Dialogue ends in deadlock

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KATHMANDU, Nov 7 – The foreign secretary-level Nepal-Bhutan dialogue on Bhutanese refugees came to a 
deadlock once again with both sides sticking to their respective stance on the categorisation of the refugees.

The 12th Ministerial Joint Committee meeting that will be held in Thimpu in Bhutan will now be take up the matter, the time for which will be decided by the respective governments after consultations.

Both the Foreign Secretaries, Narayan Shumsher Thapa of Nepal and Ugyen Tshering of Bhutan, said at a joint press meet today that the matter will now come up in the ministerial level.

After two days and four rounds of talks led by the respective foreign secretaries, the issue remains where it stood when the talks began on Tuesday.

Nepalese Foreign Secretary Thapa admitted that the differences between the two countries remain on the harmonisation, which he as termed the focus of the two-day talks. "There are certain differences that we could not reconcile. So we have suggested that the matter be taken up at the next ministerial round," said Thapa.

Talking about the sharp differences on the two countries positions on the categorisation of the Bhutanese refugees, Thapa quipped, "There are four categories and there will be four positions."

While Nepal had pushed for two categories, Bhutanese and non-Bhutanese, the Dragon Kingdom was not willing to discard the other two categories, "Bhutanese who emigrated willingly" and "Bhutanese with criminal records."

Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gyan Chandra Acharya said the ministry-level talks would be held "soon." Acharya added that Bhutan has not outrightly rejected Nepal’s proposals on harmonisation. "They said that they would discuss our proposals with their government."

Bhutan’s Foreign Secretary Tshering said that the two sides had an exhaustive exchange of views on the harmonisation, which is "an issue that has been kept pending for a long time."

When asked if there has been any harmonisation of positions of the two countries on categorisation, Tshering declined to give a categorical answer, saying, "We will continue the discussions."

Tshering said the fieldwork has to continue anyway, when he was pointed out the futility of verification currently underway at the Khudunabari camp when the two countries had such sharp differences on categorisation.

Bhutan brought its draft proposal on the "harmonisation," the focus in these rounds of talks. But the Bhutanese delegation was not willing to budge from its adopted stance. However, the officials declined to divulge exactly what the Bhutanese proposals contained.

Earlier, Thapa also told the reporters that the verification process at the Khudunabari camp in Jhapa district will be completed by the second week of December. A short gap for consultations with the respective governments will follow the completion of the verification process, said Thapa. He added that the Joint Verification Team would then select the place to start categorisation.

Replying on the chances of resolving the decade-long refugee imbroglio, Nepal’s foreign secretary said, "Refugee problem is a complex one everywhere. We are trying to find a common ground to resolve this problem."

Anthrax test incomplete with lack of proper samples

By Nitya Nanda Timsina

KATHMANDU, Nov 7 - A suspected case of Anthrax attack against a local student of Baglung continues to remain a wild guess in the absence of sufficient samples for its re-examination, a top public health official said here today.

Eighteen year-old Bhupal Karki of Baglung received a major shock last Saturday when he opened a letter he received from the United States. And with the Anthrax scare gaining momentum in the US and around the world, people here too suspected of Anthrax bacteria in Baglung. But the samples taken to the National Public Health Laboratory for test today proved insufficient, according to Dr Mahendra Bahadur Bista, director at the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division. "We received only blood-slide, which is not sufficient to come to any conclusion," said Bista. The health officials at the National Public Health Laboratory said that they could not identify the case as it lacked proper samples. "We can not say whether it is anthrax or not," the officials said. The officials said that sputum, puss cell and stool of the victim was missing in the delivery package sent from Baglung.

Karki sent alarm bells throughout the country when he fell unconscious while opening an anonymous letter from the US. Though it continues to baffle the officials at the post office, health officials claim that the incident is nothing more than the people’s overreaction.

But Sridhar Gautam, Chief Postmaster of the General Post Office (GPO), is still susceptible about the case. "This case still remains a mystery in the absence of clear evidence," Gautam told The Kathmandu Post.

Karki has been discharged from a local hospital after taking some antibiotics, Gautam quoted local health officials in Baglung Hospital as saying.

