Action Against 13 Soldiers
The probe committee of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) that investigated the incident in which 150 villagers of Imaliya of Bichawa VDC of Kanchanpur were beaten up by soldiers eleven days ago, has urged the military court to punish 13 errant soldiers, including a captain. The RNA’s far western divisional headquarters, in a press release issued on Sunday (April 2), said the probe committee has recommended taking action against 13 soldiers of the Simhapur Post, who were deployed for the security of the Royal Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and who have been held responsible for the incident. Military officials, however, said that the military court would decide what action to take against them. Eleven days ago, the army had summoned 150 villagers to the army post after the Maoists killed an army man on holiday in village. All the villagers were severely beaten up. The RNA’s divisional headquarters said that the victimized villagers have been provided relief materials and medical treatment. Leading dailies report.
Home Minister Does Not Rule Out Curfew, Emergency
Stating that the situation is precarious, Home Minister Kamal Thapa has said that the government is keeping all the options open – clamping curfew or even the state of emergency – in order to prevent the violence and terror during the forthcoming general strike of the seven parties, which, he said, was also supported by the Maoists. “It is not me who is saying this. Just look at the statement released by the Maoist leaders after the second agreement between them and the parties. They have clearly said that the April 6-9 general strike is also their program. They have urged their cadres and sister organizations to actively support and take part in those programs,” Thapa said, talking to Bahas program in Kantipur Television. “We do not have any problem with the programs of seven parties. They are taking place even today. But the laws cannot let the terrorists organize any sort of program,” he said, adding that the government doesn’t view Maoists and seven parties as being similar. “Earlier, the parties had announced their agitation beginning April 8 but after their agreement with the Maoists, the general strike was called from April 6. So, it is also the program of the Maoists,” he added. Thapa vowed to take every possible action to prevent violence during the agitation. “We have received information of infiltration by the Maoists. The government has even arrested a couple of them from Kathmandu ,” he said. Compiled from reports.
11 Students And 2 Invigilators Hurt In Bomb Blast
Eleven examinees and two invigilators were hurt when a bomb planted by the Maoists exploded on Friday (March 31) in the premises of Saraswati school in Narayan municipality of Dailekh district. The examinees were busy taking their annual School Leaving Certificate (SLC) tests when the bomb exploded. There was a panic among the students who fled their examination rooms. Later, the students raised slogans against the Maoists. Political leaders and human rights activists have condemned the incident. Meanwhile, speaking at Reporters’ Club, Sujata Koirala, leader of NC, accused the Maoists of continuing to harass Congress cadres. “Recently I was in Gandaki zone and there I found our cadres still terrorized by the Maoists,” she said, asking the Maoists to declare ceasefire if they are sincere towards democracy. Compiled from reports.
Maoist Commanders Arrested From Capital
The Home Ministry has released some details of the arrest of a number of Maoist armed commanders from the capital. The government has revealed their name on the eve of parties’ agitation in the city. They had been arrested two weeks ago. Among the arrested include battalion commander and commander of Kathmandu special military unit Narayan GC (aka Nirmal), battalion commander and Bhaktapur special military unit chief Ram Prasad Sapkota (Dipshikha), battalion vice commander and Lalitpur special military unit vice commander Ishwar Sapkota (Suman), company vice commander and a member of Bhaktapur special military unit Sajan Kunwar (Madhav) and platoon commander and a member of Bhaktapur unit Badri Parajuli (Bidroha). They are said to be members of Maoists Special Task Force assigned to unleash violent activities in the capital. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.
Carter May Mediate Here
The former US president Jimmy Carter, may come up with an offer to mediate between the conflicting parties when he visits Nepal in May. “Carter would have another go at trying to restore peace when he arrives here on May 4 to hold talks with King Gyanendra, leaders of major political parties and representatives of the banned Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists,” Indian newspapers reported on Thursday. However, the American embassy in Kathmandu expressed its ignorance on the scheduled visit of Carter. Meanwhile, the US embassy’s spokesperson Robert Hugins refuted the report in an Indian newspaper that a ‘ US defense team was in Kathmandu for studying the possibility of resuming military supply to Nepal ,’ which remains under ‘constant review’ since February 1 last year. The report was “inaccurate and no US defense team is in Kathmandu ,” said Hugins. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
SC Annuls A Discriminatory Clause Of Civil Code
The Supreme Court (SC) has annulled a clause in the Civil Code that provides ‘infertility’ of wife as a ground for seeking divorce by the husband. A three-member bench comprising judges Kedar Prasad Giri, Khil Raj Regmi and Sharada Shrestha held that the provision of Civil Code 1963 was discriminatory and violated women’s rights and declared it inconsistent with the Constitution of 1990. Section 1(1) under Husband and Wife Chapter of the Civil Code let men seek divorce if a government-recognized medical board affirmed a wife’s inability to conceive. The SC also asked concerned government authorities to promulgate suitable laws to overcome the inconsistency. Advocates Meera Dhungana and Bishnu Gurung of Forum for Women, Law and Development had filed the petition a year ago demanding the revocation of the clause. Welcoming the court decision, advocate Sapana Malla, president of the forum, said it ended the contradictory provisions of the law. “In our society the blame for not bearing a child goes only to women. The SC has revoked the provision that provides for divorce instead of exploring other alternatives,” said Malla. Added Babita Basnet, general secretary of Sancharika Samuha, “In our society, there have been a number of cases where men re-married because their wives could not conceive. This decision would prevent such happenings.” Leading dailies report.
