Nepal keen to mediate in Indo-Pak fracas

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – Nepal would consider mediating to resolve the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan if the opportunity arose, although the Himalayan Kingdom has not made the proposal in this regard.

This was stated by Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharat Mahat on Thursday while briefing the media about the forthcoming 11th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu. "The Summit would not be affected by the bilateral conflict between the two neighbours. If anything the Summit will help ease the tension."

Speaking about the Summit (January4-6), Dr Mahat said that Nepal would push for achieving tangible results from the Summit of the seven South Asian nations, and for this purpose the Kathmandu Declaration would be smaller than the past such Summit declarations. "The declaration will be smaller than in the past; it will be more futuristic and business-like," said the Finance Minister, who is working as an informal Foreign Minister in the absence of any Cabinet-rank minister to head the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba holds the additional charge of Foreign Ministry.

The main focus of the Summit, reiterated the Finance Minister, would be on promoting regional economic cooperation so as to make it more futuristic and result-oriented, social aspect and terrorism. The Minister said that South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) would be discussed and admitted that due to the stalled SAARC process, the earlier deadline of signing the SAFTA framework treaty could not be met.

The SAFTA treaty was to be signed by 2001 but the 11th Summit scheduled to be held in November 1999 was postponed and the regional grouping was in unprecedented limbo since then. "We want that SAFTA be endorsed by 2002/03," said Dr Mahat.

He revealed that the Group of Eminent Persons (GEP) has submitted its report with their vision of establishing South Asia economic union. The report would be first be discussed by through the Standing Committee (Foreign Secretary-level), SAARC Council of (Foreign) Ministers and ultimately will be taken up by the Summit leaders.

Lamenting that despite possessing one-fifth of the world population and one of the excellent entrepreneurship, the SA was one of the poorest regions. SAARC would try to correct the asymmetry between potential and reality.

Speaking about terrorism, the Minister said, the Summit would express a stronger commitment to eliminate it in the context of global, regional and national terrorism.

The Minister also said that nearly all physical, logistic and substantive preparations for the Summit have been completed and added that the security for the Summit would be foolproof. In this regard, the government has to limit access to the media for security reasons, said he.

When asked what would be the main achievement of the Summit, Dr Mahat mentioned the reactivation of and accelerating the stalled SAARC process. Replying to yet another question, he said that SAARC has not ruled out sub-regional groups, "rather it has endorsed them."

Meetings leading to the SAARC Summit formally kick off tomorrow with the meeting of Programming Committee for which the remaining four delegations are expected today. Bhutanese and Sri Lankan delegations arrived yesterday. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Gyan Chandra Acharya will lead the Programming Committee. Foreign Secretary Madhu Raman Acharya will represent Nepal in the Standing Committee and Dr Mahat himself will be in the Council of Ministers’ meeting.

Operation Search and Destroy continues
Three rebels shot dead in separate incidents

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – Security forces shot dead three Maoist "terrorists" in separate incidents on Wednesday. Two of the rebels were killed in Solukhumbu district and one in Makawanpur district at Hetauda, said a press release issued here by the Defence Ministry today.

According to the release, the security forces shot dead Ram Prasad Parajuli a.k.a. Dinesh and Chuda Dahal while carrying out an operation in Phalate, Khamsuk, Losko and Ratagaon areas of Solukhumbu. Dinesh was reported to be the commander of the local rebels’ group, while Dahal was its co-ordinator. In the same incident, eight persons were arrested to probe into their links with the rebels.

In Chanban of Makwanpur, the security forces shot dead a rebel identified as Krishna Bahadur Pakhrin, said the release.

On Wednesday the security forces also seized Rs 1,934,712 from the house of an "active terrorist" in Siddeshwor area of Palpa district, the release added. They also rounded up the "terrorist" and four others alleged to have Maoist connections. According to our Palpa-based corespondent, the money was found while searching the house of Man Bahadur Bishworkarma. It is suspected that the money was looted from the Agricultural Development Bank of Dahathung, Syangja.

