancestors had ruled for generations, probably his final exit as the last king of a nearly 250-year dynasty.

"The king left the palace for his summer residence Nagarjuna palace (about eight kilometres north of Kathmandu) around 9 p.m. Thursday," said Kishore Shrestha, editor of the Nepali weekly Jana Aastha.

The tabloid, a close watcher of the royal family, had said Wednesday that the king, accompanied by his wife Queen Komal, would exit the palace Thursday in a bid to avoid an "undignified tussle with the rabble".

The report led to a media siege of the palace gates, where reporters and photographers kept vigil till late Thursday in a vain bid to record what could be the last departure of the king from his palace.

But the royal entourage departed only after the media had packed up and left disappointed.

The once Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, whose kings were revered as incarnations of a Hindu god and considered above law, is rapidly moving towards a new chapter next week when an assembly elected by a historic poll last month is expected to ring the death knell of monarchy.

On Wednesday, the 601-member constituent assembly will hold its first meeting, which, according to the Maoists who emerged as the biggest party in the poll, will transform Nepal into a republic, and ask the royal family to leave the palace.

To facilitate the radical change, the assembly members will be sworn in Tuesday.

Readying for the change, the government has started drafting an ordinance for the ceremony.

The king, who issued two statements last month, first urging his "beloved countrymen" to vote without fear in the April 10 constituent assembly election and then welcoming the results, has maintained an enigmatic silence since then.

The royal silence fed contradictory rumours.

A section of the Nepali media speculated that the strong-willed king would refuse to vacate the palace even after Wednesday and had instructed the large contingent of soldiers deployed inside the palace to defend it against "invading mobs".

Others said that the Maoists, who are trying to form the next government, had assured the king that there would be no threat to his life and property, following which he was quitting the palace well before the deadline to avoid confrontation.

Still others said that the Maoist hardliners, who had warned that the king would be forcibly evicted from the palace after Wednesday, had been bringing in cadres to surround the palace and stage a show of force.

On Friday, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood met Maoist chief Prachanda to inquire about the new government and the new head of state.

While the Maoists want an all-powerful president, the other major parties, however, are rooting for a ceremonial president with the prime minister to be the real source of power.

Once an omnipotent monarch, Nepal's kings began losing their power in 1990 when a pro-democracy uprising forced the then king Birendra to lift the ban on political parties and become a constitutional monarch who remained the decorative head of state while an elected prime minister exercised the real power.

Nepalis feel monarchy would not have come to the present pass had the king and his entire family not perished in a mysterious massacre in the palace in 2001.

Birendra's younger brother and successor Gyanendra stepped out of constitutional monarchy and began controlling the government.

In 2005, dispensing with all subterfuge, he seized power with an army-backed coup and began ruling the kingdom directly.

The 14-month authoritarian royal regime, marked by corruption and nepotism, stoked nationwide protests and forced the king to surrender power in April 2006.

The disenchanted nation then vowed to hold a first-time election to put the monarchy to vote.

The April 10 election saw 17.6 million voters choose change and welcome the Maoist guerrillas, who had fought a 10-year war trying to overthrow the royal family, while giving the thumbs-down to the king.

"As you sow, so you reap," said Shrestha. "If the king had not engineered the coup, he would not be where he is today."

Text from http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14680321

news

2008-06-07T17:28:00.001+05:45

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dfgj clwsf/ aflb g]tf ;'lzn Kofs'/]nn] /fhf gf/fo0f lxl6af6 x6\b}df b]zdf u0ftGq gcfpg] atfpg' ePsf] 5 . hgcfGbf]ng zlxb kl/jf/ tyf 3fOt] ;dGo ;ldlt sf:sLsf] k|yd lhNnf ;Dd]ngsf] pb\3f6g sfo{qmddf ;f] s'/f atfpg' ePsf] xf] . Kofs'/]nn] /fhg}tLs bnsf g]tfx?n] 3fOt]x?nfO{ ;Ddfg gul/ kbsf nflu /x]sf] cf/f]k nufpg' eof] . sfo{qmddf sf:sL k|d'v lhNnf clwsf/L aln/fd k|;fb l;+x, hgcfGbf]ng zlxb kl/jf/ tyf 3fOt] ;dGo ;ldltsf pkfWoIf lrq k|;fb ;fksf]6f, hg cfGbf]ngsf 3fOt] g]qkf0fL ;'a]bL nufPtn] 3fOt]sf gfd p7]sf] /sd 3fOt]nfO{ g} lbg' kg]{df hf]8lbg' ePsf] lyof] . lhNnf ;Dd]ngn] cfh g} kfj{tL kf}8]nsf] cWoIftfdf !! ;b:oLo gFof sfo{;ldlt u7g u/]sf] 5 . ;ldltsf] pkfWoIfdf afa'sfhL >]i7, ;lrjdf 9fsf/fd kf}8]n, ;x;lrjdf lji0f' s'df/L e§/fO{, sf]iffWoIfdf ljhof ;'a]bL rog x'g' ePsf] 5 . To;} ul/ ;b:odf lutf s] ;L, g]qkf0fL ;'a]bL, z+s/ k|;fb kf}8]n, z]v/ uf}td, lbk]Gb a/fn / gf/fo0f ;'a]bL /xg' ePsf] 5 . To;} ul/ ;Dd]ngn] ;Nnfxfsf/ ;ldlt ;d]t rog u/]sf] 5 . ;Nnfxfsf/ ;ldltdf 6]sgfy a/fn, dw' kGyL, ;ljtf bfxfn, gjbQ 9'Ëfgf / /fd k|;fb 1jfnL /xg'ePsf] 5 .

news

2008-06-07T14:20:00.001+05:45

k[YjL /fhdfu{sf a;nfO{ n]vgfy af;Ln] /f]lslbP

o; cf/ ltldlN;gf ÷ g]kfn

kf]v/faf6 rNg] k[YjL /fhdfu{ a; ;Grfns ;ldltsf uf8Lx? n]vgfysf] 8f8fgfsdf :yfgLo afl;Gbfn] /f]lslbPsf 5g\ . h]7 & ut] tgx'Fdf ePsf] ;8s b'3{6gfdf Hofg u'dfPsf tyf 3fO{t] ePsf cfkmGtx?n] plrt /fxt gkfPsf] eGb} k[YjL /fhdfu{ a; Joj;foL ;ldltsf ;a} ufl8x? /f]s]sL lbPsf xg\ . lxhf] 3fO{t] / Hofg u'dfPsfsf cfkmGt / k[YjL /fhdfu{ a; ;Grfng ;ldlt ljr jftf{ ug]{ elgPtf klg ;ldltn] a]jf:tf u/] kl5 kl8tx?n] uf8L /f]s]sf x'g\ . s]lxlbg cl3 n]vgfyaf6 ofq' lnP/ uPsf] u ! v @)^( gDa/sf] a; tgx'Fsf] 3fF;L s'jf uflj; l5s{g]df klN6bfF ^ hgfsf] Hofg uPsf] lyof] . plgx?sf cfkmGtn] d[To' x'g]sf cfkmGtnfO{ lqmof vr{ / 3fO{t]nfO{ pkrf/ vr{ lbg' kg]{ dfu /fv]sf] 5g\ . oftfoft v'nfpg] ljifonfO{ lnP/ lhNnf k|x/L sfo{no sf:sLdf ;j{kIfLo 5nkmn eO/x]sf] 5 .

Pokhara Sport

2008-06-06T20:11:00.000+05:45

cd/l;+x AjfO{h Snasf] cfof]hgfdf z'qmaf/b]lv kf]v/fsf] cd/l;x+ v]n d}bfgdf k|yd cGt/Sna ;]e]g P ;fO{8 km'6an k|ltof]lutf ;'? ePsf] 5 .

;'qmaf/ ePsf] pb\3f6gsf] klxnf] v]ndf cfof]hs PaL;L aLÚn] gofFufFp SnanfO{ 6«fO{a]s/df z'Gosf la?4 @ uf]nn] k/flht ub}{ bf]>f] r/f0fdf k|a]z u/]sf] 5 . lgwf{l/t ;dodf b'a} tkm{af6 !÷! uf]nePkl5 v]n 6«fO{a]s/df k'u]sf] lyof] .

lgwf{/Lt ;dodf cd/ l;+x AjfOh Snssf] nflu t'njxfb'/ u'?Ën] Ps uf]n u/]sf lyP eg] gofF ufpF Snasf nflu snd cfn]n] uf]n ub}{ v]n a/fj/Ldf k'/\ofP kl5 v]n lg0ff{oy{ 6«fO{j]s/df k'u]sf] lyof] . 6«fO{a]s/df cd/l;+x AjfOh Snssfnflu cd[t u'?Ë / ljho u'?Ën] k]gfN6L ;b'kof]u ub{} bf]>f] r/0f k|j]zsf] ofqf lgZrLt jgfP . gofF ufpF Snasf nflu sdn cfn] / clgn u'?Ësf] k]gfN6L k|xf/ ljkIfL lsk/ sfhLdfg u'?Ën] /f]s]sf lyP .

bf]>f] v]ndf uf]/vf o'gfO{6]8n] !-@ ofS; d]/L uf]N8nfO{ uf]n cGt/n] k/fhLt

ub}{ bf]>f] r/0fdf k|j]z u/]sf] 5 .

uf]vf{ o"gfO{6]8 Snasfnflu r]t u'?Ë / sdn k'gn] Ps Ps uf]nsf] of]ubfg lbb}{ bf]>f] r/0f k|j]zsf] ofqfnfO{ ;'lglZrt k/]sf lyP eg] d]/L uf]N8sfnflu ;f]djxfb'/ u'?Ën] Psdfq uf]n u/]sf lyP .

To;} ul/ t];|f] v]ndf b'/bzL o'jf SnanfO{ ) sf lj?4 $ uf]nsf] km/fsLnf] uf]n cGt/n] x/fpb}{ dem]/Lkf6g o'jf Sna bf]>f] r/0fdf k|a]; u/]sf] 5 .

v]ndf Pstkm{L{ uf]n u/]sf] dem]/Lkf6gsf] nflu ldng s];L, dgf]x/ sfsL{ Ps Ps uf]nsf] of]ubfg lbbf{ ljb'/ sfsL{n] b'O{ uf]n ub}{ bf]>f] r/0f k|j]z kSsf jgfPsf lyP . cfh zlgaf/ k|ltof]lutfsf ;ft v]n x'g]5g\ .

pSt k|ltof]lutfsf] pb\3f6g ub}{ kf]v/f pkTosf gu/ lasf; ;ldltsf cWoIf laZj k|sf; nfld5fg]n] cd/l;+x v]nd}bfgnfO{ ;'ljwf ;DkGg v]nd}bfg lgdf{0f ug{ cd/l;+x ljBfno / :yfgLo jfl;Gbf h'6\g' kg]{ jtfpg'eof] . pxfFn] ;'ljwf ;DkGg / Joj:YfLt v]nd}bfg lgdf{0f ug{ pkTosf gu/ ljsf; ;ldltn] ;Sbf] ;xof]u ug{] k|ltj4tf JoQm ub{} pxfn] yKg' eof] v]ns'bnfO{ cuf8L a9fpg d}bfgsf] cfaZos ePsf]n] xfn lh0f{ ca:yfdf /x]sf] cd/l;x+ rf}/sf] d}bfgnfO{ ;a}n] ca ;+/If0f ug'{kg]{ atfpg' eof] . k|ltof]lutf ;+of]hs ?b| u'?Ën] :jfut dGtJo / sfo{qmd Snasf cWoIf /fh s'df/ u'?Ësf] ;efkltTjdf ;DkGg ePsf] lyof] .

gsfp6sf] cfwf/df v]nfO{g] k|ltof]lutfdf s'n #& 6f]nLsf] ;xeflutf /x]sf] cfof]hs Snan] hgfPsf] 5 . zlgaf/ & j6f v]nx? x'g] ePsf 5g .

k|ltof]lutfdf k|yd x'g]nfO{ gub @) xhf/, lzN8 tyf l4lto x'g]nfO{ gub !) xhf/ / 6«lkm k|bfg ul/g] 5 .

Pokhara Sport

2008-06-06T20:10:00.000+05:45

cd/l;+x AjfO{h Snasf] cfof]hgfdf z'qmaf/b]lv kf]v/fsf] cd/l;x+ v]n d}bfgdf k|yd cGt/Sna ;]e]g P ;fO{8 km'6an k|ltof]lutf ;'? ePsf] 5 .

bf]>f] v]ndf uf]/vf o'gfO{6]8n] !-@ ofS; d]/L uf]N8nfO{ uf]n cGt/n] k/fhLt

ub}{ bf]>f] r/0fdf k|j]z u/]sf] 5 .

uf]vf{ o"gfO{6]8 Snasfnflu r]t u'?Ë / sdn k'gn] Ps Ps uf]nsf] of]ubfg lbb}{ bf]>f] r/0f k|j]zsf] ofqfnfO{ ;'lglZrt k/]sf lyP eg] d]/L uf]N8sfnflu ;f]djxfb'/ u'?Ën] Psdfq uf]n u/]sf lyP .

To;} ul/ t];|f] v]ndf b'/bzL o'jf SnanfO{ ) sf lj?4 $ uf]nsf] km/fsLnf] uf]n cGt/n] x/fpb}{ dem]/Lkf6g o'jf Sna bf]>f] r/0fdf k|a]; u/]sf] 5 .

gsfp6sf] cfwf/df v]nfO{g] k|ltof]lutfdf s'n #& 6f]nLsf] ;xeflutf /x]sf] cfof]hs Snan] hgfPsf] 5 . zlgaf/ & j6f v]nx? x'g] ePsf 5g .

k|ltof]lutfdf k|yd x'g]nfO{ gub @) xhf/, lzN8 tyf l4lto x'g]nfO{ gub !) xhf/ / 6«lkm k|bfg ul/g] 5 .

Worldwide directory of Nepalis Blogs and Bloggers got modified

2008-06-06T17:26:00.000+05:45

Worldwide directory of Nepalis Blogs and Bloggers got modified

access today @ http://us-nepal.com/blog-directory

Devi Poudel has sent you a hi5 Friend Request

2008-06-02T06:47:00.001+05:45

hi5 Update

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I set up a hi5 profile and I want to add you as a friend so we can share pictures and start building our network. First you need to join hi5! Once you join, you will have a chance to create a profile, share pictures, and find friends.

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China to construct road within Nepali territory

2007-12-05T14:15:00.001+05:45

The Chinese government is all set to build a new road within Nepali territory on the Nepal-China border from Syprubesi to Rasuwagadi in northern Nepal, within two years.

Maheshwor Lal Shrestha, Senior Division Engineer at the Department of Roads (DoR), said the China government has already completed a survey and prepared the design for the road.
"The construction of the new road along the border with China will not only increase economic activities in Nepal, but also help boost trade and commerce between China and India," Shrestha told this daily today.

According to him, once the road is built, it will be the shortest route for transportation of goods between China and India through Nepali territory. The nearest current border point is Tatopani in Sindhupalchowk district, but the Birjung-Kathamandu-Nuwakot-Rasuwagadhi route will be shorter than the route connecting the Tatopani checkpoint.
"Nepal would be collecting revenues and the locals of Rasuwa would also be able to easily export their local products to China," he said.

The total length of the new road is around 16 kms and is 4.5 meters wide. Out of the total width, China would gravel 3.5 meters. Eight big and three small bridges lie within the road where the total carriageway of the bridge is 7 meters. The road initially goes along Bhote Koshi that passes by Linlin and Timure villages that are situated 1,698 meters and on 1,736 meters above the sea level respectively.

The road ends at 1,819 meter at Rashuwagadhi. According to Shrestha, the total estimated cost for construction of the road is around 165 million Yuan (NRs 1,419 million). The consultant and the contractor would be finalised by
the end of this month and if they arrive here on time, the construction would start by the end of February 2008, he added.
He said the DoR would be playing the role of Liaison office for the construction of the road. "All the skilled manpower would be hired from China and other labourers would be hired by the contractors on the basis of cost effectiveness," he stated, adding: "A bridge from Rasuwagadhi to Tibet would be constructed by the Chinese government later after the completion of the road."

Prachanda, Nepal try to bridge NC, Maoist gulf

2007-10-28T20:38:00.001+05:45

Maoist chairman Prachanda and CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal met today at the latter's residence at Koteshwor to explore a common ground between the stands held by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Maoists over two key issues of republic and election procedures.

Talking to this daily about the meeting, UML standing committee member Bamdev Gautam said the Maoist leadership sought the UML's backing on their two proposals tabled at the special session of the interim parliament on declaring the country a republic before the CA polls and election on an all-out proportional representation basis.

Gautam, who also attended the meeting, said they asked the Maoist leadership to back the UML's proposals on the issues.

"UML's amendment proposals tabled at the special session of the interim parliament is intended at finding an understanding between the NC's and the Maoist's stands," said UML's another standing committee member Bharat Mohan Adhikari.
He blamed the NC for not taking any initiative to find an amicable solution to the political crisis.
For election procedures, the UML is learnt to have proposed that election for 40 per cent of the total number of seats of the Constituent Assembly be held on the first-past-the-post basis and for 60 per cent on proportional representation basis. "This is a modality proposed to find a middle path between the NC's and Maoist's stands," Adhikari added.

