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Decision to hike petroleum prices draws flak Various political organizations have denounced the government’s decision to hike prices of petroleum products. Issuing a press statement, the United Left Front (ULF) said the decision is unexpected as it is ‘anti-people’. The ULF has stated that the increase in petroleum prices will deepen the trouble of the people reeling under economic downturn. Likewise, the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist and Leninist) also condemned the decision through a statement. "The decision has come as a blow to the ordinary people who are mired in unemployment and there are many yet to recover the damages caused by floods and landlines," the party said asking the government to withdraw the decision. CPN-ML’s student wing, the All Nepal National Free Students Union has also flayed the government’s decision, threatening to launch agitations. The Nepali Congress-aligned Nepal Tarun Dal and the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party supported student union have also opposed the decision to hike the prices of petroleum products. The government on Thursday had fixed the price of petrol at Rs 56 per liter from 54, cooking gas (LPG) Rs 725 per cylinder from 700, aviation fuel Rs 46 per liter from 33 and removed the four-rupee subsidy on kerosene quotas, fixing the price at Rs 24 per liter. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 13 04 Related
News Army troops return to their barracks from Achham Royal Nepalese Army troops have returned to their respective barracks after taking part in the much-hyped offensive against the Maoist rebels in the far-western district of Achham. According to latest reports, the troops withdrew from Binayak and Kamal Bazaar area in the district after long clashes with rebels on Thursday. There were no reports of major casualties on either side. The army sources said they foiled a plan of the armed rebels to organise a major mass meeting in the area. They said the rebels fled the region after they launched a massive air and land raid to flush them out. The rebels claimed that the army failed in its mission and that their `base area' was intact. The rebels had even warned the army not to pursue them while they moved up in the hills. The difficult geographical condition and bad weather did not help the army, reports said quoting security sources. This was the first publicly announced offensive by the army against the rebels which, according to observers, may not have been as successful as the security forces may have wished. The army had asked local people not to come out of their houses and move in groups before they launched their offensive. nepalnews.com by Aug 13 04 Related
News ANFTU requested to withdraw warning to close down Surya Nepal
Nepal Independent Workers Union (NIWS), Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd, on behalf of the workers and employees of Surya Nepal, has appealed All Nepal Federation of Trade Unions to withdraw the warning to close down the company. In a press release issued on August 9, the Union has also requested human rights activists, journalists, civil society and other rights organizations to help create a situation wherein workers can work freely without having to face any kind of fear. “The news publicized by ANFTU through different newspapers and FM radios to indefinitely close down Surya Nepal from August 17, has seriously drawn our attention ...At a time when Nepali youths are compelled to go abroad for employment due to the widespread poverty and lack of job opportunities in the country, it was illogical by all accounts to threaten a company that provides direct employment to 500 plus workers and indirect employment to thousands of others”, the release says. ANFTU, through a press release on August 4 had warned Surya Nepal Pvt. Ltd. to close down by August 17 for an indefinite period of time. The Maoist affiliated Trade Union had also asked the labors and employees working in the company to find alternative employment opportunities. nepalnews.com amt Aug 13 04 Related
News Industrial Sector Group calls upon Maoists not to disrupt industries The Industrial Security Group (ISG) has called upon the Maoists to allow leading companies in Nepal, including the joint venture ones, to operate freely within the framework of Nepali laws and in accordance with international norms. In a statement issued Friday, the Group -- a consortium of embassies of France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States and India and their bilateral chambers of commerce and industries in Nepal-- deplored the announcement made by a Maoist trade union early this month. The All Nepal Federation of Trade Unions (ANFTU), a sister organisation of the underground Maoists, has called for an indefinite strike in leading industrial and joint venture companies in the country beginning August 17 in favour of their number of demands including hike in pay and benefits to the workers in those establishments, reports said. In its statement, British embassy in Kathmandu, which is chairing the Group at the moment, said foreign joint venture partners were a major source of capital and technological expertise for Nepalese industry and operated in a fair and transparent manner without discrimination, social exclusion or any political affiliation. "Threats against and demands for payment from the joint ventures contravene international norms," the statement said. nepalnews.com by Aug 13 04 Related
