US could send military advisers to Nepal

By Surendra Phuyal

KATHMANDU, March 6 : The United States has disclosed its plans to provide military advisors, weapons and special training to more than half a dozen countries including Nepal over the next six months, a news report from Washington said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and US Embassy officials here told The Kathmandu Post that they are currently assessing the development and military needs of Nepal. But they have not reached to any conclusion as yet.

A news-item published in the latest edition of the Los Angeles Times said that the Bush Administration is preparing to send money, material and U.S. military trainers to Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Jordan, Pakistan, Kazakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

The administration has also sought a 27 percent funding increase for a federal program designed to bolster militaries as part of an expanded effort to mount proxy fights against terrorists in the countries, according to the newspaper.

"All these programmes were predicated on the idea that if we get together, U.S. values will be transferred and U.S. interests will be served. Right now, our interest is in curbing terrorism," the paper said, quoting D. B. Des Roches, a spokesman for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Commenting on the report, Robert Kerr, the director of the American Centre in Kathmandu said that US officials in Kathmandu are still assessing the needs of Nepal. "We are looking into what we can do, we have not reached any conclusion," Kerr told The Kathmandu Post.

"We are very anxious to support Nepal both militarily and developmentally."

Kerr refused to comment on the value of such support Nepal could get as part of the US federal programme.

During his whirlwind trip to Nepal in the third week of January, US Secretary of States Colin Powell had pledged military and development aid to Nepal. The government here is currently fighting against Maoist rebels who launched a wave of vicious attacks last month, killing nearly 200 security personnel.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Gyan Chandra Acharya said that the Ministry is in constant touch with the U.S. government to receive support pledged by the U.S. government. He refused to elaborate further.

The Los Angeles Times also said that the expanded effort is designed to allow the U.S. to more directly use other nations’ armed forces to strike at terrorists who threaten American interests.

It quoted a military official as saying that the Pentagon is sending a surplus patrol boat and rifles to the Philippines and spare helicopter parts to Pakistan. It has sent military trainers to Djibouti, Ethiopia and Oman and has trained Georgian pilots at U.S. military flight schools.

But it is silent on what the U.S. is sending to Nepal. State Minister of Home Devendra Raj Kandel said in Pokhara a few months back that the U.S. was providing helicopters to Nepal to help the government fight Maoists.

"We will continue to train and equip countries that face terrorist threats. We will establish or, in some cases, re-establish military-to-military contacts with countries that face terrorist threats," Secretary of Defence Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday, according to the paper. "The power and reach of weapons today are too great and too lethal to do otherwise."

The preparations are a central part of the next phase in the war on terrorism, in which the United States hopes to be able to wage military operations against its enemies around the world without using U.S. troops, according to the paper.

"This is more of a long-term investment than an immediate fix," the paper quoted a one senior military official as saying. "It’s an attempt to get more exposure to democracy for front-line states in the war against terrorism, and to equip them to fight on their turf. It’s part of the realization that there are an awful lot of nasty things out there that could touch us more directly than we ever thought they could in the past."

CIAA seeks action against State Minister Hamal

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KATHMANDU, March 6 : The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has recommended necessary action against State Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation, Surendra Hamal, alleging abuse of authority while ‘illegally’ transferring some gazetted second class officers.

To this effect, the constitutional anti-corruption body has issued letters to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal Man Singh.

In a press release issued here Wednesday, the CIAA said that Hamal approved the transfers of some General Forestry Officers on Feb 7, against the spirit of the Civil Service Regulation, 1993.

The CIAA had directed all the government ministries to immediately halt the transfers of civil servants by going against the provisions of the Regulation.

"State Minister Hamal ignored recommendations made by a high level officer, who suggested him not to go ahead with the transfer recommended by Divya Dev Bhatta, the Director General of the Department of Forest," the release said.

The state minister should have taken permission from the Ministry of General Administration specifying appropriate reason for the transfer, but that was not done," said the release.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post Hamal said that the move by the CIAA is to purify the minister and he will seek judicial treatment against the Commission.

"CIAA has also resorted to the minister’s decision and it is a ploy to malign my character and I am going to the Supreme Court against the Commission," Hamal said.

Bomb defused in capital

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KATHMANDU, March 6 : The Royal Nepal Army (RNA) and police personnel today foiled another Maoists plan of planting bomb on a busy road at Ekantakuna, Lalitpur. A bomb-disposal squad of the RNA defused the bomb laid by the rebels in public place.

