Mid-Marsyangdi project closes down

A major hydro-power project in west Nepal has closed down amidst Maoist threats.

The construction work of 70 MW Mid-Marsyangdi hydropower project has been stopped from Tuesday, reports said. A senior official at the Water Resources ministry said that the project had to be stalled following Maoist threats. 

Earlier, the rebels had asked a huge amount as ‘donation’ from the project, Kantipur daily reported. 

Being constructed under the grant assistance from the German government, Mid-Marsyangdi is the second biggest development project after Melamchi drinking water project in terms of expenditure.

The multinational contractor, DDC JV, had refused to pay `donations’ to the Maoists and other parties saying that it would be against the German law, the news report said. nepalnews.com by Aug 25 04

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Rebels 'abduct’ over 300 students, teachers in Jajarkot

Maoist rebels have ‘abducted’ over 300 teachers and students from the western part of Jajarkot district in mid-western region, reports said. Details were not immediately available.

The rebels have been forcing students and teachers in large numbers in different parts of the country to take part in their ‘re-education’ and ‘people’s militia’ programme. Most of them are released later by the rebels without harming them. 

The practice, however, has created widespread panic among the students and their parents. In far-western Nepal, parents have started forbidding their daughters from attending schools and even marrying their underage daughters off thinking that the rebels would not force the married girls to attend their programmes, reports said. nepalnews.com by Aug 25 04

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Indian grant for school building

India has agreed to provide grant assistance of Rs 61,67,100 for the construction of a school building and boundary wall in Rautahat. 

The grant will be made available for the construction of Shri Saraswoti Higher Secondary School, Pipra-Bhalohia, Rautahat. 

Earlier, India had provided grant assistance for the construction of five schools in Sarlahi. nepalnews.com pd Aug 25 04 

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Diplomatic efforts on for release of Nepali hostages: Minister

As uncertainly prevails regarding the condition of 13 Nepalis taken hostage by an Iraqi insurgent group, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Prakash Saran Mahat has claimed that the government has initiated diplomatic efforts for their safety and early release.

Speaking at a program organized by the Reporters Club Nepal Tuesday, Mahat said, "Nepali Diplomatic missions in different countries have been ordered to make prompt efforts in this regard." He added, "Since Nepal has no military role in Iraq, there is no reason why Nepalis should be targeted by the militants."

He mentioned that he has already called on the captors through an Arabian TV channel, al-Jazeera that first broke the story, to free the Nepalis immediately considering their innocence.

Speaking at the same program, KB Rana, chairman of Moonlight Manpower Company, which is said to have sent the Nepalis to Iraq, insisted that the company had sent some of them to Jordan, not Iraq.

"We had sent only nine people to Jordan. I have not idea how they entered Iraq," he said.

Nepali Congress leader Dr Ram Saran Mahat was of the view that the United Nations and other international humanitarian organizations should be requested for help in negotiating with the militant group for the release of the Nepali hostages.

Another speaker, CPN-UML leader Jhalanath Khanal stressed that the government must now take steps to prevent the countrymen from moving to countries like Iraq where labor permission has not been issued and are risky. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 24 04

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Maoists call off 'blockade’ for a month

The CPN (Maoist) has called off its week-old ‘blockade’ of capital, Kathmandu, for a period of one month beginning Wednesday.

A joint statement issued by joint people’s governments of five districts surrounding Kathmandu on Tuesday afternoon said they had decided to postpone their strike keeping in view of the requests made by general public, civil society and human rights community.

The statement, signed by local level Maoist leaders including Subash Tamang, Kshitij, Rajman Tamang and Kajiman Tamang, said they would call even strong programmes if the government ignored their demands.

The Maoist-affiliated  organizations had called the indefinite ‘blockade’ of the capital last Wednesday demanding probe into the killing of their activists including Bharat Dhungana and Baikuntha Pokhrel, and bring the culprits to book and make public whereabouts of their cadres said to have gone disappeared after security forces took them into their custody.

The Council of Ministers last Friday had said it would make public whereabouts of members of the pro-Maoist trade union body only within one month.

The rebels, however, continued targeting individuals and lower level security personnel within the capital valley and causing minor bomb explosions at different government offices.

The ‘blockade’ of the capital valley had attracted unprecedented media attention and prompted the southern neighbour, India, to review the security situation in the Himalayan kingdom.

