Bhutan agrees to take back all willing refugees

By Damakant Jayshi

KATHMANDU, Feb 6 : In a major breakthrough on the protracted refugee impasse, Nepal and Bhutan today, agreed on a far-reaching understanding that would open doors for the repatriation of refugees willing to return to the Druk Kingdom.

Under the understanding, Nepal also agreed to "consider" the cases of those who do not want to return, a highly placed government official told The Kathmandu Post. The breakthrough came at the end of the 12th round of the one-day long, minister-level joint-committee meeting that concluded here today. That a breakthrough was in the offing was first disclosed by this paper in its today’s edition.

"We reached harmonisation on all the categories, including Category No. 2 (Bhutanese who emigrated willingly)," said the official, requesting anonymity. "Both Bhutan and Nepal agreed to show flexibility and an accommodative spirit, under which Bhutan would take back those who were forcibly evicted and significantly, those who willingly left the country. Nepal, on the other hand, has agreed not to force those refugees who do not want to go back." The two countries were long at loggerheads over Category No. 2, which reportedly contains the largest number of refugees.

This is unprecedented flexibility shown by Bhutan, which has had to face international criticism over its "delaying tactics", as the Lhotsampas (southern Bhutanese of Nepali origin) have long been alleging. This also means that Nepal might have to accommodate a large number of refugees, who do not want to go back to the Dragon Kingdom. It is also not clear whether Nepal has agreed to grant citizenship to those refugees who do not want to go back to their homeland.

While a crucial forthcoming donors’ meet on Bhutan in Geneva in mid-February may be an influencing factor, findings of a European Community diplomatic team, headed by Denmark’s ambassador to Nepal, which visited the camps in eastern Nepal some months ago, also seems to have tempered Bhutan into softening its stance on the refugee imbroglio.

That team had asked the refugees whether they wanted to return to their country or not and also how many of them were willing to resettle in areas other than their ancestral lands. It is believed that a majority of those questioned had indicated that they would prefer staying in Nepal if they had any secure options. The two sides also agreed to resume the next phase of verification of the refugees in Khudunabari camp on February 24 in Thimphu and the 13th MJC meeting, also in the Bhutanese capital on March 24.

However, everything depends on the results of the Khudunabari camp, which is being taken as a test case. The first phase of the verification process of this camp of more than 12,000 Bhutanese refugees was completed in 2001, during which a Joint Verification Team (JVT) interviewed the refugees and examined their documents. The next stage involves their categorisation, followed by repatriation.

At a press briefing after three sessions of the bilateral talks today, both the Foreign Ministers - Nepal’s Narendra Bikram Shah and his Bhutanese counterpart, Jigme Y Thinley - said that verification of other camps would begin only after repatriation was completed. When asked whether verification of the remaining six camps would be conducted simultaneously, the ministers said the option was open.

Both Shah and Thinley declined to reveal; as to by when the repatriation of the verified Bhutanese would take place. Foreign Minister Shah said that the two sides have prepared a roadmap to resolve the problem, referring to the two forthcoming meetings - that of the JVT later this month and the MJC a month later. Minister Thinley said, "The subject of repatriation is something that has to be undertaken after certain processes have been completed and we have completed certain activities that will lead to that. Initial verification was completed in Khudunabari camp. Now we are left with categorisation which should take nowhere as long as the first part of the verification process." The JVT had taken nine months to complete the exercise.

Expressing the hope that categorisation would be completed soon, Thinley said that the issues to be considered were that of repatriation and resettlement of the refugees and "the ultimate solution that we hope, is not only going to be mutually satisfying to the two governments and the two peoples of Nepal and Bhutan but also something that is going to be just and durable for the people in the camps".

Meanwhile, Bhutanese refugees held demonstration outside Shital Niwas, the venue of the talks today.

Nepal re-elected UML General Secretary

By Ghanashyam Ojha

JANAKPUR, Feb 6 : Madhav Kumar Nepal has been re-elected as the general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist & Leninist (CPN-UML) for the next five years.

