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At least nine Maoists were shot dead in different clashes with the security forces on Thursday, a Defence Ministry statement said Friday. According to the statement, three Maoists were killed in Sindhupalchowk, two each in different clashes in Udaypur district and one each in Dhading and Kavre. Security forces recovered socket bombs and other explosives from the encounters, the statement added. nepalnews.com mr Jan 23 04 Related
News Parties not serious enough: Dr. Lohani Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani said Friday the largest parties of the country are not serious enough towards resolving the prevailing problems. "Parties show their firm belief in multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy. In contrast to this, they order their cadres to chant anti-King slogans at the streets," Dr. Lohani said at an interaction program in the capital. The minister further urged parties to agree upon the King's 7-point agenda to build national consensus. "The government, parties and the King do not have ideological conflict. So a national consensus is possible among them." Criticizing UML's 9-point roadmap, Dr. Lohani blamed UML of "misleading" people with the map. At the same program, UML standing committee member, Bharat Mohan Adhikari highlighted UML's roadmap. He said, "The roadmap is an answer to solve all existing problems in Nepal." Stressing five parties' unity, Adhikari warned the government "not to use force to suppress students' peaceful agitation against regression." Nepali Congress (NC) leader Sunil Kumar Bhandari flayed the King and the Maoists, saying, "They are obstructing a national consensus." He, however, said, "A Republic is not what NC stands for. We are for constitutional monarchy." Amik Sherchan, President of Janamorcha Nepal, asked the King to leave the supreme post in the Royal Nepal Army (RNA). "As long as he remains in the supreme post of the RNA, I can not accept him as constitutional King," he said, adding, "A constitutional King does not hold such a post." Sundar Mani Dixit, a rights activist, said there is an immediate need to dismiss the present government to move forward for resolving the current conflict. "The present government is the only obstacle in resolving the current crisis," he said. nepalnews.com pd Jan 23 04 CIAA says it has grudges against media The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Friday charged that the media has not been sincere in terms of coverage related to corruption and the actions of the anti-graft body. “We want media to be truthful and precise when it comes to issues like corruption as well as the actions against it,” CIAA chief commissioner Surya Nath Upadhyaya said. Expressing grudge, he charged that media reports have largely been unfounded. He further said the role of the media and the civil society is of great importance in weeding out corruption. The CIAA chief was speaking at an interaction organized by the commission in the capital. In the meantime, media personnel countered allegations the CIAA chief labeled against them, saying that it was not because of the biasness on the part of them but because of the reticence of the CIAA that the crisis of confidence has gained ground. They said the commission, on the one hand, wanted favor from the media and kept on maintaining its distance, on the other. It was informed at the program that the CIAA is mulling to organize regular press briefings so as maintain transparency and at the same time avoid controversies. CIAA spokesperson Bal Krishna Prasain told reporters that the commission is going to launch its website, very soon. nepalnews.com mbk Jan 23 04 Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa inaugurated CAN Info-Tech 2004, the mega event of Information Technology Industries in Nepal at the Birendra International Convention Center (BICC) Friday afternoon. Addressing the gathering, PM Thapa put emphasis on the important role of private sector for the development of IT in Nepal. He stated the government is going to complete construction of the first phase of the IT Park within three months at Banepa, Kavre. "We are going open 1500 tele-centers in different districts to expand Information Technology at the grass root level," he added. President of CAN, Lochan Man Amatya, highlighted the main objective of this event as to educate the general public was computer education. PM Thapa visited different stalls after the inauguration program. Nepalnews.com rh/dr Jan. 23 04 Related
News 'Migratory Bird Festival' in world famous wetland Preparations are on to celebrate a weeklong "Migratory Bird Festival" from February 1 to 8 in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, which is a globally renowned wetland in east Nepal, an announcement said Friday. As informed by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) in a press meet, the festival will be the fourth in its series. "The main objective of the festival is to promote Koshi Tappu as a wetland conservation and eco-tourism destination in Nepal, " said Subash Niraula, Director of Tourism Products and Resources' Department at the NTB. As much as 465 species of birds are found in Koshi Tappu. Of the total birds, 190 are wetland dependent. Resident species of the site number around 176. Almost 37 species of birds migrate to the site in summer and 165 species of birds land in the site in winter. In addition, nearly 60 species of birds choose the route for migration to other destinations. The Reserve also offers a view of 17 species of birds, which are on the verge of extinction. Some of them include Swamp Partridge, Lesser Adjutant Strok, White-rumped and Slender Billed Vulture and Bengal Florican, among others. The NTB itself and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) are the promoters of the event. The Fourth Koshi Tappu Bird Festival Organizing Committee and Aqua Birds Unlimited Camp Pvt. Ltd (ABUC) are the co-organizers of the festival. ABUC has plans to offer special discount packages and incentives to domestic as well as foreign tourists throughout the festival, according to the organisers. Koshi Tappu is the first Ramsar site of Nepal. nepalnews.com rs Jan 23 04 Related