गैरआवासीय नेपालीहरुको सम्मेलन सम्पन्न

2007-10-18T17:06:00.000+05:45

नेपालमा दिगो शान्ति र लगानीका लागि उपयुक्त वातावरण बनाउन सार्वजनिक आव्हान गर्दै विश्वभर छरिएर रहेका गैर आवासीय नेपालीहरुको तेस्रो विश्व सम्मेलन बुधबार काठमाण्डूमा सम्पन्न भएको छ। from http://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali

सम्मेलनका एनआरएन भनेर चिनिने गैर आवासीय नेपाली सहभागीहरुले एनआरएनहरुलाई नेपाली नागरिकता दिने सरकारी आश्वासनको स्वागत गरेका छन्।

सम्मेलन उपेन्द्र महतोको अध्यक्षतामा एउटा नयाँ समितिको चयन गर्दै १५ बुँदे घोषणा जारी गरेर टुङ्गिएको छ।

अधिकांश सहभागीहरुले प्रधानमन्त्री गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालादेखि माओवादी नेताहरुसम्मले आफुहरुसंग भेटेर अन्तर्क्रिया गर्नुले एनआरएनहरुको मनोबल र आत्मविश्वाश बढाएको बताए।

आदानप्रदान

गैरआवासीय नेपाली संघका महासचिव भीम उदासले भने, "पहिलो पटक हामीसंग प्रधानमन्त्रीलगायत अन्य नेताहरुले भेट गरेर विचारहरुको आदानप्रदान भएको छ। यसले हाम्रो हौसला बढाएको छ।"

संघका अनुसार विश्वका ५५ देशमा २० लाख भन्दा बढी गैरआवासीय नेपालीहरु छरिएर रहेका छन्।

सम्मेलनमा भाग लिन ४० भन्दा बढी देशका ४०० भन्दा बढी सहभागीहरु नेपाल आएका थिए।

उनीहरु मध्ये एक थिए कतारको राजधानी दोहामा १४ बर्ष अघि रोजगारीका लागि गएका गोरखा जिल्ला घर भएका बद्रि प्रसाद पाण्डे।

अहिले उनले दोहामा एउटा ठूलो निर्माण कम्पनी चलाइरहेको बताए।

कतारका एनआरएन प्रतिनिधि समेत रहेका पाण्डेले नेपालमा अझसम्म पनि लगानीको लागि उपयुक्त वातावरण बन्न नसकेको भन्दै चिन्ता व्यक्त गरे।

उनले भने, "अझ पनि नेपालमा एनआरएनहरुको लगानीका लागि सहायक कानुन र नीति नियम बनीसकेको छैन। फेरि शान्ति सुरक्षाको समस्या पनि छ। हामीले अहिलेसम्म उचित वातावरण बन्न सकेको देखिराख्या छैनौं।"

विश्लेषकहरुका अनुसार यसपालीको एनआरएन सम्मेलनका सहभागीहरु पहिलेको तुलनामा बढी व्यवहारिक देखिएका छन्।

गैरआवासीय मामिला हेरीरहेका एकजना पत्रकार किरण नेपालले भने, "यसपाली मैले धेरै सहभागीहरु धरातलीय यथार्थलाई बुझ्दै काम गर्न उत्साहित रहेको पाएँ।"

सम्मेलनले वैदेशिक रोजगारमा गएकाहरु र विदेशमा पढीरहेका विद्यार्थीहरुलाई समेत एनआरएनको दर्जा दिंदै सुविधाहरु दिनु पर्नेमा जोड दिएको थियो।

विदेशमा काम गर्ने नेपालीहरुले आफ्नो कमाइ स्वदेशमा पठाउनाले अर्थतन्त्रमा ठूलो सघाउ पुगेको अधिकारीहरु बताउंछन्।

हाल झन्डै असी देखि सय अर्ब रुपियां बराबरको रेमिटान्स वर्षेनी नेपाल भित्रिने गरेको अनुमान गरिएको छ।

Govt failed to implement agreements: Martin

2007-10-11T23:18:00.000+05:45

Ian Martin, the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General today said the current crisis in Nepal has resulted due to the failure to implement agreements on certain key issues.
Addressing a press conference at his office today, he stressed that the UNMIN had to take a decision on the immediate future of its electoral personnel, while standing ready to provide whatever support is requested when the constituent assembly polls are rescheduled.
According to him, the lack of progress within the government to discuss the future of Maoist combatants, in ensuring adequate conditions in the cantonments and commencing serious parleys on security sector reform have all contributed to the Maoist concern that the government is not fulfilling its commitments.
"This is a moment when the political parties, civil society and all Nepalis should not just consider a new election date, but should focus on sustaining and deepening the peace process as a whole and develop a road-map of measures that are necessary to create the conditions for credible polls," he said.
He, however, refused to provide clear opinion on the electoral system and the declaration of a republic. "These are for the Nepalis to decide, just as this entire peace process has been a Nepali process," he said, adding that this would not be easy, and it is not for the UN to take a position on the two issues that would be debated in the Interim Parliament tomorrow.
He pointed out that Nepal's traditionally marginalised groups remain concerned that commitments made to them are not being fulfilled.
Reiterating that the UN would continue to assist the efforts to establish durable peace in Nepal, he said the latest report of the secretary-general would be made public next week and the week after that the security council will have a fuller discussion, when Martin himself would be in New York to brief them.
Martin added that the verification of Maoist army divisions in Rolpa would begin shortly. The UNMIN has completed verification at four of the seven Maoist army divisions.

Monarchy battle at Nepal's parliament

2007-10-03T11:13:00.001+05:45

Times of India on its website writes about the Latest status of Monarchy in Nepal

After fighting from the jungles for 10 years, Nepal's Maoists have finally taken the battle against king Gyanendra to parliament, with prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Tuesday agreeing to call a special session of the house and ask legislators to decide the once all-powerful monarch's fate.

Nepal's new constitution allows parliament to make the momentous decision if it thinks the king is trying to block the constituent assembly election that is supposed to seal the fate of his 238-year-old dynasty. If two-third of the MPs vote to abolish monarchy, Nepal's royal family would become a page in history.

Three days after the Maoists rustled up more than the number of legislators' signatures needed to demand a special house session, Koirala began consultations with the speaker, Subhash Chandra Nembang, to decide on the correct course of action. While both agreed that a special session would have to be called, the date was not named immediately since many of the sitting MPs are at present in their constituencies, having started campaigning or the 22 November election.

Maoists Loot Poll Awareness Materials in Nuwakot

2007-10-02T18:17:00.001+05:45

Maoist cadres looted election awareness and publicity materials from a workshop held by Conclave for Support for Constiuent Assembly, Women's Law and Development Forum and Bal Balika & Mahil Uddhar Samuh jointly in Kalikasthan of Rasuwa district on Monday.
Workshop coordinator Basant Bahadur Basnet told this daily that the workshop was being held in Kalika Himalaya higher secondary school when Maoist cadres led by Maoist district committee member Prem Tamang and Young Communist League district secretary Nakul barged into the classroom at 5 pm, snatched up all the teaching materials and walked away with these.
The particpants in the workshop were undergoing a mock voting exercise when the Maoists came and looted all the material, said Basnet. He added that they looted 5,000 sample ballot papers, 5,000 information booklets, 100 calendars, 20 swastika symbol stamps, all the stationery, handbills, posters and banners.
Maoist Rasuwa district incharge Anil Sharma (Birahi) admitted that Maoist cadres looted the poll awareness materials, and said that the organisers were spreading propaganda against the Maoists.
He said that the materials would be returned if the organisers agree not speak against the Maoists. Workshop coordinator Basnet denied that there was any anti-Maoist propaganda in the workshop.

Kantipur House gets respite thru court

2007-09-29T20:13:00.001+05:45

The Patan Appellate Court today directed Maoist-affiliated trade union All Nepal Federation of Trade Union (ANFTU) not to disrupt publication of Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post.
The Maoists-affiliated trade union disrupted the publications of the two newspapers today and had obstructed collection of advertisements yesterday.
A single bench of Judge Jagadish Sharma Paudel issued the stay order following today's hearing on the writ petition filed by managing director of Kantipur Publications Kailash Sirohiya.
"Since the freedom of speech and right to information are the fundamental rights enshrined by the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007, the disruption of publishing newspapers is against the rights of the public to get information," the bench stated.
Ordering the trade union not to launch any act of hooliganism and gherao on the premises of the publication, the bench issued the order under Rule 33 (a) of the Appellate Court Regulation 1991.
The bench said that the stay order would exist until the trade union explains its actions in writing to it.

Bandh Hits Life in Terai Districts

2007-09-28T22:57:00.001+05:45

Normal life various Terai districts remained crippled today due to separate bandh called by Maoists and the dissident faction of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum led by Bhagya Nath Gupta.

Life in five districts in the Mithila region was crippled today due to a bandh called by the CPN-Maoist's Mithila sub-committee against the killing of a Maoist district committee member Girendra Yadav by a gang in Mahottari a few days ago.
Transport services, educational activities and markets remained closed in Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha, Saptari and Sarlahi. Maoists had called a two-day bandh beginning from today.

Meanwhile, life in other Terai districts was crippled due to a Terai bandh called by the MJF led by Gupta. The MJF faction called the bandh to protest the Kapilvastu killings and demanding proportional system for CA polls.
Meanwhile, life in Sunsari was also affected by a bandh called by locals to protest the beating up of a str eet vendor by an Armed Police Force personnel on Wednesday.
At least 13 persons were injured on Thursday after locals clashed with police over the same issue.

13 Injured as Police, Locals Clash in Duhabi

2007-09-28T22:56:00.001+05:45

Ten agitators and three policemen were injured in a clash with locals in Duhabi of Sunsari district last night and this morning over the issue of checking the documents of motorcycles. Havaldar Bhale Bhujel was injured last night when a mob attacked him while constables Kaman Singh Rai and Deepak Danuwar were injured in another incident on Thursday. The condition of agitator Satish Shah, who has been taken to Koshi zonal hospital, is said to be critical.
After on Thursday's clash, an enraged mob went on the rampage and vandalised 22 vehicles, police said. The Duhabi bazaar shut down while vehicles stayed off the Duhabi road section. Transport entrepreneurs staged a counter-agitation against the vandalism. Rampaging locals also hurled a petrol bomb at a police vehicle this afternoon. Tension has mounted in the area after these incidents.
Police fired three rounds in the air to disperse the mob.
Police personnel have been deployed in large numbers to control the situation. The whole day, angry locals pelted police with stones and clashed with them.
The situation turned ugly last night when a police constable got into an argument with a chatpate seller. Claiming that he was manhandled, the seller and some 70 others thrashed constable Bhale Bhujel to within an inch of his life. Bhujel has received 30 stitches in his head and is being treated at the Biratnagar hospital.

UK urges PM, Maoists to find ways to hold polls

2007-09-21T23:23:00.001+05:45

The visiting UK Minister for Asia, Shahid Malik, today urged Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and the CPN-Maoist to find ways to hold elections to the Constituent Assembly on November 22.
He also announced a fresh $ 8m British aid for the Nepal Peace Trust Fund (NPTF) that would also include support for the election. This is part of the overall $26m British aid announced earlier this year for NPTF. Malik said the parties, despite the Maoists' pullout from the government, are committed to the peace process and Constituent Assembly polls.
Stating that credible CA polls would offer the best hope for maintaining peace and development, Malik warned that if the elections were not held on schedule, Nepal would lose confidence in the political and peace processes.
"No party would want that to happen; everyone I met understands that at least the peace process should go on. People have very high expectations, and a free, fair and representative election on November 22 would develop confidence in the political process," said Malik at a press conference.
He said that the UK wanted to play any role to push people on the track of peace process and added: "When I met PM Koirala and Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai, I spoke to them about the disappointment at the decision of the Maoists to pull-out from the government."
Malik expressed his confidence that the Prime Minister and CPN-Maoist were committed to making the peace process work. "I am cautiously optimistic that over the coming days and weeks this will be possible. For all political parties, November 22 should not just be about winning elections, but about winning the peace."
The British minister said peace and development go hand in hand, and urged the government to move forward with both. "The UK is committed to providing support for both in the years ahead. The future of Nepal does not just belong to a elite minority but to all the people," he said. Malik will leave tomorrow. He met PM Koirala this morning. He also met Minister for Health, Giri Raj Mani Pokhrel, and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction, Ram Chandra Poudel.

Malik meets Bhattarai
KATHMANDU: British Minister for Asia, Shahid Malik, today met Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai at the latter's residence in Naya Bazaar. They discussed the latest political development after the Maoists decided to quit the government, according to a release issued by Bhattarai's personal assistant, Bishwodip Pandey.
The release said Malik said the peace process may get derailed following the Maoist's decision to quit the government and its announcement of agitation. Malik said his government "would try its best to keep the peace process intact".
Dr Bhattarai told Malik the peace process would not derail if an accord was reached to declare a republic and all parties agreed to go for polls based on a proportional representation system. —

India says holding CA polls on time in Nepal of 'critical importance'

2007-09-17T12:15:00.001+05:45

Kathmandu, Sept. 16 (PTI): India today said holding Constituent Assembly polls in Nepal on schedule and in a free and fair manner was of "critical importance" even as a Maoist threat to walk out of the interim government cast a shadow on the landmark November elections.

"India acknowledges the critical importance of the elections to the Constituent Assembly, as scheduled and in an environment free of fear and intimidation," Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon said at a press conference here wrapping up his hectic two-day visit to the Himalayan country.

Menon, who met top Nepalese political leadership including Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist chief Prachanda, extended full support to Nepal in its "transition to democracy" and sought early conclusion of the peace process.

The meetings came as a two-day deadline set by Prachanda before Koirala to fulfil the 22-point demand of the Maoists, including declaring Nepal a republican state immediately, was due to expire tomorrow.

The Maoists have threatened to quit the unity government, which they joined early this year in accordance with a peace deal they inked to end the decade-long violence, if their demands are not met.

Menon also offered India's support and material help to conduct the elections.

During his talks with CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, Menon said India wanted to see Nepal's peace process concluded swiftly and political stability brought to the country, according to party sources.

Two killed in Nepal riots, curfew imposed

2007-09-17T12:11:00.001+05:45

A policeman was killed and hundreds of houses and vehicles were torched on Sunday in riots sparked by the murder of a Madhesi leader in western Nepal prompting authorities to impose an indefinite curfew in the area.

An armed Police Force man was killed during the violent clash that broke out after unidentified gunmen killed Mohit Khan in Kapilvastu district on Sunday morning, according to officials.

Khan was chief of the district's vigilante group, set up to counter the Maoists during the armed conflict.

Local residents and supporters of Khan staged protests, which soon turned violent, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew in parts of Rupandehi and Kapilvastu districts.

Protesters lobbed a bomb at an Armed Police Force team at Chanuata, killing Constable Hasan Puri.

The irate locals set ablaze a mosque at Butawal Municipality and also set on fire a Maoist contact office at Taulihawa alleging that those who killed Khan were the Maoist cadres.

The mob also vandalised a dozen vehicles including two having Indian number plates and looted a dozen shops and restaurants in the area. Police said at least 300 houses in the Chandrauta area have been set ablaze.

Curfew was imposed in the afternoon for indefinite period to control the situation.

7 dead, over 25 missing as boat capsizes in Rapti River

2007-09-06T11:30:00.000+05:45

At least seven persons, including a two-and-a-half year old baby, drowned and over 25 others went missing when an overcrowded boat capsized in the swollen Rapti River in midwestern Banke district Wednesday afternoon.

The boat carrying some 40 passengers sank near Gobarpur area in Baijapur VDC, some 55 kilometers north-east of Nepalgunj, reports quoting the police said. The boat was heading for Kachanapur from Baijapur.

Rescuers recovered bodies of four women, two girls and a youth from the river while search for other missing people is still going on. Twelve persons saved themselves by swimming ashore while local rescued two girls.

Among the dead, two are identified as 17-year-old girl Hira Thapa and the daughter of Suresh Basnet of Baijapur. Mother of the deceased girl is also missing Two injured have been admitted to Bheri Zonal Hospital for treatment.

Reports quoted survivors as saying boat overloading and flooding in the river resulted in the accident. The boat had a maximum capacity of a dozen persons.

Meanwhile, police said separate teams of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force have been mobilized for carrying out search & rescue operations in the area

तराईका समूहहरुमा फूट

2007-09-04T00:37:00.001+05:45

तराईमा सकृय मधेशी जनअधिकार फोरम राजनीतिक दलमा परिणत भएको ६ महिना नबित्दै टुक्रिएको छ।

मधेश आन्दोलनबाट चर्चामा आएको फोरम र सरकारबीच भएको २२ बुंदे सहमतिको विरोध गर्दै केही नेताहरूले संयोजक उपेन्द्र यादवलाई साधारण सदस्यबाट निलम्वन गरेको घोषणा गरेका छन्।

सात सदस्यीय सचिवालय समितिका चार जनाले बहुमतबाट संयोजक यादवलाई निलम्बन गरेको जनाएका छन्।

तर यादव पक्षधरहरुले हाल सचिवालय गठन नै नभएको जनाउंदै केन्द्रीय समितिको निर्णयलेमात्र सदस्यताबाट निलम्बन गर्न सकिने तर्क अगाडि सारेका छन्।

अर्को तर्फ सशस्त्र विद्रोहमा उत्रेको जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चामा निष्काशन र नयाँ समूह खोल्ने क्रम जारी छ।

आशा र निराशा

हाम्रा जनकपुरस्थित संवाददाता भन्छन्, हालै सरकार र फोरमबीच सहमति भएपछि तराईमा समेत संविधानसभाको चुनावले गति लिने अपेक्षा गरिएको थियो।

तर उनी भन्छन्, केही सत्तारुढ दल र तराईका सशस्त्र समूहहरुले सहमतिको कडा विरोध गर्न थालेपछि फोरम र सरकारबीचको सहमति चुनावका लागि खासै प्रभावकारी हुन नसक्ने देखिएको छ।

फोरमको एउटा समूहले संविधानसभाको चुनावमा सकृय रुपले भाग लिने बताएपनि अर्को असन्तुष्ट पक्षले चुनावमा भाग नलिने संकेत दिदै संघर्षका कार्यक्रमहरु सार्वजनिक गरेकोछ।

दुवै पक्षले आफूलाइ आधिकारिक भएको दावी गरिरहेका छन्।

सरकार र फोरमबीचको सहमतिलाई ऐतिहासिक भनिए पनि अब त्यसको कार्यान्वयन हुने नहुनेमा आशंका उब्जिएको छ।

संयोजक यादवलाइ निलम्वन गरेको बताउंदै असन्तुष्ट पक्षका एकजना सचिवालय सदस्य जीतेन्द्र सोनलले यस अघि पनि सचिवालयको निर्णयबाट विद्यार्थी फोरमका केन्द्रीय अध्यक्ष केशव झालाई हटाइएको बताए।

तर यादव पक्षका केन्द्रीय सदस्य बी पी यादवले केही मानिसले भन्दैमा कोही निलम्वन नहुने दावी गरे।

अर्को फूट

अर्को तर्फ छुट्‍टै तराई राज्यको माग गर्दै सशस्त्र विद्रोहमा उत्रिएको जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चाबाट तेस्रो समूह बाहिरिएको छ।

जयकृष्ण गोइत संयोजक रहेको मोर्चाबाट अलग्गिएर ज्वाला सिंह, विष्फोट सिंह र पछिल्लो पटक पवनको नेतृत्वमा संगठन खोलिएकोछ।

पवनले अधिवेशनबाट गोइत र एक जना केन्द्रीय सदस्य प्रकाशलाई निष्कासन गरेको दावी गरेका छन्।

तर मोर्चाका केन्द्रीय सदस्य प्रकाशले संगठनको नीति विपरित चन्दा, अपहरण लगायतका कार्यहरू गरेकाले निष्काशनमा परेकाहरूले जनतामा भ्रम सृजना गर्न खोजेको आरोप लगाए।

तराईका समूहहरुमा फूट

2007-09-04T00:37:00.000+05:45

आशा र निराशा

दुवै पक्षले आफूलाइ आधिकारिक भएको दावी गरिरहेका छन्।

अर्को फूट

'काठमाण्डू विष्फोट बर्बर एवम् अमानवीय'

2007-09-04T00:36:00.000+05:45


	प्रवक्ता महराले विष्फोटन संविधानसभाको चुनाव बिथोल्ने उद्देश्यले गराइएको बताए

सरकारले काठमाण्डूमा आइतवार गराइएका बम विष्फोटहरुलाई आतंककारी र अमानवीय भन्दै संविधानसभा चुनावकालागि विशेष सुरक्षा अभियान शुरु गरेको बताएको छ।

राजधानीका सार्वजनिक स्थल तथा परिवहनमा श्रृङखलावद्ध बम बिष्फोटन भएको एक दिन पछि बसेको मन्त्रीपरिषदको आपत्कालीन बैठकले सुरक्षा स्थितिको समीक्षा पनि गरेको थियो।

सरकारले घाइतेहरुको उपचार खर्च ब्यहोर्ने जानकारी दिएको छ।

मन्त्रिपरिषदले त्यस्ता कार्यलाई संविधानसभाको निर्वाचन बिथोल्ने नियोजित षडयन्त्रका रुपमा लिएको जनाएको छ।