The security forces also took into custody 22 people from different parts of the country for their alleged involvement in insurgent activities.

The release also said the security men rounded up two "terrorists" in Aabu Khaireni of Gorkha district.

The security forces also confiscated a large cache of explosives and ammunition including 270 bombs, 70 kilograms of other explosives, 50 sacks of gunpowder, police equipment, 50 pieces of police uniform and 100 pieces of guerrilla outfits from Taptin village of Solukhumbu, the release said.

In the other arrests on Wednesday, three were held in Samakhusi of Kathmandu district; two from Mehalkuna of Bardiya district; and one each from Shanishchare of Jhapa and Pang of Parbat.

Meanwhile, our Dang-based correspondent said the District Administration Office (DAO) today began functioning from its old building after the reconstruction work. Armed Maoist rebels on November 23 had destroyed the DAO building along with the District Police Office, Bhavani Prasad Barrack and banks. Similarly, the Narayanpur-based Rastriya Banijya Bank also resumed its business today, now based in Tulsipur. The Maoists had destroyed the bank along with most of the documents on November 23. However, the branch offices of Nepal Bank Limited and Agricultural Development Bank are yet to resume businesses.

Attacks thwarted

KATHMANDU, Dec 27 (PR)– Security forces have successfully foiled separate attacks launched by Maoists in the district headquarters of Jumla and Kalikot on Thursday evening, sources close to the security forces said. The details of the incidents were not received when this report was filed late Thursday night.

According to the sources, a large number of rebels attacked the Regional Police Unit and the District Police Office at Jumla headquarters at around 6 pm Thursday. The District Superintendent of Police Govinda Prasad Poudel has reportedly been injured, and is being treated inside the premises of the Royal Nepal Army barracks.

The degree of damage inflicted by the Maoists is not known but the security forces believe that the rebels have sustained heavy losses. The number of Maoist militia involved in the attack are believed to be more than 200 with more than 1000 other cadres giving them back-up support. All the officers of various government bodies took refuge at the barracks after the rebels began their assault.

According to our correspondent in Surkhet, the attack lasted on and off for around four hours. By 10 pm, the armymen was able to regain control while many of the attackers fled.

In Kalikot, a group of about 200 rebels attacked the District Police Office. According to the police, the Maoists fled the scene after half an hour of exchange of fire with the policemen.

Pashmina drags handicraft exports down by 72 pc

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – The current economic slump worldwide is taking its toll or another well-known Nepali export commodity: handicraft items.

In the first four months of the current fiscal year, exports of handicraft tumbled by 72 per cent as compared to the same period last year, according to latest figures released by the Handicraft Association of Nepal (HAN). The data shows that the total handicraft exports in the first four months declined from Rs 4.15 billion last fiscal year to Rs 1.18 billion in the current fiscal year.

The remarkable slump is mainly a result of the whopping decline in exports of Pashmina shawls (which is a handicraft commodity). Pashmina exports has dwindled by 82 per cent. HAN figures show that while the export of primary handicraft items stood at Rs 3.68 billion in the first four months of the last fiscal year, its export went down to just Rs 655 million in the corresponding period of the current fiscal year.

Aside from pashmina, exports of other handicraft items however is surging upwards. Notable export surges have been recorded in the case of silver jewelry, metal craft and handmade paper whose exports went up from Rs 78.92 million, Rs 72.64 million and Rs 69.84 million to Rs 100.6 million, Rs 93.88 million and Rs 101.31 million respectively.

Similarly, export of leather goods increased respectably from Rs 8.67 million to Rs 21.57 million in the first four months as compared to the same period last fiscal year. Other handicraft items whose exports surged only marginally include hemp and alloy goods, silk products, woodcraft, thanka, ceramics, incense and bamboo products.

