Maoists admit murdering a journalist in west Nepal

A local Maoist commander has admitted of having murdered journalist and human rights worker, Dekendra Raj Thapa, in the mid-western district of Dailekh.

The rebels had abducted Thapa on June 26 alleging him of working as a police informer. A local Maoist commander admitted that they had 'executed' Thapa on August 11, Kantipur FM reported Monday quoting its Dailekh district correspondent.

Thapa worked as a reporter to the state-owned Radio Nepal and was an advisor to Dailekh district committee of Human Rights and Peace Society, a leading human rights organization.

The news of the killing of journalist Thapa came a day after the rebels released another journalist, Durga Thapa, in the nearby district of Surkhet.

The rebels kept Durga Thapa into their custody for nearly three weeks alleging him of working against their 'people's regime.'  nepalnews.com by Aug 16 04

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Rebels release `abducted' students in Ramechhap

Maoist rebels have released over six hundred teachers and students in remote Ramechhap district in central Nepal Monday after forcing them to attend their 're-education' programme, reports said.

Earlier, the rebels had forced some 450 students and teachers of Katahari secondary school and nearly 200 students and teachers of the Nagdaha secondary school in the district to attend their programme.

The programme was organized at a health post in Nagdaha village development committee of the district. nepalnews.com by Aug 16 04

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Govt forms a committee to study problems of newspapers

The government has formed a committee to review the problems being faced by Nepali newspapers.

The committee led by Minister for Information and Communications, Dr. Mohammed Mohasin, will review the existing state of the Nepali media including the government's advertisement policy and furnish its recommendation within a month.

Talking to reporters in the capital, Kathmandu, Monday, Minister Mohasin refuted reports that the government had given permission to open a commercial bank to the Royal Nepalese Army. He said the Army did not  ask for it.

Earlier, media reports had said that the government had granted permission to the Army to undertake banking activities. nepalnews.com by Aug 16 04

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Rebels abduct 300 students from Ramechhap

A group of Maoist rebels have abducted nearly 300 students from Katahari secondary school in Ramechhap district, Kantipur FM, a private sector radio station-- reported Monday.

There have been incidences of  rebels forcing hundreds of students to attend their re-education classes in different parts of the country. The students are later released without any harm.

There have been no words from the government or rebels on the incident as yet. nepalnews.com by Aug 16 04

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FNCCI, Trade Unions urge Maoist Union

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and major trade union organisations have called upon the pro-Maoist trade union to withdraw its call to close down major industrial establishments in the country from Tuesday.

Speaking at a programme in the capital on Monday, president of FNCCI Binod Bahadur Shrestha said the said closure would result into loss of employment for thousands of Nepalis. He said industry and businesses carry out transactions of up to Rs half a billion and pay an estimated Rs 10 million in revenue to the government every day.

President of Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) Laxman Basnet said the problem being faced by the workers would further aggravate if the industries were forced to close down. General Secretary of GEFONT, a pro-left trade union organisation close to CPN (UML), Bishnu Rimal, said the trade unions should adopt democratic practices in order to get their demands fulfilled.

All Nepal Trade Union Federation (ANTUF),  affiliated to the Maoist rebels, has called for an indefinite closure of major industrial and joint venture companies in the country to protest against what it says indiscriminate arrest and murder of its members, among others. nepalnews.com by Aug 16 04

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Few industries threatened by ANFTU close down

A few of the industries threatened by the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Federation of Trade Unions (ANFTU) have decided to close down from today, a newspaper report said.

Shanghai Plastic Industry situated at Lalitpur has officially declared to close down. The industry has also asked its employees and workers to clear their dues. Similarly, Makalu Yatayat has also decided to halt its bus service, Nepal Samacharpatra reported

"It is better to close down the industry than operating it in an environment full of risks and uncertainties", the newspaper quoted director of Sanghai Plastic Industries, Pawan Kumar Sanghai as saying. But despite the decision of the management to close down the industry, the employees have said they would not halt their work under any circumstances. They have said that the demand to close down the industry was illogical as it would adversely affect their daily life.

ANFTU had threatened 12 companies to close down citing reasons like labor exploitation and investment from the royal family. But the companies have said they do not exploit their workforce and have asked ANFTU to resolve the problems, if any, through mutual understanding.

Despite the Maoist claim that the royal family has invested in Soaltee Hotels Private Ltd and Surya Nepal, financial reports of Surya Nepal show that the royal family has not invested even a single rupee in the company, the newspaper said. nepalnews.com amt Aug 16 04

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Bus plunges into Trishuli river

A tourist mini-bus en-route to Kathmandu from Pokhara plunged into the Trishuli river at Bhaisegauda of Prithvi highway late Sunday evening. Driver Karna Rai who was the only one in the bus sustained severe injuries. 

The Na.1.Pa 4072 plated minibus reportedly skidded and fell 200 meters into the river. The bus had carried tourists to Pokhara from Kathmandu earlier on Sunday. The bus is still missing. nepalnews.com pd Aug 16 04

Villagers fight robbers, one dies

A 58-year-old man was killed and at least 4 persons were injured in clashes between armed robbers and villagers in Keruwan VDC in Morang district late Sunday evening. 

The clash occurred when the armed robbers tried to rob a village in Keruwan VDC. The dead villager has been identified as Jit Bahadur Jimi. 

The injured villagers are undergoing treatment in BP Koirala Memorial Hospital in Dharan. The robbers escaped taking their injured, according to reports. nepalnews.com pd Aug 16 04

ANNFSU protest petro price hike

All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU), student wing of the CPN–UML, a major coalition partner, took out a protest rally in the capital Monday afternoon against the recent hike in the petroleum (POL) products.

Flaying the government’s decision,  ANNFSU’s cadres and leaders organized a corner rally at Padmodaya chowk where Khemlal Bhattarai addressed the rally protesting against the hike in the POL products.

Like other student unions, the ANNFSU have also demanded withdrawal of price hike in petroleum products and fifty percent discount in the sales price of the POL products to the students. 

Talking to Nepalnews, Yagyaraj Sunuwar of the ANNFSU said that schedules of the protests had not yet been decided as they were hopeful that the government would take their demands positively.

Sunuwar added that the delegation of the ANNFSU would soon (Monday afternoon) meet the prime minister and minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies and draw their attention over the ‘anti-people’ decision.

“If the government ignores our demands we will be compelled to strengthen the protests,” Sunuwar added and said that the hike in the POL products will deepen the trouble of the people reeling under economic downturn.

The government increased the prices of the POL products beginning from 12th August citing increase in price of petroleum products in the international market. nepalnews.com pd Aug 16 04 

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Sir Jeffery to meet Nepali officials

Special British envoy to Nepal, Sir Jeffery James, is to meet senior Nepali officials including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Sir Jeffery arrived Kathmandu on Saturday on a week-long visit to Nepal.

According to sources at the British embassy in Kathmandu, he will also meet senior security officials in Nepal.

The British government had appointed Sir Jeffery, a career diplomat, as a special envoy two years ago to coordinate international efforts to help resolve nine-year-old Maoist insurgency. He has also been visiting Washington D. C. and New Delhi to coordinate US and Indian policies towards Nepal.

This is the fifth regular visit of Sir Jeffery to Nepal. He had called on King Gyanendra during his last visit. 

Britain has provided what it describes as non-lethal military support to the Royal Nepalese Army. While promising increase in its overseas development assistance (ODA) to Nepal, British officials have expressed concern over growing incidences of violation and abuse of human rights from both the security forces as well as Maoist rebels. 
nepalnews.com by Aug 16 04 

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