Police raid massage parlours in Kathmandu

Police have raided half a dozen massage parlours at Thamel—a popular tourist destination in Kathmandu, and detained 17 young women and 10 of their clients.

Police Inspector, Ashok Shrestha, said the raid was conducted in response to complaints that 'immoral activities' were being carried out by these parlours under the disguise of massage.

Police have also taken into control operators of most of the parlours it raided. Most of the girls detained were between 18 and 25 years of age. A Bangladeshi national has also been detained during the raid, police said.

The raid came a day after weekly magazine, Nepal, published a cover story alleging that most of the massage parlours had been conducting prostitution under the disguise of massage parlours.

Prostitution is yet to be legalized in Nepal. nepalnews.com by Aug 09 04

Related News
- Police raids 13 cabin restaurants

Army to launch offensive in Achham

In an unusual move, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has announced that it is going to launch a massive land and air raid at Kamal Bazaar and Binayak area in far-western district of Achham.

The Army has asked local people to stay put in their houses and not to come out in groups during the offensive.

Talking to reporters at the regional headquarter of the RNA at Nepalgunj Monday, an army spokesman, Yagya Bahadur Rajoure, said the army had made plans (of offensive) in the wake of large-scale activities of the armed Maoist rebels in the region.

According to military sources, the army has already cordoned off the area and is going to launch a major offensive against the rebels from early Tuesday, newspaper reports said. nepalnews.com by Aug 10 04

Int’l Day of Indigenous People marked

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People was celebrated organizing a conference of indigenous and ethnic groups in Kathmandu Monday. 

Addressing a program held today at Dashrath Stadium, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the government was committed to make better the socio-economic status of indigenous and ethnic minorities living across the country. 

He also assured that efforts would be taken to ratify the International General Treaty on Indigenous People. 

Indigenous and ethnic groups had carried out cultural rallies in parts of Katmandu prior to the program. 

Speaking at the program, leaders of indigenous minorities voiced their concerns for a better say in the state mechanism. Om Gurung, general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Communities, said that indigenous minorities were not getting the rightful share in the rule. 

"The present constitution should be changed to ensure the indigenous minorities their due privileges," he said.  The conference ended declaring a 32-point Kathmandu Charter. 

The United Nations had declared the period between 1995 to 2004 as the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 09 04

326 killed, 1148 abducted in six months in Mid-zone: Report

Altogether 326 persons have been killed and 1148 abducted since 1st January to June 30 this year in the Mid-zone, a report revealed Monday. 

The report published by the Mid-zone Regional Office of INSEC, a rights group, said that among the 326 people killed, 223 were killed by the security forces and 103 by the Maoist insurgents. 

It is, however, not known how many ordinary citizens were among 223 people killed by government forces while 62 civilians lost their lives at the hands of the militants. 

The report further says that cases of abduction, extortion and social crimes such as girl trafficking have gone up with the rise in violence. During the last six months, 17 rape cases were registered in this region.

INSEC, meanwhile, has called on the Maoists and the government side to stop human rights violations and has called on both sides to come to the negotiating table as early as possible. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 09 04 

Related News
- Maoists abduct over 100 teachers in Panchthar
- A soldier killed, two injured in an attack
- Dozens of rebels reportedly killed

Polls not possible before peace talks: Minister Dahal

Agriculture and Cooperatives minister Hom Nath Dahal has said that general elections were impossible before an agreement is reached with the Maoists. 

Speaking at an interaction program organized by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists in Pokhara Monday, Dahal said the current security situation was not viable for elections. "Peace come first in our priority list," he said. 

Dahal’s statement comes somewhat in contradiction to what the King had instructed while appointing Sher Bahadur Deuba as Prime Minister and also the government’s subsequent commitment that elections process would be started within this year. 

"Unless the Maoists agree for a peaceful settlement, free and fair elections are not possible," he said. Revealing that the government was going to form the Peace Secretariat so that the matters regarding the peace talks could be coordinated effectively, Dahal ruled out possibility of unilateral ceasefire. 

"Unilateral ceasefire will have no meaning without the other side agreeing for talks," he maintained. While saying so, he also made it a point to repeat the government’s cliché saying ‘optimum flexibility’ will be maintained to resolve the Maoist problem. 