The US and UK, among others, had expressed their concern towards the ‘blockade’ imposed by the Maoists. nepalnews.com by/rh Aug 24 04

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Police use force in Maoist victims’ rally, few arrested

Police used force to disrupt a dharna (sit-in protest) carried out by Maoist victims in the capital Tuesday, arresting half a dozen demonstrators including Dharma Raj Neupane, the chairman of the Maoist Victims’ Association of Nepal.

Demanding that the government recognize the Maoist victims as ‘internal refugees’ and ensure their resettlement, over a hundred protesters had tried to stage dharna in front of the southern entrance of Singh Durbar, the main administrative center, this afternoon. Protestors said police even manhandled some of the participants.

Meanwhile, issuing a statement, the Association has condemned today’s police action and have threatened to intensify the protests if the government failed to fulfill the victims’ demands. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 24 04

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Airlines operators threaten to halt services

The Airlines Operators Association Nepal has threatened to launch strikes to pressurize the government to allow the companies impose surcharge on air tickets.

The Association Tuesday asked the concerned ministry to come up with a response on the proposal within two days.

Talking to Nepalnews, Association’s president Bikash Rana said airlines operators have little choice than to impose some surcharge on air tickets because of the increase in the price of aviation fuel.

"One reason why we are saying this is that there has not been any review of ticket fare in the last two years which is mandatory. Another reason is the rise in fuel prices," he said.

Rana however insisted that the demand of the operators is not exactly the increase in ticket fares. "The losses we have been bearing due increased fuel prices should be recovered anyway. If the fuel prices go down or the dollar depreciates, we will surely slash down the fares," he argued.

According to him, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has been informed about the demand. "There is no disagreement in principle from the government side that the prices should be reviewed. What remains to be settled is the amount to be added up."

Rana informed that the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and the Association would soon start homework about the new price structures.

"If things do not work out, strikes are inevitable," he warned.

The Association has proposed a US$ 3 surcharge per ticket in flights up to one hour and US $ 4.5 for flights longer than an hour. "That is our demand and we are waiting for the response of the government," he said. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 24 04

Nepal grant for flood relief in Bangladesh

The Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh, on behalf of Nepali government, Tuesday handed over a cheque of US $ 100,000 to Bangladeshi prime minister for the relief of victims of the recent floods in Bangladesh, a press release issued by Dhaka based Nepali embassy said Tuesday.

Bangladeshi PM Begum Khalida Zia thanked the Nepali government for the help, the release added.

This year, most riverside districts in south, central and eastern Bangladesh suffered the worst floods in the last five years. nepalnews.com pd Aug 24 04

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FNJ gives deadline to Maoists to clarify view on press

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Tuesday asked the CPN-Maoist leadership to make clear the party’s view on free press within a week.

Issuing a statement after a meeting of the Central Committee this morning, the FNJ said that all the news related to the Maoists would be boycotted if no response came from the rebel leadership within seven days.

The FNJ has also condemned the killing of Dekendra Raj Thapa, a Dailekh-based Radio Nepal correspondent, demanding that the guilty be punished. The FNJ has also asked the Maoists to hand over the body of the slain journalist to the family along with compensation.

Asking for immediate release of three journalists Dhan Bahadur Magar, Parek Rai and Kul Bahadur Shahi who are in Maoist captivity, the FNJ has urged the rebels to stop intimidation of journalists and let them work freely and fearlessly in their areas. nepalnews.com mbk Aug 23 04

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Five soldiers killed in fresh skirmishes

Five Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) soldiers were killed and one injured in fresh skirmishes in Chehere of Sindhupalchowk district Tuesday afternoon.

According to RNA sources, the army soldiers were clearing road barricades put by the Maoists along the Araniko Highway when the rebels launched a sudden attack from surroundings hilltops.

Four soldiers were killed on the spot and one died while being rushed to Birendra Militantly Hospital, Chhauni.

The caasualties on the Maoist side is believed to be high. The body of a militant was found at the incident site while the rebels were seen carrying their fallen comrades on their backs, the source said.

According to RNA spokesperson Rajendra Bahadur Thapa, more troops have been deployed to track down the rebels and the area is under the control of the security forces. nepalnews.com pd/mbk Aug 24 04

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