The first meeting of the 55-member party central committee formed after Wednesday’s election unanimously chose Nepal as the general secretary today.

Nepal has been leading CPN-UML since the demise of Madan Kumar Bhandari, the then party general secretary, who was killed in a controversial accident in 1994.

Although K P Sharma Oli, an influential party leader waged a strong contest, Nepal’s panel managed an overwhelming majority in the central committee, allowing only six seats to the Oli panel.

Including Oli, Bam Dev Gautam, Pradip Gyawali, Sankar Pokharel, Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Kashi Nath Adhikari, were the only members from the Oli panel to secure berths in the central committee.

Late night Wednesday a total of 997 party representatives voted the central committee comprising of 43 full members and 12 alternative members from 107 contestants. Out of 978 valid votes Nepal garnered 807 votes whereas Oli and Bam Dev Gautam, the leading minority leaders, bagged 709 and 760 votes respectively.

The new central committee comprises five women members, including four full and one alternative. There were 13 women candidates in the field.

Jubilant general secretary Nepal termed the result as a "matured decision" by the party representatives. He also offered special thanks to Oli for his efforts in party’s unity. "Oli brought a dissent proposal, but he also worked for the unity in the party," he said.

Nepal assured that the newly elected central committee would allocate responsibilities as per the skill and efficiency of the elected members.

On the occasion he also commented about the recently developed political situation in the country. Nepal said that UML would play a vital role in peace building.

The new central committee has 12 new faces as the alternative members whereas all of the 43 full members were already in the outgoing central committee.

Former central committee members Sita Nanda Raya, Mahendra Raya Yadav, Guru Baral, Prem Bahadur Singh, Bachaspati Devkota and Prithvi Raj Subba have been defeated this time. Two former members Kamal Koirala and Agam Bantawan did not file the nomination.

Among the elected members Ashok Rai secured the highest votes, 851 out of 978 valid votes. Jhala Nath Khanal, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, general secretary Nepal and Subash Nemwang trailed Rai with 824, 822, 807 and 806 votes, respectively.

Following the announcement of the result, Oli offered best wishes to the newly elected general secretary Nepal, and confirmed his cooperation to keep the party united.

However, Oli blamed that the incumbent leadership played foul game to secure the victory.

The central committee also formed the central discipline inspection and account committees today.

Govt officially invites Maoists for talks

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 6 : The government sent an official invitation to the Maoists for a formal dialogue yesterday, according to government sources.

"Official invitation was sent to the Maoists yesterday," a source told The Kathmandu Post, adding, "We are expecting the Maoist’s acceptance of the invitation by tomorrow."

A source close to the Maoists also confirmed the official invitation from the government side. However, he said the Maoists were unhappy over the fact that the state-media did not entertain the news that disclosed their dialogue team headed by Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai.

Meanwhile, Girija Prasad Koirala, the President of the Nepali Congress, denied the media reports that he had held a telephonic conversation with the Maoist chairman Prachanda after the truce between the Maoists and the government. "There has not been any telephonic conversation with the Maoist leaders," Koirala told the reporters after inaugurating the party’s Kailali district conference today.

King sends condolences to APF

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 6 : King Gyanendra, in a condolence message today said the murder of Krishna Mohan Shrestha, the chief of the Armed Police Force (APF), his wife Nudup and bodyguard Surya Bahadur Regmi, at the hands of unidentified gunmen is the most critical form of terrorist activity and the worst example of human rights violation.

According to a news bulletin issued from the APF headquarters, the king had sent the condolence message on the sacred 12th day following the demise of Shrestha. The message was read out at a special function, organised today at the APF Headquarters, to pay tributes to the departed souls.

