Army guns down dozens of Maoists in Rolpa, Kailali

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KATHMANDU, Dec 9 – Maoist rebels struck a communication tower Saturday night at Ratomate of Rolpa district, igniting a fire-fight with security forces that led to the deaths of about 50-60 Maoists and four soldiers.

Just hours later, in the far-western district of Kailali, 11 Maoists were killed on Sunday in a clash between soldiers and the rebels, according to army sources.

Officials in Dang say that Saturday night’s attack on the tower at Ratomate has disrupted communications in three districts. Bishnu Paudel, chief of Nepal Telecom Corp.’s Rapti Zonal office at Dang, said that the tower connects Rolpa, Rukum and Jajarkot into the nation’s telecom system.

Security sources here and in Dang, the operations base of the army, said that the tower came under fierce attack Saturday night when a large group of rebels tried to storm the tower and destroy it. But the attack was foiled by soldiers guarding the tower.

The Defense Ministry confirmed that the tower was targeted by "terrorists" but that security forces managed to foil the attack and save the tower. The Ministry also confirmed that about 50-60 dead bodies of "terrorists" were found at the site this morning. It also said that four soldiers who were defending the tower died in the rebel attack and another eight were wounded.

"About 50-60 dead bodies of terrorists were found scattered around the repeater station," said the Defense Ministry statement. "It has been learnt that the surviving terrorists took away many other dead bodies and wounded comrades."

The Ministry said that the "terrorists" used sophisticated weapons looted from the Dang barracks late last month. Some of the weapons – three LMGs and some others – were recovered by the army during the fighting, the statement said.

There have also been reports that one army helicopter was damaged in the operations but that has not been confirmed by the Defense Ministry.

The concerned tower, an important communication link, has been repeatedly targeted by the Maoists. After previous attacks, the government had put soldiers in charge of defending the tower.

Details about the fierce fighting at Ratomate is sketchy as the government has barred journalists from gathering information from battle zones where the army has been active since the imposition of emergency rule late last month.

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry also said that two "terrorists" were killed and 25 others arrested Saturday night from Chaughada area of Nuwakot district.

In other developments, the Ministry said that six "terrorists" were arrested in Pandusen of Bajura district, 4 in Paanchmane of Kathmandu, 7 in Kamdi VDC of Banke, and two, including a regional Maoist commander, in Purbachisapani of Bardiya. All the arrests occurred on Saturday.

The Ministry also said that government troops had foiled a Maoist attack on a telecom repeater station in Salyan district’s Kapurkot.

The Defense Ministry, meanwhile, strongly attacked the "terrorists" for killing an ex-Royal Nepal Army soldier, Sitaram Rai. Rai died in a bomb attack on his house in Dhikure of Nuwakot district. The Ministry also said that "terrorists" killed the father of another soldier from the same village.

Meanwhile, reports from Dhangadi said that at least eleven Maoists were killed today in an encounter with the security forces in Sehari village of Beladevipur Village Development committee (VDC), Kailali.

Our reporter in Dhangadhi, citing security sources, said that the Maoists’ Kalikot district vice commander has also been killed in a clash which lasted for eight hours, starting from four in the morning till 12 noon today.

According to the District Administration Office (DAO), the incident took place 10 kilometre north-east from the district headquarters, Dhangadi when the Maoists all of a sudden launched an attack to the security forces who were busy in search operation.

The security forces comprising of Royal Nepal Army (RNA) and Armed Police Force (APF) immediately retaliated again Maoists’ attack compelling them to flee from the scene. Security force has seized six guns, explosives materials and the documents from the incident site, officials said.

Nepal knocks on US door for easy garment export

By Ram Sharan Sedhai and Bijaya Ghimire

KATHMANDU, Dec 9 – The government has formally appealed the United States of America, the largest buyer of Nepal’s ready-made garment, to provide duty- and quota-free access for Nepali ready-made garments to the US market, said a government official.

The US allows such facilities for five African countries.

The plea comes at a time when the export of Nepali ready-made garments has been witnessing a steady decline over the past four months.

A highly placed government official said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week requested the American Government for the above facilities. But there has been no response from the US Government as yet, said Bhanu Prasad Acharya, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

The Nepali ready-made garment entrepreneurs are now going to take their case to the visiting Ronald Camp, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US to South Asia. The government source said the government is planning to raise the issue informally with the US official.