Maoist Special Force In Town: RNA
The spokesperson of Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) Brigadier General Nepal Bhusan Chand has said that a group of Maoist Special Task Force has entered the capital with the aim of spreading terror and violence. Speaking at a press conference at RNA headquarters Chand said the army was working to nab them. The information of Maoist infiltration has come at a time when the political parties are preparing for a major showdown against the government in the capital on the first week of April. Addressing the press meet, Chand said that RNA has investigated and replied to concerned agencies regarding 74 percent of cases of human rights violations. “We do not have policy of taking civilians in our custody but few Maoist combatants who could not be detained elsewhere due to security reasons are in our custody,” Chand said, adding that those under army detention were being ‘treated humanely.’ At the press conference, Chand said no civilian house was destroyed on Monday’s aerial attacks in Sindhupalchowk. “The terrorists were on the school premises and started firing at our helicopter and then we opened fire in self-defense,” he said. Showing a picture of the helicopter hit by the Maoists, he said the Maoists could have used a ‘long-range weapon like General Purpose Machine Gun.’ Compiled from reports.
180 Nepali Maoists Held In India
The Indian Home Ministry has said 180 CPN-Maoist cadres and supporters have been arrested from different parts of India in the last five years. In its annual report made public in New Delhi a few days ago, the ministry has said that 140 Maoist cadres and supporters were arrested from 2001 to 2004 and 40 Maoist supporters were arrested in 2005. Two high-level Maoist cadres, Mohan Vaidya and CP Gajurel are still serving jail sentences in Silgudhi and Chennai jails respectively. The report said Nepali Maoist cadres frequent the Indian states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh bordering Nepal for medical treatment. Nepali Maoists and Indian Naxalites have maintained close ties, the report said. The Maoists’ movement in Nepal now could have repercussions for India ’s internal security, the report said, adding security has been beefed up in the Indo-Nepal border to stop the Maoists from infiltrating into India . According to the report, the Indian government has proposed to set up four integrated security posts (ICP) equipped with modern facilities at the four major check points in border areas. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
Maoists Announce Ceasefire In Valley
On the eve of the general strike and agitation by the seven parties, the Maoists – who have already expressed their support to parties’ programs – have announced unilateral ceasefire within Kathmandu valley. In a statement issued on Monday by Prachanda, the Maoists have stated that the ceasefire would be in effect till further notice. Prachanda’s truce announcement came even as the government has been warning to use force to foil the agitation terming it as a joint program of the parties and the Maoists. The Maoist statement says that the ceasefire had been announced ‘keeping in mind the appeals made by the alliance and civil society.’ Reacting to the ceasefire, government spokesperson and Minister of State for Information and Communication Shrish SJB Rana said that it is the ‘strategy on the part of the Maoists’ and the government does not believe in what the terrorists have to say. “The Maoists made an agreement with the seven parties who announced their agitation in Kathmandu prior to their ceasefire,” Rana told The Himalayan Times daily. He said that they had produced publicly the terrorists’ statement regarding their strategy of terror in Kathmandu . “We will, therefore, watch the alliance’s agitation in agreement with the terrorists with equal suspicion as we have watched the seven parties’ agreement with the terrorists in New Delhi ,” he said. The political party and civil society representatives have welcomed the Maoist truce and have urged the latter to extend it across the country. Leading dailies report.
Govt. Renews TADO
The government has renewed the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities Control and Punishment Ordinance (TADO) making it much more draconian than before. A stringent provision among the added ones provides for treating anyone establishing contact with the Maoists or providing information to them as a terrorist. Now on, those who are accused of sheltering or aiding or providing information to the Maoists will be treated on a par with ‘terrorists.’ Another additional provision is that the government can prosecute anyone as accused under TADO even if it does not prosecute the main accused. The Ordinance also says that up to three-year jail term would be slapped on the co-accused and life term for the main accused. Section 10(7) of the Ordinance states that anyone obstructing the security forces from searching homes or property would be jailed for a month or fined Rs 500 or could face both. The ordinance also states that TADO cases would be tried in camera as before, but documents related to the trial would be given to the lawyers of the accused. The government would not prosecute anyone if he or she surrenders to the security forces, but if anyone indulges in terrorist activities after surrendering to the security forces, the government would prosecute him or her for offenses he or she had committed before surrender also. This is the fifth time that the government renewed the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Control and Punishment Act that had lapsed in 2004. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
Ohchr Urges Govt To Allow Peaceful Protests
The chief of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Ian Martin has called on the government to allow peaceful assemblies by the political parties and to refrain from arbitrary arrests during the coming general strike of the parties. “The United Nations and the international community would like to see the cessation of hostilities and also a declaration of ceasefire even if its unilateral (by the Maoists,” he said at a press meet organized by Reporters’ Club. Martin also voiced worry over the increasing attacks in densely-populated urban areas following the Maoists’ withdrawal of their unilateral ceasefire. Leading dailies report.