News Maoists attempting to divide political parties: Minister Pant Labour minister Raghuji Pant has said the Maoists are more inclined towards creating rifts in the mainstream political front than to resolve the crisis through negotiation. "The Maoists have been talking one thing with one political party and exactly the opposite with another party," Pant said speaking at a program organized by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists in Pokhara Friday. He added, "As long they stick to this policy, no peace talks will be successful." Pant ruled out the possibility of immediate ceasefire as both sides are yet to create an environment. "Talks without proper atmosphere are sure to fail. Realizing this, the government is not going to hasten for peace talks," he said. The minister also made it known that the high-level Peace Committee is set to begin preparations for talks. "The election process would not stop just because there are no talks," he further maintained. On the decision to hike the prices of petroleum products, Pant said it was done out of compulsion considering the growing oil prices in the international market. "A responsible government sometimes have to take unpopular decisions," he clarified. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 13 04 Maoists slay two on robbery charges The Maoists have killed two persons in Morang district, charging them of robbery. Reports Friday said Sher Bahadur Jogi and Srijan Tamang who were abducted by the Maoists a week ago were found dead at Minchowk area in Bayarban VDC today. The Maoists have claimed responsibility of their murder saying the two were involved in robbery, reports added. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 13 04 Rights bodies urge the govt., rebels to honour people's fundamental rights Leading human rights organisations of the country have condemned what they call atrocities being committed by both the security forces and Maoist rebels and have called upon both the sides in the conflict to honour people's fundamental rights. In a joint statement, they have called upon the CPN (Maoist) to withdraw its call to vacate Phidim, district headquarters of Panchthar in east Nepal on August 7 as part of its 'people's action' programme. Such a call grossly violates people's right to move freely and without fear, they said. Similarly, they said that the Royal Nepalese Army's recent directives to local people in Kamaal Bazaar and Binayak areas in the far-western district of Achham not to come out of their houses and move in groups during the army's offensive against the rebels was a gross violation of people's fundamental rights to move and conduct their businesses freely and without fear. They have demanded that the government maintain status quo in the region and guarantee safety of the local people. They have also condemned the Maoist action of abducting and detaining Surkhet district representative of INSEC, Durga Thapa, for the last 13 days. They have called upon the rebels to release Mr, Thapa with due honour. Similarly, they have also asked the rebels not to target human rights and development workers, their vehicles and properties. Prof. Dr. Mathura Shrestha, coordinator of Civic Solidarity for Peace; Subodh Pyakuryal of Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), Gauri Pradhan, chairman of Child Workers Concern Centre Nepal (CWIN), Dr. Bhogendra Sharma, chairman of Centre for Victims of Torture (CVICT); Dr. Gopal Krishna Shiwakoti, executive director of Inhured International, Sharmila Karki, chairperson of Jagaran Nepal; Anjana Shakya, chairperson of Himrights; Purna Shakya, vice chairperson of Himrights and Bhagirath Yogi, chairman of Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) have signed on the joint statement. nepalnews.com by Aug 13 04 Related
News Officials decide to close down the `World Vision' programme in Kalikot A meeting of all sides led by acting Local Development Officer, Hiralal Regmi, of Kalikot has ordered the World Vision, a development agency, to close down its office and programme in the district within the next 15 days "for refusing to provide food grains amid acute food crisis in the district." The District Food Committee had urged the World Vision to provide 122 quintals of food grains stocked by it in its godown on loan to them which the latter refused. Kantipur daily quoted Pradip Silwal, communications officer of the World Vision, as saying that the food grains belonged to the World Food Programme and was meant for distribution to poor people residing in remote areas. "We are partner of the WFP and implementer of the programme only," he added. The WFP office in Kathmandu is yet to comment on the issue. There has been acute shortage of food grains at Manma, district headquarters of Kalikot in mid-western region as the government hasn't airlifted food grains allocated for the district for the last two months. nepalnews.com by Aug 13 Related
News FNCCI lobbies for resumption of peace talks Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), the umbrella organization of the Nepalese private sector, has started lobbying for restoration of peace in the country. A team led by Binod Bahadur Shrestha, president of the FNCCI, called on senior government ministers and leaders of various political parties and urged them to take immediate steps to create an environment conducive for the resumption of peace talks in the country. The team has apprised political leaders and officials of the problems seen in the country's business sector and national economy due to escalation in the conflict. The FNCCI has reiterated its commitment that it would extend all possible support to establish sustainable peace in the country, a statement said. nepalnews.com by Aug 13 Security forces and Maoist rebels clashed for nearly eight hours near Binayak ilaka in the far-western district of Achham Thursday. According to reports, Royal Nepalese Army troops engaged the rebels for several hours. The army choppers that reached the area after the clashes began started massive aerial bombing. There were no details of the casualties but army sources said some army personnel as well as rebels were injured in the battle. The army had transported reinforcement to the area and continued air patrol. The rebels too continued firing long-range weapons from higher altitude. A F.M. radio station run by the underground rebels claimed that their guerrillas had broken the security cordon and that they would take on the army personnel if they came further up pursuing them. Space Time daily quoted an unnamed army official saying that this was the first well-planned and sensitive offensive launched by the army, but that the rebels fled from the area after getting information about it in advance. nepalnews.com by Aug 13 04 Related
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