"With the untimely demise of Shrestha, who was dedicated to the country, to his service, and dutiful and disciplined, the nation has lost a true civil servant, who was capable of providing efficient leadership in the security field", the king noted in the message, adding, "On the one hand the APF has suffered a great loss in Shrestha’s demise, while on the other it has got to dedicate itself in the service of nation and countrymen while remaining ever more inspired, conscientious and dutiful in its field of work and not at all distracted by such a cowardly act."

Meanwhile, an internal committee of Nepal Police formed to probe into the killing of Shrestha, has concluded that the APF chief was not assassinated for his personal behaviour towards the Maoists and his action against them but the Maoists had taken advantage of the weak security arrangement.

The committed headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Keshav Baral, stated in its report that the Maoists had taken advantage of the weak security arrangements for the highest level security personnel and shot dead the APF’s IGP along with his wife and body guard.

The report, to be submitted before the government next week, has concluded that the shoot-out was carried out by the Maoists, whether they claim responsibility or not.

The report is based on facts revealed after interrogation of the injured Maoist rebel, apprehended from the near the site of the shoot-out and study of other related matters.

A member of the committee told The Kathmandu Post that the committee during its investigation found some evidences of secret plans of the rebels to assassinate nine high-level security personnel in the valley.

"Since the shoot-out has taken place at a time when the cease-fire agreement was imminent but the lower level units of the rebels were not informed, the Maoists delayed to claim responsibility of the incident for "technical reasons" the report stated.

Churches mushroom in the land of temples, stupas and monasteries

By Surendra Phuyal & Sharad Adhikari

SIDDHAKALI, Sankhuwasava : It’s Sunday afternoon in this typical mountain village in eastern Nepal, and dozens of local people, elderly women and children among them, in their best attires are flocking towards a small mound near the bazaar called Pokhari.

It’s a sunny day. The crowd grows thicker and thicker outside the Avenenger Church, which was established about nine years ago. But Pasang Sherpa, a Buddhist Lama who is waiting for devotees who would flock to the Shangang Chhoeling Monastery to celebrate the Lhosar festival, seems a bit worried.

"In the past, old and young people from all the surrounding villages would come here to celebrate Lhosar," the Lama says, as he turns around to check whether devout Buddhists belonging to the Tamang and Sherpa communities have arrived. "But now a days, there is not much enthusiasm among our youngsters about gumbas."

However, barely 25 meters away, at the foot of the same mound with terraces that have millet and barley crops, the crowd is thicker. And inside the one-storied hut locals call church, Shyam Krishna Rai the pastor, is preparing to baptise, or formally convert, five new aspiring bishwasis (followers) of Jesus Christ.

Holding a thick book of Bible, which is written in Nepali, about 50 Christians who have squatted on the carpeted floor start following Rai the pastor, who is singing, "...kahile napharkane, kahile napharkane nirnaya hami gardachhaun (we decide never to return again)." The melodious chorus seems to enthral the entire neighbourhood, inhabited mainly by Brahmins, Chhetris, Rais, Limbus, Tamangs and Gurungs.

Fascinated by the ‘miraculous healing power’ of God, and dissatisfied with the discriminatory practices and traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, more and more Nepalis are converting to Christianity around the country - in the east, as well as in the west and south.

Although rampant discrimination - such as the practice of untouchably - prevalent in the predominantly Hindu-Buddhist society is forcing many to look for greener pastors and better opportunities, the ‘miraculous healing power of God’ the missionaries preach and demonstrate seems to be fuelling the cult following.

"I was a follower of Buddhism until not so long ago," says 60-year-old Lhamu Sherpa, who is wearing Bakkhu and the sort of ornaments that all Sherpa and Tibetan women wear. "I was ill, but prayers to Buddha didn’t help much. So I started believing in God. Now I am fine. There is no problem."

Her eyes fixed on the Bible, Sherpa prays together with Tili Rai, 60, Padma Keshar Khatri, 56, and dozens of other youngsters mainly belonging to the ethnic groups. Then Rai the pastor calls in the new aspiring bishwasis - Dadhi Chandra Rai, Chandra Limbu, Krishna Tamang, Jiwan Limbu and Mana Maya Rai - near the alter, and tells them to sign in on the register. Then another prayer starts.