The area Jawalakhel has been targeted by the Maoists several times and also caused severe damages to carpet show rooms and a government office.

"We defused a bomb today morning that was planted at a busy street by the Maoists. Though the bomb was not very powerful, it could have injured the passersby if not defused on time," said a police source at District Police Office, Lailtpur.

He added that the local people informed them about the bag and the security force went to the site and diffused the bomb immediately.

The police is searching the suspects some women with the description given by the locals.

Eye-witnesses said that the bomb was left by some unknown persons on the same morning.

"Four ladies came with a hand bag and stayed there for about five minutes outside Rencheng Carpet factory at Jawalakhel. But they left the bag there, creating a sort of panic in the area," Geeta Thapa, an eyewitness said.

Maoists had already planted bombs in at least a dozen or so area in the last three months. At least five people have died in such publicly planted bombs in the capital.

PM defends Budhathoki’s arrest

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KATHMANDU, March 6 : Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today defended the arrest of a local editor by security forces, saying the journalist had been taken into custody for publishing material deemed detrimental to the morale of the security forces.

Speaking in the House of Representatives today, Deuba said that Gopal Budhathoki, editor of the weekly Sanghu, was taken into custody Sunday night by security personnel for publishing "objectionable" material.

" He is facing charges of demoralising the security forces through the paper", Deuba, justifying the arrest of Budhathoki, said." The arrest was not made with prejudice," Deuba said, adding that the government has no intention to curb freedom of the press.

Budhathoki’s arrest is the latest in a series of such arrests of media persons by security forces. According to the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, dozens of journalists have been arrested since the emergency rule was declared last November. Most of the journalists have been released, however.

The Prime Minister also took the stand on several other issues, defending the government’s various actions under withering opposition fire. On charges that soldiers had shot dead innocent civilians recently in the Resunga Jungle of Gulmi, Deuba refuted the charges.

He said that two people were killed on February 28 in the area as they refused to identify themselves when demanded by security forces who were deployed for jungle operations.

Despite pressures from the opposition members in the house for some days, PM Deuba did not declare the killed persons as " innocent" but justified the killing as "actions taken against violators of curfew".

Opposition leaders in the parliament have been claiming that those killed in the security action were employees of Durga Resin and Turpentine Industries and collecting resin in the Resunga Jungle.

However, Deuba assured the House that the government would provide proper compensation to the families of innocent civilians if they are killed by the security personnel but declined to say that those killed in the Resunga were innocent.

Regarding a recent case in Dolakha, where a local elected official’s official residence was ransacked by security forces, the Prime Minister said the incident occurred after some misunderstanding, but now that it had been resolved.

He said that the dispute between the District Development Committee chairman and the security forces in Dolakha was already solved after chief district officer, DSP and army chief met the DDC chairman and informed the reality behind the disputes. " The dispute had took place as the DDC chairman thought his residence was under security surveillance" Deuba said.

Deuba speaking at another programme in the capital said the government was committed to implement the reports submitted by the judicial corruption probe commission.

The government on Monday had decided to recommend the King to institute a judicial probe commission to investigate the assets of the personnel placed in public office after restoration of democracy in the country in 1990.

PM Deuba admitted that the government has failed to empower the existing mechanism instituted to control massive corruption. " They have not failed to accomplish their job but we could not strengthen them".

In regards to the internal conflict in the party, Deuba admitted that there were some misunderstandings among the party leaders and were on the way of improvement". But his removal from the office in the near future, as he said, was impossible.

When asked about his absence at the party parliamentary committee meeting on Monday, Deuba hinted at his disparities with the party president Girija Prasad Koirala on the formation procedure of the committee and said, " I am going to talk to him".

GEF to continue support to preserve bio-diversity

By Kiran Chapagain

NAGARKOT, March 6 : At a time when several donor agencies are threatening to withdraw their projects from Nepal due to lack of security, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) of the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP) is likely to continue earmarking some support to preserve the country’s rich-bio-diversity.

Earlier speaking in the capital Henning Karchar, Residential Representative of UNDP to Nepal said that there would be increasing opportunities for GEF support for implementing projects in Nepal. "UNDP Nepal’s Country Co-operation Framework has included bio-diversity conservation and sustainable development as priority areas for UNDP co-operation over the next five years, 2002-2006," he said.

Government officials speaking to The Kathmandu Post at the inaugural session of the first ever Country Dialogue Workshop that began Wednesday said that they were optimistic of nurturing support of GEF to eight additional bio-diversity preservation projects.

