Crown Prince inaugurates conference

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KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev inaugurated the 23rd Asian Conference on Remote Sensing amidst a function held here today.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince observed the scientific exhibition of the remote sensing with keen interest.Addressing the function, Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said remote sensing and GIS can help enhance our understanding of our problems and potentialities, increase our capacity to mobilise natural resources and also minimise the risk of their over exploitation for one reason or another.

"It is only through informed policy choice that we can meet the challenge facing us today, namely reducing poverty while not reducing our resource base," Prime Minister said.

He said the sophistication, technology remains to be a means however, the end is the improvement in the quality of life of the people.

"When we talk about the quality of life of the people, we can not ignore the fact that many people, in our part of the world live in a state of poverty. The life of those who live in mountainous regions is even miserable," Chand said.

"While we could argue over the reasons for poverty, I think that our efforts to alleviate it have been constrained by many factors, especially a lack of knowledge and information to overcome the development challenges posed by difficult terrain conditions and depleting natural resources, among others", he observed.

Prime Minister stressed the need to further the efforts to facilitate the sharing of geo based information both within Asia and beyond.

"We need to co-operate in realising the potential of the remote sensing technology as presented by its various applications. We need to build our capacity together," he said.

General Secretary of Asian Association on Remote Sensing Shunji Murai, chairman of International Society of Photographic Remote Sensing Prof. J.C. Trinder, secretary at the Ministry of Land Reform and Management Anant Raj Pandey and director general of Department of Survey Baburam Acharya also expressed their views on the occasion.

The five-day conference was jointly organised by the Ministry of Land Reform and Management, Department of Survey and Asian Association on Remote Sensing.

Over 400 experts from 40 countries of the world have been participating in the conference.

More than 200 technical working papers will be presented at the conference where a total of 23 scientific stalls have also been displayed.

Auspicious wedding

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KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: By the grace of god, the auspicious wedding of Her Royal Highness Princess Prearana Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah is to be solemnised with Raj Bahadur Singh, son of Navaraj Bahadur Singh and Usha Devi Singh on January 22 and 23, 2003.This is stated in a notice issued today by the Press Secretariat of His Majesty the King. Her Royal Highness Princess Prearana Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was born to His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah on February 20, 1978 (Fagun 9, 2034) in Kathmandu.HRH the Princess has completed B.A. in Business Studies and computing from Roehampton University, UK.She has visited China, India and the UK.HRH the Princess has been decorated with the Birendra-Aishwarya Sewa Padak (2002), the Suprasiddha Prabala Gorkha Dakshina Bahu (2001), and the Gaddi Arohan Ko Rajat Mahotsav Padak, 2028-2053 B.S. (1997)Raj Bahadur Singh was born on October 20, 1973 (Kartik 4, 2030) in Kathmandu.He is the son of Navaraj Bahadur Singh and Usha Devi Singh.He has completed his M.S. in Computer Science from the University of California, USA.

Envoy Saran calls on Pandey

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: The newly appointed Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shyam Saran paid a courtesy call on Minister for General Administration and Information and Communications Ramesh Nath Pandey at the latter's office Monday afternoon.

During the meeting, Indian Ambassador Saran informed Minister Pandey of the Indian Government's full understanding about the present developments in Nepal.

The Indian Envoy also assured Nepal the Indian Government's continued support and cooperation. He added that India would extend full cooperation to Nepal in its efforts towards the reconstruction of economic and social development projects.

Minister Pandey, on his part, assured the Indian Ambassador about the continuation of efforts to further strengthen relations between the close neighbours for mutual benefit.

Govt. not to hurt press freedom

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KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: Minister for Information and Communications and General Administration Ramesh Nath Pandey has called upon the press world to wield their pens keeping the overall national interest in mind in the present situation where the country is confronted with grave problems.
He was speaking at a programme jointly hosted in his honour at the Sanchargram by the Department of Information, Press Council Nepal and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ).

Emphasising the need to institutionally meet the challenges in the field of journalism, he said that the press can play a positive role in easing the complex situation at present.

Stating that it is the credibility of periodicals that make journalism sustainable and dignified, he said, "The government is not thinking of hurting press freedom. I, who havesuffered imprisonment for three years, will never indulge in this kind of activity."

Daily newspapers can make a distinct contributions in nation building, he said and disclosed that homework was going on to make the weeklies more effective.

Pointing out the need for institutional development of the Department of Information to disseminate correct information to the press, he noted that effort should be made through the Press Council to resolve the problems of the press.

Director General of the Department of Information Dharanidhar Khatiwada said that three organisations are active under the concept of Sanchargram.

Chairman of Press Council Nepal Harihar Birahi called upon the government to introduce an act concerning the right to information to exercise the press in an unhindered manner.

FNJ President Taranath Dahal said that the government should ensure press freedom in a credible manner.

