Five killed in Nuwakot were innocent: RNA
Army denies charges of rights violation

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26:The Royal Nepal Army (RNA) today dismissed suggestions that army troops were committing brutal human rights atrocities in recent security operations around the country, added at the same time that security forces have been ordered to respect human rights.

But a preliminary inquiry held by the RNA’s human rights cell has suggested that the five people killed in Kaule village on the night of November 27 were innocent villagers. The security forces opened fire at them after they defied army’s warning and moved ahead.

"But we are yet to obtain the final report," Colonel Deepak Gurung, the RNA spokesman, told newsmen at a press conference held at the army headquarters on Thursday. "The army does not kill innocent people just like that. We are careful about that."

"We are holding inquiries. If that suggests our soldiers’ involvement in killing of the innocent people then we will initiate legal action against them as per our national laws."

The army also made it clear that the nine young boys killed by security forces in Laxmipur Beluwa area of Dang district recently were not innocent youngsters, but were affiliated with the pro-Maoist All Nepal Independent Students Union - Revolutionary (ANNISU-R).

"That’s a fact which has also been confirmed by the girl, who was spared in the operation and held by the soldiers," Colonel Gurung said. "On that night they were moving around defying curfew orders, and our forces opened fire only after the rebels hurled socket bombs at our troops."

Brigadier B A Kumar Sharma of the newly created human rights cell said that the army was holding inquires into various reports of human rights violations by the security forces.

"If it was proved that innocent civilians have been killed by the security forces, then we would duly request the concerned district authorities to amply to compensate the concerned families," he said.

The army, meanwhile, flatly rejected suggestions that one of its officers based at Chisapani barrack in Banke district was involved in the rape of two girls recently.

Showing video footage of the girls speaking with plainclothes army officers, the army asserted that the girls were taken to the army barracks, "because we wanted to put pressure on their family to hand over their father, who is an alleged arms trafficker hand in globe with the rebels."

"No, they gave us good food, and treated us well," the footage showed one of the girls as saying. The girls’ mother was not complaining either. "No, the girls were fine and the army must have treated them well. It’s only that our enemies are cooking up this story to insult us."

The army held the girls for three days at the barrack.

The Amnesty International Tuesday alleged that the army was forcing the family members of the girls to deny reports that the girls were raped by the army-a fact documented by an AI report which was made public last week.

"What we have shown today is just our preliminary report. We will be coming up with a final report very soon," Colonel Gurung said.

Meanwhile, the army said that the total number of Maoists killed since November 2001, has reached 3,500, and 1,000 more have been presumed dead. A total of 232 RNA soldiers and officers, too, have been confirmed dead during the same period.

Home Ministry spokesman Gopendra Bahadur Pande added that as of November 26, 2002, a total of 951 policemen had been killed, while the security forces had killed a total of 1,095 Maoist rebels.

The rebels, according to him, have killed 852 innocent civilians. The total number of Armed Police Force (APF) personnel killed in Maoist attacks stands at 102.

Din of protests rises against CIAA

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26:Legal experts, politicians and business communities across the country continued to flay the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), for its action to detain Kailash Sirohiya, Director of Kantipur Television (KTV).

"The bond that the KTV had to submit with the bid for the operation of KTV is nothing but a bond to ensure that the party does not leave the deal in mid-way. It automatically matures once the deal is finalised," they said, adding that the CIAA is trying to build a case out of nothing.

Bikram Pandey, a renowned businessman and central committee member of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) from Chitwan even expressed a foul play by CIAA in the matter. "Such inappropriate action of the anti-corruption watchdog has disparaged the new as well as larger investors," he said.

Bhupendra Pandey, an advocate from Chitwan said that revocation of bid-bond after signing a contract complies with the law and is in line with existing regulations.

Dinesh Kumar Chuke, senior chartered accountant said that the withdrawal of the bid-bond after signing the final agreement is not improper. Since the bid-bond was withdrawn with the approval of the concerned ministry, the CIAA should ask the government, if it smells any wrong doing, he added. Chuke also said that the government should always take the private sector in confidence to boost the investment.

In the same vein, Rajan Adhikari, general secretary of Mechi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) said that the CIAA’s move of discouraging private sector itself goes against the government policy of open economy.

"The CIAA’s case in no way is logical," he said. Ram Mainali, managing director of Kankai International Builders, adding that the CIAA cannot file a case against KTV on the bid-bond issue.