News Maoists' robbery attempt foiled Police Friday foiled Maoists' attempt to rob the Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) in Narayangarh, shooting dead 6 of 14 robbers on the spot at around 11:30 in the morning, a bank staff told Nepalnews over telephone. According to the staff Ram Sharan Satyal, the armed group of Maoists entered the bank, took control of the bank guards and started amassing valuables and money at gunpoint. But a police team arrived within a few minutes and was able to engage the robbers, the bank staff said. In the gunfight that ensued, six Maoists were killed. The Maoists then fled the scene without taking the robbed money, other reports said. Nearly seven million rupees was found scattered inside the bank, which the Maoists collected but could not take with them due to the security force's action, the reports said. Police also recovered Rs.5000 and weapons from the dead bodies. All the shops in the main bazaars of the city were closed following the shootout. Long route passengers were also affected by the incident, as the city is a major transit point, the reports added. nepalnews.com rh/mr Jan 23 04 King attends religious felicitation His Majesty the King Gyanendra was felicitated by a religious organization here in the capital Friday afternoon. During the occasion, Her Majesty, Queen Komal was also present. Hindu rituals were performed and the King was given a felicitation note by the organizers. The King afterwards handed over Om Bishwo Hindu Sewa Ratna (an award) to religious leaders and organizations for their contribution towards safeguarding Hindu religious practices and thoughts. Speaking on the occasion Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa lauded the efforts of the organizers, saying such felicitations would help establish a different identity of the nation and the monarchy to the rest of the world. Delegates from foreign diplomatic missions as well as people from various religious groups such as Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains and others took part in the ceremony. The World Hindu Federation that organized the ceremony stated that its objective to felicitate the King was to highlight the essence of the King as the patron of Hinduism. Nepal is the only country in the world having a Hindu monarch. nepalnews.com mbk Jan 23 04 Related
News Dozens of protesters arrested in Bhaktapur Police Friday apprehended dozens of student protesters from Surya Binayak, Bhaktapur, few minutes before the students could start a talk program on "Rationale of Monarchy", witnesses said. Students were gathered near Dattatreya temple at the time when the police interved and arrested them, the witnesses said. They were brought to the District Administration Office, where they shouted anti-King slogans, other reports said. Reports from Chitwan said the local police in Tandi bazaar intervened and dispersed a gathering of students who were preparing for demonstrations. In another incident in the same district, the district administration office issued "threats" to two local FM stations, ordering them not to air any of the news related to the students' protests, radio reports said. The two FM stations were Kalika FM and Synergy FM. In a statement, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists has flayed the the local authorities of Chitwan, saying, it was a mischievous effort to curtail press freedom. nepalnews.com mr Jan 23 04 254 people disappeared in last four months: NBA A record of Human Rights Committee (HRC) of the Nepal Bar Association revealed that some 254 persons disappeared in the last four months, The Himalayan Times reported. Relatives of those people have been approaching HRC to find the Hinting that the number of missing people could be even more, He also said that some of the people in the missing list have been “The rising number of disappearance of the people is the evidence of He also said, “The NBA has also moved to the Supreme Court seeking Habeas Corpus orders, and has requested the National Human Right Commission to take actions, but the efforts have not been successful because the security forces have been denying arresting any of them.” NHRC member Sushil Pyakurel expressed serious concern over the Court demands Rs.30.5 million bail from Joshi The Special Court on Thursday demanded Rs.30.5 million in bail from former Home Minister and Joint General Secretary of Nepali Congress party in response to the case of corruption filed by Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). Joshi is in custody since the last 103 days after CIAA arrested him for accumulating Rs.39.36 million misusing authority. As the court released the order in the afternoon, Joshi couldn’t submit the bail amount and he was sent to judicial custody. He will be released on Friday after he submits the bail amount. Talking to the journalists Joshi said, “I accept the court decision.” He also said, “ I will submit the bail amount tomorrow.” The CIAA had demanded to prosecute Joshi keeping him in the custody. However, the court didn’t accept the appeal and gave order to release him against the bail amount. “There is no need to send him to the judicial custody if he submits the required bail amount as per the act of the court and CIAA,” the bench said in its order. During the interrogation by CIAA, Joshi had claimed that Rs.30 million is his legal earnings, which he earned in 13 years while Rs.15.7 million is his fathers’ property. nepalnews.com rs Jan 23 04 Related
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