‘No talks until Maoists surrender arms’

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 12 Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday emphatically ruled out any dialogue with the outlawed Maoists unless they return the arms and put an end to all violence.

In a an interview to the Nepali service of the BBC today, PM Deuba said, "They have to return the weapons and end all violence." He was replying to a question whether the government sought the laying down or returning of the arms. When asked what would be the objectives of the talks with the Maoists if they already returned the arms, the PM said, "Who will guarantee that they will return the weapons later. They will have to return the arms first."

He added that they would use the talks to strengthen and re-group themselves. Deuba also insisted that the Maoists cannot be trusted anymore after "their betrayal". "Terrorists cannot be trusted," he quipped. Fresh talks only after the arms were surrendered, he insisted.

Throughout the interview, the Prime repeated that the Maoists could not be trusted and there was no guarantee that they would not violate peace after any possible cease-fire.

Deuba clarified that he was not asking the Maoists to surrender but "I am asking the surrender of the arms". He pointed out that the country’s democratic system allowed them to place their demands and said people had freedom of speech and writing and form organisations.

When pointed out that other countries with similar problems were effecting cease-fire and holding dialogue to solve the problem, the Prime Minister replied that following that example (of cease-fire and talks) in Nepal’s case would prove to be harmful.

Speaking on the extension of the ongoing emergency (which is expiring on May 24), Deuba said that he would hold consultations with all the political parties and then take a decision. "It is everyone’s problem," he said, replying to a question whether the parties would support the extension.

Deuba also clarified that he was not meeting the world leaders to discuss the talks with the Maoists.

Earlier, he revealed that US President George Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Advisor Condolezza Rice were positive towards Nepal’s stance against the Maoists. His objective of the US and the UK visits, he said, were to seek help to strengthen Nepal’s security forces so as to defeat the Maoists and to seek assistance to promote developmental works in the country.

Chilime’s Headrace Tunnel breakthrough

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 12   Nepali technicians working at the Chilime hydroelectric project site in northern Rasuwa district were excited Sunday after successfully connecting two different tunnels, said a press release issued here today by the project’s office at Syabrubesi, Rasuwa.

The release added that the project’s Headrace Tunnel breakthrough work was completed Sunday afternoon. High-ranking Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) officials and local representatives and Syabrubesi-based government officials were present.

The tunnel will carry waters to operate two different turbines, which will generate 20 megawatts – 137 million units – of electricity when the project completes sometime in November. Officials are expecting to complete the project, first of its kind developed with the local money totaling over Rs 2.32 billion, within six months.

Two civil servants found dead, three still missing in Gam

Post Report

LIWANG, (Rolpa), May 12  Maoist rebels killed at least five junior ranking government officials posted at northern Gam area of this western hill district last week, security officials and survivors here said. The officials were posted there to implement the Integrated Security and Development Programme (ISDP).

The officials were posted there to implement drinking water, agriculture, livestock, forestry and local development programmes and they are suspected to have been killed by the rebels during last week’s fierce fighting. They were charged of being government spies. Bodies of two officials –Gham VDC Technical Assistant Kal Bahadur Rokaya and Ranger Balaram Bhusal – have been identified. And the other three, who are still missing -VDC secretary Amar Rana, JTA Khil Bahadur KC and drinking water technician Rudra Prasad Gautam, are presumed dead. Officials here quoted witnesses as saying that VDC Secretary Rana was brutally hacked to death by the rebels.

However, JTA Bashu Dev Shrestha, Peon Tul Bahadur Gharti, Forest Guard Bhim Bahadur Thapa and another unidentified Forest Guard, Forest Technician Hukum Bahadur Bhandari and two army persons arrived here Friday from the remote village which lies about 60 kilometers north from here. A group of about 10 junior officials had been airlifted to the area late last month.

Rebels set ablaze Mahendra Sanskrit University

By K P Ghimire

KATHMANDU, May 12   Maoist rebels on Saturday night set ablaze offices of the country’s only Sanskrit University—Mahendra Sanskrit University—in Beljhundi of Dang district, reducing estimated property worth Rs. 27.5 million to a cinder.

The university is located about 15 kilometres west of Ghorahi, the district headquarters of Dang. But nobody was hurt in the incident, university officials said.

Around 200 rebels, most of whom were women, surrounded the university’s premises and torched most of the offices which include Administration Office, Office of the Controller of Examinations and offices of Vice-chancellor, Registrar and Rector.

Following the arson of the university complex, around 50,000 ancient Sanskrit textbooks, including Kalchakra Ambika have been completely reduced to ashes.

Talking over telephone, Chudamani Adhikari, administrative officer of the university, told The Kathmandu Post that the rebels doused the offices with kerosene and set them on fire.

All the furniture and records of students for the last 14 years were destroyed, said eyewitnesses. The rebels snatched keys of the offices from security guards and ravaged the university property, Adhikari said, adding that the students of All Nepal Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANISU-Revolutionary) were largely responsible for the attack.

The rebels had also blocked the road leading toward the university in a bid to prevent the security forces from reaching there. It was just last year that the rebels exploded a powerful crude bomb in the office of the Vice-chancellor, Purna Chandra Dhungel, who usually stays in Kathmandu.

No budget cut for local bodies, say officials

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 12 Amid fears that the budget allocated for the local bodies may be cut during the upcoming fiscal year to meet the rising defense expenditures, Ministry of Local Administration (MoLA) officials have ruled out any cut "come what may."

