Maoists release three, abduct former DDC chair in Jumla

The Maoist rebels have released three out of 13 people they had abducted after raiding Khalanga, district headquarters of Jumla, in west Nepal last Saturday, reports said. A soldier and five rebels had been killed during the overnight battle.

Security sources told Nepalnews that an army helicopter on patrol in the district on Tuesday saw a group of abducted people being taken away by the rebels and engaged them. The rebels then released a postman who they had abducted on Saturday.

In a separate incident, a security patrol has engaged Maoist rebels at Manma in nearby Kalikot district, reports said. Details are still awaited.

Meanwhile, the rebels have abducted former chairman of the Jumla district development committee, Tirtha Bahadur Budha, from his house in the district, reports said. The rebels had also abducted Mr. Budha, a CPN (UML) member,  for nearly one week last year and later released him. nepalnews.com by Aug 24 04

Related News
- Soldier killed, six policemen abducted in Maoist attack in Jumla

UK govt. provides compensation to Gurkha POWs

The British government has begun providing compensation to ex-Gurkha servicemen who were Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOW) by the Japanese during the Second World War, the Gorkha Army Ex-Servicemen Organization (GAESO) said.

Talking to Nepalnews, GAESO secretary Mahendra Lal Rai said, ”Although the British High Court had ordered to compensate the Gurkha POWs two years ago, it has just been two months that the British government has started providing the compensation.”  500 ex-Gurkha servicemen have already received UK 10,000 Pounds each, Rai added.

“Though thousands of Gurkha soldiers were held prisoners during World War ll, only 997 of them have been formally registered with GAESO,” Rai said and added, “many have died and many don’t know about the compensation.”

Rai, however, said, “Though, we don’t have exact data, there must be over 3000 prisoners of the Second World War still living in various parts of Nepal.”

GAESO had filed a case in 2000 at the British High Court against the British government’s decision to provide compensation only to the POWs who were British nationals. In 2002, the British High Court decided to compensate Gurkhas on par with the British soldiers, according to the GAESO secretary.

Meanwhile, the Kathmandu based British embassy, issuing a press communiqué on Tuesday has said that one hundred Gurkha POWs have been granted payment of UK 10,000 Pounds each, as part of British government commitment to provide payment to Gurkha POWs in World War II. 

The statements added that nearly 900 POWs have been identified since the process has started. The teams from the Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOW) office, who will remain in Kathmandu until December 2005, have travelled throughout Nepal to interview applicants and verify their stories, it is stated.

According to the release, offices set in the Indian capital, Delhi to accept applicants from ex-Gurkhas living in India will be closed from the end of September. However, applicants from India can be forwarded to the Kathmandu based office and a FEPOW team will verify them in India when required. nepalnews.com pd Aug 24 04

Related News
- Ex-gratia scheme for Far East Gurkha POW's
- 10,000 pounds payment to ex-Gurkhas
- UK to open office in Kathmandu to compensate ex-Gurkha PoWs

Maoists need to be defeated: US spokesman

As the Maoist ‘blockade’ of the Nepali capital completes its first week, the US government has reiterated its commitment to continue its support to Nepal to fight the insurgency.

Addressing a regular press briefing in Washington D. C. on Monday, deputy spokesman of the US Department of State, Adam Ereli, said the US government saw the Nepali Maoists as insurgents that need to be defeated. “We think it's important that other countries work with Nepal towards this end. And for our part, we're providing both the security and development assistance to help dry up support for them,” he added.

Mr. Ereli said the important point for the US was to work with the Government of Nepal and its friends to help re-establish security and address the root causes of the insurgency. He did not specifically refer to the Maoist `blockade’ but said the US security assistance program was designed to help the armed forces of Nepal counter the attacks by the Maoists.

The US has provided almost $21 million in military assistance since 2002. nepalnews.com by Aug 24

Related News
- UK calls upon Maoists to withdraw 'blockade'
- US govt. condemns Maoist bombings and intimidation

Bomb defused in government office

Security personnel defused a bomb planted by suspected Maoists  at the Kathmandu District Land Reform Office at Babarmahal Tuesday.

"We were working in the ground floor when two persons entered the office and pulled out pistols at us.  They then left the bomb and ran away," a staff told Nepalnews.

"We informed the police and the army and they arrived in time to defuse the bomb," he added.

The office is located in residential area, and there might have been casualties if the bomb was not defused, a police officer who arrived at the scene told Nepalnews. nepalnews.com rh Aug 24 04 

Related News
- Maoist bomb govt office in Bhaktapur

Four parties to resume 'anti-regression' stir

The four agitating political parties have announced fresh countrywide protests against ‘regression’ beginning from September 11, a leader of the People’s Front Nepal told Nepalnews. He added the capital-centric protests would start earlier, from August 28.

