Don’t take sides

The Royal Nepal Army has earned a wonderful reputation. Under the authority of the United Nations, Nepali army personnel have served in many of the world’s troubled areas. There, while remaining neutral, Nepali soldiers have helped people live in security.

I was concerned to read your news report "US expects Nepali troops in Iraq" the other day. It would be wrong for the Royal Nepal Army to take sides in other people’s conflicts.

Rev G William Robins, S J
Director
St Xavier’s Social Service Centre
Jawalakhel

Refugees’ fate

This refers to your news story titled "Nepal to ensure smooth repatriation : Foreign secretary", dated June 26, 2003, TKP.

Foreign secretary Madhu Raman Acharya has ensured every refugee that he is going to send seventy percent of them back to their country at a time when the Druk regime has refused to take more than 2.4 percent whom it considers genuine refugees. Is the foreign secretary kidding like Dr Ram Sharam Mahat and Bhekh Bahadur Thapa who had ensured that the repatriation process would begin in December 2002? They made such statement in August 2002 when the verification process at Khudunabari was near completing. Moreover, the foreign secretary claims as if he is the sole person who decides the fate of one hundred thousand refugees. Mr Acharya must stick to words, figures and facts. Mere generating some hope of illiterate refugees will boomerang on the regime he belongs to. And there are incompetent diplomats, like Acharya, who are distorting our foreign policy showing their personal ability instead of sticking to their commitment.

Narayan Sharma
Kathmandu