Social worker Gopal Kumar Basnet said that the latest incident against KTV has shown that no businessman can remain free from government’s ill intention. "This is the worst message that the government can give both to the business community and social organisations," he said.

Likewise, Man Mohan Shrestha, a Dharan-based entrepreneur, even doubted if the CIAA has been used for settling old scores. "The CIAA’s latest move has disappointed people. It has raised serious questions about whether the anti-corruption watchdog is really doing justice to its job," he said.

Bishnu Bahadur Shrestha of the Panchakanya Group also flayed the action taken by CIAA against Sirohiya and said that such actions have discouraged the efforts of the private investors to help revive the sluggish economy of the country.

Special Court hearing continues

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26:The hearing on the case of former minister Khum Bahadur Khadka continued today at the Special Court.

Khadka has been charged of amassing over Rs 40 million while granting the contract of Bakraha River Control Project in Sunsari district to China Henan Company.

However, the pleading on the cases of former minister Jaya Prakash Gupta and Kailash Sirohiya, the Director of the Kantipur Television Pvt Ltd could not begin due to time shortage. The pleadings on Gupta and Sirohiya will begin tomorrow.

Similarly, former minister Chiranjivi Wagle who was released on bail amount of Rs 32.9 million, appeared at the Special Court to attend his date.

Meanwhile, Sohan Bahadur Nyachhyo, joint secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communications, who was also implicated in the case filed against Gupta, today said that he was never summoned by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for interrogation regarding alleged his involvement in the security bid-bond of terrestrial television licence given to the Kantipur Television.

"I was surprised when I heard I was also involved in the bid-bond," Nyachhyo issuing a press statement today said.

Over dozen injured in city bomb blast

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26:At least a dozen people were wounded when a powerful bomb planted by the suspected Maoist rebels went off today afternoon. The explosion which occurred in the third floor of a seven storied commercial building in down town Kathmandu, caused extensive damage to the building and several others.

A pressure cooker bomb fixed with time device exploded in the building popularly known as Batule Ghar, which belongs to National Housing and Merchant Finance Company around 3:50 pm local time, when employees were present at all the floors except the third floor.

The blast shattered all the glasses, caused cracks in the northern part and made a hole in the western part of the concrete building.

The glass pieces were scattered upto 200 metres from the main building. Window glasses of the nearby Nepal Bank Limited building were also totally damaged. Three employees at the bank, situated hundred metres north from the blast site, received minor injuries. Three cars parked at the premises of the building were damaged in the explosion.

Five people, who got minor injuries in the blast, were treated at the nearby medical shops while two others who were rushed to hospital, were later released after first aid treatment.

The blast created panic among the people working in the building and its neighbourhood.

"The bomb exploded with a big bang while I was trying to make a call to the police, after we found a suspicious bag lying in the stairs on the third floor," said company manager Vijaya Sharma.

A security guard posted at the gate had seen two suspicious boys climbing upto the third floor of the building, with a bag hanging on the back of one of them.

"The guard met a boy returning downstairs and tried to capture him but failed, said an eye witness working at the company. "Another one captured by the security guard was also able to free himself and escaped."

Security personnel arrived at the scene within three minutes and cordoned off the blast site to prevent casualties, as shards of broken glasses were falling from the building.

"We arrived here immediately as we were near Putalisadak Chowk on patrolling duty," said an RNA personnel guarding the building.

Police sources said security personnel have been mobilized to search the possible hideouts of the "terrorists" and hoped they would be arrested soon.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the explosion but police have blamed the Maoist rebels.

Highway bandits loot truck drivers

By Shankar Acharya

BARA, Dec 26:A group of armed bandits looted six trucks on the Pathlaiya-Nijgadh section of the busy East-West Highway on Wednesday night, police said here today.

Police inspector Surendra Kumar Thapa at Nijgadh police station said that the bandits made off with cash and valuables worth around Rs 100,000. He said that around 10 youngsters, aged below 20, most of them belonging to the Tharu community looted cash and other valuables from the truck drivers, blocking the busy highway at gunpoint.

Giving details of the incident, inspector Thapa said the bandits looted Rs 2,000 from truck driver Purna Bahadur Rai heading toward Biratnagar from Narayangadh, Rs 3,500 from Prem Singh Thapa on his way to Gaur from Birgunj, Rs 9,500 from Durga Raj Sedhai who was heading toward Fattepur from Birgunj.