Donors keen to assist Maoist hit people

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: Officials of various development agencies vowed to continue supporting the people hardest hit by the Maoist insurgency in the West and Far Western regions, saying any attempt at stopping their development efforts will result in immense human sufferings.

High level representatives from CIDA, DFID, GTZ, NORAD, USAID and World Food Programme (WFP), after a week-long visit (from November 17 to 23) to the regions were of the conviction that development aid must deliver tangible results to the poor and the marginalised. These officials spent a week in the five districts of Banke, Bardiya, Achham, Doti and Kailali and assessed the progress of their development activities in those remote areas.

"Should the Maoist insurgency in these regions continue, delivering direct results by the donor agencies becomes all the more stronger, especially to the poor and the marginalised, who are the worst victims of the deteriorating security situation," David Wood, head of the British aid agency DFID, told journalists Monday while sharing the team's impression on the visit.

In the absence of the locally-elected government, there is a gap between the donor agencies and the local representatives. "Therefore, we need to coordinate our programmes better," Wood said. The priority for assistance is to deliver visible, tangible products that directly benefit the poorest and the marginalised, he added.

Even coming across the "double jeopardy" posed both by security forces and the Maoists rebels, the NGOs and development workers need to have free, unrestricted access to do their work, Wood said.
"We are not going to diminish our support to the people of these areas," Clara Hogan, head of CIDA, said. "The donor agencies must work hard so that the short-term and tangible benefits can reach the disadvantaged and the marginalised, women, men and the ethnic groups of the regions," Hogan said.
Because of the security situation, the donor agencies need to provide support to the civil society, private sectors and the government, Hogan added. "We even need to work out new ways to be able to reach these 'excluded population'."

During the visit, the mission met with members of the civil society, government representatives, people from the private sector and men and women engaged in the development works. According to some mission members, they were quite impressed by the role of women in rural Nepal, which they found astounding and significant.

"We saw villages where upto 75 per cent of the men migrated in search of work. The women stayed behind to take charge of childcare, land cultivation, road construction and domestic work," Erika Joergensen, the WFP representative said.

Joergensen labelled the news item that appeared in English weekly about starvation becoming imminent in the Far West from February as being a rumour. She said that the development efforts were encouraging. Even in the face of the security problems, the people have developed their own mechanism of coping with them.

Despite the mounting pressure on the budget due to increased requirements by the security, the Rural Community Infrastructure Works (RCIW) continue to run in most rural and food insecure areas.
At today's press meet, the team expressed confidence that the local community would support the development endeavours. "The success of this programme is based on a very high level of community support that comes from direct involvement in the decision-making process and implementation. We have enough people who are willing and determined to serve their community," Dr. D. Stotz, team leader of IFSP/GTZ said.

Under Secretary at the Ministry of Local Administration and RCIW Manager Basant R. Gautam said that the government is firm to work with the leading development agencies, despite the insurgency problem. The government is committed to facilitate coordination among the donor agencies, local businessmen and people's representatives to launch various development works in these areas.

AIGP Thapa Nepal's first Ph. D. policeman

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Govinda Prasad Thapa has been conferred the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy by Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. AIGP Thapa is the first police officer to receive the degree.

Thapa submitted his dissertation entitled Counteractive Management of Human Trafficking in Nepal: The Law and its Enforcement, the first such subject to be dealt with by a Ph.D candidate in the faculty of Management at the university. Thapa studied different aspects of human trafficking for four years before submitting his paper. Police records show 130-140 cases of women trafficking every year, Thapa said. "This is a major problem. The number is as high as 5,000-7,000 cases each year as per the NGOs and INGOs working in the area. "Nepal has earned a shameful notoriety for trafficking and prostitution," Thapa told the press in Kathmandu today. "Poverty and illiteracy are at the crux of the problem."

He said the entire system of education needs to be overhauled, it has to be made into a vibrant institution that ensures an integrated process of character building, personality development, inculcation of nationalism and enhancement of an individual's sense of self dignity.

The absence of adequate rules and regulations is a major hurdle in checking the problem, Thapa said, adding that the Human Trafficking Control Act-1986 is still to be brought into force.

"The existing laws against trafficking must be reviewed in keeping with international norms," AIGP Thapa said. "The efforts against trafficking are not properly planned, integrated, coordinated and monitored. On the other hand, the country needs stringent laws that can prohibit trafficking and plug all the loopholes criminals exploit in their shady business of trafficking and prostitution."

During the course of his research, Thapa found trafficking to be at its worst in Kathmandu and the adjoining districts of Kavre, Dhading and Nuwakot.

Traffickers and potential traffickers were found to be using the open border with India to their biggest advantage, according to Thapa.

Human trafficking is considered a dehumanising act against civilisation, an evil that not only corrupts human dignity but also transmits life threatening diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis B.

Notwithstanding the plight of the victims and widespread expressions of concern, incidences of death, rape, manslaughter, ransom and malpractices continue to thrive unabated.