आइतवार त्रिपुरेश्वर, सुन्धारा र बालाजुमा लगभग एकै समयमा भएका बिष्फोटनमा परी विष्फोटनमा परी दुईजनाको ज्यान जानुकासाथै दुई दर्जन घाइते भएका थिए।

प्रहरीले अनुसन्धानका क्रममा केही ब्यक्तिहरुलाई पक्राउ गरी सोधपुछ गर्दैरहेको जनाएको छ।

बैठकपछि आठदलीय सरकारका प्रवक्ता तथा सूचना एवम् सन्चार मन्त्री कृष्णबहादुर महराले भने, "सरकारले अहिले सु्रक्षा स्थितिलाई कडा तुल्याउँदै अनुसन्धान शुरु गरेको छ र सबै नेपालीलाई संयमित हुन आग्रह गरेको छ। "

'सरकार अविचलित'

महराले सरकार ती हमलाहरुबाट विचलित नभएको बताउदै सबै नेपालीहरुलाई, उनकै शब्दमा, संविधानसभा बिथोल्ने र आतंक फैल्याउने खालका षडयन्त्र र क्रियाकलापहरुलाई विफल तुल्याउन आग्रह गरे।

उनले भने, "सरकार एकदम गम्भीर भएको छ र दलहरु मिलेर, सबै एकजुट भएर चुनौतीहरुको सामना गर्नुपर्छ।"

सोमवार सांझ सम्म पनि एक दर्जन घाइतेहरु उपचार गराइरहेका थिए।

एकजना विद्यार्थी गुमाएको र अन्य केही विद्यार्थी घाइते भएको त्रिपुरेश्वरस्थित विश्व निकेतन स्कुल शोकाकुल बन्न पुगेको छ।

यसअघि खासै नाम नसुनिएका तीनवटा समूहहरु अगाडि आईसकेका छन्।

बीबीसीसंग कुरा गर्दै गृह मन्त्रालयका प्रवक्ता वामनप्रसाद न्यौपानेले सरकारले त्यसबारे अनुसन्धान गरीरहेको बताए।

देश संविधानसभाको चुनाव गराउन अग्रसर भैरहंदा गराईएका हमलाहरुको चौतर्फी निन्दा र भर्त्सना गरिएको छ।

उता संविधान सभाको चुनावका लागि आवश्यक सुरक्षा प्रबन्ध मिलाउने विषयमा क्षेत्रीय स्तरमा छलफल गर्न गृहमन्त्री कृष्णप्रसाद सिटौला बिराटनगर पुगेका छन्।

बिराटनगरस्थित बीबीसीका एकजना संवाददाता भन्छन्, "त्यहां उनले सबैलाई चुनाव शान्तिपूर्ण र तोकिएकै समयमा हुने कुरामा आश्वस्त तुल्याउने कोशिश गरेका थिए।"

Kathmandu bomb leaves 38 injured

2007-09-02T22:59:00.000+05:45

From: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3995409.stm

Most of the injured were treated in hospital and swiftly discharged

At least 38 people have been hurt in a bomb attack in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, officials say.

The explosion struck a building of the government-owned Employees' Provident Fund that was under construction.

No one has admitted the attack but police say it follows the pattern of raids by Maoist rebels.

The Maoists have been waging an eight-year insurgency to replace the constitutional monarchy. More than 9,000 people have died.

Rickshaw park

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says the blast happened in a congested central area not far from the army headquarters.

The bomb followed the pattern of Maoist attacks, police say

At the bomb site, dust filled the air and shards of glass filled the roadway outside the building.

Many plate glass windows had been shattered or fallen away completely. A nearby stallholder said it had sounded as if the whole building was collapsing.

Police told the BBC three young men had overpowered a security guard and run up the entrance staircase, leaving the explosive device by lifts.

The men shouted to workers to leave the building, but moments later the bomb exploded.

The building adjoins a rickshaw park and market and many of the injured were passengers and drivers of rickshaws.

Most of those hurt were swiftly discharged from hospital although a few have been detained.

Our correspondent says the blast was one of the capital's biggest and the first attack there since a nine-day truce expired 12 days ago.

There was a second bomb explosion on Tuesday at a government building in the town of Bhaktapur, just east of Kathmandu, according to the police.

Two people were reported to have been wounded in the incident, which the authorities are also blaming on the Maoists.

Landmines Being Defused Nationwide: Poudel

2007-08-23T18:48:00.001+05:45

The government has started the work of identifying, mapping, fencing and marking landmines in different parts of the country, planted during the decade-long insurgency, said Ram Chandra Poudel, Minister for Peace and Reconstruction, on Wednesday.

The government had formed a directional and technical committee under the coordination of Poudel on June 21 to start mine action works. Poudel, speaking at a National Conference on Landmines organised by Ban Landmines Campaign Nepal (NCBL), said the committee has started identifying, defusing and excavating the landmines.

He also urged the Nepali army, Maoists, experts and related organisations to help in the committee's work to minimise the probable death and destruction due to the landmines in the future.

Purna Shova Chirakar, coordinator of the NCBL, said over 26,000 people have been handicapped due to the landmines and almost 14,00 have lost their lives in the last 12 years. She accused the government and the political parties of lacking dedication to tackle the risk posed by landmines.

In the peace accord signed on November 22, 2006, the government and the Maoists had expressed commitment to assist each other to mark the landmines by providing necessary information within 30 days and de-fuse and excavate them within 60 days. But the commitment is yet to be implemented.

United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Matthew Kahane said there is an urgent need to destroy the landmines. He added that the government should address the problems of those injured and handicapped by the landmines.

Tamrat Samuel, deputy special representative of the Secretary General, called for the formulation of a mine action policy. He also called for the protection of rights of those injured and handicapped by the landmines.

Sunita Ghale, who lost her right leg and Krishna Bahadur Ghising, whose lower body has been paralysed due to a landmine explosion, accused the government of showing indifference to their plight. "We have been finding it difficult to continue medications and fend for the family and children," they said and urged the government to support them. It takes $3 to $10 to produce a landmine, while it takes anywhere between $200 and 1,000 to destroy it, according to the NCBL

Maoists' Acts Ridiculous: Rana

2007-08-23T18:45:00.001+05:45

From THT Online

Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana on Wednesday said that the Maoists' threat to declare the nation a republic through people's action was "contrived and ridiculous".

Speaking after inaugurating the fourth district convention of his party's Morang chapter, Rana said that the Maoists were still acting as if they were taking action on people's behalf. He said that the Maoists were voicing threats of people's action only to stall the constituent assembly (CA) polls.

"Attacking other parties' offices, disrupting their general assemblies and assaulting chief district officers, these acts are all part of the Maoists' so-called people's action," said Rana. "What more limit do they want to cross? All their talk of launching a people's action drive seems contrived and ridiculous."

The RPP chief also blamed the Nepali Congress for failing to create a proper electoral atmosphere though the date for the CA polls was fast approaching. He added that the nearer the CA polls were coming, the more remote the chances of a good electoral atmosphere were getting.

"Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has been expressing his commitment to hold the CA polls, but there are no signs of his party taking up his stand in earnest."

Rana said it was necessary to provide reservations to the Madhesi community to solve the problems in the Tarai region. He added that the Madhes region might not go to the polls as the government had failed to address the Madhes issues and had instead shown indifference towards the Madhesi people's demands.

"Half the country lies in the Madhes region. It is absolutely necessary to solve the problems of the Madhesi people in order to resolve conflict," he said

Nepal flags cut to Everest climbing fee

2007-08-23T04:26:00.000+05:45

Authorities in Nepal are planning to slash the permit price for climbing Mount Everest by up to 75 per cent outside the main spring climbing season.
The current cost of a Nepali permit to tackle the world's highest peak is $87,600 for 10 people, but this could soon change.
"We are thinking about reducing the fees by 50 per cent during the autumn season and by 75 per cent during the winter season," Minister for Tourism and Culture Prithvi Subba Gurung said.
Most climbers tackle the 8,848-metre mountain during the spring season in late May just before the monsoon sweeps across the sub-continent.
"We don't have any plans to reduce permit price for climbing Everest during the spring season," the minister added.
This year's peak season was a record breaker with 530 people summitting Everest from the southern approach in Nepal and the northern route through Chinese-controlled Tibet.
"We think that the reduction in fees will attract more mountaineers," Ang Tsering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said.
"At the moment, no expedition teams have applied to climb Everest in autumn and winter. Usually people come for the spring season as this is when they have the best chance of summitting," he said.
Home to eight of the world's 14 tallest peaks, Nepal has hosted trekkers and mountaineers for years and Mr Sherpa hopes to persuade the Government to open more mountains to foreign climbers.
"In Nepal there are over 1,792 peaks above 5,500 metres and only 326 are open for climbing. In our proposal we will also ask the government to allow climbing on more mountains," he said.

India, Nepal floods kill dozens- Hundreds of thousands see homes washed away in eastern India

2007-08-17T13:39:00.001+05:45

Floods caused by incessant rains in India over the past week have displaced hundreds of thousands of people in the east and northeast, destroyed crops and damaged bridges, officials said on Friday.

In the eastern state of Bihar, 21 people have died while hundreds of thousands of villagers have seen their houses washed away while road and rail networks have been disrupted by heavy monsoon rains over the past three days.

"The floods have damaged 1,776 houses in 269 villages across the north of Bihar and we are sending relief to the marooned villagers," said Manoj Kumar Srivastava, a Bihar disaster management official.

Parts of Bihar's capital, Patna, are also waterlogged, resulting in many people remaining at home and some private schools being shut.

In the northeast, rivers — including the mighty Brahmaputra — have burst their banks and floodwaters have submerged 25,000 acres of rice fields and destroyed hundreds of houses.

"The situation is grim," said Bharat Chandra Narah, flood control minister for Assam state.

In the mountainous state of Arunachal Pradesh, roads were blocked by landslides, while fast-flowing rivers eroded river banks and damaged bridges.

Weather officials predicted more rains in the next 48 hours across Bihar and the northeastern states.

In Nepal, floods triggered left thousands of people homeless, destroyed crops and disrupted transport and electricity supplies across the country, officials and media reports said on Friday.

Around 2,500 houses have been washed away in the Himalayan nation's southern plains, forcing residents to flee to higher grounds after week-long heavy rains, local media said.

Officials said floods and landslides have killed about 40 people in Nepal since June when the annual monsoon rains began.

"The seasonal monsoon trough lies almost parallel to the foot of the Himalayas causing more than normal rainfall in Nepal," said Shiva Nepal, an official at the weather forecasting office.

He said rain would continue for another two to three days.

In the western district of Sallyan, heavy rains caused a landslide, which swept away a home killing five members of a family while they were asleep on Thursday, Kantipur television reported.

कांग्रेस, माओवादी विद्यार्थीबीचको विवाद बढ्दो

2007-08-16T08:10:00.001+05:45

सत्ताधारी नेपाली कांग्रेस र नेकपा माओवादी निकट विद्यार्थी संगठनहरुबीचको विवाद सुल्झिनुको साटो झन् बल्झिदै गएको छ।

विवाद बढ्दै जाँदा उनीहरूले एकअर्का माथि आक्रमण र प्रत्याक्रमण गर्न थालेका छन्।

माओवादी समर्थित अनेरास्ववियु क्रान्तिकारीले आफ्नो केन्द्रिय कार्यालयमा नेपाली कांग्रेस निकट नेविसंघले मंगलवार आक्रमण गरेको भन्दै बुधवार काठमाडौ उपत्यकामा तीन घण्टे चक्काजामको आयोजना गरेको थियो।

त्यसक्रममा प्रहरी र प्रदर्शनकारीवीच ठाउँ, ठाउँमा झडप भएका थिए।

अखिल क्रान्तिकारीका अनुसार उसका ९५ कार्यकर्ता गिरफ्तार भएका छन् र ३८ जना घाइते भएका छन्।

नेकपा एमालेले आफ्ना सांसद सोमप्रसाद पाण्डे र उनको गाड‌ीमाथि प्रदर्शनकारीले आक्रमण गर्नुका साथै आगो लगाउने प्रयास गरेको भन्दै त्यसको विरोध गरेको छ।

काठमाण्डू थापाथलीस्थित इन्जिनियरिङ क्याम्पसमा आफ्ना कार्यकर्तामाथि माओवादी समर्थित क्रान्तिकारीका कार्यकर्ताले सोमवार सांघातिक हमला गरेको भन्दै नेविसंघले मंगलवार देशव्यापी शैक्षिक संस्था बन्द गरेको थियो।

वार्ताका सर्त

अन्य विद्यार्थी संगठनहरुद्वारा दुवै पक्षलाई वार्ताद्वारा सहमति कायम गर्न दबाब परिरहे पनि त्यस्तो वातावरण बनेको छैन।

नेविसंघका अध्यक्ष प्रदीप पौडेलले आफुहरु विरुद्ध माओवादी युवा संगठन, योंग कम्युनिष्ट लिगका कार्यकर्ताको प्रयोग गरिएकाले यो विषय माओवादी नेतृत्वसँग गाँसिएको बताउँदै भने, "हामीले धेरै सह्यौ। अब भने सुध्रिन्छौ/गर्दैनौ भनेर हुँदैन्। व्यवहारमा देखिनुपर्छ।"

अखिल क्रान्तिकारीका महासचिव हिमाल शर्माले चाहीं नेविसंघले माफी नमागेसम्म र गिरफ्तार कार्यकर्ता विना सर्त रिहा नहुँदासम्म सम्वादको थालनी हुन नसक्ने बताए।

अन्यथा भदौ १ गतेदेखि देशव्यापी रुपमा अनिश्चितकालीन शैक्षिक हडताल गर्ने उनले जनाए।

नेविसंघले भने बिहीवार विरोधसभा गरि आन्दोलनका कार्यक्रम सार्वजनिक गर्ने बताएको छ।

त्यसो त बिद्यार्थी संगठनहरुबीच यस अघि पनि झडप, आक्रमण-प्रत्याक्रमण वा हमला नभएका होइनन्।

तिनलाई सामान्य घटनाका रुपमा लिइन्थ्यो।

बीबीसीका काठमाण्डू सम्वाददाता भन्छन्, तर संक्रमणकालीन राजनीतिक स्थिति र देश राजनीतिक ध्रुविकरणको डिलमा उभिएकाले पनि सत्ताधारी वामपन्थी र गैरवामपन्थी दुई दल समर्थित विद्यार्थी संगठनबीच बढ्दो शत्रुतालाई धेरैले चासोका साथ हेरिरहेका छन्।

From: bbcnepali.com

Work stops at Dabur’s Nepal factory

2007-08-12T11:03:00.001+05:45

Work stopped at the Dabur Nepal's factory in southern Nepal on Friday after the Maoist union started negotiating with the management over their six-point demands, which include a pay hike.

The factory of Dabur Nepal, Dabur India's wholly-owned subsidiary and Nepal's biggest exporter, located in Birgunj town in southern Nepal, stopped production from the morning after the All Nepal Trade Union Federation (Revolutionary), the powerful trade union of the Maoists, gave a six-point demand to the management.

The demands include giving permanent jobs to seasonal workers and raising pay and perks.

The demands have been made mainly on behalf of the loaders, who are hired when the need arises.

Dabur Nepal officials said they expected the negotiations to be concluded and the factory to resume production soon.

Last month, loaders working for another Indian joint venture, Nepal Lever, had prevented work at its factory for two days with similar demands though they were not direct employees of the multinational but came through a contractor.

With the Maoists joining the government this year, labour trouble has increased as the trade unions associated with different parties have begun a fierce race for control of the working class.

Meanwhile, as national and international support to help the flood victims of the country continues to pour in following an urgent appeal made by the government, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also appealed "for $1.7 million to help more than 20,000 families affected by torrential monsoon rains, landslides and extensive flooding in the south of Nepal."

The Nepal Red Cross Society has estimated that more than 330,000 people have been affected due to floods.

"The hardest hit communities need to receive food, clean water, and access to sanitation facilities," said the secretary general of the Nepal Red Cross, Dev Ratna Dhakhwa. "But we also need to look beyond this emergency phase, towards helping people return to a normal way of life and enable vulnerable communities to be prepared for future disasters such as this," he adds.

The Nepal Red Cross has been leading the distribution of relief in the country and is working closely with the government, United Nations agencies and other aid organisations. Volunteers in each of the 33 affected districts have so far distributed rice, noodles, salt and sugar to around 30,000 families.

MPs Concerned About Maoists' Violent Acts

2007-08-01T15:11:00.001+05:45

Members of Parliament (MPs) today expressed concern about the Maoists' violent activities and said it might be a ploy to defer constituent assembly elections slated for November 22.
Maoist MPs, however, said the political parties were trying to defame their party.
MP Harihar Dahal of the Nepali Congress (NC) sought a remedy to the problem created by the Maoist party cadres. "We have a solution if the king obstructs the elections. But what if Maoist cadres obstruct constituent assembly elections?" he said, while drawing the attention of the Speaker during the special session of the Parliament today.
He said loktantra was not synonymous with coercion or intimidation. "How can we expect the polls to be fair and free in such a situation?" he queried.
Ganga Narayan Shrestha, a Maoist MP, criticised the government for holding dialogue with the "criminals" of the March 27 Gaur incident, where 27 Maoist cadres were killed by cadres of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF).
MP Chitra Bahadur KC of the Janamorcha Nepal criticised the Maoists for having double standards. "How do we expect peace and stability when the party, which is in the government creates troubles?" he asked.
He, however, said that all the eight parties should take the moral responsibility if the government fails to hold constituent assembly in the scheduled date.
Maoist MP Hit Bahadur Tamang defended the Dolakha incident, saying that the whole episode erupted after the government authorities in the district tried to protect a supporter of monarchy.

Maoist Bandh Hits Three Districts

2007-08-01T15:08:00.001+05:45

While the indefinite district bandh called by the Maoists affected life in Dolakha district today, the Maoists shut Kavre and Sindhupalchowk districts too today.
The Maoists had called the indefinite bandh in Dolakha putting forward their 3-point demand including release of their cadres arrested for beating up Dolakha CDO Uddhav Bahadur Thapa on Sunday and withdrawal of cases against them.
The Maoists in Kavre and Sindhupalchowk had called a daylong bandh to express solidarity with their comrades in Dolakha.
Transport services, educational institutions and market places remained closed in all three districts. Maoists have blocked the highways by placing obstructions at various places.
Police have arrested nearly three dozen Maoist cadres and charged 11 of them with murder attempt.
Meanwhile, an all-party meeting is scheduled to take place in Charikot in a bid to find a solution to the dispute in Dolakha.