Though the case is yet to be proved, it has put post offices on high alert since Karki’s news spread like a wild fire. GPO is also sending a team to Baglung to study the incident of suspected anthrax attack.

The fatalities and the spate of recent global anthrax attacks have put the US-based United Parcel Services (UPS) in the capital on high alert.

Kumar Thapa, whose office handles almost 300 parcels daily as the UPS agent, said, "We have directed our officials at the counter not to open any suspected parcels or packages without proper care."

Meanwhile, the government has begun testing the suspected letters and parcels at the Central Lab and two other labs in the capital, sources at the post office said.

According to Rupa Khatri, an official at the GPO, the central post office daily handles around 60,000 letters and parcels through its 200 officials.

World population will go up by 50 pc by 2050: UNFPA

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KATHMANDU, Nov 7 – Nepal’s population has increased at an alarming rate in the last ten years. And this could be conforming with the fact that population is "still growing by 75 million a year and nearly all of this growth is in the countries least equipped to deal with it", Thoraya Obaid, executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said.

And in Nepal, one of the developing countries, today the population stands at 23,214,681 while ten years back (1991) it was 18,491,097. The irony of the large population increase in the world unfortunately has brought most of the ill effects in the developing countries than in developed ones.

Minster of Health, Sharat Singh Bhandari, releasing the report subtitled "Footprints and Milestones" today said that population, pollution and poverty are unfortunately very much interrelated, once again the imbalance more in the developing world.

This time the ratio between men and women’s population stands on a par with 11,587,547 males and 11,627,134 females. The density of population in Nepal is 152 person per square kilometer and the annual population growth rate (1991-2001) is 2.27. This is stated in the State of World Population Report 2001 prepared by the UNFPA.The demographic facts also states that age of women at first marriage is 17.1 years and life expectancy at birth of both sexes at 59.7.

To combat such devastating growth of population, Minster Singh voiced for a strong political commitments among both the developed and the developing nations, among the educated and the uneducated ones and among the industrialized and the less industrialized nation.

The world report says that the world population will grow by 50 percent, from 6.1 billion in mid-2001 to 9.3 billion by 2050 with growth mostly in poorer countries. The world’s population has tripled in the last 70 years but water use has increased six fold. The world’s wealth is some $24 trillion but half the world lives on $2 a day.

While this kind of information on demographic facts and figures are limited only to few intellectual elite’s in the urban areas, today the need for these information to reach to people in the rural areas in simple form is a must, experts say. The problems and how they can contribute in correcting better at their own level can make a difference, Minister Singh said.

1 policeman dies, 17 injured in explosion

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DEVISTHAN (Pyuthan), Nov 7 - One policeman died on the spot while 17 other were injured today when a hand-grenade suddenly exploded at a police station here.

The grenade went off when these policemen were learning about the grenade at a local area police station, about 20 kilometres away from the district headquarters.

Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Sudan Shrestha died on the spot while 17 other sustained injuries, two of them seriously, Chief District Officer of Pyuthan Rameshwor Ghimire told The Kathmandu Post.

The seriously injured policemen - head constable Lal Singh Dhami and constable Ram Bahadur Dagaura – have been airlifted to the capital for treatment, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tej Jung Thapa. The rest of the policemen have been admitted at the District Hospital in Pyuthan.

DSP Thapa suspected that the hand grenade went off as the "fuse wire of the explosive was shorter."

After 11 years debate continues on constitutional reforms

By Binaj Gurubacharya

KATHMANDU, Nov 7 - Nearly Twelve years after multiparty democracy was restored and 11 years after a new Constitution guaranteeing freedom was enforced, questions are being raised on whether the Constitution should be replaced or even amended to correct the flaws.

The Constitution, drafted and enforced in 1990 after the popular movement that toppled the autocratic Panchayati system, is being questioned at a time when extremist force like the Maoists are demanding a new Constitution while the moderate Communists and other forces are pointing out that it is time to review the document.

"The only way out of the present situation in the country is to amend the Constitution," said Madhav Kumar Nepal, General Secretary of the main opposition CPN-UML.

For the past few months, CPN-UML has been voicing for changes in the Constitution. Even the party’s Central Committee had passed a resolution seeking amendment in the Constitution to accommodate reforms in the electoral system.

