US embassy security staff shot dead

By Kedar Ojha

KATHMANDU, Dec 15 – Unknown assailants on Saturday killed a security official with the US embassy in Kathmandu while he was on inspection of security personnel guarding the US organisations in the capital.

Police suspect that Maoists are behind the murder of 28-year old Ramesh Manandhar, that took place at Rabibhavan 12.30 p.m. Manandhar had gone to Rabibhavan, along with two lady colleagues, to inspect security arrangements at the nearby Lincoln school and the USAID office.

According to one of the two eye witnesses, Manandhar was shot thrice by two persons as soon as he parted with his colleagues after having tea. "Two young men came and called him. Then one of them pinned him against the nearby wall and the other fired three shots. They also took away Manandhar’s ID card issued by the US embassy."

The witness also informed that the youth claimed to be Maoists and warned the people nearby not to pursue them.

The police that arrived from the Kalimati police station immediately took Manandhar to Bir Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. He had joined embassy security wing only two months ago. He used to drive own taxi before.

An official revealed that the used cartridges showed that they were of the bullets of the Chinese revolver looted earlier from the police by the Maoists.

What has surprised even the Americans is that some security guards at the Lincoln school refused to provide vehicle to Manandhar’s lady colleagues. It was learnt that the embassy officials were to investigate why the vehicle was not provided by which Manandhar could have been reached the hospital a little earlier and might have been saved.

Although a search operation was launched by the police, no one has been arrested until late evening.

Govt to declare Shivapuri IX National Park

By Surendra Phuyal & Subodh Gautam

KATHMANDU, Dec 15 – Shivapuri, the lush green mountain range which is the primary source of drinking water of the capital city, is set to feature in the protected area map as the country’s newest national park. Officials at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation say the government is set to make an announcement to this effect very soon.

Spread across an area of 120 square kilometers, the watershed area cum biodiversity hotspot is currently known as Shivapuri Watershed and Wildlife Reserve. Upon the formal declaration, Shivapuri will be the country’s ninth national park, the others being Makalu Barun, Sagarmatha, Langtang, Chitwan, Bardia, Rara, Shey-Phoksundo and Khaptad.

"The decision has already been made at the policy level and we are making final preparations to formally declare it a national park," Uday Raj Sharma, the Spokesman at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation told The Kathmandu Post. So far the Ministry has already forwarded applications seeking deputation of at least 60 employees for the national park to the Ministry of General Administration, Sharma informed. A formal announcement to this effect would be made after the Cabinet endorses a proposal, which is being forwarded shortly by the Ministry, he added.

The protected area will come under the jurisdiction of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), which is responsible for the management and conservation of the eight national parks, the two wildlife reserves, the three conservation areas and the lone hunting reserve in the country.

Eighteen percent of Nepal’s land area has been brought under the protected areas system.

Situated about 13 kilometres away from the city centre, Shivapuri is surrounded by 23 village development committees of Kathmandu, Sindhupalchok and Nuwakot districts. Abundant in lower mized hard-wood and Rhododendron forests, Shivapuri is home to eight threatened mammal species, 177 species of birds including 9 threatened species, 102 butterfly species and 129 species of mushrooms.

To top it all, the inner Himalayan mountain range that stretches from Kakani in the west to Bandarjhula in the east is a key watershed area, discharging at least 226.7 mld (million litres daily) of water. The Shivapuri watersheds have been collectively supplying at least 21 percent of the capital’s water needs, in addition to carrying out supplies to the villages surrounding it. It is also the nearest recreation area or picnic spot for Valley residents. The highest point is the Shivapuri peak, which is 2,732 metres above sea level.

Like in other protected areas, a contingent of Royal Nepal Army guards the reserve, which is going to be the first national park in the country’s mid-hills.

Officials at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation say that the management and conservation works were not going well in the nature reserve because it was managed directly by the Ministry. "Now that the protected area is being declared a national park from being a water and wildlife reserve, things should look up," said a senior official at the Department. "National parks mean better conservation, management, revenue generation, and wider access including benefits to the people."