Disruption of THT, AP distribution goes on

2007-07-25T12:28:00.001+05:45

Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, July 24:

Maoist trade union workers continued their illegal disruption of the distribution of The Himalayan Times (THT) and Annapurna Post (AP) for the sixth consecutive day today.
The workers gathered at Sama Printers (printers of THT and AP) at Bhainsepati in Lalitpur in the morning and tried to seize the newspapers.
The police, who had been deployed on the premises of Sama Printers' office, intervened and stopped the Maoist workers from seizing the newspapers.
The trade union workers then headed for the office of the newspapers at Anamnagar and organised a corner meeting there.
Though they threatened to padlock the offices at 7 in the evening, they were seen no where around the offices after the corner meet.
They also warned distributors against distributing the newspapers.
The pro-Maoist trade union workers' "agitation" drew flak and condemnation from all quarters of the society.
In separate press releases, the Nepal Press Institute (NPI), the Press Chautari Nepal and Reporters' Club Nepal condemned the act as violation of people's right to information.
"It is sad that the distribution of the newspapers has been disrupted. This has denied the people their right to information," Gokul Prasad Pokharel, chairperson of the NPI, said in a statement.
"The agitators and the management concerned should hold dialogue," Ganesh Basnet, vice-president of Press Chautari, said in a release.

Rains, Floods Wreak Havoc in Tarai Districts

2007-07-25T12:27:00.001+05:45

THT Online Siraha, July 25

Floods triggered by incessant rains have wrecked havoc in several districts in the Tarai. Normal life has been thrown out of gear in districts including Siraha, Rautahat and Parsa.
Floodwaters, as high as two feet, have swamped houses, plantations, roads, markets, government offices and schools in the district headquarters of Siraha.
Patients in the Siraha district hospital are also having to bear the brunt of the floodwaters, the hospital chief, Dr Raj Kumar Chaudhari said.
Over a dozen huts belonging to the Dalit community at Mahisothatole of Siraha-8, collapsed due to heavy rains. Rains have also destroyed dozens of houses at Baderwatole and Basbittatole of Siraha-6, locals said.
Floodwaters from the Khutti river have inundated most of the settlements in Ward no-5 and 6 of Lahan, the Lahan Area Police Office said.
Price of food items has shot up and the business is running low, chairperson of the Trade Union, Ratanlal Agrawal, said.
Floods in the Sahaja, Gagan and Maunawati rivers have inundated Laxminiya, Sanhaitha, Aurahi, Intatar, Hakpada, Chhotakitole, Khiraunar and Patherwa villages.
Similarly, waters from the flooded Kamala river inundated a dozen villages, including Phulbariya, Chikana, Bhediya, Manpurtole, Kalyanpur, Bhokraha and Sikron.
A report from Rautahat said heavy rainfall for the past nine days has damaged a dozen houses and flooded hundreds of bighas of land in the district.
Waters from the flooded Jhanjh river inundated Mithuwa, Mahamadpur, Jayanagar, Jethrahiya, Rajpur, Tulsio and Suratha VDCs and damaged the paddy crop in hundreds of bighas of land.
Heavy rainfall and storm damaged seven houses in Saruatha VDC and the displaced families are taking shelter in a primary school, a local Bhusan Singh said.
The rains disrupted vehicular movement on the Sivanagar-Katariya, Gaurda-Samanpur and Matsari-Gaur roads, a local of Badharwa Hari Singh said.
Relief materials have been sent to the victims, president of the Rautahat chapter of Nepal Red Cross Society, Mohamad Majarulhak, said.
A total of 74 houses including 10 in Dharampur VDC-4 and Rajpur Pharhadawa VDC, one in Madhopur VDC, five in Ajargaiwi VDC, five in Inarwa VDC, one in Patharabudhara VDC, nine in Inarwari VDC, nine in Narkatiya VDC, six in Gaur municipality and one in Tikuliya VDC collapsed in the floods and the rains, the Rautahat district police office said.
The administration is preparing to send relief to the victims, Rautahat CDO Durga Prasad Bhandari said.
In Birgunj, flood victims have not received relief as yet. The Parsa District Police Office and Parsa chapter of the Nepal Red Cross Society are distributing relief materials in the city, Pokhariya and Sibarwa VDCs only, while rural folks are yet to get relief, Ganesh Prasad Jaiswal of Viswa VDC said.
Flood in the Oriya and Sikta rivers have inundated Viswa, Jayamangalpur, Mirjapur, Samvauta, Laxmipur, Dhobiyatola, Phajatawa, Kheshraha villages in Parsa district.

Cops’ informers find YCL more lucrative

2007-07-19T04:38:00.001+05:45

Majority of junior policemen ready to give them dope, claims YCL

Valley cops, who have been drawing a lot of flak for their failure on the law and order front, have another headache: their informers are deserting them for the Young Communist League. Valley cops stumbled upon this bitter truth when they recently found that some of their informers were not tipping them off. "Later it turned out that they had switched loyalties to the YCL," a police official at the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) told The Himalayan Times. MPCD officials say cops depend heavily on the informers.
"We can't get all the information on our own because people don't open up to us," an official said.

Informers are motivated by several reasons. "Some of them regularly provide information about their business rivals, whereas some tip us to exact revenge on their personal or family foes," a high-level police official at the Narcotic Drug Control Law Enforcement Unit (NDCLEU) said. But few make a living out of it. According to police officials, many work for a specific case and then go mum.
"The whole business is kept under wraps. We don't tell it to anyone, not even to our immediate bosses," inspector Jiban Shrestha at the MPCD said. Police officials admit that many informers are petty criminals. "We convince them to work as informers," DSP Bikash Khanal at the NDCLEU said. Often the cops pay them from their own pockets.

The police have no clear policy about paying informers. The Police Headquarters allocates very little for offices like MPCD and NDCLEU under the different heads and the office provides cash to informers in case of big seizure or when they help net a big fish.
SSP Kuber Rana at the NDCLEU admits that they receive some cash from the headquarters under "programme budget".
Rana, however, says all of that is not supposed to be spent on informers, as nobody knows how many of them are working under a police office. "We have to spend part of that money for training the cops and building their capacity," he added.

Asked why YCL was poaching police informers, YCL's Kathmandu district president Jwala said, "Not only the informers, 70 per cent of junior police officials are ready to join us. However, we have to be on our toes to ensure that informers don't leak our information to the state." Adapted from the himalayan times.

Palace seeks govt security, gets it

2007-07-07T04:58:00.000+05:45

The Home Ministry has asked the District Security Committee, Kathmandu, to make necessary security arrangements for King Gyanendra's 61st birthday bash.
Home ministry spokesperson Baman Prasad Neupaney said the ministers had directed the committee to provide security responding to the royal palace's request. "Whenever the palace organises a function, they write to us demanding security and we provide it. It has been happening for years," Neupaney told THT.
According to the ministry, Chief District Officer heads the five-member security committee that includes District Police Chief, a Senior Army Official and a senior Armed Police Force official.

According to a source, security personnel will be deployed from 9 am tomorrow in view of protests announced by the alliance of students' wings affiliated to the eight political parties.

Meanwhile, YCL cadres took out a torch rally from Sundhara and turned the rally into a corner meeting at Ratnapark this evening to protest the dinner party organised to mark the king's birthday. YCL's valley in-charge Sagar said they would block roads leading to Narayanhiti Palace tomorrow.

Meanwhile, former PMs Surya Bahadur Thapa and, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Kirtinidhi Bista, former ministers Badri Prasad Mandal, Durga Pokhrel and Din Bandhu Aryal attended the party hosted by Crown Prince Paras to mark the king's birthday today.

According to Mohan Shrestha, publicity chief of the birthday committee, Dr Tulsi Giri is expected to attend the party on Sunday. Chief of Army Staff Gen Rookmangud Katawal did not attend the party. From thehimalayantimes.com

DDR not applicable for Maoists: says Prachanda

2007-07-07T04:56:00.000+05:45

Maoist chairman Prachanda has said that the model of DDR (Disarming, Demobilisation and Reintegration) will not be applicable for restructuring of the Maoist army.



Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in a meeting in Switzerland. Photo courtesy: Nepalese People's Progressive Forum (File Photo)

Addressing a programme in Geneva, Switzerland, Prachanda said that since Maoists' People's Liberation Army (PLA) had fought for people, the DDR model cannot be applicable for them. "It should rather be applied on the old army," he said.

Prachanda said the PLA should be reintegrated into the Nepali Army and their soldiers be given security duties. Any plan to engage them in other duties would be unfortunate, he said.

Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai are currently in Switzerland.

King requests for security

2007-07-07T04:54:00.000+05:45

In the wake of warning by the student and youth activists affiliated with the eight political parties to foil the birthday party of King Gyanendra planned by monarchists, the King has appealed to the government to provide adequate security, reports Nepal FM.

The King has made the request to the Home Ministry asking for security cover during the birthday celebrations, says the report.

It adds that the Home Ministry has replied positively by agreeing to consider the request.

The monarchists are planning to gather in Tundikhel and march to the royal palace to extend greetings to the King on the occasion of his 61st birthday on Saturday. "We are not planning to raise any slogan. We will simply march to the palace silently," said Dr. Durga Pokharel, former minister and co-chair of the committee formed to organise the King's birthday.

Earlier on Thursday, student and youth activists of eight parties had decided to hold demonstration and foil the royal reception. They claimed that the King has no authority to hold receptions since he is no more recognised by the constitution.

YCL Cadres won't Obstruct Polls: Poudel

2007-06-29T04:28:00.001+05:45

Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel on Thursday
said that the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) would not
disrupt the constituent assembly (CA) polls.

"I don't believe that the Maoists, who have joined peaceful politics
with an agenda of the CA poll after a decade-long armed conflict,
would disrupt the polls in the name of any organisation," Poudel said
at a press meet organised by the Kaski chapter of the Nepal Press
Union here.

"Nobody should forget the stance on the CA taken by the Maoists during
talks held at Hapure of Dang and in Godavari of Lalitpur," he said.

"It is also the responsibility of the Maoists to hold the CA polls. If
any such situation arises, where the Maoists or their sister
organisations disrupt the CA polls, then their stance taken in the
past will be of no value," he said.

"Nobody should disrupt the CA polls in the name of trading charges at
a time when the nation is heading towards achieving the goal of
holding the CA poll," he said.

"As the date of the polls has already been announced, the government
should make sufficient provisions for security and tighten up the
administrative sector and also create the right atmosphere for the
poll by holding talks with politically dissatisfied sides," he said.
Stating that the talks held with the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF)
in Janakpur were fruitful, Poudel said the talks held with janajatis
was also heading towards a solution.
Poudel, who is also general secretary of the Nepali Congress (NC),
elaborated that NC was not in favour of giving continuity to the
monarchy. He said, "The decision on monarchy is being delayed as the
NC stance should be wise and mature."

"Decision on monarchy will be taken by calling a Mahasamiti meeting or
special convention soon," he said.
"As the unification of the NC and the NC (D) is in the final phase,
the issue of calling a joint Congress Mahasamiti meeting or special
convention is also on the anvil now," Poudel said, adding that NC and
NC (D) would unite by mid-August.

Bandh shuts Tarai

2007-06-23T12:00:00.001+05:45

A shutdown called by the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) affected normal life in districts of the Tarai today. In Nawalparasi, six vehicles were vandalised at Harkatta along Mahendra Highway. MJF cadres vandalised the three trucks and three buses when they were being escorted by the police. Police arrested 11 persons in this connection.

The MJF had called the one-day bandh to demand the safe release of its Kathmandu valley in-charge Jeetendra Shah abducted by the Young Communist League (YCL).

Most educational institutions and industries in Kalaiya and adjoining areas remained closed, while vehicles did not ply on the Birgunj-Pathlaiya road section, Mahendra Highway and Pathlaiya-Hetauda section of Tribhuvan Highway.

The effects of the bandh were also felt in Mahottari, Bardiya, Nepalgunj, Birgunj, Rautahat, Saptari, Siraha, Biratnagar, Dhanusha, Sarlahi and Kapilvastu. Kapilvastu district MJF chairperson Prakash Pandey said no untoward incident was reported anywhere in the region.
The bandh, however, had no effect in Jhapa.

Move to ban arms on planes

2007-06-23T11:59:00.001+05:45

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal is drafting a bill that will ban air passengers carrying arms while travelling. CAAN deputy director general Bharat Dhakal said this at a programme organised by the CAAN here today. He also said that all airports in Nepal are unsafe.
Weapons carried by security guards of the Prime Minister, ministers and other VIPs will be allowed inside the plane only after the ammunition has been taken out, Dhakal said. Currently, security guards of VIPs carry loaded weapons while boarding the plane.
The bill will require everyone to remove ammunition from weapons before boarding the aircraft. The ammunition will be stored in a safe place.
Those attending the programme underscored the need to come up with a code of conduct for air travelling. Suggestions were offered by participants on whether to allow inebriated passengers to board a plane.

$1.69 lakh WWF grant for hydel project

2007-06-22T04:53:00.003+05:45

The WWF Nepal will provide a grant assistance of $1.69 lakh to the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area Management Council (KCAMC) for the execution of a 35-KW micro-hydro project.

Tseten Dandu Sherpa, chairperson of the KCAMC, and Anil Manandhar, country representative of the WWF Nepal, signed an agreement here today to fund the 'Micro-hydro Project for the People and Biodiversity in the Kanchanjanga Conservation Area'.

The local community will also contribute nearly $16,000 through labour and local transportation. Once executed, the project will light up 77 households in Ghunsa and Phale.Work on the project will start from July and end by June.According to officials at the WWF Nepal, the micro-hydro project aims to promote sources of renewable energy in order to enhance technical and managerial capacities of local institutions.

They said the community will assume ownership of the project. The project will generate income from enterprises that will raise the living standards of the locals and help in the conservation of the area. On September 22, 2006, the government had decided to hand over the management of the KCA to the KCAMC.

China’s Everest road plan draws experts’ flak

2007-06-22T04:53:00.001+05:45

China's plan to build a highway on the side of Mount Everest today drew sharp criticism from experts in Nepal and India.Country representative of WWF Nepal Anil Manandhar said in Kathmandu that China's plan to construct the highway is the result of the country's total disregard to the world's tallest mountain and its environmental and cultural values.

China's state media on Wednesday said that the country plans to build a highway on the side of Mt Everest to pave way for the Olympic torch's journey to the peak of the world's tallest mountain. "China's idea of reaching the mountain top by road is a foolish one and driven by a total disregard to world environment," Manandhar said. He added that road at the sacred and serene area would usher in human activities that will cause an irreparable damage to the atmosphere on the mountains, which is already suffering from pollution.

"I cannot believe it. I don't know whether it was a government policy or some enthusiastic development worker just wanted to see the world react to the idea." Spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology Khumraj Punjali said it is too early to comment on the plan. In New Delhi, experts and analysts voiced serious concern about the highway plan. They said the proposed road would invite pollution and result in the collapse of the eco-system.

Professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Dr SD Muni, said Nepal should worry more about the adverse effects the road would have on the country. Secretary of the Indian Mountaineering Federation PC Rautila said rare and endangered flora and fauna are already under threat in the fragile eco-system and the road would make matters worse.

A senior official of India's Centre for Policy Research said all countries should protest the move. Meanwhile, sources in the Indian capital said Chinese authorities in charge of the project are likely to hold talks with Nepal on the project.

YCL blocks highway traffic

2007-06-22T04:50:00.001+05:45

Seeking the release of their leader, cadres of the Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League today blocked traffic for three hours in Sarlahi's Nawalpur along the Mahendra Highway. They warned that a decisive agitation will be launched tomorrow if their leader, Thagaram Chamar, is not freed.

YCL's Sarlahi's coordinator Keshar Karki said the highway was disrupted seeking the release of CPN (Maoist)'s Sarlahi area no 5 in-charge Thagaram Chamar. Over 200 Maoists staged a demonstration and shouted slogans against the police administration. Hundreds of travellers were affected due to the disruption in vehicular movement on the highway.

Personnel of the APF had arrested the Maoists' in-charge at the APF base camp at Sundarpur Chuadawa today. Police inspector KP Sharma said a home-made pistol and seven bullets were confiscated from him. Sharma said Chamar will be sued for possessing illegal arms.

Pavlovian response to abdicate-soon remark

2007-06-19T04:38:00.000+05:45

Himalayan News Service
PM downplays it; royalists tight-lipped

Kathmandu, June 18:

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's widely-reported comment that if king Gyanendra and his son, crown prince Paras, abdicated, the ruling establishment could think of a minor as the monarch, triggered a knee-jerk reaction today, and Koirala, according to reports received by the newsdesk, downplayed the import of his remarks.
Reacting to Koirala's reported "suggestion" to the king and his son, Maoist generallisimo Prachanda said Koirala was trying to protect the monarchy by going against the decisions of the eight-party alliance.

"This indicates that the Nepali Congress is against the eight-party unity and it wants to see
the monarchy continue," Prachanda told reporters after addressing Maoist MPs in Singha Durbar.
His remarks undermine the second amendment of the Interim Constitution and also intimidate the importance of the decision the parliament has taken," Prachanda said.
Prachanda said his party does not want monarchy in any form.

Prachanda also accused the government of not showing eagerness to hold a Constituent Assembly election.
"Our leader (Prachanda) called upon us to prepare for Jana Andolan-III as Jana Andolan-II could not meet our demands in reality," Maoist MP Khim Lal Devkota said.
Prachanda said that the 12-point agreement between the seven-party alliance
and the Maoists was very clear on bringing in a republican set-up.

His deputy Baburam Bhattarai called upon the MPs to create an environment that would be favourable for state restructuring.
But Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala claimed that the remarks were "misreported by the media due to low English comprehension level."
He said this while talking to a group of reporters who had gone to Koirala's residence to cover the Nepali Congress (NC) Parliamentary Party (PP) meeting.
"I was misquoted. May be the problem was I had spoken in English and the mediapersons who disseminated my views had low English comprehension level," Koirala said, whenreporters asked him about his remarks reported in THT and other dailies.

Members of a delegation which had accompanied visiting Pakistani journalists to the PM's residence yesterday had said that Koirala had told them that he had told King Gyanendra and his son Paras "to abdicate before the elections, if they were keen to see that monarchy continued in Nepal." Koirala was also reported to have said that since Gyanendra and his son Paras were unpopular among the masses, they should leave the country before the elections, or stay on as businessmen, pure and simple.

Koirala also denied having said that a minor could be picked up as the monarch if king Gyanendra and his son abdicated. Meanwhile, talking to representatives of the striking teachers, Koirala said that he was committed to holding elections by mid-December and that the nation and the people could come under a worse scenario if the elections were not held. "I have taken the responsibility of my lifetime. I will see to it that elections take place."
AFP reported UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal as saying: "The PM's attempt to save the monarchy is unacceptable. Our party has always been in favour of abolition of the monarchy and will not review our decision in the future," he said.

A thorough scanning of the Internet and news agencies failed to provide any response by the royalists or yesterday's royalists to the PM's widely-reported 'abdicate-soon' suggestion.

Who called the Valley bandh? No idea, say all

2007-06-13T15:25:00.001+05:45

Though Kathmandu Valley remained partially closed today, most of the denizens didn't have the faintest idea as to who might have called for the shutdown.
Most of the educational institutions and a few private offices remained closed.
Though work in government offices went ahead as usual, the number of vehicles plying on the roads was very low.
"We didn't receive any report of bandh supporters demonstrating on the streets or picketing," said a police official at the Metropolitan Police Control Room.
"Usually during bandhs, we used to get reports of incidents like bandh supporters taking out rallies or forcing people to get off vehicles. However, the control room phones didn't ring for such reports today," the official added. This reporter asked people from different walks of life on who might have called the shutdown.
"I heard an association of landless people has called the bandh, but, I am not sure," was the reply the reporter got from almost all of them he queried. Media houses also didn't receive any press release on the bandh. This reporter at long last, but unofficially, found out that it was the Nepal Basobas Basti Samrakshan Samaj (settlement protection society), who had called the bandh. No one was able to tell him who the people associated with the organisation were or where they could be contacted. All he came to know was that the samaj had been formed by people who were displaced after the government acquired their land at Tinkune

Koirala, Prachanda smoke the peace pipe

2007-06-11T12:19:00.001+05:45

Maoist chairman Prachanda and his deputy Dr Baburam Bhattarai met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter's residence this morning. They sorted out differences that had surfaced after the PM's comment on the activities of the Young Communist League (YCL) last week.