Changes included formation of a national government representing all political parties that would conduct the election for House of Representatives, the Lower House.

CPN-UML is not alone in the crusade, the third largest party in the country Rastriya Prajatantra Party too wants to assess events of the past years and correct them.

"The time has come to seriously assess where we have missed out on implementing the provisions in the Constitution and correct them immediately," said RPP Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa.

However, Thapa stressed that these changes should be made by staying within the parameters specified by the Constitution itself.

The Constitution says that any changes in the document can be done only with the approval of two-third majority in the 205-seat House of Representatives.

But the Constitutional Monarchy and Multiparty democracy cannot be changed under any circumstances. This Maoist rebels fighting for a republic state want to change that and abolish the Monarchy in the country.

The rebels who have been waging a guerrilla war for the past six years also want the Constitution scrapped. The second round of peace talks between the rebels and the government had ended in a deadlock after the government refused the rebel demands for the abolition of Constitutional Monarchy.

The government wants the rebels to come under the limits set by the Constitution while the rebels are refusing to accept the present Constitution.

It is not just the political parties but also the legal experts who agree that the Constitution definitely needs changes and that too urgently.

"There are some questions being raised on the provision inscribed on the Constitution that needs to be amended," said Senior Advocate Basudev Dhungana.

Dhungana said that even the prerogatives of the Prime Minister needs to be specified strongly. During the past few years, at least two attempts by the Prime Ministers to dissolve the Parliament has been foiled.

In writing the Prime Minister has the prerogative to dissolve the House and call for fresh election. But in reality, he has to "recommend" it to the King who has to make the announcement.

Not all agree with the idea of touching a sensitive area such as making changes to the relatively young Constitution. Mukund Regmi, a Constitutional expert who is aligned to the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) said it was ridiculous to even think of making changes in the Constitution.

"There should be laws to give continuation to the present Constitution and the people who are responsible for implementing the norms in the Constitution who need to change their thinking, conduct and character," Regmi said.

President of the ruling NC Girija Prasad Koirala has reiterated that there is no need to amend the Constitution but should focus strictly on following both the spirit and the words in the Constitution.

Either way, both the ruling NC with 113 lawmakers and the CPN-UML with 68 need to reach a consensus and join forces if they want to make any changes in the Constitution.

Growing number of ‘fake Maoists’ seek asylum in Europe

By Manish Gautam

BERLIN, Germany,Nov 7 – Lured by the chances of foreign employment, thousands of Nepalis take their chances arriving at various European cities every year in hopes of a better life and a future for themselves and their loved ones.

From paying hefty fees to migrant smugglers to marrying foreign spouses, these people are known to try out all the tricks available on the book of illegal migration. But now they have found a new and much cheaper mode of getting their ticket to stay on as migrants in these countries: They pretend to be Maoists’ supporters.

Ironic it may sound, but the trend of Nepalis entering European countries as fake political refugees has risen tremendously over the last decade and many of them in the past six years have been claiming to be Maoists and seeking political asylum.

During the past 10 years, Germany and United Kingdom have been recipients of huge number of fake Nepali political refugees. This trend has further been bolstered by the Maoist insurgency as many of these aspirant migrant workers have entered these European countries as refugees holding fake documents taking advantage of Maoist insurgency which incepted some six years ago.

There are at least 10,000 Nepali illegal immigrants in Germany alone who entered the country seeking political asylum, according to a Nepali who has been living in the country for years. Most of the them entered with a letter signed by top Maoist leaders saying they are being harassed by the state, he said.

The trend of people migrating to European countries holding fake documents gained momentum after the restoration of democracy in 1990. In the beginning they applied for political asylum claiming to be supporter of Nepali Congress being targeted by the Panchati Raj, then came the Communists and now many of them are claiming to be Maoists being targeted by the government.

Many of these people say that the lack of job opportunities back home forced them to turn to a foreign land for employment and had even offered as much as Rs. 1,200,000 to agents so they could get these fake visas.

These so-called agents, who promise rosy employment in the lands of opportunity abroad, are thriving in the capital. Last month police busted a gang involved in sending people abroad preparing fake documents. These people prepared documents like fake certified letters, which say the police harasses them in Nepal using fake letter pads, stamps of the Maoist rebels group.