The meeting of the four party-alliance Monday announced the resumption of fresh and decisive round of protests against ‘regression’, he added. The four parties will also protest the recent hike in the petroleum products, the source added.

The meeting, flaying violence by both the government and the Maoists, had appealed the warring factions to respect human rights.

The parties had suspended their capital-centred protests in the end of June citing the monsoon. nepalnews.com pd Aug 24 04 

Related News
- NC protests price hike in capital

Govt. offers for talks but no ‘informal contacts’: Reports

A week after the Maoist ‘blockade’ of the capital, Kathmandu, top government officials have offered talks with the Maoist rebels but a senior human rights activist said there has been no contact between the two sides as yet.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the government is ready to sit for negotiations with the rebels if they withdraw their `blockade’ and give up violence. He was talking to reporters while taking part in `Deuda’ festival in the capital Monday.

His deputy, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, however, offered for unconditional talks with the underground rebels. Addressing an interaction in the capital Monday, Adhikari said the government was ready to go to any length for it. He did not elaborate.

Meanwhile, a leading human rights activist, Padma Ratna Tuladhar, has termed claims that the government and rebels are having informal talks as baseless.

“There hasn’t been any such contact between the two sides as yet,” he told reporters. “The government has not taken any initiative for the peace talks,” Tuladhar said, adding “the rebels won’t come for negotiations by inviting them through the radio news reports.”

Earlier, Minister for Local Development, Yubaraj Gyawali, had said in Nepalgunj Monday that the government was engaged in ‘informal talks’ with the rebels. 

The rebels have said they will not sit for peace negotiations with the government until the latter agrees to discuss substantive issues including holding elections to constituent assembly to draft a new constitution.

Prime Minister Deuba has made it clear time and again that the government is ready to discuss on all the issues except the constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy. 

In its editorial on Tuesday, Annapurna Post daily wrote: “Prospects of peace talks between the government and rebels and that it would lead to a political way out are becoming dim.” The expanding conflict is increasingly snatching away ordinary Nepalis’ right to live, the daily said. nepalnews.com by Aug 24

Rebels ask Mid-Marsyangdi project to shut down

At a time when a dozen leading industries and a hotel have been shut down amid Maoist threats, the rebels have also asked a major hydropower project to shut down, a newspaper report said.

In a statement issued Monday, chief of the Joint Revolutionary District People’s Council of Lamjung in west Nepal, Buddhi Ram Tamu, has asked the management of the Mid-Marsyangdi hydropower project in west Nepal to close down the project immediately.

He has alleged the management of running the project by stationing security forces, Nepal Samacharpatra daily reported Tuesday.

Nearly 45 percent construction work of the 70 MW project has already been completed. Nearly 1,500 workers of the project had returned to work recently after the management agreed to fulfill their demands including pay hike. 

The concerned authorities have not commented on the said threat by the Maoists as yet. nepalnews.com by Aug 24 04

Related News
- Maoist blockade leads to closure of Mid-Marsyangdi construction

NGOs in Iraq appeal for release of Nepali hostages

Non-Government-Organizations (NGOs) in Iraq have appealed to the Islamic militant group to free the 13 Nepali hostages, a daily said Tuesday.

The Nepal Samacharpatra, citing Nepalis returning from Iraq, has said NGOs in major Iraqi cities have posted statements appealing the release of the Nepali hostages.

Saying the Nepalis arrived in Iraq for employment, the NGOs have further added that abductions of laborers were against the Islamic principle. 

Similarly, the Nepali government Monday urged the Islamic militants to free the hostages. nepalnews.com pd Aug 24 04 

Related News
- Nepal appeals for the release of its citizens in Iraq

Names and districts of Nepali hostages in Iraq, according to the Nepali media, are as follows. Details of one Nepali were not available. 

 5. Sanjay Kumar Thakur

Two Maoists killed in Ilam

At least two Maoists were killed in a clash with security forces in Ilam district Monday.

Reports said that shootout began with the militants throwing socket bombs at a security patrol at Sakhafara area at around 11:00 AM today.

The militants killed in the encounter have been identified as Sameer Khumbu, a resident of Chulachuli of Ilam and Saroj whose address is not confirmed.

Logistics used by the Maoists have been recovered from the site, reports added. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 23 04

Related News
- Six Maoists killed in encounters

Maoist bomb govt office in Bhaktapur

Maoists denoted a bomb at the Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention in Bhaktapur Monday morning.

Police said the blast occurred inside the office building located at Sipadol at around 9:45 AM.

Some furniture and documents were destroyed in the blast, but nobody was injured. Security has been tightened in the area following the incident. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 23 04

Related News
- Policeman shot, minor explosion in Kathmandu