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Kathmandu Friday October 20, 2000 Kartik 04, 2057.
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Deuba report on Maoists ‘soon’
By Binaj Gurubacharya
KATHMANDU, Oct 19 - The extended tenure of the High Level Recommendation Committee for
Resolution of Maoist Problem formed to initiate dialogue with the Maoist rebels expired
this
week. Yet there are no signs of the much awaited peace talks.
Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba who heads the commission assigned to bring the
Maoist rebels to dialogue table blames the government for failing to respond positively
when the
the rebels have agreed for the talks.
"I have submitted two letters from Prachanda to the prime minister already ... but I
am still
waiting for a positive response from the government," Deuba said today.
Besides holding consultations with other political parties on approaching the Maoists
issue, the
committee has been in contact with the rebels for dialogue to end the four and half years
of
"people’s war".
Deuba said he met a central member of the rebels and talked for an hour and half but
refused to
disclose who he met, where he met and what they discussed in detail. He only said that it
was
neither Prachanda, the general secretary nor Baburam Bhattarai.
"The rebels are ready to come forward for talks but they are seeking a minimum
condusive
environment before sitting in for dialogue," he said. "I don’t want to use
the word cease fire but
the government needs to stop violence too and make public the whereabouts of the Maoists
arrested including Dinesh Sharma."
Deuba is preparing to present a detailed report to the government as the tenure has ended.
However, he says he will have to rewrite the report to counter allegations made against
him.
"I will present the report soon but I can’t say how soon. I will have to rewrite
the report to answer
allegations made against me in the government media," he said.
On the other hand, there has also been allegations that Prime Minister Girija Prasad
Koirala is
intentionally downplaying Deuba’s role in his attempt to resolve the issue.
"I don’t know or understand why the government/prime minister should do that. If
the issue is
resolved, the credit will go to the prime minister," he said.
And despite pleas for extending the tenure of the committee since its main task of
bringing the
rebels for talks is yet to be completed, the government has remained mum about the whole
issue.
Asked if he considered the performance of the committee a failure, Deuba said it was a
success
since he could pursuade the rebels to come forward for talks just in about six months
whereas it
has taken years in other countries.
"Despite not much cooperation, I could bring the rebels to talks or at least make
them agree for
dialogue this is success," he claimed.
According to government figures, since the Maoist rebels began their violent campaign in
1996,
they have killed at least 231 policemen and lost 980 of their own fighters and supporters.
Similarly, 249 civilians have either been killed by the rebels or caught in the cross fire
between
rebels and the police.
Earlier this month, the rebels launched their biggest offensive and attacked a police
station, the
district administration office and a jail at Dunai, the headquarters of Dolpa district in
which 14
policemen were killed, another 36 injured and nearly a dozen held prisoner by the rebels
during
the attack.
Two days later, the rebels ambushed a police patrol at Bhorletar village, in Lamjung
District killing
eight policemen.
"I will continue to be a peace initiator and will continue to pursue peace,"
Deuba said.
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