Likewise, the boys also robbed Rs 400 from truck driver Hari Bahadur Rai going to Biratnagar from Lamahi, Rs 4,000 from Lalit Lama going toward Kakarbhitta from Birgunj and Rs 3,000 from Dambar Bahadur B.K. who was heading toward Chandra Nigahapur from Simara.

The bandits also looted Rs 14,500 from a passenger, identified as Devendra Gupta of Beltar VDC, Udaypur, and Rs 5,000 from another passenger who could not be identified immediately, said inspector Thapa. Police have been mobilised to hunt down the looters but no arrests have been made so far.

Famine cripples life in far-west Nepal

By Dil Bahadur Chhatyal

SANFEBAGAR, Accham, Dec 26:Famine has crippled life in the hill districts of Achham, Bajura, Humla, Kalikot and Mugu in the far-western region, after the government imposed restrictions on the ferrying of foodstuff, ostensibly with a view to starving the warring Maoists.

Many people have migrated to Kala Pahad, India, following the shortage of food supply. Last year’s long spell of drought, heavy hailstones during September this year, and the restriction on food supply by the security agencies, have been blamed for the famine in the far-western region.

A majority of the people in this food scarce region rely on imported food for their survival throughout the year, as the food grown in the region supports the entire populace barely for four to five months.

People from Achham’s remote areas said that there has been acute shortage of food in Rishidaha, Dhanti, Bhakattee, Ramarosan, Sunar and Bahulasain Village Development Committees (VDC).

"There has not been a single grain of food in our villages. We have been suffering from a severe famine for the last four months," said Ranga Bahadur Shahi, who came here after walking for two days from Bajura’s Gutukhale VDC to buy a few kilogrammes of food grains.

He said the armed police and the district administration recommend the purchase of only 15 to 20 kgs of rice, which can barely support their families for a couple of days. "We have to knock on the door of the district administration for over a week, even to obtain the recommendation," Shahi told The Kathmandu Post. "We spend most of our valuable time and energy on the way to buy a little amount of food," he lamented.

The government-own Food Corporation has stopped supplies to Bajura district following the closure of the Kolti-based airport. Nobody is allowed to purchase more than 50 kgs of rice at a time, fearing that it would go into the Maoist hands. Shahi said that most of the local shops have been shut down due to lack of food, even in Martadi, the district headquarters of Bajura.

The shortage of food has not only crippled the people of these two districts, but the people of Humla, Kalikot and Mugu districts in Karnali zone are also facing the same situation. Roughly, 300 to 400 people come here daily to purchase food.

Ram Bahadur Dhami, teacher at a local school in Achham’s Rishi Daha VDC, said that almost all the men have migrated to Kala Pahad because of the food crisis and insecure environment.

When asked about the possibility of lifting ban on the food restriction, a senior officer of the Armed Police Force said that they had to take such an unpopular decision, after the rebels began purchasing or looting a large scale of foodstuff to feed their guerrillas.

"We restricted the large scale supply of food, so that the rebels may not be able to loot more food from the villagers," he said.

Villagers from Humla and Mugu, who arrived here after five days of walking, said people in all the VDCs are suffering from famine, after helicopters stopped dropping food for fear of Maoist attacks.

"Even the food we purchase here has to be shared among the warring rebels as well," said Aaj Bahadur Shahi from Srinagar VDC in Humla, who arrived here to buy some food, recommended by the local administration. He said the little food they purchase here is over by the time they reach their homes.

Amid the agony of famine, a youth from Mugu expressed his wrath over the government, for not being serious about the plight of the people in the far-western region. "We never had a government to take care of our problems," he added.

Donors willing to aid Govt efforts

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26:Nepal’s bilateral partners, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have already indicated their willingness to provide support to the government’s 29-point education reform programme announced on December 6.

"The donors are showing willingness to the government’s intentions in pursuing the 29-point education reform programme," a highly placed official revealed here today.

However, the official did not specify if an agreement has already been signed to this effect. He however, said that the government would start implementing the proposed Rs 1.62 billion education reform programme from the next academic calendar but said it would come into effect only after receiving support from the donors.

"This programme would be implemented from the next academic year in a decentralised manner," Baikuntha Das Shrestha, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports told The Kathmandu Post on Thursday. He also said that the Ministry had asked the Finance Ministry to release the budget.