Items whose exports tumbled compared to last year include cotton garments, other textiles, bone and horn products and beads. The decline in the export of these products are to the tune of 25 to 50 per cent. However, the total monetary value of exports of the three products in the first four month of the current fiscal year only touched Rs 34 million. The export of the four handicraft items in the like period of the fiscal year 2000/01 stood at a little over Rs 40 million.

Regional cooperation for watersharing

By Shital Prasad Mahato

KATHMANDU, Dec 27 (RSS) - A regional concept for cooperation and multi- dimensional utilization of the water resources has to be developed in order to meet the common challenges of poverty and unemployment facing the SAARC member countries.

Examples of waterways being a useful and effective means for freeing the poverty stricken people, attaining high economic growth as well as sustainable development can be found in various countries of the world.

The International Law Commission of the United Nations has formulated a new draft of a Convention for Equal Utilization of the International Waterways in 1971.

Billions of tonnes of goods are transported through the waterways of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka every year, but no scientific study or research work has been carried out on the possibility of developing waterways in Nepal which is considered to be the second richest nation in water resources in the world.

There are more than 6,000 rivers and rivulets in Nepal of which 100 rivers are more than 11 kilometres long.

About 209 coroe cubic metre of water flows from Nepal to the Bay of Bengal every year. The water resources of Nepal has the capacity of generating 83,000 megawatts of electricity and irrigating 8 million hectares of land.

There are great possibilities of developing waterways in the Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali rivers of Nepal. The waters of these three rivers flows through the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and mixes with the Ganges river. A little further ahead the water of the Ganges river flows in two directions. Major portion of the water flows towards Bramhaputra river in Bangladesh and the other portion flows towards Bhagirathi and Hoogly rivers.
after a small portion of the water of Ganges flowed towards Bhagirathi and Hoogly rivers, difficulties had been faced in operating the Kolkata port which lies on the banks of the Hoogly river.

In order to solve this problem, India built the big Farakka dam and diverted 40,000 cusec of water towards Bhagirathi river and saved the Kolkata port.

When Bangladesh made an attempt to raise the Farakka dam issue at the United Nations in 1975, the problem was resolved between the two countries by signing an agreement in 1977.

Forty-five percent of the water reaching Farakka dam flows from Nepal. the water of Koshi river flowing to Kolkata port it is not suitable for operating machinery as it contains a lot of mud and sand, a study report states.

According to experts, Narayani, Karnali and Gandaki rivers are suitable for developing waterways but the water of these rivers should not be used for irrigation or generation of electricity if waterways are to developed on them.
Efforts should be made to include the provision of waterways in the SAARC declaration of the 11th SAARC Summit for promotion of mutual trade between India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Japan extends assistance

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – The government of Japan has agreed to provide assistance totaling about NRs 1,515,891,000 to Nepal in three separate grants for the execution of the project for improvement of Kathmandu water supply facilities, debt relief measures and increase of food production.

Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Zenji Kaminaga and Dr Bimal Prasad Koirala, Secretary of Ministry of Finance signed and exchanged three different notes today on behalf of the respective governments.

In a press release issued here by the embassy of Japan, the first grant equivalent of about Rs 611,520,000 will be given to HMG for the implementation of the project for improvement of the Kathmandu water supply facilities. The grant will be utilized to improve the water supplies in the target areas (south-east Kathmandu, Madhyapur, west of Bhaktapur and Lalitpur service area) in the Kathmandu Valley.

In implementing this project, intake facilities, water treatment plant, transmission facilities, elevated tanks will be constructed under the Manahara site and transmission facilities and reservoirs will be constructed under the Sainbu site.

Under the second note, the government of Japan extends a grant of about Rs 492.8 million to HMG for the debt relief measures to procure essential commodities for various development works in Nepal.

Under the third note, the government of Japan extends a grant equivalent to about 411.6 million for the purchase of fertilizer, procurement services and boosting the agricultural production to meet the growing demand for food under the project for increase of food production in Nepal.