The trio agreed to form a committee under the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction to make cases of disappearances public.

A Maoist source told this daily that the PM "realised" that he should not have publicly branded the Maoists' youth wing as a criminal league. Koirala called the YCL a criminal league after the latter captured businessman Sitaram Prasain and handed him over to the police.

Prasain was wanted by the Nepal Rastra Bank for irregularities in a financial institution he chaired.
The source said the PM was "positive" on institutionalising the agenda of a republican order through constituent assembly election for which he expressed his "firm commitment."

The meeting mainly focused on the issue of republic through the election, the source added.
The leaders agreed not to make public issues on which they differ, and committed themselves to resolving those issues through dialogue.

They also agreed that the eight-party unity must be kept intact until a new constitution is drafted.
Poudel also said that a committee would be formed to make public the cases of disappearance.
According to the Human Rights Year Book, 2007 published by Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), 783 people were disappeared by the state and 105 by the Maoists.

No question of doubting India, says Prachanda

Maoist supremo Prach-anda today said his party has no doubts on India's intentions. Prachanda had rapped India after reports appeared in the media that India favoured an alliance between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML.

Those reports had said that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during a recent meeting with a UML delegation in New Delhi, stressed the need for a permanent alliance between the NC and the UML to ensure democracy and lasting peace in Nepal.

In a a statement issued here today, Prachanda denied his party's involvement in hurling stones at a vehicle carrying US Ambassador James F Moriarty in Jhapa. He said his party did not target any foreigner even during the decade-old conflict and it was unimaginable to do so at the time of the peace process.
"I would like to remind all that we had asked the government to investigate the Jhapa incident immediately after it occurred, "he said Prachanda and another Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai also met United Nations secretary general's personal representative, Ian Martin at his residence today and discussed the verification process of the Maoist combatants in cantonments. They agreed to start the second round of the verification at the earliest. The process has been stalled due to differences between the government and the Maoists over payment of monthly allowance to the fighters.

In the statement, Prachanda stressed the need to create a new basis for political unity among the parties. "People will not be assured of the assembly election unless the date is fixed," the statement said.

Prachanda said the government was reluctant to release political prisoners, make public the status of the disappeared, provide relief to victims of the conflict, reconstruct destroyed infrastructure and manage cantonments and combatants' allowances.

According to IANS, Prachanda also recalled India's positive role during the ongoing peace negotiations as well as New Delhi's pledged assistance to the CA election.

No business, no issue. Visa for the asking!

2007-06-11T12:18:00.001+05:45

Kent Bruce Crane, a Belize national, has been obtaining business visa for the last 14 years, even though his firm's registration has not been renewed for the last seven years. His business visa was extended on February 17, 2007, for five years.

The company — Nepal Wildlife Development Company Pvt Ltd (NWDC) — was set up in 1993 and was registered at the Company Registrar's Office (CRO) and the Department of Industry (DoI) for promotion of eco-tourism and hospitality business through a golf course and a luxury resort.

However, the company could never be operational in over 14 years. A report prepared by the DoI monitoring team in January this year states construction of a seminar hall, guest house and few buildings has started at Lapsiphedi, VDC-3, where he purchased 519 ropanis of land in 1994. Later he also managed to get on lease an additional 150 ropanis of land in the VDC.

The Immigration Rules, 1994, say investors can get a one-year visa during the start-up phase of their venture, and for five years after the investment is made.

"We are bound to issue a visa if the DoI recommends someone," says Durga Prasad Pokhrel, director of the department. "We do not investigate every application", he added. Crane has used five different passports issued either by the London High Commission or by the Embassy of Belize in Washington DC. The latest passport (No 004954), in which he obtained the five-year business visa, was issued on February 8, 2007 from the Embassy of Belize in Washington DC.

Crane had two passports which have not expired. The Passport (No 0290773) that was issued on January 25, 2005 will expire on January 24, 2015, while the second passport will expire on October 4 next year. Of these two passports, the first one was issued from the Embassy of Belize in Washington DC and the second one from the Belize High Commission in London.

According to a source, Crane had used a different passport when he first came to Nepal 13 years ago. Later he used the passport (No A 000666) issued from the Belize High Commission and obtained business visa for a year. The passport expired in October 2004.

Despite repeated orders of the Company Registrar's Office to NWDC to furnish the annual report and audit report from the fiscal year 1998-99 to 2006-07, the company submitted them on January 14 this year. These reports are to be submitted annually.

Ashok Kumar Dahal, director at the Foreign Investment Section of DoI, said the visa extension was made on the ground that Crane's property worth millions of rupees is still in Nepal. "We recommended the DoI to extend the visa as he has invested a huge sum of money in Nepal and he has to frequently visit the country," he said.

The project could not kick off due to a court stay order against him, Dahal said. He said Crane got his visa extended on the pretext that he could not start the project due to the adverse situation here.
Crane could not be reached despite several telephone calls and e-mails sent to him. When contacted, an employee at Crane's office at Lakhankhel said he is out of the country.

Nepali Tourism Promotion in SE Asian Countries

2007-06-04T04:42:00.001+05:45

The stakeholders of Nepali tourism industry are organising South East Asia Sales mission in three countries beginning from June 5.

The mission, which is targeted at the outbound travellers potential in the South East Asia Region, is being jointly organised by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) and PATA Nepal Chapter in cooperation with Nepali embassy in Thailand, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), and Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) in three countries - Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. The event will last till June 8.

The programme is scheduled for June 5 in Bangkok, where Lumbini- the birthplace of Lord Buddha and Buddhist pilgrimage sites are going to be highlighted as the major attractions. Likewise, being also a pioneer country in adventure activities, Nepal will be focusing its soft adventure attractions, too. The sales mission also aims to promote the idea of - exchange the tang of mountain with beaches - among the visitors' experience of the two countries.

In Malaysia and Singapore, the road show will be graced by Prithvi Subba Gurung, minister for culture, tourism and civil aviation. Madhav Prasad Ghimire, secretary of ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation is scheduled to address the road show in Singapore.

During the road show, Mt Everest summiteers from Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia will be felicitated. The organisers say that the event would help fetch more tourists to Nepal from this region.

Recently, numerous international airlines have increased flight frequencies to Kathmandu, and some new ones have also started their operations to Nepal. The positive trend in international visitors' arrival to Nepal continued with a staggering growth of 78.8 per cent in April 2007.

This is a record high growth by air route in April since 2002. Asian countries (Japan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) have contributed a substantial growth of 137.4 per cent.

The Nepali delegation will be led by NTB and PATA Nepal along with 12 private companies during the event.

Nepal to hold delayed elections in Nov/Dec

2007-05-31T21:42:00.001+05:45

Nepal will hold elections near year's end for a constituent assembly to decide the fate of its monarchy, capping a peace deal with former Maoist rebels after a decade-long insurgency, political officials said on Thursday.
The vote was once expected in June but officials had said they did not have enough time to organise it that soon.
The agreement will help end political uncertainty sparked by the election delay and aid in sealing the peace deal that ended a civil war which killed more than 13,000 people.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala met with Maoist chief Prachanda and other leaders from the ruling coalition and agreed to reschedule the polls for the Nepali month that starts on November 17.
"The cabinet will formally decide the exact date for the elections soon," said Prakash Sharan Mahat, senior leader of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) party, a key member of the ruling coalition.
"The timing was suggested by the prime minister and other leaders agreed," he said.
Maoist politicians also said the election would be held in that period.
But senior Maoist leader Dinanath Sharma said supporters of the king or "forces who believe in the status quo" could try to sabotage the elections.

Nepal to hold delayed elections in Nov/Dec

2007-05-31T21:42:00.000+05:45

Oil Supply Situation to Normalise by Monday: Mahato

2007-05-27T04:53:00.000+05:45

At a time when the whole country is reeling under a severe petroleum supply crisis, Rajendra Mahato, minister for industry, commerce and supplies on Saturday claimed that supply would be back to normal within a couple of days.
However, his claim after the state-run petroleum entity - Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) yesterday warned that the supply of petroleum products would worsen further unless an immediate arrangement to clear the dues of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is made.
Speaking at an interaction organised by the Reporters' Club here on Saturday, Mahato said that the government would clear the last two months' dues of about one billion rupees to the IOC by Monday. "The government, in principal, has agreed to release Rs 1.0 billion to clear dues and import bills for the months of April and May," he informed.
He further said that the senior leaders of eight ruling parties have been apprised about the supply situation and NOC's financial condition. "The present crisis, mainly, is due to our inability to pay the dues on time," Mahato said, adding that the government has now left with two options either support NOC with Rs 500 million each month or adjust the prices of the petro products at par with the international price.
He, however, said that final decision to adjust the prices of petroleum products lies with the eight parties and the government. "If the eight-party alliance gives a green signal, government will make a gradual upward adjustment in prices. So, people won't feel a huge burden of price hike," Mahato said.
He also disclosed that options have been sought to involve private sector for the trading of petroleum products. "At the beginning, government plans to handover the trading of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to private parties," he said.
To ensure smooth supply of the petroleum products, the government needs to provide the NOC with financial support of about Rs 4 billion, if the prices are kept static unless the constituent assembly elections is held. The support is required to meet the monthly losses of Rs 254.8 million and additional payment of Rs 240 million to clear dues to IOC.
According to him, NOC's current total liabilities stand at Rs 10.20 billion including Rs 5.96 billion dues of IOC and Rs 4.26 loans of various domestic financial institutions.
Most petrol pumps went dry four days back, while the NOC's stock yesterday dropped to an all-time-low at 'dead stock' level. NOC has already stopped distribution of petroleum products from Friday evening in the valley, stating that it cannot use the dead stock.

Hundreds flock to Nepal shrine for 'sweating' idol

2007-05-22T04:25:00.001+05:45

Hundreds of people have flocked to a remote village in eastern Nepal to see a "sweating" idol of a Hindu god, a sign of impending turmoil or natural disaster for the devoutly religious nation.
Witnesses said that sweat seeped out of the idol of the Bhimeshwor god at a temple in Dolakha, a few hours drive from Kathmandu, during evening prayers at the weekend.
"I saw the right side of the black stone idol had become wet because of sweating," said Shanta Krishna Shrestha, chairman of a committee responsible for maintaining the temple.
"This denotes something like major political change or a natural calamity," said Shrestha.
"We must hold special prayers and make sacrifices asking for forgiveness."
Sacrificing animals such as goats or roosters to appease gods is common among Hindus in Nepal.
Sweating was seen on the idol in 2001, media reported, months before a palace massacre when King Birendra and eight other members of the royal family were shot dead in a drug-and-drink fuelled shooting spree by the then crown prince, who later turned the gun on himself.

Ethnic Bhutanese in Nepal face eviction

2007-05-18T05:54:00.001+05:45

While Washington's offer of resettlement has given the first ray of hope to Bhutanese refugees living like prisoners in camps in Nepal for 16 long years, it has also fuelled an insidious fear among over 80,000 ethnic Bhutanese in the kingdom, who apprehend it will be their turn to be forcibly evicted once the resettlement process begins. Bhutanese of Nepali origin have been burdened with more misgivings since April 2006, when the Population and Census Commission made public the result of the 2005 census, fixing the population at 634,972. The catch is, the commission says it includes both bona fide citizens and "foreigners". The number of such "foreigners" has been calculated to be almost 80,000. Interestingly, nearly 70,000 have been prevented from taking part in the mock election. The fear has spread to the seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal, where the victims of the 1991 persecution have been living under the supervision of the UN High Commission for Refugees for nearly two decades. On Wednesday, yellow pamphlets began to appear in the Beldangi camp, urging the refugees to ready for an armed struggle to restore democracy in Bhutan. Though the refugees remain tightlipped, the source of fear is said to be the rising militant groups of young people: the Bhutan Communist Party- Marxist-Leninist-Maoist, Bhutan Tigers and War and Peace Group. The last sent a signed threat note to two camp secretaries who were explaining to residents the implication of the US offer. However, the militants, five out of six Bhutan parties operating from India and Nepal are opposed to third-country resettlement. "While repatriation would be the best option for most refugees, it can only be viable if Bhutan upholds its duty to guarantee the returnees' human rights," said Bill Frelick, refugee policy director at Human Rights Watch. "People feel insecure," young man in the camp said.

Nepal 2006

2007-05-12T18:26:00.000+05:45

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Locals protest Maoist vandalism

2007-04-20T11:46:00.001+05:45

Civilians and students at Ramnagar (Mirchaiya), protesting the Maoists' destruction of a private school building, today disrupted traffic on the highway for three hours - from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
They demanded that the Maoists apologise for their act, return looted goods and restrict their entrance in the educational sector.
Traffic resumed after the local administration, the Maoists and the school administration agreed to hold a trialogue on April 23, the Mirchaiya area police office (APO) said.
Local Maoist cadres destroyed the building of Chandra Jyoti School that was being constructed by Dhaniklal Shah and Kishor Khatiwada on 10 katthas of land at Mirchaiya-4 at 11 pm on Tuesday. The Maoists took the construction materials away on a tractor.
"The Maoists were threatening since the start of the construction of the school building," Dhaniklal Shah said, adding that they had been claiming that the land belonged to Shova Shahi of the royal family. Shah and Khatiwada claimed that they purchased the land from Birenda Shah of Kalyanpur for Rs 30 lakhs last year.
Meanwhile, Maoist district secretary Abinash said that the land belonged to a relative of the royal family. "Our cadres stopped construction of the building.
Their stance was that the building should not be built on that land at a time when the process of nationalising the property of royal family has been initiated," he added.

Maoists Vow to Make Nepal Republic

2007-04-17T01:57:00.000+05:45

Nepal's Maoists on Monday said they would agree to a delay of nationwide elections if Nepal is declared a republic.

Elections for a constituent assembly had been scheduled for June 20.

The new legislators are to decide the fate of Nepal's unpopular monarchy.

Speaking to reporters at a Kathmandu hotel Monday, Maoist leader Prachanda appealed for the interim parliament to declare the country a republic.

"If it is not going to happen, if other parties will not agree then there are some other options. The referendum may be another option - a most democratic option," he said. "Even if it is also not agreed then we should have to go among the masses. We shall have to appeal to the masses to rouse again against this feudal system"

A peace deal last year brought the Maoists into the political process after a decade long insurgency that claimed 14,000 lives.

The former rebels agreed to enter the interim coalition government if elections were held in June.

Nepal's election commission says nationwide polling can not take place that soon because of technical and security problems. The government has not set a new election date.

King Gyanendra gave up absolute power last year following demonstrations organized by the political mainstream and the Maoists.

Prachanda on Tuesday rejected speculation that the king would be allowed to remain as a ceremonial figure. He said the position the Maoists once took to allow a constitutional monarch was the biggest mistake they ever made. He said the Maoists have brought the unpopular king to his knees and they will not back off their hard line anti-royalist position.

UN Continues Peace Process in Nepal

2007-04-13T07:16:00.000+05:45

The United Nations participated in registering and storing weapons of the Nepalese Army on Thursday, part of its continued assistance to the peace process in the Asian country, according to a UN report from Katmandu.

The arms registration is in accord with the peace process signed last year between the Nepalese government and the Maoist Communist Party of Nepal to end 10 years of hostilities.

The peace accords require the Nepalese Armed Forces to register and store the same number of weapons delivered by the Maoist army, under supervision of the UN Political Mission in Nepal.

High officials of the UN Political Mission expressed their satisfaction at the course of the peace process and total cooperation of the Nepalese Army.

The officials said the process, which began Tuesday with Nepalese Army presentation of 850 weapons in Katmandu s Chhauni Camp, and involves 14 teams supported by the UN Development Program, will possibly end this week.

The Maoist army presented 2,855 weapons, with 523 still in their hands on their security perimeter as well as another 96, pending a security agreement.

The civil war in Nepal cost the lives of 15,000 people and displacement of 100,000.

Diversity Visa victims on fast-unto-death

2007-04-11T17:39:00.001+05:45

Diversity Visa victims on fast-unto-death

Seven members of the American Diversity Visa Victims Association today decided to go on fast-unto-death outside American Embassy in Panipokhari.
"The victims want that the American Embassy refund the money they spent to appear for the visa interview, along with necessary compensation," the DV victims said in a press conference organised today.

Ghanashyam Basyal, president of the ADVVA, said, "We don't want American visa. If people think that we are protesting to get the visa, they are wrong. We are against the American policy of rejecting Nepalis' visas without tendering any reasons."

He said the embassy made each of them spend Rs 55,000 for the visa and rejected it without sufficient ground. "There are some families with six members whose spent around Rs 330,000 but none of them got a visa," he added.

"Our efforts to talk to the embassy officials and the Nepal government went in vain. Their apathy has compelled the victims to go on fast-unto-death," said Govinda Adhikari, vice-president of the ADVVA. He said the government and the American Embassy would be responsible if something happens to those on fast. "We tried our best to make them understand our problem, but to no avail. We have enough evidence to prove that we are right," he added.

While, Sharon Hudson-Jean, acting public relation officer of the An American Embassy official, when contacted, said the embassy had already made it clear to the concerned people that compensation could not be granted. She added that the embassy wants them not to go on hunger strike. "We don't want any harm to their health," she said.

The DV victims started their protest in October. For two months they organised sit-in outside the American Embassy and since December 26 they had been on 24-hour relay fast.

14th SAARC summit, a chance for member nations to mutually benefit, says PM Koirala

2007-04-07T06:46:00.000+05:45

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Friday said that the 14th SAARC summit was a huge success and that it provided an opportunity for member nations to find ways to mutually benefit from each other.
PM Koirala, who had left for New Delhi on April 1 to attend the 14th SAARC summit, made the comments while talking to media persons upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport this afternoon.

PM Koirala expressed his happiness that the other member nations had conveyed their full support to the proposals made by Nepal during the meet. The PM had forwarded Nepal's proposal on issues including flood control in areas along the Indo-Nepal border, efficient use of resources and poverty alleviation.

PM Koirala also said that the member nations during the two-day SAARC summit reached a consensus on such issues as flood control, energy utilization and poverty alleviation, among others, in a bid to make SAARC a more effective body in the days to come.

During his visit to India this time around, PM Koirala had held separate meetings with Indian Prime Minister Dr Man Mohan Singh along with holding meetings with his other counterparts from participating nations.

The PM opined that the introduction of observer nations and Afghanistan into the SAARC has served to strengthen the South Asian body.

Stating that SAARC will become active within six months, PM Koirala said that the significance of SAARC has grown in the wake of the interest from powerful nations towards this South Asian body.

