More walk ahead for commuters

By Utpal Raj Misra

KATHMANDU, Feb 11- The hapless commuters of the capital are in for a harder time as their days ahead are likely to be marked by long walks to their destinations.

Strike by public buses and microbuses have almost paralysed the public transportation system for the last two days and worst is to come as the taxis and three-wheelers join the protest from tomorrow.

The strike is a part of the transporters’ pressure tactics to buckle down the government to accept their 13-point demand.

Two of their major demands include roll back of government’s decision to ban over twenty-year old vehicles used for public transportation and dismissal of students-imposed 50 per cent student discount on all bus fares.

Five left leaning student organizations have been launching a campaign since February 5 urging the students to pay only fifty per cent of the bus fare.

Sarad Upreti, President of the Federation of Nepalese Transport Entrepreneurs told The Kathmandu Post that they would continue with the strike till their demands were met. So far the government has not taken any initiative to resolve the stalemate.

"The students’ demand is not appropriate at all. We are earning our breads by operating our vehicles. We cannot afford to give any concession to anyone unless the government subsidizes us," Upreti says.

The students are also determined to win concessions. Shiva Gurung, Vice Chairman of CPN-ML associated All Nepal National Free Students’ Union says that the students will also continue their action until concession in bus fares is formally given to the students. "There was 25 per cent concession in bus fares for the students even during the Panchayat era," Gurung says.

Gurung argues, they are not saying that the transporters should bear the burden.

"It does not matter to us if it is the transporters or the government that bears the cost of the subsidy, all we want is concession," Gurung adds.

Meanwhile, Nepal Meter Tempo Entrepreneurs Association, today issued a press release extending support for the ongoing transport strike. "Keeping in mind the welfare of the transport entrepreneurs we have decided to support the strike," the release states.

With both the transport entrepreneurs and the students sticking to their guns and the government keeping mum on the issue, the common people are once again bearing the heat.

With no bus or microbus plying the Kathmandu streets today and with very few numbers of safa tempos operating, the commuters had no options but to walk.

"I had to walk all the way from Balkhu to Baneshwor," says Navaraj Upreti an employee in a private company, adding ,"it is terrible the way things are going", he adds.

"There is no problem for the ones with their own means of transportation but for people like us from the lower income brackets, it is a very big problem," says Savita Maharjan, a housewife, walking along Teku with her two children.

"It is tolerable for the adults who can manage to walk but what about the children?" she questions.

National Transport Consumer Cooperatives Association, a consumer’s right forum, has asked the government and all the involved party to resolve the problem amicably. The strike has harassed the consumers, says the forum.

Gunmen attack Ghising, 5 killed

By Chintamani Dahal

BHADRAPUR, Feb 11 – The Indian hill district of Darjeeling has turned tens after the leader of Gurkhaland movement, Subash Ghising, was attacked and wounded by unidentified gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles Saturday evening in an ambush at Tindhare, near Kurseong, India.

At least five people, including two of the assailants, two of Ghising’s security guards and his driver, were killed in the foiled assassination attempt that took place at around 6 p.m. while the Gurkha National Liberation (GNLF) chief was on his way home from the Bagdora Airport in Silguri, India. The ambush took place along the Pankhabri road, in the middle of a jungle.

Ghising, also chairman of the Gurkha Hill Council, had arrived in Silguri from New Delhi, India after attending a meeting.

Ghising is presently admitted at Paramount Hospital in Silguri with a bullet wound in his neck. Ghising would be flown to New Delhi, as his condition is "very critical," doctors said. Three other Ghising’s security personnel have been admitted at Nartha Bangal Hospital in Silguri with bullet wounds. Ghising had earlier been issued an ultimatum by the Gorkhaland Liberation Organization, led by Chattray Subba, accusing him of not being capable of establishing the Gurkhaland state.

However, Investigators in the case have not been able to identify the assailants so far.

Nepal to seek entry to BIMST grouping

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 11 – Nepal is set to lobby vigorously for its entry at the exclusive BIMST-EC, the five-member regional economic cooperation group that is meeting in Yangon, Myanmar, from Wednesday.

BIMST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand – Economic Cooperation) groups the nations surrounding the Bay of Bengal. Nepal is not a member of the group but is participating in the two-day meet as an observer. Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola is leading a four-member team to the meeting on Monday.

Foreign Ministry officials here said that Bastola will lobby vigorously for inclusion into the group as a full member because Nepal can benefit tremendously.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Gyan Chandra Acharya, Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoF), said that Nepal’s chief effort will be to get the full membership of the regional economic forum. "BIMST-EC had taken decision that no new members will be inducted till the end of 2000," said Acharya, adding, "Since that period is over, we are hopeful of achieving our objective."