"Now I have baptised them, they have become the members of our family," says a humble Rai the pastor, smiling. Followers mainly from the surrounding villages and as far as the village of Nundaki near Sankhuwasava-Taplejung border come to his church every Sunday.

Asked whether he and the bishwasis also get monetary support, Rai says he has heard about a provision of monthly salary of about Rs 3,000 for pastors like him, who stay in far-flung areas. But not for the bishwasis. "Our main church in Kathmandu takes care of that," he says. "But I am least bothered about the money."

Krishna Tamang, the young man in his early twenties who is probably among the newest converts in Nepal, says he was sick and tired of giving expensive medicines to his young wife. "That’s why I have started to pray, and giving it a try. I think my wife will soon be well again," he adds.

Thanks to the open social and political atmosphere, guaranteed by the 1990 Constitution which, besides scores of other freedoms, provisions of religious freedom, more and more people are exercising religious freedom.

In nearby village of Kharang, 54-year-old Basanta Rai, the retired Indian

Reserve Police personnel, has set up his own church. The Cyprus Church, as it has been named, also attracts dozens of bishwasis from the surrounding villages.

Among them are people belonging to the Rai and the Limbu communities and the Dalits, the Hindu outcasts who are looked down upon by high class Hindus as ‘untouchables’.

"So depressed I had become that night that I nearly killed myself. But then God sent an angel for my rescue. And I became Christian now...I hate Hinduism, which promotes such vices as ganja-and-bhang addiction, and discrimination of human beings."

Less than one percent of the population in the country are Christians, according to Census 2001. And from 15,000 in 1970 to an estimated 600,000 Christians today, Nepal has one of the fastest-growing Christian populations among the 3.6 billion people throughout Asia’s 51 countries, Christianity Today magazine says in a recent edition, quoting Christian missionaries.

The genesis of conversion in Nepal dates back to the Malla era, which ended in the later half of 1700 A.D. But after King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great, the founder of modern Nepal, conquered the Kathmandu Valley, he expelled a community of 57 Christian converts (Capuchin priests) to India.

The situation remained unchanged in the world’s only Hindu Kingdom until 1950s, after which the country gradually started to open up. But now, with the estimated population of Christians crossing 600,000, the trend may look encouraging for missionaries and evangelists, who are said to be working to convert the whole of Asia by the end of the third millenium.

And 48-year-old Bir Singh Gurung, who works as a porter - ferrying heavy rocks from the nearby river to build a stone-wall to safeguard the premises of Bishwabasi Mandali (a church) in Manebhanjyang these days, says that he will not return, come what may. Situated on the outskirts of Khandbari, the headquarters of Sankhuwasava district, Manebhanjyang is a day’s walk away from Siddhakali.

It looks like, Bir Singh is among the staunchest followers of God in the country. "Sir, before I was a Hindu, now Christian. My two young sons are studying in monasteries " he says, as he heats his lunch under a shade outside the church. "But now, my spouse and myself follow Christianity. We trust in God, and my sick wife is well again. I will never return (back to Hinduism), no matter what. You can hit me with bullets. But never."

(With inputs from Shyam Niraula in Khandbari)

Rebel women were sexually abused: NWC

Post Report

BANKE, Feb 6 : Women Maoist cadres were sexually harassed and exploited by their male comrades, according to a study conducted by the National Women’s Commission (NWC).

Taking reference of a study recently conducted by a fact-finding team of the NWC, Dr Pokhrel claimed that Maoist women were sexually exploited during the insurgency.

The fact-finding was formed to probe into the cases related with sexual exploitation of rebel women by their male colleagues.

Pokhrel said her team discovered that two women rebels gave birth to babies in caves, after being sexually exploited by their colleagues.

A NWC team returned here after visiting many places in Rolpa, Pyuthan, Jumla, Bardiya, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Dadeldhura districts in the mid and far-western regions recently.