However, PM Koirala opted to keep mum on queries related to monarchy. A day earlier, talking to Nepali journalists in New Delhi, PM Koirala, in a roundabout way, had hinted at the republican set up. PM Koirala had taken a shot at the press when he answered a question with, "Are you talking about Gyanendra or king Gyanendra?"

Minister for Foreign Affairs Sahana Pradhan, Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat and other government officials who had accompanied the PM also returned to the capital today.
Foreign Minister Pradhan commented that the international community had attached importance to Nepal because of the example Nepal had set through its peace process.

Informing media persons regarding the discussions about the Bhutanese refugee crisis with her Indian counterpart, Pradhan said that the Indian government had given its word that it would look into this matter.
She further said that India was positive in regards to cooperation in controlling crime in the border region.

On the eve of his departure from New Delhi, PM Koirala also held meeting with former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Bajpayee. PM Koirala and Bajpayee discussed issues like the peace process in Nepal, recent Terai unrest and monarchy among others.
Similarly, PM Koriala’s meeting with Bhutanese Prime Minister Khandu Wangchuk was said to be quite fruitful as the Bhutanese PM gave his assurance that the issue would be resolved during the next bilateral ministerial-level meet.

Police Arrest Four of ‘Black Spider’ Group

2007-04-05T23:16:00.001+05:45

Police Arrest Four of 'Black Spider' Group

THT Online

Kathmandu, April 5

Key persons of the so-called International Black Spider Group, who attacked entrepreneurs, businessmen and doctors in various places and threatened them to death, have been arrested.
Those arrested are Bir Bahadur Khatri alias Aakash KC of Hatpate-5 of Sindhuli district, Kedar Shrestha of Kamalmai-10 of the same district, Ganesh Kumar Lama of Bengadawar-2 of Dhanusa district and Manoj Tamang of Ratnagar-3 of Chitwan district.
At a press conference organised on Wednesday by the Metropolis Police Commissioner Office, Ranipokhari, Metropolis Police Commissioner Dipak Singh Thangden said the four were arrested from the New Bus Park by a special team of the Police Head Office, Department of Criminal Investigation and Metropolis Police Criminal Division.
Police have seized a pistol, $500, IRs 5,230, a fake passport and hashish from them. The foursome attacked Dr Hemanga Dixit, Dr Birman Shamsher Rana and LP Sawa, said inspector at the department, Rajendraman Shrestha. The foursome also sought ransom from businessmen and entrepreneurs, Shrestha said.

FOUR FOUND DEAD IN CITY

KATHMANDU: Four persons were found dead in Kathmandu on Wednesday, police said. The body of a six-year-old, Bhawani Rai, of Udayapur, was found wrapped up in a sack on the ground floor of a house in Naxal.
Police said they are investigating the case. Police also found the body of a 50-year-old man at Basundhara on Wednesday. The man has not been identified yet.
A 17-year-old, Radhika Shrestha, a resident of Indrayani, was also found hanging from the ladder in her room, police said, adding that a 30-year-old Udaya Singh Baral, cook in Para-Troopers Tranning School, Maharajgunj, was also found dead in his quarter.

DOCTOR KIDNAPPED IN RAJBIRAJ

RAJBIRAJ: An unidentified armed group kidnapped Dr Murali Prasad Singh of Rajbiraj municipality-9 on Tuesday evening, family sources said on Wednesday.
Dr Singh was returning to his residence from his clinic at Rajbiraj-8 when he was kidnapped. He was on leave from the Narayani Sub Regional Hospital situated at Birgunj for the past few months. Dr Singh's wife Dina said she didn't have any information regarding the whereabouts of Dr Singh or why he was kidnapped.
Singh's car (Ba 2 Cha 9316) was found deserted near Khado River at Biraul of Saptari, the family sources said.
A joint police team from Hanumannagar Kanchanpur Area Police Office and Bhardaha police post arrested two activists of the Jay Krishna Goit-led Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) after conducting a search in the area, DSP of Saptari Yamuna Rajak said.
The police have suspected JTMM activists' hand in the kidnapping. However, JTMM's Saptari district deputy commander Bikash denied the allegation. The JTMM activists -Binod Yadav and Umesh Chaudhari- were arrested along with a motorcycle (Ba 1 Pa 240), one homemade pistol and some bullets, DSP Rajak said.

Everest Clean Up Campaign Next Week

2007-04-05T22:59:00.001+05:45

Twelve mountaineers, including nine Nepali Sherpas and three Japanese, will climb Mt Everest next week to clean up the north ridge of the world's tallest peak.

Ken Noguchi, a Japanese mountaineer who holds the record of climbing all seven tallest peaks of all the continents, is leading the clean-up campaign. He has led such campaigns to Everest four times earlier and collected trash from the north and the south sides.
The campaign this year will concentrate mainly on the advance base camp situated at 6400m of the north ridge, Noguchi said, adding that they expect to collect as much as one tonne of garbage including tents, ropes, oxygen cylinders and food cans.

"The highlight of this cleaning campaign is that a similar campaign will be going on simultaneously at the Japan's tallest peak Mt Fuji with over 200 participants," he said. "This will be telecast live through satellite television. I, believe this will be crucial for creating awareness among the mountaineers and common people on the adverse effects of litters and their impact on global warming in the Himalayas," Noguchi added.

In addition, two women mountaineers -- one Japanese Kei Taniguchi and Pasang Lhamu Sherpa of Solukhumbhu -- are also eyeing to put their feet on the summit of the world's tallest peak.

The same expedition also has another feature -- Pemba Dorjee Sherpa, the fastest Everest summiteer, is planning to hoist the national flags of all the countries and flags of the eight political parties atop Everest. Sherpa also plans to take photos of Lord Buddha and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala with him to the summit and pray for world peace and fraternity.

PM, Prachanda sort out differences; interim govt likely Friday

2007-03-29T21:49:00.001+05:45

Prime Minister Girija Prasad and Maoist leaders have reportedly reached an agreement on power-sharing giving way to the formation of the new government including the Maoists on Friday.
In a meeting with Maoist Chairman Prachanda and Maoist second in command Dr. Baburam Bhattarai at his Baluwatar residence this meeting, Koirala said that the interim government would be formed tomorrow after yet another round of consultations with the eight parties.

Taking note of Prachanda’s complaints regarding the issues like no action against the guilty of Gaur incident, unilateral promotion of army and police personnel and the formation of Electoral Constituency Delineation Commission (ECDC) without any consultations, PM Koirala assured that he would take care of all the issues, sources said.

According to sources, the PM made a final attempt today to convince the Maoists — who had even threatened not to join the interim government – in the wake of disagreements between the four major parties regarding distribution of ministerial portfolios.

In the 45-minute long meeting, the Prime Minister had also urged the Maoists not to disrupt the parliamentary sittings, sources added.

The Maoists, who had forwarded a three-day ultimatum to the government and that they might even opt to stay out of the new administration earlier this week, yesterday disrupted the House session demanding the formation of the interim government.

In reply to Prachanda’s statement that his party was preparing to announce fresh protests as the possibility of CA elections looked dim, Prime Minister Koirala expressed his commitment to hold elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA) on time, sources said.

According to sources, both the parties have agreed to form a small interim government before PM’s departure for New Delhi to attend the 14th SAARC Summit.

Earlier, political disagreements had arisen between the CPN-M and the NC after the former demanded that it should be given the Deputy Prime Minister's post, while the PM said that there should be no Deputy Prime Minister in the interim government.

It was highly expected following the PM’s heightened consultations with leaders of the other major parties that the interim government would be constituted before his departure for New Delhi.

Earlier today, the PM also held discussions with Pashupati Shamshere Rana, Chairman of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).

Rana had said that they had discussed the formation of the interim government and other contemporary issues during the meeting.

Sources had claimed Rana to have made the PM alert and to be "serious" before inducting the Maoists into the interim government as they had still not mended their ways.

Nepal bans rallies in south

2007-03-25T02:05:00.000+05:45

Nepalese authorities have banned protest rallies in some south-eastern towns for four days to prevent more violence in the area.

A daylong curfew was also imposed on Saturday in a town in southern Nepal after violent clashes left at least 28 people dead earlier this week.

Six people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the bloodshed on Wednesday, officials said.

The curfew was enforced in the town of Golbazar to prevent more violence between Maoist activists and the Madeshi People's Rights Forum, an ethnic rights group.

Shashi Shekhar Shrestha, an administrator of Siraha district, said: "A daytime curfew was imposed on Golbazar town after we learnt Maoists planned to disrupt a Madeshi programme."

Terai tensions

The Madeshi forum, which represents the ethnic group who live in a fertile strip of land known as the Terai along Nepal's border with India, is pushing for greater autonomy.

Paul Allen, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Nepal, said: "[The] Maosist activists died attending a rally, and their funerals in Kathmandu [on Friday] turned into another one."

The activists were killed on Wednesday after clashes broke out in the town of Gaur, 150km south of Nepal's capital.

The Madeshi forum was trying to hold its own rally in the same location.

Allen said: "Twenty-eight people died and more than 30 were injured in the fight that followed, fuelling concern that Nepal's recent peace is starting to look shaky again."

Former Maoist separatists and the government signed a peace deal last year, intended to end a 10 year conflict that claimed 13,000 lives.

The United States warned that Nepal's fragile peace process could be "imperilled" unless the government cracks down on violence besetting the Terai region.

Peace "imperilled"

The United States condemned Wednesday's killings and called on the government to arrest and prosecute all the perpetrators, regardless of their political or ethnic affiliation.

On Friday, Maoist activists placed the bloodied corpses of their comrades on display in the capital and threatened retaliation for their deaths.

Madeshis have staged a series of protests in
the south since January [Al Jazeera]
Addressing thousands of supporters, Baburam Bhattarai, the Maoist deputy leader, said: "The leader of this group should be arrested and a case filed against him in court. If the government refuses to do so, we will be forced to retaliate and the government will be solely responsible.

Bhattarai also accused the Madeshi Forum of using "war-like tactics".

More gatherings were planned in Nepal's south over the coming days.

But the violence and rhetoric have prompted the government to enforce a four day ban on rallies in the area to keep the two sides apart.

Six Madeshis were arrested on Friday "during raids" in the region, on suspicion of being involved in the clashes, Ram Kumar Khanal, the superintendent of police, told AFP by telephone from Rautahat district, 90km south of Kathmandu.

The police officer did not specify exactly what charges suspects might face.

Elections in Nepal are due in June for the first time in eight years, but the poll may be at risk if the Madeshi Forum's demands are ignored.

Madeshis have staged a series of deadly protests since January in a bid to win greater representation in national politics.

Nepal traders call off strike, Maoists on rampage

2007-03-23T00:37:00.001+05:45

Nepal's aggrieved business community has agreed to call off its three-day strike but the capital's hotel industry remained fearful following an order by the Maoist guerrillas to shut down within seven days.
Two of the capital's five-star hotels, the Indian-owned Yak and Yeti and Hotel de l'Annapurna, in which Nepal's royal family has a sizeable stake, said they were visited by the trade union of the Maoists Wednesday and given a week to find alternate accommodation for guests and close within a week.
While some of the hotels in Thamel area, the hub of Western tourists here, said they were not taking any new guests, others said the situation had improved after the business strike was called off Wednesday night following talks between traders, Maoist leaders and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
The government and the Maoists agreed to take stern action against people threatening businessmen.
Following the understanding, the police swung into action, arresting 16 Maoist cadres for trying to force hotels to close.
The trouble had started Monday when over 70 commercial and professional organisations in Nepal united to call an indefinite business strike to protest growing extortion, abductions and violence by Maoists.
The immediate provocation for the protest was the abduction of an hotelier and printing press owner from the capital. Hari Lal Shrestha, owner of Hotel Woodland in the upmarket Durbarmarg area, said the Maoists thrashed him for resisting their demand for Nepali Rs.2 million.
Shrestha was released after he signed a paper agreeing to pay the rebels Rs.10 million and allow them the free use of 10 rooms in his hotel.
The strike called by Nepal's business community drew the support of professional and human rights groups, showing the Maoists up in a bad light and putting them under pressure.
Rebel supremo Prachanda apologised for the incident, and the Maoists said they had suspended two cadres associated with the attack on Shrestha.
However, when the traders refused to be appeased and said they would continue with the strike till they received a firm commitment from the government and the guerrillas that there would be no further attacks on the business community, the Maoists decided to retaliate.
The All Nepal Trade Union Federation (Revolutionary) called protests of its own in the capital Wednesday, demanding action against traders for misbehaving with employees and defaulting on bank loans.
Its cadres also began visiting the capital's hotels, asking them to shut down. The student wing of the Maoists declared a two-day strike from Thursday, alleging that protesting traders had vandalised its office.

EC to warn leaders over CA timetable

2007-03-19T10:09:00.000+05:45

As the deadline of mid-June approaches, the Election Commission (EC) is getting increasingly anxious over the lack of political, legal and security atmosphere to conduct the elections of Constituent Assembly (CA).

The EC is planning to hold crucial meeting with top leaders of eight parties including the Prime Minister on Monday to discuss about the timetable of the CA. At the meeting, the EC is expected to warn the leaders that it will not be able to hold the polls on time.

Time and again, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr. Bhoj Raj Pokharel has been urging the political leaders to expedite the formulation of necessary electoral legislations and create conducive environment for the polls. At present, four electoral legislations are under discussion at the parliament while the fifth one has just been tabled. Moreover, the issues of recruiting necessary manpower and security personnel for the purpose of holding free and fair polls have also not been resolved yet.

Last week, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had publicly said that the current situation was abnormal. He even expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of law and order.

Senior Congress leaders like Ram Chandra Poudel and Laxman Ghimire have also publicly doubted that the CA polls could be held on stipulated time.

Talking to Nepal FM on Monday morning, UML senior leader Pradeep Nepal also stated that it was impossible to hold the CA polls on time. "Only two and a half months remain and the EC is yet to complete voters' rolls and everybody knows the situation of law and order. Besides, the Maoists still behave as if they are above law," he said.

Nepal even urged the political leadership to tell the 'truth' to the people and announce postponement of elections.

8-party homework on interim govt continues; top level meet on Sunday

2007-03-18T02:23:00.000+05:45

The eight-party parley continued on Satruday as part of finalising the common minimum programme (CMP) and code of conduct for the ministers of the upcoming interim government.

A taskforce comprising the second-rung leaders of the eight parties met at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar to finalise the CMP and the code of conduct from 2:00 pm. According to C.P Mainali, a United Left Front leader who was present at the meeting, the taskforce was close to giving final shape to the draft of the CMP and the codes.

Mainali said the taskforce had already reached agreement on the code of conduct, working guidelines of the interim cabinet and a common mechanism of eight parties and added that agreement on the CMP and issue of creating conducive environment for a Maoist-included transitional government was expected later today.

A meeting of the top leaders on Friday had formed the taskforce.

The taskforce also discussed the make-up of the interim government, it is learnt. Meanwhile, Mainali denied that the delay in taking decisions was because of the wrangling within the eight-party coalition for portfolios in the interim government. "The taskforce will submit its recommendations at the meeting of the top leaders tomorrow morning," he said.

Top leaders including Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Maoist chairman Prachanda and CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Nepal had gathered in Baluwatar, but formal meeting could not be held as the taskforce failed to finish its job on time.

Maoists and the political leadership in Nepal have reached an agreement under which the rebels would be included in the Cabinet

2007-03-10T00:32:00.001+05:45

nching towards forming a joint government, Maoists and the political leadership in Nepal have reached an agreement under which the rebels would be included in the Cabinet and all property seized by them returned to the owners.

Under the agreement reached at during talks with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at his residence in Baluwatar on Wednesday, Maoist chief Prachanda agreed that the rebels would return the land seized by them and houses belonging to various people and create a conducive atmosphere to hold elections to the Constituent Assembly.

Besides this, a peaceful atmosphere to return displaced persons to their homes would also be created, sources close to Koirala said.

The Prime Minister agreed to include Maoists in the Cabinet soon. The government has also agreed to release some five dozen Maoist cadres who are still languishing in different jails, the sources said.

During the meeting, Prachanda furnished a list of 61 Maoist cadres languishing in various prisons of the country and the Prime Minister has agreed to give directives to immediately release them, Baburam Bhattarai, the number two leader of the CPN-Maoist, said.

More Maoist Combatants Leaving Cantonments In Nepal

2007-02-23T04:15:00.000+05:45

More Maoist combatants in Nepal began walking out of their cantonment sites, accusing the government of not providing enough money for food, shelter and other essential goods.

Mohan Budhaayer, a correspondent of The Kathmandu Post, said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) combatants of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) left their temporary cantonment in Kailali, the far western district of Nepal, Thursday morning.

Budhaayer quoted the PLA Seventh Division Commander Prajwal and said, "At least 3,600 PLA combatants left the cantonment on Thursday."

The Division had, some 10 days ago, urged the Home Ministry to properly manage the cantonments and had also warned that they would walk out of the camps in case the government didn't heed their request.

Division Commander Prajwal also said the combatants will stay and find work at nearby villages. "The combatants will not return to the cantonment until the government meets their demands," Prajwal said.

Meanwhile, Binod Tripathi, another correspondent of The Kathmandu Post, said at least 3,000 Maoist PLA combatants under the Third Division, put at Shaktikhor cantonment in Chitwan, the eastern district of Nepal, left the cantonment Thursday morning.

Roughly 2,100 combatants had left the Shaktikhor cantonment on Wednesday.

The combatants have demanded Rs 600 million ($ 8.6 million) for the Third Division alone and they also warned that they would not return to the cantonment unless the government fulfills their demand.

Maoist First Division Commander Parwana on Thursday also said the Maoist combatants put in Chulachuli cantonment of Ilam, the far eastern district of Nepal, would walk out of their cantonment in three days if the government did not address their problems.

The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) on Wednesday had said the Maoist breached the agreement with the UN.

King of Nepal is stoned by crowd

2007-02-17T02:14:00.000+05:45

Nepal's King Gyanendra has come under attack from a stone-throwing crowd as he travelled in a motorcade.
The monarch, who was on his way to a pilgrimage site in Kathmandu to attend a Hindu festival, escaped unhurt.
Nepal's king, traditionally regarded as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, has become highly controversial since assuming absolute power in 2005.
The attack is the first of its kind since he stepped down following nation wide protests in April 2006.
Using force
King Gyanendra was on his way to the Pashupati temple in the capital for the Maha Shivratri festival when crowds chanting anti-monarchy slogans pelted his motorcade with stones.
The BBC's Surendra Phuyal in Kathmandu says the situation remained tense at the temple for more than an hour as the monarch paid his respects in the temple premises.
The local police chief told the BBC that they had to use force to control the unruly mob.
There has been strong public feeling against the monarch since he gave up power.
Nepal's reinstated parliament has since stripped him of most of his traditional powers as the country gears up for elections in June.
The elected parliament is then set to decide the future role of the monarchy or whether it should be abolished.
The Maha Shivratri festival is attended by hundreds of thousands of people every year, and is famous for its naked Sadhus, or holy men, known as Naga Babas.

