Aug 04, 2006

Chief of Army Staff, General Pyara Jung Thapa flew to Pokhara on a ‘prescheduled mission’ on Sunday (July 30) morning instead of attending the interrogation by Rayamajhi Commission. The Commission had summoned General Thapa at 11 am to inquire about charges of army-led repression against People’s Movement. However, at around 11:05 am, the Commission received a faxed message from the Ministry of Defense that stated General Thapa had to go to Pokhara on previously arranged program and, therefore, could not come to the Commission. The message did not indicate when General Thapa would visit the Commission. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, on Sunday, concluded that there was no need to suspend General Thapa on charges of repression of the people’s movement. Responding to a petition demanding the suspension of General Thapa, acting chief of Armed Police Force (APF) Basudev Oli and then valley chief of APF Dilip Kumar Shrestha, the SC stated there was no need for their immediate suspension. Leading dailies report.

20 Army Men Accused Of Indsicipline Taken Into Custody

Twenty army men including captain Robin Bikram Rana have been taken into military custody and investigations initiated against them following the midnight drunken brawl, abduction of cops and their torture by Rana and his team. Home Minister Krishna Sitaula, speaking in the parliament, said that the government was in full control of the army and that no one found guilty will be spared. The government has formed a committee headed by joint secretary at the Ministry of Defense Kasinath Sharma to probe the incident and recommend course of action. On Saturday (July 29) morning at 2 am in Thamel, Rana had quarreled with policemen on duty there. Following the incident he brought around 20 soldiers from Bhairabnath battalion, surrounded the police post in Durbarmarg, abducted some policemen and tortured them. The Nepal Army Public Relations Directorate has stated that a General Court Martial has been set up to punish Rana and other military men as they were found involved in “indisciplined acts by the preliminary Court of Enquiry.” Meanwhile, MPs in the House termed the incident as yet another sign of lack of discipline in the army and even questioned if the government had full control over them. They said that the Bhairabnath battalion, which is charged of gross torturing and other human rights abuses, ought to be dissolved. Compiled from reports.

Japan Stresses On Arms Management First

Japan has also stressed for the management of Maoist arms first before they are inducted into interim government and before the elections to constituent assembly. The visiting Japanese senior vice minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki who wrapped up his two-day visit to Nepal on Saturday (July 29) said “managing the arms was needed before there is any interim administration.” Significantly, Shiozaki added that the army raised by the Maoists and the Nepal Army should not be treated on a par. “The process (of arms management) should be such that it gives the rebels international recognition as a group while the government is supreme,” Shiozaki attributed Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as saying during his meeting with the PM. He made it clear that the issue of arms management should not be extended to mean management of the arms used by the Nepal Army. He cited the instance of the army chief taking oath in parliament as enough indicator ruling out the need for it. Leading dailies report.

Maoists’ Strongarming Should Be Checked, Moriarty Tells PM

The US ambassador to Nepal James F. Moriarty, on Saturday (July 29), met with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and suggested that the government should be serious in countering the continuous “bullying behavior demonstrated by the rebels.” Moriarty also stressed the need to stop the rebels from joining the government until they lay down arms. This was the first meeting between Moriarty and Koirala after the former returned from an extended visit to Washington . Moriarty had met PM Koirala before going to the US and reinforced the US view to deal sternly with the rebels. Moriarty told Koirala that “ Washington was very, very concerned about what could happen in Nepal at a time when the government has been struggling to deal with the rebels sternly.” The issue which the US ambassador to Nepal Moriarty stressed and brought to the attention of PM Koirala was “perhaps the rebels could someday end up overpowering the state, given the way they are casting their influence in every walk of life.” The reference, confided a source, is to the recent reports and instances of the rebels still running amok in the countryside and going about extorting people in the cities. The US ambassador’s reference was also towards instances of the Maoists’ “bulldozing” into trade union bodies and stepping up pressure on employers. US ambassador Moriarty is also said to have lamented the way development projects across the country could come to a grinding halt if the “intimidation did not stop.” PM Koirala is said to have maintained his stance of “not giving in to the rebels at the cost of the law and order situation in the country.” He is also said to have confided that “the alliance was finding it tough to enforce the eight-point deal.” The Himalayan Times daily reports.

Maoists Abduct And Thrash An Entrepreneur

Maoist cadres have abducted and brutally thrashed a carpet entrepreneur in Kathmandu , Hari Krishna Thakuri, a carpet entrepreneur who is also president of Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Kathmandu-Sindhuli Contact Forum, was abducted from his residence in Thali on Tuesday (July 25) morning. He was then taken to Maoists’ contact office in Bauddha where he was thrashed. He has been admitted to Model Hospital . He told reporters that the Maoists had threatened to kill him if he informed anyone about the incident. Some Maoist cadres claimed that he oppressed workers and abducted him, the charges which Thakuri vehemently denies. Meanwhile, UML has roundly condemned the Maoist action and asked its leadership to take action against guilty persons. Kantipur daily reports.