He said, "We are not going to take any chances this time around by hastening for talks. Let’s first complete the homework." nepalnews.com mbk Aug 09 04

Related News
- Situation favorable for peace talks: DPM Adhikari
- Elections impossible before peace talks: Nepal

Maoists capture camera, notebooks of reporter, researchers

Maoist rebels have captured a camera and notebook of a reporter and three researchers in the mid-western district of Dailekh.

Bhoj Raj Bhat, a reporter with Kathmandu-based Nepal magazine, told Radio Sagarmatha F. M. over telephone on Monday that a group of rebels seized his camera and notebook for entering the district "without the permission of Bheri-Karnali autonomous government set up by the Maoists."

He said that the rebels also captured questionnaires and note books of three researchers who were conducting a survey on the situation of democracy in South Asia. nepalnews.com by Aug 09 04

VDC secretaries of Sarlahi, Dhading resign en masse

Citing problems in carrying out their duties due to Maoist pressure, 93 Village Development Committee (VDC) secretaries of Sarlahi district and 50 of Dhading district have collectively resigned from their posts Monday.

Reports from Sarlahi said 93 out of 98 VDC secretaries submitted their collective resignation to the Local Development Office today. They have argued they are unable to work in the villages under Maoist pressure. Their resignation is yet to be accepted, though.

Similarly, following a meeting today, 50 VDC secretaries of Dhading district collectively announced their resignation. Reports said the local Maoist leadership had, in a statement issued recently, asked all the VDC secretaries to resign at the earliest. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 09 04

Related News
- VDC Secretaries in Dang reject new responsibilities
- VDC Secretaries resign en masse in Baglung

Decision to hand over local bodies to civil servants draws flak

The Federation of District Development Committee has denounced the government’s decision to hand over the responsibility of the local bodies to the civil servants.

Issuing a statement on Monday, the federation said the decision to rope in civil servants in the local bodies is in contrast with the spirit of the decentralization policy. 

"The federation objects the decision and demands that former elected members be brought in till the time of next local elections," read the statement.

The federation urged the government to immediately introduce the Local Services Act. To do away with the present state of local governance, the federation said, the government should initiate the peace process as early as possible.

Saying that the revenue collection process has been badly affected due to Maoist pressure, the federation asked the rebels to stop violent activities and opt for a negotiated settlement. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 09 04

Related News
- Govt formally hands over local bodies to civil servants

2,000 VDC offices destroyed in Maoist attacks

Around 2000 Village Development Committee (VDC) offices have been destroyed in Maoist attacks since the insurgency began in 1995. 

Infrastructures in these VDCs have either been blasted off or set ablaze, causing a total damage of Rs.400 million, a newspaper report said.

The sabotage is highest in Argakhachi, Achham, Syangja, Myagdi and Bhojpur districts. The government is yet to receive information on the state of VDCs in Okhaldhunga, Jajarkot, Rukum, Mustang, Manang, and Palpa districts, the Annapurna Post reported referring to information received from the Ministry of Local Development.

Similarly, Maoist attacks on telecommunication installations, radio repeater stations etc have caused a damage of Rs.600 million. 59 stations of Nepal Telecom have been damaged in Maoist attacks. 

The government lacks exact data on the damage done to government health posts, police stations, post offices and other development infrastructures, the newspaper said. nepalnews.com amt Aug 09 04

Related News
- Blast at airline office
- Blast at telecom office

NC to organise its convention in March 2005

The Nepali Congress is to organise its 11th general convention-- the highest decision making body of the party-- between March 2-5, 2005 at Birgunj.

The party's central working committee meeting took a decision to this effect on Monday, party officials said.

The forthcoming general convention is expected to elect a new leadership to the nearly six-decade-old party. 

Former deputy Prime Ministers Ram Chandra Poudel, Ms. Shailaja Acharya and party general secretary Sushil Koirala are the front-runners for the post of party president, newspaper reports said.

Former Prime Minister and NC President, G P Koirala, is expected to step down after the convention as per the party's statute. He was elected twice to the party's top job and holds the post for the last seven years. nepalnews.com by Aug 09 04

Related News
- NC to hold its general convention by next year