PM happy about army democratization

2007-02-17T02:05:00.000+05:45

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who also holds the defense portfolio, has said it is the need of the hour for the Nepali Army to change its duty, responsibility and behavior in accordance with the democratic governance system. He has expressed satisfaction over the "positive initiatives" taken by the army to democratize the institution.
While extending his "heart-felt" greetings to incumbent and ex-members of Nepali Army (NA) personnel and their families, the Prime Minister in his message on the eve of Army Day that falls on Friday, has also expressed satisfaction with the "important steps" initiated to democratize the institution. "It is a matter of satisfaction to have positive initiatives begun [in the army] for preservation of democracy, respect for human rights and for co-working with civilian administration in this process [of democratization]," the Prime Minister said in his written message circulated to media on Thursday.
The Prime Minister has also expressed confidence that NA would extend its important contribution to respecting people's aspirations and to protecting democratic norms and values, and life styles in the days to come.
"…All Nepali people, including the NA, need now to commit to protect sovereignty and national reconciliation on the occasion of Army Day," the Prime Minister said.
Likewise, Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal, in his greetings to members of the NA on the occasion, has stressed the need for conceptual and organizational changes in the army.
While committing to democratic norms and values, Katawal has reiterated NA's commitment to national and international humanitarian laws, rule of law and to its apolitical image.
In a written message dispatched to media on the eve of Army Day, the army chief has also underlined the need to make the institution more inclusive, transparent and to increase NA's proximity to the people.

Nepal: Minorities Call for Strike in Capital

2007-02-16T08:02:00.000+05:45

Opposing the recently promulgated interim constitution in Nepal, minority communities called for a strike in the capital Thursday. The umbrella organization of indigenous communities Nepal Federation on Indigenous Communities (NFIN) called the strike. Owing to the strike, life has been crippled in the capital. The organizers are protesting in various quarters of the city, obstructing vehicular movement and forcefully shutting down shops. The federation activists disrupted traffic movement namely at Kalanki, Balaju, Samakhushi, Chabahil, Gopi Krishna hall, Jorpati, Koteshwor, Lagankhel and Ekantkuna. Similarly, the activists organized protest demonstrations at Putalisadak, Sundhara and Ratna Park. Public transportation has come to a complete halt although a few private vehicles and motorbikes are seen plying the roads. A number of shops at the corners of the city are open while major market places are closed.

Minor scuffles between the protestors and the police as well as locals have been reported. NFIN activists and locals engaged in a scuffle in the morning at Kalanki. The president of the NFIN, Pasang Sherpa, has alleged those who engaged in the brawl with the NFIN activists were hooligans. The Federation claimed that General Secretary Ram Bahadur Tahap Magar was injured on his head and another five activists have been detained from Kalanki.
Owing to the strike, the heart of the city, Ratna Park, remains calm. Nearly 100,000 people are supposed to pass through this way during normal days.

The NFIN had announced the Valley strike on Thursday to press for its demands to amend the interim constitution by addressing the grievances of the indigenous communities. The indigenous communities have been demanding recognition of their mother languages in government works and a guarantee of federal structure based on ethnic, regional and lingual identities. Nepal's southern Terai was crippled by the protests of Madhesis with similar demands for three weeks. Now the indigenous communities have been focusing their protest programs in the capital. The Terai unrest was calmed down after the prime minister assured their demands would be met.

Red Cross says 800 disappeared in Nepal's insurgency

2007-02-15T03:13:00.000+05:45

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday said nearly 800 people disappeared during Nepal's decade-long insurgency.

The findings were disclosed in the Nepalese capital Wednesday by Mary Werntz, of the ICRC in Nepal.

'ICRC has the names of more than 800 people who remain unaccounted for in the wake of the armed conflict. The families of these missing persons suffer from not knowing what has happened to their loved ones and they have the right to know', she told reporters.

ICRC said it had collected the names after interviewing family members of the missing people across Nepal.

'The majority of the missing people were allegedly under the responsibility of the security forces,' said Werntz, but declined to give other details.

The ICRC will make public names of the missing people on February 15 in a local newspaper in an attempt to locate them as well as put press on the government and the Maoists to disclose any relevant information.

Both the security forces and the Maoist rebels have been blamed for serious rights abuses including extra-judicial killings, abduction and torture.

In November, the government and the Maoists signed a comprehensive peace deal that formally ended Nepal's decade long insurgency in which nearly 15,000 people died.

Nepal's Maoist ex-rebels are now part of the interim legislature and are poised to enter the government once the United Nations completes registration of Maoist combatants and lock up their weapons.

Calm returns to plains of Nepal

2007-02-09T21:54:00.001+05:45

Life is returning to normal in the plains of central and eastern Nepal after three weeks of violence.
At least 27 people have died in clashes between protesters of the Madheshi people and security forces.

Calm returned after the head of a leading Madheshi group welcomed the prime minister's call for a dialogue and suspended its protests.

Madheshi groups say they have been discriminated against in the existing state structure.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has vowed to amend the constitution to meet the key demands of Madheshi protesters.

He has pledged a federal system of governance and more representation of the southern plains in the parliament.

On Thursday the chairman of the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Upendra Yadav, welcomed Mr Koirala's call for a dialogue and said that the group was suspending its agitation for 10 days to create an atmosphere for talks.

'New life'

Schools and colleges reopened and businesses resumed in the affected region on Friday and traffic was back on the roads.

A journalist in a key south eastern town, Janakpur, told the BBC that it looked as if a new life had started.

The Madheshi community has been demanding autonomous federal regions and greater representation in parliament.

It argued that "ruling elites" dominated by people from the mountains of Nepal have denied it fair political representation, and restricted the number of jobs available to them in the police and army.

They also want an autonomous region for the southern plains within a federal state.

Madheshis make up 33-45% of Nepal's population of 27 million but are vastly under-represented in government and the army, which tend to be dominated by hill-dwellers

Indian minister cancels Nepal visit over Terai turmoil

2007-02-06T23:57:00.000+05:45

The unrest in Nepal's Terai plains that has killed at least 21 people and paralysed key towns in the south, near the Indian border, claimed its first diplomatic casualty after an Indian minister put off his trip to the Himalayan kingdom.

India's Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, who was to have arrived in Kathmandu Wednesday, cancelled his three-day official visit, presumably due to the continuing turmoil in the southern plains.

Also, Nepal's Minister for Commerce, Industry and Supplies Hridayesh Tripathi, who had extended an invitation to Ramesh, has himself resigned over the Terai unrest.

Ramesh was also to visit Birgunj, Nepal's commercial hub in Parsa district and inspect the dry port there, managed by an Indian joint venture.

Birgunj has remained under curfew off and on since last month.

After the Madhes Janadhikar Forum, a group of plains people, pledged to keep up protests demanding an autonomous Madhes state for the people of Indian origin, Birgunj along with other towns has remained tense.

Most of the 21 people died in police firing, triggering a demand for the resignation of Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

On Jan 26, when India celebrated its 58th Republic Day, the lunch organised by the Indian consulate in Birgunj as well as a ghazal programme had to be cancelled due to curfew.

The Terai turmoil has also affected the ongoing work by the United Nations (UN) to register the arms of the Maoists.

On Monday, dozens of protesters stopped four UN vehicles in Janakpur town and tried to prevent them from proceeding to a Maoist guerrilla camp in nearby Sindhuli district, Nepal's official media said Tuesday.

Earlier, acting chief of the UN Mission in Nepal Ian Martin had expressed concern that if Terai remained restive, it would affect UN efforts to help the government hold elections by June.

Nepal's PM pledges federal state

2007-02-01T22:15:00.000+05:45

Nepal's PM pledges federal state

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6317497.stm

Nepal's prime minister, Girija Prasad Koirala, has pledged that a future Nepal will be federal in nature.

This is one of the main demands of southern Nepalese who have been demonstrating for the last two weeks.

Eight people have died in the protests. However, there have already been protests saying the prime minister has not conceded enough.

Nepal recently formed an interim coalition after its King abdicated power ending a decade long civil war.

Mr Koirala did not mention by name the Madhesis, or southern Nepalese, whose ongoing protests have resulted in the deaths.

But he did say all problems must be solved through dialogue, and that he had instructed a minister to form a committee to initiate this.

Devolution required

Madhesis are very much under-represented in government structures. One of their demands is for devolved, federal-style government.

Mr Koirala has now promised that a new permanent constitution, due to be written by an assembly elected later this year, will make Nepal a federal state.

He has also said he accedes to another of their demands, which is to increase the number of electoral constituencies in densely populated areas.

These include the southern plains.

Demonstrators in one southern city, Janakpur, have already staged protests against Mr Koirala's speech saying it does not go far enough.

An indefinite curfew in another city, Biratnagar, has already lasted more than 24 hours.

A BBC correspondent there says Madhesi protestors armed with bows and arrows are defying it.

Others have set a police station on fire. Police responded with teargas and live rounds.

Many of the southern protests have been peaceful but a steady stream of northern hill people who were living in the south have started fleeing their homes after being threatened.

Thapa, Mandal arrested for 'instigating' violence in Terai; other royalists under watch

2007-01-30T08:54:00.000+05:45

Two of the former high-profile royalist ministers were arrested in late night raid on Monday for working to instigate the violence in Terai.

Former Home Minister Kamal Thapa and former minister Badri Mandal were arrested on Monday night from Kathmandu and Biratnagar, respectively.

Police arrested Thapa from his residence in Bishal Nagar, Kathmandu, at around 9:45 pm. Thapa reportedly refused to receive the arrest warrant, but the police team insisted to take him with them saying they had order from above to arrest him.

Thapa is accused of fuelling violence in the ongoing protests of Madhesi groups in several Terai districts over the last few days.

On the other hand, Mandal was arrested from his residence in Biratnagar at around 11:00 pm. He is also accused of similar charges. Mandal, who is a former chief of Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) is accused of turning the agitation violent in many places including Kalaiya and Rautahat.

Thapa has been detained at Nepal Police Battalion 2 facility in Maharajgunj whereas Mandal is kept at District Police Office of Morang.

Their arrest came hours after Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula claimed at a press briefing that royalists were infiltrating into the protests in Terai to instigate violence and vowed action against those trying to create unrest. Sitaula had claimed that the government would bring Terai situation under control within few days.

Thapa, one of the key figures in the past royal government, is also accused of ordering brutal clampdown on 19-day pro-democracy agitations last April.

Meanwhile, the government has ordered administration to keep strict vigil on certain royalist elements including those who assumed positions of mayors and deputy mayors after royal municipal elections held in February of 2006.

At least seven people have been killed and dozens others injured in the ensuing violence in Terai during protests organised by Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) and two factions of Terai Janatantrik Mukti Morcha (JTMM), demanding amendment in the recently-promulgated interim constitution to guarantee proportional representation in the upcoming constituent assembly polls and a federal system.

Minister Tripathi resigns,Terai unrest continues

2007-01-29T18:26:00.000+05:45

Although the tensions in the eastern Terai have started to calm down, life has not returned to normalcy yet as the local administrations Monday issued fresh curfew orders in four towns.
The District Administration Offices issued curfew orders in Janakpur, Birgunj, Kalaiya and Gaur today to control the increasing unrest in the southeastern region.

Meanwhile, citing the government reluctance to resolve the Madhesi issues, Minister for Commerce, Industry and Supplies Hridayesh Tripathi today resigned from his post from the ruling coalition government.

He said that the ruling seven-party alliance was "not serious enough over the present turmoil in the Terai region."

Minister Tripathi tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala through the chief secretary today.

"The eight parties have failed to show the level of seriousness that merits the present situation. Madhesh is moving ahead with its genuine demands regarding the proportional electoral procedure and federal setup, among others." He said adding, "We had issued a note of dissent on the very day the interim constitution was promulgated on January 15, however, there has been no hearing over them."

Central Committee members of the Nepal Sadhbhawana Party (Anandidevi) had recently urged the party to leave the coalition government accusing the government to have suppressing the Madhesi movement in the Terai region.

Meanwhile, shops and transportation services remained closed for the 11th day running as protests resumed in some parts of the eastern Terai since Monday morning.

In Lahaan where the Madhesi People's Right Forum (MPRF) first carried out the protests, life seemed to returning to normalcy but markets and shops remained closed.

Although Lahan has been comparatively calmer in the past two days, transportation services have not begun operations and marketplaces remained closed.

Krishna Bahadur Yadav, central member of the MPRF, said that the indefinite banda programme would continue until their demands like proportional electoral system, federal state and declaration of constituencies based upon the population, among others, are addressed by the government.

In Birgunj, local administration imposed a nine-hour curfew (10am to 7pm) today again.

Likewise, DAO Rautahat also imposed a curfew in Gaur from 9 am to 7 pm.

Janakpur remained peaceful today. However, a 10-hour curfew has been imposed by the local administration from 8am to 6pm.

Meanwhile, just before the curfew order came into effect, a group of Nepali-speaking people traversed the city area and expressed their solidarity with the Madhesi movement and appealed all to maintain peace and harmony in the region.

Similarly, in Kalaiya of Bara a curfew has been imposed from 8am to 9pm today.

Modraj Dotel, chief district officer of Morang blamed those who called the protests to have failed to maintain the peace during the demonstrations despite their continuous pledge to organize peaceful demonstrations.

Likewise, life was badly affected in Jaleshwor, Mahottari, as the residents were deprived of essential daily goods as the shops remained closed.

Due to the closure of transportation, newspapers have not been delivered for the past 10 days. In addition, even the local newspapers have not been published.

According to our correspondent, due to the lack of newspapers people have been deprived of factual information.

In Mirchai, Siraha, agitators forced around 300 Maoist cadres out of Shobha Shahi's house. The Maoists had captured Shahi's house six months ago.

Protesters vandalized the Village Development Committee Office, Post Office and the Drug Administration Office in Mirchaiya.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress leaders who are here in Janakpur to hold talks with the Madhesi leaders today expressed their solidarity with the ongoing movement.

They stressed that that the protests should be peaceful and urged all concerned to maintain peace and harmony in the region.

The team of NC leaders comprises of Ram Baran Yadav, joint general secretary of the party, Smriti Narayan Chaudhary and chief whip Anand Prasad Dhungana.

Speaking at a press conference today, the leaders said that Madhesi people's rights have not been addressed adequately and this movement should only end with a plausible solution.

They added that the Madhesi people's demands are justifiable and should be addressed.

U.N. says alarmed at violence in Nepal's plains

2007-01-28T23:33:00.000+05:45

The United Nations said on Sunday it was "deeply concerned" by rising violence in Nepal's food producing southern plains which has left seven people dead.

Ethnic Madhesis in the country's Terai lowlands have been protesting for 10 days over what they say is the political and commercial dominance of people who live in the hills and mountains of Nepal's north.

In the latest unrest, one man was shot and killed by police on Sunday while dozens were injured. Three towns were placed under curfew.

"We are seeing a very worrying escalation of tension and violence in communities in the Terai," said Lena Sundh, representative in Nepal of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Madhesis say they face widespread discrimination, resulting in their under-representation in parliament, political parties, the army and police, despite being the majority in an area that is home to almost half the country's population of 26 million.

The Madhesis, who live in the fertile strip of land by the Indian border, are ethnically and culturally closer to people from neighbouring Indian states than to Nepalis from the hills.

The violence has tarnished a peace deal between the government and Maoist rebels sealed in November ending a conflict which killed 13,000 people.

Sundh warned that unless there was action, including dialogue, the violence could grow.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said he wants talks, but community leaders say they are yet to receive an invite.

In a statement, the United Nations urged leaders to reach out to the Madhesis and signal they are working to address their concerns. It called on the police to exercise greater restraint.

Six of the seven people to die have been shot by police, while one Madhesi was gunned down during a clash with Maoists.

In Sunday's violence in Kalaiya, 75 km (50 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, protesters defied a curfew to confront police.

Nepal:New War Erupts as UN Peace Mission Gets Nod

2007-01-25T18:01:00.000+05:45

Five people have died and a curfew has been imposed in a district in Nepal's plains region after a clash between Maoists and activists for regional autonomy left a student dead.

The 'madheshi' (after the 'madhesh' or plains region) activists were blocking traffic Friday to protest the interim constitution approved by the new government when they stopped two vanloads of activists from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). A fight erupted and student Ramesh Kumar Mahato was shot dead.

The killing provoked riots by the activists, who then clashed with police sent to control the situation. On Monday, police shot and killed three protesters and a 12-hour curfew was imposed in the city of Lahan and surrounding areas in Siraha district. The curfew was reduced to eight hours Wednesday, but local media reported that protesters were burning tyres in some areas.

The unrest comes as the United Nations Security Council approved a mission Tuesday to monitor the arms and armies of the Maoists and an equivalent number of both from the Nepal Army. The United Nations Political Mission in Nepal will also help organise planned June elections to the Constituent Assembly, whose members will draft a permanent constitution.

As agreed in November's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the Maoists' 10-year uprising, soldiers from the rebel army and their weapons are being sequestered in seven main and 21 smaller camps across the country. Nepal Army troops will be assigned to barracks for a similar period, which could be as long as two years, according to some observers.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala blamed the Maoists for the Terai violence. "The Maoists are yet to give up the charm of arms," said Koirala, telling them publicly, "You must mend your ways."

In turn, Maoist Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal (aka Prachanda) pointed a finger at forces loyal to King Gyanendra. The monarch was forced from power when the then underground Maoists united temporarily with Koirala's Nepali Congress and six other parties to lead a 'people's revolution' on the streets of this South Asian nation. After three weeks of demonstrations in which 19 people died, the king recalled parliament in late April.

"Negotiation is done with political forces, not with criminals and gangsters. The (protesters) are being given undue importance. They are people who ran away from our party. We know who they are and who are dictating them," said Dahal on Wednesday.

But both he and Koirala, who control the largest parties in the interim parliament, downplayed madheshis' long-standing grievances against the power centre in the capital Kathmandu.

Madheshis are one of numerous 'excluded' groups that have long been underrepresented in Nepal's power structures, which have been historically dominated by upper caste Hindu men. For example, although madheshis officially comprise 17 percent of the population, they were given only five percent of government appointments between April and November, according to a study by NGO Namuna Nepal.

The new government made an effort to answer their demands in recent months by changing the law and promising to award citizenship to roughly three million madheshis who do not have papers before June's polls. The Maoists also took a step earlier this month by naming 16 of their 73 representatives from the madhesh to their parliamentary team.

But Madheshi People's Rights Forum (MRPF) leader Amaresh Narayan Jha said the group's movement will not be withdrawn until and unless their demands are addressed by the government, reported website Nepalnews.com. Those demands include redrawing electoral constituencies based on population and provisions to ensure the rights of madheshis in the interim constitution, it added.

"We concede that MPRF is not a big party and, therefore, we alone did not have the strength of leading such a big movement," Jha told an FM radio programme. "But this has ceased to become only our movement. All the people of Madhesh have risen up against oppression and even workers of eight parties have joined us."

On Wednesday, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said she was not surprised at the violence, which broke out at the start of her six-day visit to the country. "What is happening in the Terai is in a sense inevitable," Arbour told a news conference.

"The conflict has obscured a lot of chronic, human rights shortcomings," she added. "As the space for democracy opens.marginalised groups take it seriously. Democracy is much more chaotic than autocracy. The key issue is pressing the leaders of these movements to take responsibility so that this is done peacefully."

Government calls protesting groups for talks

2007-01-23T18:41:00.000+05:45

The government has called all the groups protesting in terai region for talks.