Giving reasons for the foreign minister’s participation whereas other nations are represented by economic ministers, Acharya said that the current meet is being coordinated by respective foreign ministries. He added that since Nepal is only an observer in the forum, foreign minister has been invited to participate. "Once Nepal becomes the full member, concerned minister will take part."

Nepal is lobbying for the membership, said the Spokesperson, as its trade and economy is significantly involved with the five nations in the group. "India and Thailand are our significant trade partners. We are trying to improve trade with Bangladesh. It is certainly to our advantage if we become a member of the group."

Minister Bastola is also scheduled to pay an official visit to Myanmar after the regional meet to bolster bilateral ties with Yangon. Referring to this visit, Acharya said that both the countries will discuss matters of mutual interests that include trade, tourism, regional forums like SAARC and ASEAN, India and China, and other matters. Acharya denied that insurgency will come up during the three-day bilateral talks.

Currently an observer in the regional economic formation, Nepal has been lobbying for the membership of this trade and economic block since 1996, when the Bangkok Declaration on its formation was made. Myanmar (erstwhile Burma) joined the group two years later.

This is the first time that Nepal is participating at the meet at the ministerial level. Since 1998, when Nepal became the observer in the regional grouping, the country was represented by different officials and experts from the concerned ministries and industry and trade circles.

Minister Bastola’s delegation includes Harish Chandra Ghimire, Nepal’s officiating envoy to Myanmar, Dipak Dhital, Under Secretary at the MoF and Ramesh Khanal, section officer at the MoF.

During his stay, Minister Bastola is scheduled to pay an official visit to Myanmar and meet his counterpart U Win Aung on February 16-18, after the economic meet ends.

The Nepalese foreign minister is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call to the Chairman and the Vice-chairman of the State Peace and Development Council senior General Than Shawe and General Maung Aye respectively.

Maoists vow to fight back till end

By Surendra Phuyal

KATHMANDU, Feb 11 - Despite the government’s push for an Ordinance to set up an armed police force (APF) in its bid to quell increasing Maoist activity in the country, the underground rebel outfit has appeared least bothered and is vowing to fight back.

On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the ‘People’s War’, underground Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) General Secretary Prachanda announced that the armed movement has gained substantial heights, and vowed to move ahead with the armed rebellion. "On this historic occasion which marks the fifth anniversary (of our movement), our party vows to continue fighting against the feudal lords and the fascist reign of capitalists till the end," said Maoist General Secretary Prachanda, whose real name is Puspa Kamal Dahal.

"Also, our party presents revolutionary greetings to all the people and warriors who have been at the forefront, defying the threats, persecution, torture and suppression by the enemy (government) and taking forward the process of our great revolution," he said in a statement issued Sunday.

The government managed to get the Ordinance endorsed by the King last month and plans to establish a 15,000-strong paramilitary force through this Ordinance, which is currently awaiting approval in the Parliament. While his underground comrades in the mid-western hills continue to urge villagers to celebrate Falgun 1 (Monday, Feb. 12) as a great festivity, Prachanda said that the celebrations are underway not just across but also outside the country. According to reports from Jajarkot District, Maoist rebels have persuaded hundreds of people living near their bases into growing jamaras, (barley or maize saplings) and put them on their heads along with vermilion tikas on Monday.

The Maoists rebels began their violent campaign from the remote hills of mid west and central parts of the country five years ago. The underground party has already declared Rolpa, Rukum, Jajarkot and Salyan as their adhar ilakas, meaning base line, and is in the process of expanding these areas.

Today, the government has already declared 29 districts as Maoists affected. But, with the tentacles of the rebel outfit ever spreading, half of the country, including most districts of the Terai, is considered affected in some way or the other. The insurgency has already claimed the lives of over 1,500 people according to the Home Ministry.

However, data made available by INSEC, a human rights organization, puts the toll as of January 31 at 1,413 people. Of them, 917 were killed by the police, and 496 were killed by the Maoists. But the Maoists claim that the toll in their side alone has gone as high as 2,000. The major attacks by the rebels include, the Dunai carnage which saw 15 policemen killed, the Bhorletar attack which saw 6 policemen killed, the Kalikot attack, Panchkatiya, Mahat and Khara incidents.