On the occasion, Ambassador Kaminaga expressed sincere hopes that the continued support of Japan to Nepal in it’s development efforts will help socio-economic development of Nepal and improve the well being of the Nepalese people. He also expressed hope that these development grants would help in cementing the existing cordial and friendly relations between the two countries.

HR activists seek true data on casualties

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 - Members of the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) today presented a memorandum to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at his office, seeking the dissemination of "true information" regarding the casualties suffered during the state of emergency in the country.

The memorandum also sought the release of the innocents held in custody, and said that detainees should be allowed to meet human rights activists, members of the press and Red Cross representatives.

"The government should take care not to let innocent people die during land and aerial attacks, and unarmed people should not be killed just because they were fleeing the scene," states the release.

The memorandum also urged the government to ensure the security and transportation facilities of human rights activists, press members and Red Cross activists visiting the insurgency spots.

It also reminded the government that it is its duty to see that the injured citizens are given proper treatment.

The memorandum said that the "unusual situation" has had a negative impact on employment, life style and basic service areas.

HURON also said that since the Maoist leadership left the peace talks table "mysteriously", the onus is on them to initiate a solution. It also appealed to the Maoists to lay down their arms and resume negotiations with the government.

Meanwhile, in an interaction programme on the present national crisis and its solution, held at the capital today, intellectuals, political leaders and human rights activists also urged the government and the Maoists to stop the conflict and resume peace talks.

Sushil Pyakurel, member of the National Human Rights Commission, wanted the government to withdraw the state of emergency.

Dr Renu Raj Bhandari, the chairperson of Women Rehabilitation Centre, said that women and children were the most vulnerable lot during the state of emergency as they have "little chance of having their voice heard during this time of crisis".

In an appeal distributed at the end of the programme, it was mentioned that even in an emergency, human rights and all the laws mentioned in the preamble of the Constitution cannot be suspended.

In another talk programme today at the capital, on the Constitution, democracy and the state of emergency, Central Committee member of Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) and Parliamentarian, Ishor Pokharel, said that corruption and other social evils are the causes behind the Maoist movement.

He said that corruption has become all too common, and accused "Singha Durbar and Baluwatar", the high seats of government, for sheltering corrupt leaders. At the same time, Pokharel said that people should not think that all leaders are corrupt, instead they should identify the dishonest ones and demand punishment.

At the same function, Kamal Chaulagai, the central Member of CPN (ML), said that leaders like Girija Prasad Koirala and Mohan Bikram Singh, and the split in the communist ranks, were responsible for triggering the Maoist rebellion.

Koirala sticks to national consensus

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – Former Prime Minister and President of the ruling Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala today said his proposal of the national consensus was to bring all political forces under one roof to fight the present crisis in the country.

"If we can forge coalition government, then why can’t we come together to solve the present crisis," President Koirala said. "It will help build confidence of the army and the police who are fighting against the terrorism in the country."

Koirala was speaking at an interaction programme organised by the Tarun Dal, youth wing of the ruling party, in the capital today.

Speaking on the occasion, Koirala also urged the government to end the state of emergency as soon as possible. "The proposed national consensus will help the country come out of the present crisis."

The programme was also addressed by chairman of Tarun Dal Bal Krishna Khand, lawmaker Gokarna Bista, chairman of the youth wing of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party Rajendra Kumar Gupta, president of CPN-UML affiliated National Democratic Youth Organisation Prem Kumar Shrestha and president of CPN-ML affiliated National Democratic Youth Organisation Jeevan Ram Shrestha.

‘Koirala should step down’

KATHMANDU, Jan 27 (PR)- Minister for Children, Women and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel today said it was for the concern for Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala that he said Koirala should take sanyas (retire).

"I was only urging the party president that any moves for change in power would have negative impact on both the country and democracy in a situation of crisis like right now," Minister Kharel said in a statement to the media.

