Nepal bans rallies in south

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.