"If the government is serious about protecting the Nepali ready-made garment industry, it ought to take up the issue with Ronald Camp," said Kiran Prakash Sakh, Vice President of Garment Association of Nepal (GAN). He said that as it will take some time to decide on sanctioning permanent duty- and quota-free facilities, efforts should be made for a temporary concessional duty.

The US Government imposes 15 to 30 per cent customs duty on Nepali ready-made garments, while the garment produce of five African nations enjoy duty- and quota-free access to the American market. This has weakened the competitiveness of Nepali ready-made garments, say entrepreneurs.

Due to a slump in export in the past four months about 30,000 garment workers have lost their jobs while several factories have been forced to be closed down. The rest, about 40 industries, are operating in low capacity, having laid off about 60 per cent of the workers. A total of 231 industries were registered with the Association last year.

Bakhan Singh Lama, executive member of GAN, says that if the situation continues, the total garment export would shrink to a mere Rs 7 billion in the current fiscal year.

Nepal’s ready-made garment export began to decline in August with a plunge of 11.91 per cent. The figure rose to a whopping 35.56 per cent in September and touched 45.33 per cent in October. In November, the export plummeted by 40.28 per cent.

The dip in the export of ready-made garments is reflected in the fall in the total exports of the country. Nepal Rastra Bank figures show that during the first three months of the current fiscal year, national export fell by 28.3 per cent.

The US Government provided duty-free access to the ready-made garments of five African countries in January 2001, and since then the Nepali garment export has hit a downward curve.

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have already requested the US Government for the same facility, but the US Government has not taken any decision on the matter so far, said Narayan Bajaj, GAN Treasurer. He says Nepal should lobby on the ground that the production cost of its ready-made garments is higher compared to its competitors.

Entrepreneurs say that the situation in the garment sector is reflective of the overall scenario where the government and the diplomatic mission abroad have failed to promote Nepali products in the international market.

NCHR to study emergency events

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KATHMANDU, Dec 9 – Nain Bahadur Khatri, Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), today said that the NCHR would be studying the events of the three-month-long emergency period. He also urged the government to call off the emergency as soon as possible.

The Chairman said that the country’s politics was responsible for the present crisis situation. "What the country needs now is peace based on justice," Khatri added.

He was speaking at a talk programme on "Human Rights for Peace" organized by the NGO, Save the World, on the eve of the International Human Rights Day. The world has been observing December 10 as the International Human Rights Day every year since 1948.

On the activities of the NCHR, the Chairman said that his office is trying to its best to be independent and better managed.

Another speaker at the function, a justice of the Supreme Court, Laxman Prasad Aryal, said that the Nepali Constitution has ample provisions for guaranteeing human rights, but they have not yet been put into practise.

"Now is the time to practise rather than theorise about human rights," said the Justice.

Aryal also lauded the judiciary and the press for being the only organs involved in promoting and preserving democracy in the country.

In his remarks, Sudip Pathak, Chairman of Nepal Human Rights Association, said that despite Nepal having signed 19 international human rights charters showing its commitment to human rights, none of them have been implemented.

Pathak blamed the Maoists for breaking away from the four-month cease-fire and resuming violence. "The Maoists are responsible for the state of emergency," he said. He also made a plea to the Maoists to lay down their arms and get to the talks table.

Speaking on behalf of the organiser, Shiva Shrestha, Chairman of Save the World, said that his NGO will continue to work towards making civil society aware of human rights.

NC rebels rap Deuba

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KATHMANDU, Dec 9 – Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today came under fire from opponents in his own party for failing to resort to harsher means against the Maoist rebels "right from the beginning" instead of opting for the peace talks.

At the meeting of Nepali Congress (NC) lawmakers and Central Working Committee (CWC), members in the anti-Deuba camp criticized Deuba for the failed peace talks with the rebels which was disrupted after three rounds.

These members, who are mainly supporters of party president Girija Prasad Koirala, severely criticized Deuba for first criticizing his predecessor Koirala for taking a harsh stand against the Maoists and now opting for the same option.

During Koirala’s premiership, he had tried to use the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) against the rebels and had taken strong stand against them. Deuba had criticized the move and once he became Prime Minister he immediately announced a cease-fire and called for peace talks.

However, none of the members at the meet today said anything against the state of emergency imposed and the ongoing military operations against the Maoists going on for the past two week.

The members gave their full endorsement to the decision to impose the emergency and asked the government to take maximum precaution to ensure that innocent people are not effected by the emergency.