He denied that he is being questioned for his statement where he reportedly said that Koirala should be sent to Rachi, which is known for medical facility for mentally ill people. But admitted he had suggested Koirala should step down because of his age.

Besides Minister Kharel, the ruling NC had sought clarifications from Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Gupta and Central Working Committee (CWC) member Narhari Acharya alleging them of giving statements that are against the spirit of the party.

Cultural gala planned for SAARC Summit

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – It will not be nerve-wracking politics all the way at the eleventh SAARC Summit in the capital. Nepal’s cultural troupes will be in full strength to enthrall and amuse the leaders and diplomats from the seven countries during the three-day (January 4-6) regional meet.

The performers have been picked after a strenuous selection process conducted by a government committee set up for the purpose. The shows are to be run by the Rastriya Naachghar (National Theater Hall).

It begins with a colourful welcome ceremony on the opening day that will see over 400 performers lining up in greeting at the premises of the Birendra International Convention Centre hall.

Attired in various ethnic outfits and wielding the country’s myriad musical instruments, these performers will be representative of Nepal’s rich and varied cultural heritage. The capital’s school students will form a major part of the shows.

And it will be the dances that will be the highlight; dances of the country’s different geographical regions—the mountains, hills, and the Terai plains.

However, the time and the date for these shows are still being decided upon. "Though there will be a ceremonial welcome on the inaugural day, the date of the main cultural show has not been divulged as yet," said Hari Har Sharma, Director of the National Naachghar. "This will be the only source of entertainment for our distinguished guests," added the director.

Only those guests invited by the Foreign Ministry will be attending the shows.

Indian court imprisons Nepalis

BIRTAMOD (Jhapa), Dec 27 (PR) - An Indian court in the West Bengal State today imprisoned four Nepalis arrested on charge of smuggling large cache of explosives allegedly for the Maoists in Nepal.

According to the Sunachari, a local Nepali-language daily published from Siliguri of India, those convicted by the Kalebung Court are Bir Bahadur Tamang, Ram Kumar Rai and Bhim Bahadur Limbu – all from Jhapa district – and Indra Bahadur Thapa of Sankhuwasabha district. The decision was made by the single bench of Justice Ashutosh Kaur.

The court has remanded the accused to the police custody on the condition that they would be presented before the court two weeks later.

The Maoist suspects were arrested by the Indian policemen stationed in Kalebung of the West Bengal State on December 16 and were presented before the court on Tuesday. Among the arrested, Indra Bahadur along with explosives was arrested in Damak, Jhapa two months ago. But later, he was released on bail of Rs 20,000.

UML to hold party cadres’ meets

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – The main opposition party CPN-UML today declared that the party will be holding zonal level meets of its party cadres throughout the country during Jan 10 – Feb12.

According to a press statement issued by the party central office states that these meetings were going to be held in accordance to the decision taken by the 24th meeting of the Central Working Committee. The meeting had decided not to let party’s political activities wane during the period of emergency in the country.

The statement states that through the meetings the party hopes to review the state of the party in various zones, clarify the role of the party to its cadres, analyse the results of the anti-Maoist campaign launched by the party and observe the situation of every zone after the declaration of emergency.

The meetings will be attended by all members of party’s national council, members of the zonal co-ordination committees, district committee members and leaders of various organisations affiliated to the party. The general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and other senior leaders of the party will attend every meeting.

The first meeting will be held in Mechi Zone from January 10-11 and the last one in Rapti from Feb 11-12.

Meanwhile, the party issuing another release has condemned the abduction of two of its cadres by the Maoists. According to the release the Maoists abducted Tej Bahadur Chand, member of the UML district committee of Dailekh and Ratan Bahadur Chand Chairman of the Chaurattha VDC while they were attending a public function at the local Arniko Higher Secondary School.

The party has also demanded that the government provide security to the people.