"Two mothers are still in caves in Dadeldhura district," she said, adding that they were not in a position to return home, fearing social ignominy. She, however, did not disclose their identity and the place they are currently living in. Two others, who are under government detention, also said they were sexually exploited by their male counterparts time and again.

"Up to five or six male rebels had established physical relations with us repeatedly," Pokharel quoted the women as saying. She met them in one of the prisons in Rapti zone. She said that the victims were afraid of going back home, even after their release from the detention.

The NWC chairperson told The Kathmandu Post that the commission began investigation on the status of arrested Maoist women, in response to a request from Maoist women’s group, which claimed that the rebel women were raped in detention.

After visiting the prisons in the western Nepal, Dr Pokharel said that many women were framed on theft and robbery and they were not treated as prisoners of conscience. She said that the commission would plead with the government to treat them as prisoners of conscience.

The investigation team found that some of the women had joined the insurgency to revolt against social injustice. The team concluded that the women joined the rebellion because they had to sleep with landlords when they worked as bonded labourers in Terai, and they suffered from steal-marriage in western hills.

Dy PM Mandal snubs party ultimatum

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KATHMANDU, Feb 6 : The verbal war between two rival factions of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) that followed the ouster of party general secretary Rajendra Mahato has brought the party in the verge of split.

The split looks imminent as the party’s acting chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Badri Prasad Mandal declined to comply with the party’s ultimatum. The party had issued a three-day ultimatum to Mandal to quit the government that expired today.

A meeting of party’s majority members on Tuesday had decided to withdraw party’s support to Lokendra Bahadur Chand’s government and called back Mandal from the cabinet.

Central committee member Mahato said Deputy PM Mandal has failed to furnish his clarification within given deadline so he ought to face party’s action.

Mahato did not elaborate as to when the action would be taken and what would be the nature of the action but said that the disciplinary action would be immediately initiated.

Mandal camp in the party has been challenging the authenticity of the meeting claiming there were hardly four members including two ousted general secretaries, Hridayesh Tripathi and Rajendra Mahato.

Rajendra Mahato said, "Those who have signed the committee meeting decision should come up with their opposition voice if the Mandal camp sought to challenge the meeting’s decision."

The rebel camp led by Mahato and Tripathi has accused Mandal of leading the party to destroy its years-long legacy and leading the party towards collapse.

Newly elected UML central committee members

Post Report

JANAKPUR, Feb 6 : The following are the names of newly elected central committee members of CPN-UML.

Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Rajendra Pande, Kashi Nath Adhikari, Yuv Raj Gyawali, Bhim Rawal, Krishna Gopal Shrestha, Moda Nath Prasrit, Pradip Nepal, Kiran Gurung, Keshav Prasad Badal, Iswor Pokharel, Subash Nemwang, Rajendra Shrestha, Radha Krishan Mainali, Sahana Pradhan, Suresh Karki, Govinda Prasad Koirala, Siddhi Lal Sing, Hem Raj Rai, Surendra Pande, Asta Laxmi Shakya, Kedar Neupane, Raghu Pant, Bhim Acharya, Shanta Manavi, Yuv Raj Karki, Ram Chandra Jha, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Ghanendra Basnet, Amrit Kumar Bohara, Urwa Dutta Pant, Mukunda Neupane, Pradip Gyawali, Bishnu Rimal, Bam Dev Gautam, Trilochan Dhakal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, K P Sharm Oli, Gopal Shakya, Ashok Rai, Jhala Nath Khanal, Sankar Pokharel and Bishnu Poudel.

Alternative members

Urmila Aryal, Gokarna Bista, Ramji Sharma, Naresh Kharel, Ratneshwor Goit Yadav, Pashupati Chaulagai, Mahendra Pande, Purushottam Poudel, Prakash Jwala, Chhabi Lal Biswokarma, Tul Bahadur Gurung and Rakam Chemjong.