The 29-point education reform programme, which was announced by Devi Prasad Ojha, Minister of Education, has a provision for free secondary education, particularly for the ‘oppressed’ and girls. It has also provisions for making Sanskrit an optional subject in the school curricula.

The government’s reform programme aims to improve access, equity, and efficiency in education, particularly for girls and the oppressed upto secondary level. It also seeks to provide free secondary education to the backward communities, which include Thami, Jirel, Hayoo, Chepang, and Raute among other.

The donors have shown their willingness to support the programme due to a pressing need for an improvement in the rural areas, where school enrollment rates for girls are very low.

Compensation eludes victims of Maoist atrocities

By Pooja Shrestha

KATHMANDU, Dec 26:"It was the year 2056 BS. The sounds of gun fire reverberated all over and frightened masses scattered all over, amid the piercing wails of babies and the utter sense of shock among the youth," narrates middle-aged Tuna Raj Giri, as he relives the horrors of the Maoist attack in the Ramechhap district.

"Suddenly out of the blue a bullet hit my stomach", he remembers revealing a long stitch mark on his belly.

Writhing with pain, Giri arrived in the Kathmandu Valley for treatment at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) where he lay for forty-long days. The treatment set him back by Rs 129,000, but the government footed only a measly Rs 3,000.

"It was too little what the government gave me. I am in terrible debt since then. But I was lucky enough to receive compensation for 26 days in the same year," he said.

Next year, the compensation stopped but again in 2058, he received compensation for another twelve months. But as fate would have it, when Giri reached back home to be with his family, it was too late in the day. All his property had been looted and his house seized by the Maobadis.

As things stand today, the poor man has not received any compensation from the government. Under a huge debt and with seven mouths to feed, Giri is in a confused state of mind, as he has no means to feed to his family, with whom he is living in the Valley.

Last year, 215 people received Rs 100 each as compensation on a daily basis while around 60 received even lesser amounts, said Ganesh Chilual, president of Nepal Maoist Victims Organization. With the number of such victims rising, the three-year-old organisation currently has over one thousand members.

"Victims were given compensation on a first-come-first serve basis," he added.

"In the earlier stages, the medical benefits were doled out until the recovery of the patients but now this has been reduced to only four months," informed Chilual.

As on date, the government has agreed to compensate the confirmed victims, provide them with sums ranging between Rs 10,000- 20,000 per year for education of the children, give priority in employment and hand out stipends to children of the displaced persons.

"Government has made several attempts to address this issue but no concrete action has been taken yet," Chilual added.

The Social Welfare Council has not been able to act till now, in the non-convening of the meeting to pass the budget. Moreover, no posts have been created within the council for handling the programme, said Raju Joshi, the programme director.

A lot of the victims informed that they have not been able to get houses on rent when they inform the landlords about their plight at the hands of Maoists. As one of them adds, their condition is worse than Bhutanese refugees. Other victims recount that they are unable to sell their houses or lands at their native place, despite offering in less rates.

Incidentally, on the other end of the scale, dependants of the deceased police and army still continue to receive compensation of around Rs 700,000.

Ministry asked to provide list of ex-Gurkha PoWs

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KATHMANDU, Dec 26:The Social Justice Committee at the National Assembly today asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to provide it with the total number of the Gurkha soldiers captured by the Japanese army, during the Second World War.

The Committee also asked the Ministry to form a cell to find out the actual number of prisoners of war (PoWs), if the record of the soldiers was not available with the government.

The Gurkha soldiers had won the right to compensation from the British government early this month, more than 50 years after they were taken prisoners by the Japanese.

The London High Court had ruled the British government to provide 10,000 pound (15,000 US dollars) to each PoW, who were claiming compensation for their dreadful jail period after they were captured by the Japanese.

Today’s decision of the parliamentary committee follows rumours that there is no actual data with the government about the PoWs.

Leading Gurkha soldiers’ organizations have been claiming that actual number of the PoWs was yet to be identified. An activist of Gurkha army’s organization claimed the number of the PoWs could be as high as 3,000 in Nepal.

Gurkhas began serving Britain in 1815 in India, and following India’s independence in 1947, became part of the British army. Nearly 3,600 of them are still serving the British government as an integral part of the British force.

In a separate decision, the Committee also decided to visit the Maoist hit mid-western region of the country to take stock of the situation of human rights.

The team will be visiting Jumla district headquarters, where the Maoists had conducted a raid a month ago, as well as Bardiya and Banke districts, known to be crowded with displaces from western hill.