The biggest stumbling block in preserving Shivapuri, experts and officials say, is that the mountain and specifically its foothills are being encroached upon by the people.

Two village development committees (VDCs)–Okhreni and Mulkharka, with over 5,000 people–that are perched atop the key watershed area of Sundarijal should be relocated in view of the deteriorating water quality of Sundarijal area, say officials. They also said the two villages and the one surrounding the hill would be declared the park’s buffer zone.

Officials said home work is also being carried out to declare Phulchoki and Chandagiri areas, the mountain ranges that lie south and south-west of the capital, as protected areas, bringing them under the protected area network.

Govt pushes for Maoist surrender

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KATHMANDU, Dec 15 - The government has adopted a policy to encourage those involved in Maoist "terrorist" activities to surrender to the authorities.

"Declaring the state of emergency was not in the interest of the government in any way, it was a compulsion," Minister for Physical Planning and Works Chiranjivi Wagle said in Hetauda Friday while inaugurating the fifth Municipality Council of Hetauda Municipality.

The government was bent on forcing emergency in the country taking stock of terrorist activities in the country, Wagle further said, adding, "But this would not affect any political parties abiding by the present Constitution." He, instead, expressed confidence that the government would not leave anyone involved in terrorist activities, directly or indirectly.

Minister Wagle, who also headed the government team to hold talks with the Maoists, totally ruled out the possibility of further talks with "those involved in terrorist activities," according to our reporter in Hetauda.

Addressing Nepali Congress (NC) party workers at Birgunj on Saturday, Minister Wagle urged all NC cadres not to give shelter or try to protect any Maoist "terrorists."

"They might be your neighbours or your kith and kin, but they are terrorists associated in killing people," he told the gathering. He also said that any political parties could adjust Maoist workers if they surrender their arms to the government.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka has said that individuals not connected with "terrorist" activities will be assured of any help and will not be troubled. Minister Khadka was addressing the Nepali Congress workers in Bardiya on Saturday.

He told our reporter in Bardiya that it would take some time to call off the emergency and may possibly extend the span of emergency with the support from the main opposition CPN-UML if and when situation demands.

He informed the party workers that the government has issued directives to the concerned authorities not to trouble the innocent citizens.

TU teachers unhappy over allowance cut

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KATHMANDU, Dec 15 – The Nepal University Teachers’ Association (NUTA) has come down hard on the decision by the Tribhuvan University last week to cut off the academic allowance of its teachers.

NUTA on Friday said that the decision to annul the monthly allowance of Rs. 350 will only "worsen the already fragile working environment" in TU. In a petition to the TU administration, NUTA has asked for an immediate withdrawal of the decision.

The around 6000 teachers at TU have been receiving this monthly allowance.

"There can be no justification for this move by the University," said Dr Tirtha Khania, a TU lecturer. "Instead of encouraging us through rewards and additional allowances to better our performances, the University has decided to do away with even the little that that we were receiving," Dr. Khania added.

The TU authorities when contacted Friday, however, justified their decision to cancel the allowance on the ground that the University was suffering from a financial crunch in the face of the country’s economic problems. "We have been facing serious financial constraints, and we are having difficulty in carrying out the normal administrative processes," said Nilakantha Shrestha, the TU Registrar.

He also revealed that the Finance Ministry is yet to sanction the additional funds to meet the hike in teachers’ salary announced last year. "Instead it has gone ahead and deducted Rs 320 million from the amount that we had requisitioned," said the Registrar.

The Education Ministry had provided Rs 13.5 million in grants and Rs 28.29 million under other headings during the 2001-2002 fiscal year to settle the salary of TU teachers.