There have been numerous reports in European newspapers about Nepalis entering European countries seeking political asylum. ‘Far-eastern economic review’, published out of Hong Kong, had published a news piece only a month ago. ‘Fake Maoists’ are entering European countries as political refugees, the paper was quoted as saying.

These people who entered Europe as political refugees are accepted by the host countries, they get jobs relatively easily. However, it is not an easy ride. When they reach the airport, their passports are seized by the immigration officials and are taken into custody and detained for at least 20 months. Moreover, they are returned, if they are unable to convince that they are political refugees.

It is just not as political refugees but people enter Europe for religion reasons too. Some of them enter Germany or any other European countries saying that they are from religious minorities like Christians who are discriminated in Nepal where by the Hindus.

Lately, German authorities have become relatively cautious due to the growing number of illegal immigrants living in the country. A decade back, Nepalis used to get visa without much hassle but now they are thoroughly examined before visas are issued.

In 1999 alone, around 200 Nepalis were granted citizenship certificates in Germany. According to officials at Nepali Embassy in Germany, law regarding the immigration is much harsher than what was 10 years back.

11th SAARC summit from Jan 4 to 6

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KATHMANDU, Nov 7 – Nepal will be hosting the 11th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu from January 4 to 6 next year, states a statement issued today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The official confirmation comes a day after Arjun Jung Bhadur Singh, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs told The Kathmandu Post that the SAARC dates (January 4-6) were confirmed. He had added there was no doubt that the meet would be held in Kathmandu.

The seven member meet will preview the progress made so far in the regional cooperation among the member states through active collaboration in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields, adds the statement.

A two-day 22nd session of the SAARC Council of Ministers will be held on January 2-3 and two days before that the 27th meet of the Standing Committee will take place. The 22nd session of the Programming Committee will be held on December 28-29.

The 11th SAARC Summit was earlier scheduled to be held in Kathmandu in December 1999 but could not convene due to India's opposition in the wake of Kargil war and subsequent military take over in Pakistan.

Speaker, oppn leader take time out for Raktamya Garaharu

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KATHMANDU, Nov 7 - Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat today nostalgically remembered his past days of his fighting against the then Panchayati regime for democracy, after watching Raktamya Garaharu, a documentary visualising the lives of people living in the Maoist-hit districts.

"It imbued me with sentiments," said the Speaker after watching the documentary. "It made me go back to the days when I was fighting for democracy, I remembered how the rulers of the then Panchayati regime tortured my father when he and I were against the then Panchayati regime," he added. "I could guess now what my family members might have felt at the moment when the then administration tortured me on the charge of my involvement in the movement against the then regime".

The Speaker shared these sentiments talking to The Kathmandu Post sipping a cup of tea after the show of Raktamya Garaharu (roughly blood littered pieces of land), which visualises the plight of the people living in Jajarkot, Rukum and Rolpa, where they are made to suffer both from the police and the Maoists.

Himal Association today organised the show of documentary for parliamentarians, secretaries of the government ministries, police officers and for army officers with a view to make them aware of the situation of the country and the plight of the people living in the Maoist-hit places. Raktamya Garaharu is an one-hour long documentary that has depicted the situation of people suffering from police suppression and Maoists terror. Directed and produced by Dhruba Basnet, the documentary has been shot in Jajarkot, Rukum and Rolpa, the most Maoist-affected districts.

Like the Speaker, opposition leader Madhab Kumar Nepal had also something to share with The Kathmandu Post after watching the heart touching documentary. "It reflected the reality of the government and the Maoists". "It has visualised the way the government is ruling on the one hand and the Maoists, terror and "extremist" attitude of the Maoists on the other".

The documentary visualises the pang of pain and sufferings of the people living in Maoist-hit places where they have to bear the suppression, injustice, discrimination on the part of local administration on the one hand and Maoists’ terror and infliction on the other.

Chairman of the Upper House of Parliament was also present to witness the documentary. "I found in the documentary the critical situation of our country and the plight of the people living in the Maoist-torn places".