The most recent attack on Chief Justice and his convoy in Surkhet District early this month saw six people, among them five policemen and a court registrar, killed. Nevertheless, even after all the loss of lives and properties over the five years, there have not been progress on dialogue between the government and the Maoist rebels to end the insurgency.

Abortion likely to be ‘legalized’

By Binaj Gurubacharya & Smriti Dhungel

KATHMANDU, Feb 11 - It’s good news for the advocates of abortion and women’s right to choose. The government is all set to partially legalise abortion in the country and there have not been any hurdles on its path.

The clause in a Bill currently being discussed in the Parliament that proposes to legalise abortion has not met much objection or protests.

The Bill to make 11th amendment to the Muluki Ain (Civil Code) of 1963 has a clause that proposes to partially legalise abortion in Nepal. If approved, Nepal will be de-listed from the list of eight countries in the world that bars women from their right to choose.

"Since it is the government that has presented the Bill, the government has a set mind to legalise abortion and there has not been any objections on this particular clause," said Prem Bahadur Singh, member of the Parliamentary Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Committee.

This Bill better known as the property rights Bill has been in the committee since last year and members of the committee spent the last month soliciting suggestions on the Bill touring all the 14 zones in the country.

During the tour, they did not get any requests for amendments. Neither any application has been registered in the committee seeking amendment in the proposed Bill from lawmakers.

This Bill has attracted a flood of amendment proposals from lawmakers but non of them have proposed changes in the abortion clause. Majority of the applications have demanded changes in the property right clause.

Though there have been some protests from women rights activists against the abortion clause the supporters of the clause outnumber them.

Activists like Angur Baba Joshi has been campaigning against this Bill and has been sending letters to the prime minister, ministers and lawmakers seeking to scrap this clause.

"This clause in the Bill will bring nothing but anomalies in the society. It has been brought misguiding both the society and the people," Joshi said. "This Bill would effect all the women in the country who make up over half the population and should not be decided just by 205 lawmakers."

As a last resort, Joshi is suggesting that the government at least hold a referendum to solicit the popular opinion of the people before deciding to legalize abortion.

Human rights activists like Joshi argue against the idea of legalizing abortion and say it is equal to legalising the killing of human being. They say abortion violate the human rights of the unborn baby.

While the supporters interpret abortion as women’s fundamental right — a right to choose — and women should not be deprived of it.

Pro-abortion activists have maintained that they are not seeking indiscriminate killing of unborn babies but rather advocating selective abortions depending on individual cases.

They are hoping that the proposed Bill to amend the Muluki Ain would change all that. Nepal not only remains one of eight countries in the world that not only deprives women their right to choose but also criminalizes women for having abortions.

According to experts, Nepal is just one of the handful of countries where abortion is considered criminal homicide under most circumstances, and is punishable by prison terms for both the woman and the provider.

The restrictions make no exceptions if the life or health of the woman is in danger, or if the fetus was conceived through rape or incest.

While the exact number who have served prison terms for abortion is unavailable, it is estimated that anywhere from 20 per cent upto two-thirds of the women presently incarcerated here have been convicted of undergoing an illegal abortion.

The Bill proposes that married women with their husband’s consent may abort upto 12 weeks of pregnancy and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest can be aborted upto 18 weeks. In cases where pregnancy poses danger to the physical and mental health of mother or medical report proves that the fetus are damaged leading to the birth of a disabled child, abortion is permitted in any time with the consent of the pregnant women.

Three years back, The protection of Pregnancy Bill 1996 was presented by National Assembly member Sunil Bhandari on the 12th session of parliament but the Bill was automatically scrapped after the parliament was dissolved and fresh elections ordered in 1999.

CIAA against special corruption control body

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 11 - The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) today protested the government’s proposal to establish a center to check corruption under the prime minister.

Under the proposed Bill to Manage and Update Laws Concerning Corruption Control, the government is proposing the center that would check on the activities of the ministries and the employees.

CIAA Chief Commissioner Surya Nath Upadhyay however told the parliamentary State Affairs Committee (SAC) today that it was not necessary to establish such a body since CIAA was already assigned with this job.

This Bill along with the Bill proposing to make second amendment to the CIAA Act and Bill to establish a Special Court is currently being debated at SAC which would make the necessary amendments before sending it back to the House for endorsement.

Upadhyay suggested that instead of this new body, the government should assign the Special Police Force under CIAA.

He suggested that there should be mandatory laws compelling politicians and top bureaucrats to make public their property statement and monitoring of such property.

Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel told the committee that government would include these suggestions in the Bill while Speaker Taranath Ranabhat stressed the need to strengthen watch dog bodies like CIAA.