RNAC Boeings grounded

Both Boeing 757s of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) have been grounded bringing to halt its international flights, a report said Tuesday.

Boeing Alfa Charlie Alfa was grounded in Shanghai airport Sunday while Alfa Charlie Bravo was grounded Monday in Bangkok.

The nose wheel of Alfa Charlie Alfa broke while landing in Shanghai while Alfa Charlie Bravo has been grounded in Bangkok due to engine problems, Nepal Samacharpatra said.

Meanwhile, according to latest reports, Alfa Charlie Bravo aircraft is back at the Tribhuvan International Airport from Bangkok. nepalnews.com Feb 10 04

Update on Bishal Bazzar blast

According to further updates received by Nepalnews, two persons entered Bishal Bazzar and left a package behind late King Mahendra’s statue. The guard on duty noticed something suspicious and went to investigate and saw the package. He was on his way to inform the police when the bomb exploded.

Since most of the shops had not opened for business, the shrapnel from the blast made holes on the shutters of the shops, an eyewitness said at 11:30 am. Alcohol could be seen flowing from under the shutter of one of the shops due to the damage of blast.

The ceiling on the third floor has also been damaged, the eyewitness added. Most of the damage took place in the area behind the statue. The statue has also been damaged. nepalnews.com dr Feb. 10 04

Rights commission dubs Maoist proposal vague

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said the statement of Maoist supremo Prachanda calling on the United Nations for mediation in the peace process is utterly vague, which leaves a number of questions unanswered. 

“NHRC welcomes all kinds of steps in creating an environment towards resolving the crisis but as far as the Maoist statement expressing approval for UN mediation is concerned, it is not unambiguous,” said the commission in its statement issued on Monday. 

NHRC maintains that before going for UN mediation, the ‘human rights agreement’ proposed by it should first of all be agreed upon. The rights watchdog has once again called on the warring sides to sign the agreement. 

The commission said it was contradictory on the one hand to call the UN for mediation and remain mum about the human rights issues, on the other. 

The rights watchdog, however, said its proposal is also about the UN mediation in the peace process along with explicit description of accepted international human rights norms to be practiced by both the rebels as well as the government. 

“It's no use of asking for an UN role without the warring sides respecting human rights norms,” stated the NHRC. 
nepalnews.com mbk Feb 10 04 

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Security forces on high alert

The security forces have tightened security and are on high alert in the capital prior to the Maoists' ninth anniversary of the peoples’ war in Nepal, a report said Tuesday.

Maoist rebels have increased attacks in various regions across the country prior to their anniversary, Nepal Samacharpatra said.

After the latest series of Maoist attacks, DIG Ashok Shrestha called a meeting of police officers in Kathmandu and discussed security measures to counter threats during the anniversary.

“The police are prepared to provide security mobilizing its limited sources,” Shrestha said after attending the meeting. “Security forces will be jointly mobilized,” he added. nepalnews.com Feb 10 04

Nepal gets entry to Asian Highway

After becoming BIMSTEC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand-Economic Cooperation) member, Nepal has also got an entrance permit in the Asian Highway, a triangular transportation system between Thailand, Burma and India, Space Time reported on Tuesday.

“The member countries of BIMSTEC have theoretically accepted our 
proposal to allow Nepal into Asian Highway,” Dr. Bekh Bahadur Thapa 
said, after returning from the BIMSTEC meeting on Monday.

He also said that agreement has been reached to develop all four means of transportation- road, rail, air and water between the member 
countries, which could be instrumental in the economic prosperity of 
the countries.

According to Thapa, BIMSTEC is very important for Nepal to enhance its business activities because it is out and out a business related 
organization and the political changes and instabilities have very 
less impact on it.

Thapa further said, “Being the member of BIMSTEC, Nepal now has good opportunities to strengthen business ties with countries like Thailand and Myanmar, which are more developed to us.” nepalnews.com rs 10 04

Explosion at Bishal Bazaar at 9:15 am today

Suspected Maoists have exploded bombs at Bishalbazaar complex in New Road, Kathmandu, bringing down a basement ceiling of the complex at 9:15 am this morning, an eyewitness told Nepalnews at 9:30 am Tuesday.

The explosion has partially damaged the statue of late King Mahendra erected at the ground floor of the complex. The basement ceiling was right below the statue.