This means 3913 Village Development Committees (VDCs), which have been receiving Rs.500 thousand annually as development fund from the centre, will keep on receiving the amount "in the interest of the unhindered local development efforts despite fund crunch."

Ganga Dutta Awasthi, Joint Secretary at MoLA ,who heads the Local Autonomy Coordination Directorate, assured the VDCs of the continued assistance despite "adverse scenario." He referred to the decision arrived in connection by the government, which ruled out the eventuality.

The government had cut nearly 50 percent of the amount during the current fiscal year, which has affected the implementation of the local level projects. " We are not in a position to go to the people since we could not do what we had promised them," said Bhim Prasad Dhungana, Chairman of Murali Bhanjyang VDC in Dhading.

The cut in the budget has adversely affected the local schools, which are running on the fund made available by the respective VDCs. High schools, which have not yet obtained government permission and grant, run on private fund usually made available by respective VDCs. VDCs have been diverting part of the fund to schools, which went towards infrastructure building and paying teachers’ salary.

However, out of Rs.250 thousand, which was made available to 3913 VDCs during the current fiscal year, while Rs.125 thousand went towards human resources development, the other half was frittered away on allowances of local officials leaving mere Rs.10 thousand for development works in some VDCs.

VDC Federation Executive Director Pradeep Thapaliya has poked fun at the way local needs and aspiration has been treated this year. There are nearly 53 local representatives at the VDC level, all of them entitled to an allowance of Rs.100 per meeting.

Since such meetings are called twice in a fiscal year, the allowances add up to Rs. 11 thousand. Add to it what the VDC Chairman and Vice Chairman receive. With each entitled to Rs.1500 and Rs.1000 per month, the expenses add up to Rs.41 thousand.

While this leaves Rs.84 thousand still with the VDCs, this does not hold good in cases of all the VDCs with some having to foot additional expenses in the form of salary to technical staff and teachers hired to teach at the local schools struggling to survive.

In fact, Thapaliya singled out an unidentified VDC, which was left with Rs. 10 thousand to undertake development works after exhausting the fund on a number of things. All VDCs are warned to refrain from utilising budget allocated for human resources development by the governing Act and hence cannot do that.

How far will the pie go round for unlucky kids?

By Suvecha Pant

KATHMANDU, May 12 The stars are his friends and earth his only bed. He sleeps and wakes up alone in this wide, wide world. His name is Raju. The seven-year-old boy is one of the 5000 street children, who eke out a living in the streets. Literally.

But consider this. Even as UN special summit on children came to an end New York last week, poor Raju was enjoying his bottle of beer with a cigarette in one hand. Hardened by street life, he showed definite signs of maturity while talking to this reporter, though.

If his early life can be of any interest, he was sold off to a restaurant owner at the age of five by his step-mother and the world has been a different place for him ever since.

Srijana Adhikari, not her real name, dreads the nights. Sold out into flesh trade for mere Rs. 5000 at the age of 10 and freed two years later, she still recalls harrowing brothel life of Mumbai. Undeststandably, she cries at the top of her voice all of a sudden.

However, fleeing from brothel has not paid off or so it seems. Diagnosis has found HIV virus in her blood. Kicked out from her native village, she stays at her aunt’s house in Kathmandu. She is waiting for death every moment of her life.

Consider this again. Bishal and Prateek, not their real names, took their first dose of heroine at the age of 15. Although it began as fun, they have got addicted to it. Left to travel one-way road to death, they now wish they never went to the fateful school picnic. They, too, have infected HIV since they shared the same syringe they do not know when.

In fact, these children are among many worldwide who have been deprived of a normal life. Broader reasons include low awareness, inherent flaws in the social structure and poor governance.

If ventilating the grievances pays off some 560 children participated at the summit. Whoever made it, spoke out their problems, which is expected to add to the body of knowledge on issues surrounding children.

In keeping with the rhetoric since the last few years, the recently concluded summit on children has set in glimmer of some hope on predictable lines. High level representatives from 185 countries ¾ with more than 60 presidents and prime ministers mainly from developing countries ¾ have set 21 new goals in the areas of health, education, combating AIDS. This also includes protecting children against abuse, exploitation and violence.

The thrust meanwhile is on ensuring sustainable development, which took into account the best interests of the child. Democracy, equality, non-discrimination and social justice have been reiterated as the underlying mantra.

New targets have been added in the areas of HIV/AIDS and child protection, "reflecting the changing nature of the challenges facing the world’s children." The demarche also includes "need to address a number of environmental problems in order to ensure the health and well-being of children."

Meanwhile, neglect, exploitation, violence and various forms of abuses, which go undocumented, are five main concerns which the governments have agreed to fight out even if that demands enacting new laws. The summit has also set three separate goals to address HIV/AIDS related menace.

Apart from this, international commitment to rule out sexual exploitation, the impact of armed conflicts, fight out child labour and all forms of abuse was the outcome of the special session.

Call on

KATHMANDU, May 12 (PR) - Leader of the opposition and General Secretary Communist Party of Nepal (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal on Sunday met Michel Dupoizat of UN High Commissioner for Refugees and discussed the Bhutanese refugee problem, according to a statement issued today by the party. The meeting took place in UML’s central office. Similarly, an international team that is making preparations for the establishment of International Criminal Court met the UML leader at the party office. The team apprised General Secretary Nepal of the reason and the necessity in establishing the court.