Lawmaker of the CPN-UML Raghuji Panta reached the conclusion after watching the documentary that all the members of the Parliament should watch the documentary so as they would know the situation of the country hit by the six-year-long Maoist insurgency.. Another lawmaker Mahendra Bahadur Pandey asked the government to find out the root of the insurgency to find its reason. More than 2,000 people have died due to the insurgency.

Director and producer of the documentary Dhruba Basnet expressed his satisfaction over the success of his production as it has given chance to witness the insurgency even to the people living in Kathmandu. Basnet, who spent 26 days for the documentary in the hills of Jajarkot, Rukum and Rolpa last year, is planning to show it in other parts of the country to make the people aware of the situation of the country.

Govt likely to extend term of top RNA officer

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KATHMANDU, Nov 7 - The government has decided to make efforts to re-appoint Lieutenant General of Royal Nepal Army (RNA) Chitra Bahadur Gurung as the Military Advisor of the United Nations for one more year.

Lt Gen. Gurung was first appointed as the UN Military Advisor on November 16 last year and the cabinet meeting held on November 20 allowed him to serve in the UN. And the UN this year has already proposed to government to allow Gurung to continue for one more year, a government source said.

"Since the UN has proposed for the renewal of Lt Gen. Gurung’s term in the UN, it is now almost sure that he will be re-appointed," said Bhola Silwal, spokesperson at the Defence Ministry.

The cabinet meeting held on October 22 had decided to make every possible effort to re-appoint Gurung in the UN. "As per the decision made by the cabinet, the Defence Ministry has already initiated the efforts," Silwal told The Kathmandu Post.

This is the first time in RNA’s 43 years in UN Peacekeeping Force that a Nepali has been appointed as the UN Military Advisor.

Prior to this, two RNA officers appointed as Force Commanders (the level equivalent to Under-Secretary General of the UN) were former Lt Gen. Krishna Narayan Singh Thapa and Victor Rana, who is presently serving in Cyprus.

About 2,000 RNA personnel, including some officers, are sent to peacekeeping missions in different parts of the world every year.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, during his Nepal visit last March, had pledged to consider the Nepal government’s request of increasing the number to 4,000 but it is yet to be materialised.

UN Military has been giving priority to the countries that have developed new technologies and take more personnel from them. According to the government officials, the UN gives preference to the army personnel who are adapted to new technologies like APC (large-size bullet-proof vehicle), logistics and other engineering equipment. This has prevented Nepalese army personnel from reaching to the top UN positions.

"Since the RNA lacks these equipment, they hardly get chance in the higher posts in the UN military," said one of the government officials.

Last year, Defence Secretary Padma Kumar Acharya had told the State Affairs Committee of the parliament that the Ministry was looking for new resources to make the RNA well equipped.

The RNA has been involved in UN Peacekeeping Force since 1958 and almost 36,000 RNA personnel so far have served in various war zones. The ministry officials say the RNA personnel serving the UN bring home almost Rs 900 million every year.

Koirala stresses time-frame for govt-Maoist talks

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BHADRAPUR (Jhapa), Nov 7 - At a time when the Prime Minister and other senior leaders of the Nepali Congress are emphasising for a lasting solution to the Maoist problem through fruitful dialogues, party president Girija Prasad Koirala has once again urged a "time frame" for the government-Maoist talks.

Koirala also asked his cadres to be ready for fresh elections at any moment, as the country’s situation was critical. He, however, warned that no one should be confused that he was demanding a mid-term poll.

The Prime Minister should be bold enough to hold dialogues with the rebels as all parties, including his party, have given mandate to him, Koirala said at a press conference here today.

"It should be fixed how many months does it take to conclude the talks with the rebels," he added. He said that the terrorist activities would die down themselves if people get a message that all the political parties, abiding by the present constitution, are united for national interests and to safeguard democracy.

Former Prime Minister Koirala is in a nation-wide tour in the name of "Liberation campaign," since his ouster from power in July.

Koirala claimed that his 14-point political agenda, which was later extended to 17 points in consultation with the oppositions, was still valid though he does not hold the PM’s post. He said that the Maoist problem could be solved if all aspects, including the army and political parties, forge a unity.

Asked to comment on the present jumbo cabinet, Koirala reiterated that a Bill should be tabled in the parliament to control its size, with the total number of ministers being not more than 10 per cent of the lawmakers in the ruling party.