According to Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry has already submitted the projects to the GEF for consideration and study, and are likely to nurture GEF assent at this three day workshop.

According to UNDP sources, the GEF is currently developing two new projects under the GEF Project Development Facility – landscape level bio-diversity conservation project to be implemented in Western Terai and North Eastern Himalayas and globally threatened wetland ecosystem conservation project in Nepal.

At present GEF, a global window that is jointly managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank, has been supporting Nepal in implementing 11 projects related to environment protection since 1994 with a project called Bio-diversity Conservation in Nepal. Besides the GEF is supporting Park and People Project, Small Grant projects among other projects.

According to Hari Regmi, Under Secretary at the Ministry of Finance about 3 million US dollars have already been spent and 4.8 million has been being spent on the ongoing projects.

The GEF is working in 46 its member countries in five areas. They are bio-diversity, climate change, international waters, zone depletion, cross cutting and persistent organic pollutants.

Speaking at the same workshop as the chief guest, Minister for Environment and Population P.L. Singh urged for united efforts to overcome the global environment problems.

Justice Rayamajhi to head probe commission

By Balkrishna Basnet

KATHMANDU, March 6 : A meeting of the Judicial Council today decided to recommend His Majesty the King the name of Supreme Court Justice Krishna Jung Rayamajhi to head the judicial probe commission announced by the government early this week.

The commission, which is on the process of formation as per the government decision made on Monday under Probe Commission Act, 1969, consists of three members including an officiating Justice of the Supreme Court as the chairperson.

As provided by Article 92 of the Constitution, the judicial council is the sole authority to recommend the name of justices to the King for chairing any research -oriented and investigative jobs.

The government has recommended the name of former justices of the SC Uday Raj Upadhyay and Gyaindra Bahadur Shrestha to work as the members on the same day the government decided to form the commission.

The Commission, which has a six months mandate to investigate on the assets of the persons placed in public offices after restoration of democracy in 1990, is expected to get complete shape after Rayamajhi is appointed as chairperson in the commission.

Rayamajhi, who is the fourth justice in seniority and one of the clean figures in the SC, entered the legal service as the judge of regional court in 1981 and appointed as the justice of SC in 1991.

HM opens seminar on Internal Year of Mountains

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KATHMANDU, March 6 : His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev opened a meeting of experts from around the world, which is organized to mark the International Year of Mountains (IYM) 2002 at the Birendra International Convention Centre here Wednesday.

Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was also present at the function.

His Majesty lit a traditional lamp and opened the three-day meet, which is attended by over 250 participants from over 70 national and international organisations, including scholars and scientists from 20 countries.

Speaking at the start of the meet, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the IYM 2002 expressed hope that the meet will help protect the mountain ecosystems and benefit the people.

The experts are discussing the challenges faced by the mountain ecosystems the world over and come up with ideas to protect and develop them in a sustainable manner.

"The event is significant for Nepal, which has more than 50 percent of people living in the mountains," said Dr Dayananda Bajracharya, Vice Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST), which is hosting the event.

Professor Paolo Cerretelli of the Italy-based University of Milan highlighted the need to carry out research in the Himalayan region, while Dr Harka Gurung of Nepal shed light on physical and cultural pattern in the Himalayas.

Annalisa Cogo, Professor of the Italy-based University of Ferrara, who has conducted a research on indoor pollution in Khumbu region, said that the people living in the Himalayan foothills are vulnerable to respiratory infections due to lack of chimney in their houses.

Mountains are home to one-tenth of the world’s people, experts say. More than half of humanity - three billion people depend - on mountains for their livelihood. The goal of the IYM 2002 is to work towards ensuring the well being of mountain people and promote sustainable development.

Over 100 working papers related, among others, to the issue conservation and preservation of the mountain ecosystem, bio-diversity, eco-tourism, and agriculture, will be presented in the seminar.

INSEC records over 6,500 rights violations in central region

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KATHMANDU, March 6 : Mid-western, western and eastern hills, where Maoist rebels and the government security forces frequently play cloak-and-dagger games, may be the areas in the country highly prone to rights violations.

But what would you say or how would you react when rights activists point their fingers at the central region as equally prone to rights abuses?

Thanks to the worsening Maoist insurgency that has now forced the country’s army forces to the Maoist hideouts, the centrally located and relatively affluent region, too, saw several incidents of human rights violation in the year 2001, according to a report released here Wednesday.

