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Kathmandu Sunday July 29, 2001 Shrawan 14, 2058.
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Govt to release 15 Maoist
rebels
Post Report
KATHMANDU, July 28 - Following up on the recent
call to cease-fire, the government and the Maoist leadership today moved one step
ahead to sustain the truce and proceed towards the dialogue. In an effort to move ahead
for dialogue with the Maoist insurgents, the government today decided to release 15 Maoist
rebels who were arrested under the Public Security Act, expecting the Maoists to
reciprocate the gesture. The government, in a goodwill gesture, also got admitted a top
jailed Maoist, ailing Matrika Prasad Yadav, to Bir Hospital for treatment.
Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, a Home Ministry
official revealed that more rebels would be released soon. Home Ministry spokesperson
Gopendra Bahadur Pandey said that the CDO of Kathmandu has already been instructed to
release the 15 rebels.
The CPN (Maoist) president, Prachanda, issuing a
press release today urged Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to initiate trustworthy steps
for the much required dialogue without bowing down to those forces trying to destabilise
the environment for talks.
Earlier today, the government also expressed its
commitment for the dialogue. A Home Ministry press release said, "The government is
serious to proceed ahead with dialogue in a meaningful manner with the Maoist
rebels".
It added that the government is already doing
its homework regarding the release of the Maoist activists to create a conducive
environment for talks.
The release said that the government was
preparing for the release as it required time to release those people who are into custody
from the court’s decision that required the fulfilment of legal procedures.
The Home Ministry further contended that the
current problems faced by the nation could be solved through dialogue only.
In his statement, Prachanda said that national
and international reactionary forces would continue to conspire to falter the environment
for dialogue. The release stressed the need for dialogue in the context of the reactionary
forces.
"Conspiracy is clearly seen against the
Deuba Government which has been trying to create a conducive environment for
dialogue," stated the release.
Referring to the "drastic changes"
espoused by the Maoists, Prachanda clarified that it did not mean "one party
dictatorial rule" but that political system where healthy competition existed between
all political parties.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba
today met the main opposition leader Madhav Kumar Nepal in his residence and held talks on
solving the Maoist problem.
The dialogue which was carried between the
leaders of Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) also
agreed to execute the 17-point agenda regarding the national consensus. The 14-point
agenda put forward by former PM Girija Prasad Koirala was developed into 17 point after
discussion with the CPN-UML leaders.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba last Monday
urged the Maoists to come for negotiations while announcing cease-fire to which the
Maoists had quickly reciprocated by asking their guerrilla fighters to suspend all their
activities.
The Maoist leader then had also asked the Prime
Minister to declare the whereabouts of the "missing" Maoists, exchanging
prisoners and annulling the "anti-people’s war" laws.
Premier Deuba then had also assured the Maoists
that he would soon take other steps to create an atmosphere of trust. The release of 15
Maoists is seen in this respect.
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