Subash Gurung pleads not guilty

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KATHMANDU, Dec 15 – Subash Gurung, the Nepali man, who was accused of breaching security at an airport in Chicago by carrying seven knives and a stun gun past the security checkpoint has pleaded not guilty in a US court, reports say.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Gurung pleaded not guilty and later expressed difficulty understanding the explanation of certain constitutional rights given by U.S. District Judge William Hibbler on Friday. The judge later ordered the case back up Monday to make certain that Gurung has an interpreter and understands the proceedings, the report states.

The report also states that Gurung’s lawyer, Piyush Chandra, pointed out that an interpreter wasn’t present as planned and that Gurung was "having difficulty in concentrating." In addition, Chandra said his client "has mental difficulties," the report adds.

Gurung, who hails from the capital’s Maijubal, Chabahil, had left for the United States on a student visa and was planning to return back soon. He was reportedly planning to board a United Airlines flight on November 3 to Omaha to meet his friends, before his return to his home country. He was caught with the weapons in his hand baggage by the airline staff before he boarded that flight. "It (the holding of the weapons) was a mistake," Gurung was quoted as saying.

The US television network, CNN, had even linked Gurung of having links with suspected Islamic militants. However, Gurung’s school friends in Kathmandu describe him as extremely forgetful and as one who would have not had terrorist links.

Nepali cricket all set to hit a huge six

By Suman Malla

KATHMANDU, Dec 15 – Doubts were being expressed when Nepali cricket officials decided to host the second Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy Championship in 1998. Many thought that this was too big a tournament for a cricket-infant country like Nepal to host. But at the end of the day, although the home team’s performance was dismal, it turned out to be a stepping stone for Nepal’s cricketing ambitions. And for the ICC, the International Cricket Council, this was another feather in the globalisation of the game.

Fascinated also by Kathmandu’s mild weather conditions, most of the visiting top cricket officials in 1998 had predicted that Nepal will become a success story in much the same way as Sharjah and Toronto.

More evidence of Nepal’s potential as an international cricket venue emerged with the successful organisation of the Under-19 Youth Asia Cup last October. The country’s Under-19 team did not spoil anything by winning the Cup and qualifying for the next year’s U-19 World Cup in New Zealand.

"The success of the Youth Asia Cup confirmed that Nepal has all the elements—the interest of the people, junior development programmes, players and hard working people," says Jay Kumar Nath Shah, president of Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN).

Nepal’s rapid stride in the game, he explains, has already left a good impression on the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). "Nepal is one of the three countries to be nominated by the ACC for the establishment of a youth training centre," informed Shah.

A development committee of the ACC, following a decision at its Lahore conclave in May, had nominated three of its affiliate members—Nepal, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates—for establishing training centres.

Former Sri Lankan captain Duleep Mendis heads the committee, which has its executive members in Mazhar Khan of United Arab Emirates, Anil Kalavar of Singapore, Jay Kumar Nath Shah of Nepal and T. Krishnaswamy of Malaysia.

The ACC development officers, who visited the proposed training site in Pokhara, were instantly excited by the city’s set-up—great surroundings and an air-condition weather.

"It is an ideal location for the centre," says Rumesh Ratnayake, former Sri Lankan fast bowler now an ACC development officer.

Ratnayake, who is also helping in the Nepali Under-19 team’s preparation for the upcoming Youth World Cup, is merely echoing the sentiments of many other international cricket stars who see this country as having great cricketing potential. "This country has all the potential to become a neutral cricketing destination," says the former Test bowler. "I bet there will seldom be any cricketer who wouldn’t relish playing here."

But it’s not yet time for the country’s cricket lovers to get carried away. The one factor—the most important one of funding—is where Nepal suffers. "I’m afraid I see that as the most difficult task for Nepal," says Ratnayake. "The ACC might support, but Nepal will have to shoulder a big responsibility."

But that’s not a dampener for the country’s cricket officials. They say that cricket now rivals football as the number one sport in the country, and therefore the finances will flow. The officials affirm that Nepal is no infant cricket country, as the game’s history here goes down to the early 1920s. It also helps that Nepal might be backed by its South Asian allies, cricket veteran countries like Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, as also the latest entrant—Bangladesh.