The year turned no good for the people of central development region as the incidents of human right violations went up compared to last year’s, says a report released by the central regional office of the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), a human rights watchdog organization.

The organization, which has assigned Human Right Yearbook representatives to all the 75 districts of the country, presented the record of human rights violations during 2001 in the region’s 19 districts to the media, Wednesday.

According to the data made available, a total of the region 6,509 people suffered various kinds of human rights abuses by the state and non-state parties.

The report said that the state was responsible for 403 incidents of rights violations, including seven of murder, 15 of murder by bullets, 20 of injury by bullets, 15 of air-shot and bomb explosion, 3 of terror, 225 of arrest and torture, 44 of mishap and threat, 5 of disappearance, 47 of fundamental right violation and 6 of other rights violation.

Similarly, the state was responsible for 2 incidents of discrimination, 1of multi-marriage, 3 of sexual harassment, 1 of abortion, 3 of children rights violation, 4 of other inhuman behavior and 2 of death in custody.

The total number of incidents of rights violations by non-state parties in the region was recorded at 2,173 in 2001. Of them, 156 incidents were of murder, 26 of murder by bullet and 363 of suicide. Similarly the non-state parties were behind the 34 incidents of injury by bullet, 96 incidents of air-shot and bomb explosion.

There were also 94 of terror, 31 of torture, 234 of mishap and threaten, 68 of kidnap, 48 of rape, 27 of rape attempt, 34 of family violence, 28 of girl trafficking, 34 of torture based on sex, 10 of abortion, 39 of other inhuman behavior, 6 of prostitution, 14 of discrimination based on race, 52 of suicide attempt, 107 of personal mishap, 129 of theft and loot and 335 of accident and natural disaster.

The report by INSEC regional office also includes 43 incidents of organization right violation, 9 of religious right violation, 28 of fundamental right violation, 31 of children right violation, and 68 of unidentified corpse during the year. In all these incidents, 4,620 people including 2,064 females were victimized.

Suspected Maoists behead 70-yr-old man

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KATHMANDU, March 6 : A group of suspected rebels hacked a civilian, identified as Kedarnath Prasain, to death at his home in Govindapur VDC in Morang on Tuesday night, our Biratnagar-based reporter quoted the security officials as saying.

The VDC is located about 40 kilometres east of Biratnagar, the Morang district headquarters.

The masked rebels beheaded 70-year-old Prasain with khukuries when he was watching television at his home. The victim’s wife, Dhanmaya, also lost her four fingers while protecting her husband from the Maoist attack, police said.

Morang Chief District Officer Dolakh Bahadur Gurung said that sniffing dogs were mobilised in the area after the incident to hunt down the culprits. CDO Gurung suspected that the murder might have been motivated with personal vendetta.

"I pled them for mercy and gave them keys of my shelves to take away whatever I had had," said Dhanmaya, who was literally trembling while narrating the harrowing Tuesday incident. She fled her home and took refuge to a neighbour’s house after the rebels began attacking her.

Dhanmaya’s son-in-law Laxman Mainali, who was the eyewitness of the incident, said that the rebels cut off his father-in-law’s head when he came out of the house. "They were speaking Hindi though they appeared to be Gorkhali," Mainali said.

Issuing a press statement here today, the central office of the ruling Nepali Congress said that the rebel Maoists were responsible for Prasain’s murder, who was a NC cadre. The statement has demanded the government strong actions against the culprits.

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry today claimed that the security forces killed two armed-rebels in Salyan and Lamjung district and a head constable was killed in an encounter with the Maoist militants at Omgadhi of Jumla district.

The slain rebels are believed to be the active cadre of the outlawed Maoist organisation, and they were involved in attacking government facilities in the past, the Defence Ministry said.

The head constable who died in the encounter has been identified as Mohan Bahadur Shah. Another policeman, Maniram Pun, who sustained injuries in the same encounter, was airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment, the Ministry added.

Issuing a press statement here today, the Ministry said that the locals handed over 19 guns to the security forces in Palpa district Tuesday.

NA - nomination

KATHMANDU, March 6 (RSS) - Khagendra Raj Regmi of the Nepali Congress was the only candidate to file nomination for election to the vacant seat of member of the National Assembly as per the programme schedule fixed for the election of the member by the House of Representatives, according to the election officer’s office.

TU results

KATHMANDU, March 6 (RSS)- The Tribhuwan University Institute of Engineering has published today the results of the Masters Level 2056 group environmental engineering second year first part and Masters Level 2057 group urban planning first year second part regular examinations.