According to reports, Tuesday’s special meeting of the council of ministers called all groups protesting in terai region for talks to solve the impasse.

The cabinet also decided to give one million rupees to each person killed during the protests in Lahan district.

Two protestors have been killed during the protest programme held after the murder of a student, Ramesh Mahato, reportedly by a bullet fired by a Maoist cadre, during a rally called by the Madhesi Janadhikar forum.

The meeting also decided to provide free treatment facilities to all people injured during the protests in Lahan.

The meeting also approved the judicial commission formed by the Home Ministry to probe the Lahan incident.

The Home Ministry had formed a three member judicial commission headed by Judge of Patan Appellate Court Janardan Bahadur Khadka to probe the incident.

Monday’s meeting of the ruling seven party alliance and the Maoists asked the government to form high level commission to probe the Siraha incident and also provide appropriate compensation to the families of the deceased people.

Nepal to form probe commission to look into Lahan incident

2007-01-22T17:39:00.000+05:45

Nepal's all-party meeting decided to recommend government to constitute a high level probe commission to investigate the Lahan incident on Monday.

The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's residence in Kathmandu on Monday.

Leaders of Nepal's eight political parties gathered for the meeting. They expressed deep regret over the death of Ramesh Kumar Mahato, a student and member of the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF, also called as the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum), and incidents of vandalism and arson that took place in Lahan municipality of Siraha district which is some 150 kilometers to the southeast of capital Kathmandu.

Party leaders recommended the government to take stern action those involved in the death of Mahato and provide appropriate compensation to the family members of the deceased.

Speaking to the media persons following the meeting, Nepali home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said that considering the constituent assembly election as a primary objective of the present government, leaders of eight political parties expressed commitment to restore peace and good governance in the country.

Home Minister Sitaula also stated that he was on way to hold dialogue with the transport entrepreneurs to end the indefinite strike that had crippled the daily life throughout the nation.

CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) (formerly known as guerilla) Dev Gurung apologized for the fault of the CPN cadres committed in Lahan.

Ramesh Mahato was shot dead in a shoot-out breaking out on Friday when MPRF tried to stop the CPN' vehicles for violating the general strike in Lahan it had called.

The irked Lahan locals' vandalizing and torching public vehicles from Friday, which ignited indefinite nationwide transport strike from Sunday on. Meanwhile, MPRF torched government and CPN offices in south Nepal. Accordingly, local government clamped curfew in Lahan since Friday.

MPRF is a section of people in Nepali terai region with Indian origin

Former Nepal rebels begin handing over weapons

2007-01-19T06:16:00.000+05:45

UN monitors were collecting weapons from former communist rebels at two camps in south Nepal and were expected to start in all seven such camps by next week, officials said Thursday.

Ian Martin, chief UN official in Nepal, said the registration and collection of the Maoist rebels’ weapons had begun Wednesday in camps at Chitwan and Nawalparasi towns. UN monitors were also ready to begin the task at the camps in Surkhet in west Nepal at an unspecified time, and in the remaining camps by early next week, Martin said.

He declined to say what types of weapons or how many of them had been collected so far from the first two camps. “The beginning of the registration process has gone smoothly,” Martin said.

The rebels have blocked journalists from camps where the collection had begun. However, UN officials in the capital, Katmandu, showed journalists video and photographs of the process.

Under an agreement between the rebels and government, the rebel fighters will be confined to the seven main camps and 21 smaller ones until a still-to-be-formed special assembly decides on their futures.

Nepal approves new constitution

2007-01-15T22:19:00.000+05:45

Nepal has approved a new, temporary constitution to bring former rebel Maoists into an interim parliament and strip the king of his executive powers in favour of the prime minister.

The speaker of the lower house of parliament says the proposed interim constitution has been unanimously approved after no 'nays' were heard during voice voting.

The new parliament with 83 former rebel members is due to meet for the first time later today.

SC judges make 13-point recommendation on draft interim constitution

2007-01-07T23:16:00.000+05:45

A full court meeting of the Supreme Court justices on Sunday came up with a 13-point recommendation for amendment in the draft of the interim constitution.

Concluding that some of provisions in the draft interim constitution run counter to the concept of the independence of the judiciary, the meeting decided to submit the recommendations to the Prime Minister.

The proposal states that the Chief Justice be appointed with the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, not by the Prime Minister as mentioned in the draft of the interim constitution finalised by the eight parties on December 16. The judges have also argued that the CJ should be named as the 'CJ of Nepal' instead of the 'CJ of the Supreme Court'.

The judges have also opposed the provision in the draft interim constitution, which bars retired judges from getting political appointments as well as the provision of impeachment of judges if they are found with mental or physical inability.

Similarly, another recommendation says that the provision of submitting the annual report of the judiciary to the Prime Minister, who will then present it to the parliament, be changed as it is against the concept of judicial independence. The report, it is proposed, should be publicised directly without submitting it to the Prime Minister.

CJ Dilip Kumar Poudel and most of the SC judges were present at the two-and-half-hour long meeting held at the Supreme Court. The judges had been discussing these issues since Thursday.

NepalBlogsNetwork celebrates a year of blogging!!!

2007-01-07T18:21:00.000+05:45

NepalBlogsNetwork
...for better Nepal

URL:  http://NepalBlogsNetwork.blogspot.com
Email:  StoriesFromNepal@gmail.com
Total Blogs: 23 till 15/12/2006
Arena:  Politics, Photography, Reality Stories, Culture, Cities, Personal
Varities: Blogs from Nepal, US, India, UK, China, Slovakia

You're all invited!!!

NepalBlogsNetwork proudly invites you to join to the network. It is a freelancer's organization in the internet dedicated to blogs associated or related with Nepal or respective concern.
Recently till December 15, 2006, 23 blogs are associated with it.

Who can join?

You can join the network in any of the following conditions:
i. you have a blog that entails directly or indirectly about Nepal.
ii. you're a nepali or want to contribute to Nepalis blogs in the internet.
iii.you want to register your blog to NepalBlogsNetwork.
iV. you want to put NepalBlogsNetwork logo to your blog.
v. you want to control blogs under this network.

How to join?

Simply send an email to the administrator of NepalBlogsNetwork at StoriesFromNepal@gmail.com with subject JOIN NEPALBLOGSNETWORK.
i. include your blog's complete URL.
ii. include your valid email address.
iii.send most recent post at your blog or URL of the most recent post.

What you get?

By joining NepalBlogsNetwork, you get lifetime benefits. Joining the Network means helping Nepal progress.
i. you get listed in directory of NepalBlogsNetwork, updated each Friday.
ii. share what and how can Nepal progress.
iii.get know other blogger's concerned with Nepal all round the world.
iv. find yourself go ahead in Nepalis arena of effective work implementation.
v. you get to display NepalBlogsNetwork logo in your blog.

It's simple, you can share anything you want good or bad. Just show that your concern Nepal.

Thanking for your active participation.
Administrator,
NepalBlogsNetwork

-----------------------------
Few of our recommendation:
http://bloggingnepal.blogspot.com/
http://politicalnepal.blogspot.com/
http://nepal2006.blogspot.com/
http://pokhara.wordpress.com/
http://kathmandurocks.blogspot.com/

No mid-June elections if Interim Statute is not issued soon: Election Commission

2007-01-05T23:54:00.000+05:45

The Election Commission has said that the Constituent Assembly elections would not be possible by Mid-June this year if the Interim Constitution is not issued as soon as possible. Addressing a press conference at the commission’s office in the capital Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Bhoj Raj Pohkrel said that the Interim Statute was absolutely necessary for additional election laws and directives. Pokhrel also informed that training programmes regarding the elections would not be possible if the Village Development Committee (VDC) secretaries do not return to their respective villages by January 9. “The longer the interim statute is delayed, the preparations needed to hold the constituent assembly elections will fall behind further, “CEC Pokhrel said. Saying that collecting the electoral rolls for the constituent assembly elections was the most challenging task, the Commission has informed that the voters’ list could be prepared by the end of Chaitra (mid April) if the necessary voting laws were prepared in time. Meanwhile, the commission has started training election officials in the districts. The commission plans to deploy 4700 officials to train local election officials to collect the voters’ list. The commission has also informed that some 22,000 officials will be required to collect names from across the country for the voters’ list. At today’s press conference, CEC Pokhrel also informed that preparations were underway to use semi-transparent ballot boxes in the elections. Meanwhile, head of the UN team to assist in Nepal’s peace process, Ian Martin also discussed the different aspects of the constituent assembly election with the Election Commission officials today.

Another Janandolan if Interim Statute delayed, warns Prachanda

2007-01-05T23:30:00.000+05:45

Maoist Chairman Prachanda has warned the government of another “Janandolan” if the Interim Constitution is not issued by the end of this Nepali month (January 14). The Maoist Supremo also disclosed that the government and the Maoists had already reached an agreement to issue the Interim Statute by Jan 9. Prachanda made the comment while talking to journalists in Dolakha district today. He also claimed that the Nepali people “would rise in rebellion” at their (Maoist) call if a situation is created where the constituent assembly elections cannot take place. “What I think is- let’s not say by January 9- but if the interim constitution is not issued, interim legislature not formed, by the end of this (Nepali) month (Jan 14), then we won’t be left with any other alternative; we will go for protests,” Prachanda said. Prachanda also said that he had come to Dolakha “to study the possibilities of developing economic models for the building of a new Nepal.” Saying that he was “positive” about the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project, Prachanda stressed the need for domestic investment in such projects. Prachanda who reached Dolakha on Wednesday toured district headquarters Charikot, Tamakoshi Bazaar, Mainapokhari and Jiri with his wife and children. During his tour, he interacted and took photos with the local people. Meanwhile, speaking at a different programme in Palpa district today, CPN UML leader Bamdev Gautam also warned that his party will withdraw from the government if the interim constitution is not promulgated by mid-January.

Speaking at an interaction programme organized by Press Chautari, Palpa, Gautam also stressed on promulgating the interim statute and holding constituent assembly election in time. He also said that the main objective of the constituent assembly election was to uproot the monarchy and that he would spread the same message in villages across the country.

A year of blogging

2007-01-05T22:52:00.000+05:45

Parties, rights groups condemn arrest of civil society activists

2007-01-01T22:35:00.001+05:45

Human rights groups and the political parties including the CPN (Maoist) have flayed the arrest of leading civil society activists from their peaceful sit-in programme in front of the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar Monday afternoon.

The CPN (UML), a key ally of the coalition cabinet, in a statement condemned the arrest of some 63 civil society leaders and asked the government to immediately release the arrested persons.

Likewise, Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said his party was 'angered' by the mistreatment and arrest of the civil society leaders, who were carrying out sit-in protest peacefully, demanding immediate promulgation of the interim constitution for timely election to constituent assembly.

"Our party strongly denounces such mistreatment and arrest of senior civil society leaders and demands their immediately release," Mahara's statement said, adding, "The government's attempt to silence the voices of the civil society has not only worried those advocating for democracy, peace and progress but it has also made the anti-constituent assembly elements happy."

The Maoist party also urged the government to gear up for promulgation of the interim constitution rather than engaging in such activities.

The Joint Forum for Human Rights and Peace (JFHRP) said the government action in the peaceful sit-in of civil society leaders have reminded of the brutality of erstwhile royal regime. A JFHRP press statement signed by 22 leading rights activists including Dam Nath Dhungana, Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Sindhunath Pyakurel, Gopal Sibakoti 'Chintan' Malla K Sundar and Dr Purna Kanta Adhikari asked the government to immediately release the arrested activists.

Likewise, Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said the arrest of the civil society leaders mocked the democratic norms and the spirit of the people's movement in April 2006.

The Citizens Movement for Democracy and Peace, Unity Centre (Masal), Progressive Writers' Association and Rural Rehabilitation Organisation also flayed the arrest of civil society activists and called for their immediately release.

Police arrested 63 civil society leaders including Dr Devendra Raj Pandey, Shyam Shrestha, Dr Sundarmani Dixit, Mahesh Maskey, FNJ president Bishnu Nisthuri and Khagendra Sangraula from outside the PM's residence at around 11:00 am as soon as they started their sit-in.

Meanwhile, the arrested civil society activists who have been kept at the No. 2 Battalion of the Armed Police Force (APF) at Maharajgunj have said they would continue sit-in at the detention centre unless the Home Minister apologised for the police action in the peaceful demonstration.

"We have always been carrying out pressure campaigns and our movement will go on," Dr Pandey told media persons at the APF custody. nepalnews.com mk Jan 01 07

Democracy for Nepal: A Link to Visit

2006-12-31T09:37:00.001+05:45

Democracy for Nepal: A Link to Visit

http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com/

Government starts preparations for providing citizenship certificates to 3 million

2006-12-29T11:18:00.000+05:45

Government starts preparations for providing citizenship certificates to 3 million

The government has started preparations for providing citizenship certificates to nearly three million people across the country.

The government is planning to mobilize 520 teams to distribute citizenship certificates to nearly three million eligible citizens in the next two and half months. Each team will comprise seven members, including a gazetted officer to distribute citizenship certificates.

The mobile teams will distribute certificates on the basis of descent, birth and residence.

Certificates will also be issued on the basis of the citizenship of the mother, as per the recently adopted Citizenship Act 2006.

The Kathmandu Post daily quoted joint secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoH), Dron Pokhrel as saying that the figure is based in estimates forwarded to the ministry by all 75 District Administration Offices.

The ministry has already placed an order with the Department of Print (DoP) to print three million citizenship cards till January 31. The DoP is using all eight of its offset presses to meet the delivery deadline.

Officials at the MoH said that they are planning to send 50 percent citizenship cards across the country by mid January 2007.

According to Pokhrel, the hologram for the cards will be brought from India.

The new card includes the names and citizenship numbers of both the father and mother and will also give the names of the spouse among other things.

As the ministry steps up procedures and arrangements for citizenship distribution, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has already disbursed Rs. 60 million to MoH for the purpose.

The government has approved a total budget of Rs. 130 million for the citizenship distribution.

The MoH has arranged to provide life insurance cover of one million rupees each for three months to civil servants going to the field to distributed citizenship.

Curfew imposed in west Nepal town following clashes

2006-12-26T14:53:00.001+05:45

Authorities imposed a curfew in a west Nepal border town on Tuesday following clashes between communal groups in which several people were injured and several houses were set on fire, officials said.

People from surrounding mountainous areas clashed with local people in Nepalgunj, a border town 500 kilometers (310 miles) west of Katmandu, forcing authorities to impose the curfew, government administrative official Krishna Acharya said.

Acharya said the situation was tense and police had been mobilized, but had not been able to control the situation.

राजदूत नियुक्तीमा एमालेको पनि गुनासो

2006-12-22T12:21:00.001+05:45

राजदूत नियुक्तीमा एमालेको पनि गुनासो

यस हप्ता सातदलीय सरकारले १४ वटा मित्र राष्ट्रहरूमा राजदूत नियुक्त गर्ने निर्णय गरेपछि शुरू भएको विवाद अझै साम्य भएको छैन।

अनि अन्तरिम सरकारमा जान आतुर देखिएको नेकपा माओवादीले जस्तै सातदलीय गठबन्धनको एउटा महत्वपूर्ण साझेदार नेकपा एमालेले पनि सरकारले सो निर्णय आफ्नो सहमति बेगर लिएको बताएको छ।

बिहिबार नै उक्त पार्टीको स्थायी समितिको बैठकपछि एकजना स्थायी समिति सदस्य र बैठकको सभापतित्व गरेका नेता अमृतकुमार बोहराले ति दुवै सरकारी निर्णय एमालेको सहमति विना नै लिइएको थियो।

उनले भने- " हाम्रो सहमति भैदिएको भए यि निर्णयहरू फिर्ता गर भनेर हामीले भन्ने नै थिएनौं। सरकारले पनि नियुक्तीका कुराहरू फिर्ता गर्नुपर्यो र माओवादीपक्षले पनि बन्दको कार्यक्रम फिर्ता लिनुपर्यो।"

माओवादी असन्तोष

सातदलीय सरकारले १४ वटा मुलुकहरूमा राजदूतहरू नियुक्त गर्ने निर्णयको विरोधमा देशभरका शहरी क्षेत्रमा बलेका टायरका धुंवा विलाउन नपाउंदै बिहिबार माओवादीले त्यस निर्णयको बारे आफ्नो पार्टीसंग कुनै छलफल नभएको गुनासो दोहोर्याएको छ।

बिहिबार आयोजीत एउटा पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा बोल्दै माओवादी प्रवक्ता कृष्ण बहादुर महराले भने-"हामीलाई थाहा छ हाम्रा अध्यक्ष र प्रधानमन्त्रीकोबीचमा यसबारेमा कुनै पनि कुरा भएको छैन।"

पत्रकार सम्मेलनको आयोजना बुधबार सम्पन्न माओवादी केन्द्रीय समितिको बैठकका निर्णयहरू सार्वजनिक गर्न गरिएको थियो।

त्यस बैठकले द्वन्द्वको अवस्थाबाट शान्तिपूर्ण प्रजातान्त्रीक प्रकृयामा अवतरण गर्ने नयां रणनीतिहरू पारित गरेको बताइएको छ।

राजदूत र मानवअधिकार आयोगमा भएको नियुक्ती सम्बन्धमा यता अर्को चाखलाग्दो खुलासा सरकारको एउटा महत्वपूर्ण साझेदार रहेको नेकपा एमालेले गरेको छ।

यता माओवादीहरूले भने निर्णय नसच्याइएमा केहिदिनपछि देशव्यापी बन्द गर्ने र जनआन्दोलन तीन गरिने भन्ने धम्की त्यागीसकेको छैनन्।

एमालेले चाहिं उच्चस्तरिय प्रतिनिधिमण्डल नै सरकार र माओवादीका शिर्ष नेताहरूसंग भेट्न खटाउने निर्णय समेत गरेको छ।

विश्लेषकहरू भन्छन् त्यसले सातदल भित्रै अनि सातदल र माओवादीबीच पुन: समाधानमुखी सम्वाद प्रकृया शुरू गर्ने अपेक्षा गर्न सकिन्छ।

from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali/news/story/2006/12/printable/061221_uml_envoys.shtml

भेटघाट

बिहिबार नै नेपालका लागि राष्ट्रसंघीय विशेषदूत इयन मार्टिनले प्रधानमन्त्री गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालासंग भेट गरेका छन्।

भेटका पूर्ण विवरणहरू प्राप्त भएका छैनन् तर सुत्रहरूका अनुसार भेटका क्रममा मार्टिनले यस हप्ता भएका उग्र घटनाक्रमहरूप्रति चिन्ता व्यक्त थिए।

Bishwanath Upadhaya new NHRC chairman

2006-12-18T23:17:00.000+05:45

The government on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council (CC) on Monday appointed former chief justice of the Supreme Court Bishwa Nath Upadhyay as chairman of the National Human Rights Commission.

A cabinet meeting held at the prime minister's residence at Baluwatar this afternoon also appointed four others as commissioners of the national human rights watchdog.

Upadhyaya had previously served as the coordinator of the constitution drafting committee for the 1990 Constitution.

The other members of the commission are: Udaya Nepali, Gauri Pradhan, Tulsi Bhattarai and Meena Pathak.

According to sources, more recommendations would be made that will include individuals from women, janajatis and madhesi communities.