Binaya Raj Pandey, Honorary Secretary of CAN, says there is no way they are going to throw away the opportunity to become a cricketing giant. "It’s a tough task to raise funds required for such projects, but we still have hopes," says Pandey. He says CAN has constantly received encouragement from the ICC and the ACC, and it is only a matter of time before local investment follows.

Pandey is optimistic about Nepal’s cricket future. He says, "If everything goes according to our plan, we can add Nepal to the list of international cricket venue in the next five years." May that be so.

Leaders call for dialogue, sweeping reforms

KATHMANDU, Dec 15 (RSS) - Political party leaders have stressed the need to develop a mechanism through mutual dialogue and discussion among the country’s major political parties to resolve the problems facing the country today.

Speaking at an interaction programme on "The role of political parties during the state of emergency" organized by the Democratic National Youth Federation here today, the leaders of the political parties pointed out the need for massive reforms to address the political, economic and social problems.

They stressed the need for the government to end the state of emergency with the stipulated time and not to misuse state powers or arrest supporters of opposition parties and harass them during this period.

Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala expressed the view that the country would be free of problems if all the people and political forces having faith in the present constitution, constitutional monarchy and human rights came under a single umbrella and worked out a programme by fostering a broad-based democratic unity.

He said unity would help end the state of emergency in the country and that it would be better if such a unity could be forged before the forthcoming SAARC summit for it would send a positive signal to the outside world. The Nepali Congress is willing to any sacrifices, if required to make this happen, he said and called on other political parties to make similar commitments and not waste time just by pointing fingers at others.

CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal stressed the need for new structures, political sagacity and far-sightedness among those in power and a change in the Maoists’ mind set for bringing about tangible improvements in the country.

He urged the Maoists to renounce the politics of violence and killings, and the demand for a constituent assembly and get ready for a national consensus.

President of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Surya Bahadur Thapa said as no single political party is in a position to resolve the problems of the country in the present situation, all the political parties should honestly strive and forge a national consensus.

General Secretary of the CPN-ML Bamdev Gautam stressed the need for the Maoists to renounce violence and terrorism and said that the political parties also should build up pressure for creating an environment for holding talks again to foster a wider national consensus.

President of Nepal Sadbhavana Party Gajendra Narayan Singh opined that the state of emergency should not be extended more than the stipulated three months period and all should become aware so that the country is prevented from reaching the brink of disintegration.

President of Rastriya Jana Morcha Chitra Bahadur K.C. alleged that supporters of his party are being arrested for no apparent reason and demanded that the maoists willing to surrender should be allowed to do so.

President of Samyukta Jana Morcha Nepal Lilamani Pokharel called for immediate end of the state of emergency. he was of the view that dialogue is the only way out of the present crisis.

President of Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party Narayan Man Bijukchhe spoke of the need to reduce the span of the state of emergency and bring the maoists back to the negotiating table through collective efforts of all the political parties.

President of the Democratic National Youth Federation Gokarna Raj Bista presided over the programme.

NC, ML, HURPES condemn India House attack

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KATHMANDU, Dec 15 – General Secretary of the Nepali Congress (NC) Sushil Koirala today handed a letter to the Indian ambassador to Nepal at his office, condemning the terrorist attack at the Indian parliament on Thursday, said a press release received from the NC central office today.

"The attack has shocked me deeply and I have taken incident as the attack against democracy," said the release quoting Koirala’s letter.

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal Marxist-Leninist (CPN-ML) Bam Dev Gautam has also condemned the attack, which saw the killing of more than a dozen lives, issuing a press release here today. "My party and people of Nepal condemn the terrorist attack that took place at the moment when the whole world is fighting a war against terrorism," Gautam said in the release adding, "It is a serious crime and an act of coward of terrorists".

Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) has also sternly condemned the attack by unidentified terrorists saying that it was a big blow to the world’s biggest democracy and to human civilization as well, said a press release from the HURPES.