Army To Get Two More Aircraft

After the Chinese company refused to refund the payment on the sales of two MA 70 aircraft for Nepalese Army (NA), the government is said to have decided to go ahead with the sales. Earlier, the government had announced that it would not make any new purchases of weapons or equipment for the army. During the tenure of the royal government, the process was initiated to buy the two aircraft from a Chinese company to help army transport its logistics. And then government also paid the first installment of Rs 400 million to the company. Now when the current government requested the company to refund the amount and cancelled the order, it replied that it cannot do so since it had already initiated works to build the aircraft. As such, the current government seems to have decided to go ahead with the purchase as any move to cancel the order would result in the loss of Rs 400 million. The total price of two aircraft is Rs 2 billion – payable in five installments of Rs 400 million every year for five years. Senior army officials have claimed that the two aircraft would soon arrive ‘within a month.’ At present, the NA has 16 helicopters and six aircraft with four helicopters and two aircraft out of order. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

Parliament Directs Govt. To Ratify Rome Statute

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, unanimously endorsed a resolution directing the government to ratify Rome Statute, which would make Nepal a party to International Criminal Court (ICC). An MP of Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) Parshuram Meghi Gurung put forth the resolution stating that being a member of ICC would help in checking impunity. The ICC has come into force since July 2002 after 65 countries ratified it. Speaking at the parliament, deputy prime minister and foreign minister KP Oli said that the government was in favor of ending the culture of immunity and impunity. He said the government would take initiatives to ratify the Rome statute. Likewise, other MPs said that it was essential for Nepal to join ICC in order to take action against war criminals. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

Bill Aiming To Clip Powers Of The King Reaches The House

A bill that aims to impose taxes on the properties of the King and royal family members like common citizens has reached the House of Representatives for endorsement. Likewise, amendment proposals of several legal provisions and acts have also reached the House. These amendments would formally de-link the King’s or royal family’s association from a number of organizations and so on. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

SC Endorses Rana-Led RPP’s Position

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday (July 25), quashed the decision of the Election Commission (EC) to freeze the election symbol of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) led by Pashupati SJB Rana. After Kamal Thapa walked away from RPP and floated his own party under the same name, the EC froze the official election symbol ‘plough’ and gave two different symbols – peacock and vase – to Rana-led and Thapa-led factions of RPP prior to February municipal polls. Rana had approached the SC demanding that his party is the genuine RPP and, therefore, must get the official symbol. The apex court declared that the EC cannot freeze the symbol of any national party. “Finally, the court gave us justice,” Rana reacted after the verdict was delivered. Leading dailies report.

Eldest Child Of Monarch Can Access To Throne

The cabinet, on Monday, altered the Royal Succession Act 1959 introducing a new provision allowing eldest child – male or female - of reigning monarch to access to the throne. The decision has altered the 238-year-old history of Shah dynasty where only the eldest son could accede to the throne. The decision has paved a way for eldest daughter - of Crown Prince Paras – Princess Purnika – to accede to the throne. She is now second in line to the throne after her father Crown Prince Paras. Likewise, the cabinet meeting also decided to provide state perks to only five members of royal family including the King, the Queen, the Crown Prince, the Crown Princess and the Queen Mother. Earlier, all royal family members and relatives used to enjoy the state perks. Leading dailies report.

Army Officers Do Not Appear Before Rayamajhi Commission

Following the footsteps of their chief, senior army generals who had been summoned by the Rayamajhi Commission did not appear for interrogations. They reportedly said that they would come only after the chief General Pyara Jung Thapa first goes there. General Thapa, on Sunday, missed his appointment with the Commission and instead went to Pokhara on a ‘prescheduled program.’ On Monday, the Commission had summoned generals Rookmangad Katawal, Kul Bahadur Khadka, Gajendra Limbu, Kiran Shumsher Thapa, colonel Suresh Karki and retired general Dipak Bikram Rana. Meanwhile, chairman of the commission – which has been formed to investigate charges of repression during people’s movement – Krishna Jung Rayamajhi has said that the commission has not yet suspected the generals and hoped they would come for interrogation soon. He, however, added that the commission would not surrender before the army. “Our power is the people. If we face any problem, we will approach the people,” he said. Reports say, the commission has now summoned the army chief on Thursday. Meanwhile, MPs have demanded that the army chief and generals who refused to appear before Rayamajhi Commission be suspended. Responding to the demands by MPs, deputy prime minister Amik Sherchan, speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister, said that the government will take action against anyone who tries to violate the law. Compiled from reports.