The blast also broke some windowpanes, the witness said, adding that the actual damage caused by the blast is still unknown. 

Police has taken the area into control. No one has been allowed to enter the incident site. Our Nepalnews correspondent is also reaching the site soon. nepalnews.com mr/dr Feb 10 04  (Update)

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Matrika Yadav arrested in Lucknow

Working on a tip-off from the Nepali side, Indian authorities have arrested a top Maoist leader Matrika Prasad Yadav from Lucknow, India, a daily said Tuesday quoting high-level government sources.

Along with Yadav, another rebel leader Suresh Ale Magar was also arrested from Lucknow (the headquarters of Uttar Pradesh state of India), Kantipur daily said.

The Indian authorities have already handed over Yadav and Magar to the Nepali immigration authorities of the far-western region on Sunday, the daily said without mentioning the date of their arrests.

Yadav was the chief of the "Madheshi Autonomous People's Government" declared by the Maoists two weeks ago in Sarlahi, the daily said. Magar, an ex-University teacher, was active in the intellectual circle of the Maoists, it added. 

After the arrests, Yadav and Magar were driven to a military camp of Royal Nepali Army in the mid-west region, the daily further quoted the unnamed source, as saying. 

India has been saying that it would apprehend Maoist leaders active in its soil, provided, Nepal give information to India about the whereabouts of the rebels, the daily added. 
nepalnews.com mr Feb 10 04

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Writ challenges ban on visor, masks

A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court Monday challenging the restriction imposed on use of helmet visors and masks while driving motorbikes in the Kathmandu valley.

The writ registered by Bishnu Luintel, an advocate, states that the decision of the district administration offices (DAO) of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur is out and out unlawful and intends to infringe civic rights.

“The decision to ban use of visors and masks is against the law. It will have a daunting effect on the public health,” the petitioner mentioned in his writ, demanding an interim order to stop implementing the decision till the court gives its verdict.

The Home Ministry, DAOs of valley districts and Valley Traffic Police Office have been made opponents in the writ.

Jointly issuing a public notice on Thrusday, DAOs of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur had restricted use of visors and masks for an indefinite period. Traffic police have since stepped up the drive against bikers violating the directives. nepalnews.com mbk Feb 09 04

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Army denies civilians’ death in Bhimad operation

The Royal Nepali Army (RNA) on Monday has dismissed news reports, which said, two among 19 killed in the security force’s operation in Bhimad on Thursday were “civilians.”

“We have received a report that an old lady was killed in the fighting,” RNA Spokesman Col. Deepak Gurung said. “But the report is yet to be confirmed,” he added.

On the death of one more civilian, Gurung said it was not sure if the person was a “civilian.” “We believe, he too was a Maoist.”

The RNA, working on a tip-off that some 300 rebels had gathered in Newarpani (Bhimad) area of Makwanpur, had launched operation ‘Blitzkrieg’ on Wednesday, he said.

Similarly, security forces have killed seven more rebels in Garjan area of Ramechhap district on Sunday. “Sixteen more Maoists may have been killed in the incident,” Gurung claimed.

From the two operations, security forces confiscated a 303 rifle and  magazines, nine socket bombs, a pressure cooker bomb, a camera flash and other Maoist documents and devices, he added.

He further claimed that no security personnel were killed or injured in both the skirmishes. nepalnews.com pd Feb 09 04

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Another blast within 8 hours rocks capital

Hardly eight hours after a blast occurred at Teku, Kathmandu, Maoists have ambushed a policeman to death in Gotikhel VDC of Lalitpur at 3 pm this afternoon, a security source told Nepalnews Monday.

A 30-member team of security forces, comprised of civil police, armed police and army, was in Nasur area of the VDC when the Maoist-laid ambush went off, the source said.

The dead was a head constable named Janardan Giri. Giri was a resident of Bungmati in Chhampi VDC of the same district, he added.

A “jimdar” (a junior staff) of the army was seriously injured in the incident. He was airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment.

In yet another incident in the capital, unidentified people overnight burnt a truck plated Ba 1 Ja 3394 at Balaju, Kathmandu. Police reached the incident site with a fire engine and managed to extinguish fire, according to the source. nepalnews.com mr Feb 09 04

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