"It was necessary to try once and resolve the problem through peace talks with the Maoists ... but they denied that option and the government was left with no alternative but to battle against them," Deuba told the meet. "This is a fight against terrorism and we will defeat them."

Koirala and his closest aide, General Secretary Sushil Koirala, did not utter any word against the government or Deuba. Instead they pledged full support for the decision by the government.

"The government should move ahead by taking into confidence both NC and the opposition parties," Koirala said. "Maoists are terrorists and everyone should join forces in the battle against them."

Senior NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai said both the government and the party should join forces to face the present situation in the country.

Central leader Ram Chandra Poudel assured that the state would not take any advantage from the state of emergency since the decision was taken after garnering both national and international support.

Some members demanded that the scenes of the military operation and the casualty on the rebel side should be broadcast on the national television. But Deuba told them that the army was too busy fighting and did not have time to take pictures.

According to party spokesman Arjun Narsingh K.C., the meeting decided that the government should come up with special relief programs for the people, control corruption, cut down on unnecessary expenses and strictly maintain financial discipline.

When will the country have a security press of its own?

By Kiran Chapagain

KATHMANDU, Dec 9 The Eighth and Ninth Five Year Plans may have given priority to it. The National Policy on Printing too may have accorded it prime importance. But the country is yet to set up its own security press. The Finance Ministry has a reason for it. The Ministry says it has not forwarded the funds to the Department of Printing (DoP) because it has doubts over the latter’s capability.

Meanwhile, the National Treasury is being drained off thousands of rupees every year in getting security materials printed abroad.

"The Government is ready to provide the needed funds for the establishment of the press, but first the Department of Printing ought to justify the need for such a press," said a Finance Ministry official on condition of anonymity.

The officials at the Ministry of Information and Communications agree with the Finance Ministry stance. "Our Ministry has doubts over the capacity of the DoP in handling the press," said an official at the Ministry of Information and Communications who did not want to be identified.

Giving his version, Narayan Prasad Lamsal, Director of the DoP, said that in the Ninth Five Year Plan (which is in its final year of completion), the government asked Japan, Germany and France for helping establish the press. However, the countries declined saying that it was an internal affair. "This is also one of the reasons behind the delay," said the Director.

He said his department needs about Rs. 320 million for setting up the security press that will print all the security materials except bank notes. For the proposed press to print notes, it will require an additional Rs. 680 million.

Since 1998, Nepal has been toying with the idea of setting up the press, which was assigned top priority in the Eighth and Ninth Five Year Plans. Even the Media Policy of 1992 had given prime importance to the establishment of the press. But with the Department unable to get access to funds, nothing happened.

In the Eighth Plan, according to the Plan Evaluation report compiled in the Ninth Plan, "minimum progress took place in setting up the security press". ‘In this Plan period nothing but repairing of the present building of the Department was done," said the evaluation Report.

Nepal is printing its security materials—bank notes, passports, bank stationery, airlines stationery, stamps, question papers, answer papers, etc—in countries like England, Austria, Singapore, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Though figures on how much money is going out from Nepal are not available, more than one billion rupees is going to India alone annually in the name of security printing, according to the draft of the Long Term Media Policy prepared by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Besides, Nepal Rastra Bank is spending nearly Rs. 160 million annually in printing bank notes in Singapore and England. For instance, the central bank spent Rs. 156.194 million for the purpose in 1999, according to the Bank’s Annual Report 1999. Similarly, Rs. 24 million went last year to Vienna in printing postage stamps, according to the Red Book 2001/2002. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spent US$ 253,750 in printing 250,000 copies of passport in last July alone, according to Protocol Section of the Ministry.

According to Director Lamsal, most countries in the world have their own security press as it is a matter of national pride and internal security. Among South Asian countries, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives do not have a press on their own. Sri Lanka has recently established its own security press.

"As security materials are being printed in foreign country, it is evident that Nepal is giving away its secrets," said Director Lamsal. "For instance, India knows about our bank notes as they were printed in India till a couple of years ago," he added, recalling his experience while he was in India to learn about the security press technology.

"We can print all security materials within the country itself by the completion of the next Five Year Plan if the government gives us the required budget," said the Director. "We have now started to prepare the infrastructure and manpower needed for the security press from the money that the Ministry of Information and Communications gives us every year. This does not come directly from the Ministry of Finance."