Against this background, there is an urgent need for a law on trafficking and a separate police force to control the crime in Nepal, said Thapa.

AIGP Thapa said that people, who are not aware, do not file cases against criminals, making it difficult for the concerned authorities to take action against them.

Leaders stress consensus

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: Political party leaders have stressed the need of a national consensus to resolve the Maoist problem and end the political crisis.

This consensus must enlist the support of the Monarch, political parties, civil society and the Maoists, the key forces in the current balance of power, they said at a face to face programme organised by the Reporters' Club here Monday.

They were unanimous that massive economic and social reforms were necessary to address the social maladies.However, they differed on the much-hyped issue of constituent assembly, a key demand of the underground Maoist group.Some said if the constituent assembly could be a meeting point of these forces, the parties should not hesitate to go to the people to draft a new constitution. Others were of the view that this was not a guaranteed solution to the current problems.

Minister for Physical Planning and Construction Narayan Singh Pun said the government was always ready for a national consensus among the different forces for the best interest of the country and the people."We respect the parties, but they should be flexible. They must come up with a national strategy to address the current crisis," Pun added.Newly appointed Minister Pun said that the government had given top priority to maintaining law and order, and holding the local and general elections as soon as possible."We are doing necessary homework for dialogue with the Maoists. Talk is the best way to solve the problem," he said.On the issue of constituent assembly, Pun said, "Until the government sits for talks with the Maoists, it cannot make up any opinion on this. This is a matter of discussion."

"We want a system that ensures optimal benefit to the people," he added.

Pleading for the constituent assembly, Nepali Congress leader Narahari Acharya said that it could be a new experiment in the Nepalese politics.

"If the constituent assembly can be an entry point for all existing political forces, then they should not fear to face it," said Acharya, who had floated this idea within the NC. The party has officially ruled out the idea.The NC is organising a nationwide awareness campaign to reinstate the people's constitutional rights, he said.

Pradeep Gyawali of CPN-UML said that, in principle, his party was not against the idea of constituent assembly. "But the issue is not valid in the present context."

This will not guarantee a better constitution than the present one, Gyawali said. "Neither is it guaranteed that the Maoists will lay down arms following this."

The UML leader said that some people wanted to divert attention away from the main problem by raising the issue.

Shyam Shretsha, president of the Socialist Movement, said that the constituent assembly could be the meeting point among the different forces in the present context.

"However, until massive economic reforms are launched, the constituent assembly alone does not solve the very problems of the country," said Shrestha.

Nine terrorists killed in search operations

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: Encounters between the security forces and terrorists during the search operations of the security forces in Bajura, Bhojpur, Solukhumbu, Jajarkot and Rasuwa has resulted in the deaths of nine terrorists in the last three days, the Defence Ministry said today.

The forces have found pistols, socket bombs, grenades, bucket bombs, ammunitions of various kinds of weapons, cameras, combat outfits, radios, safety fuse, multi-meter, various logistics and Rs. 51,991 in cash from the incident sites.

The security forces have found clothes, bags, socket bombs, plastic grenades and battery charger from Ilampokhari of Lamjung on Sunday.

According to reports, heavy fighting is going on since Friday afternoon in the area, and more than 50 terrorists have been reported as killed. But the deaths could not be confirmed because of the terrain and the conflict that is continuing.

It is said the security forces have cordoned about 200 terrorists who had fled after their attack at the Talukot police post in Gorkha on November 15.

The Ministry said that the terrorists on Saturday killed an unarmed armyman in Sakar area of Baitadi in far west Nepal.

The security forces have deposited Rs. 278,201 found during their search operation in Jumla in the government coffer.

The money was looted by the Maoists from different banks and finance companies in Jumla.

'SAARC big nations ignoring regional trade'

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov 25: Economic upliftment through intra-regional trade is not possible as long as the major players in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) continue to ignore the economic interests of the small economies, said economics gurus here today.

The draft for the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) is still at limbo owing to lackadaisical attitude of the big countries like India and Pakistan. On top of that, the less developed countries (LDCs) in the region have failed to benefit from the SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA), they said.
If such a tendency continues, the future of SAARC isnot encouraging, they observed.

Members of the SAARC is yet to crack the barriers to foster intra-regional trade, otherwise, the objectives of the SAARC Charter will always remains incomplete and counter productive to the small economies in the region, they said.

QAMA Rahim, secretary general of the SAARC, pointed out the need for identifying and dismantling the tariff and non-tariff barriers for the promotion of trade among the member nations of the SAARC. Negative assessment of intra-regional trade and elimination of trade constraints should be taken into consideration to bolster the economy, said economists at a programme here.

Speaking at an interaction programme on "SAARC Initiatives on Regional Cooperation" organised by the Central Department of Economics of Tribhuwan University, Rahim reiterated the commitment of all SAARC member nations towards the early removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers and all structural impediments of free trade. "To expand the trade basket, increased investment will be essential. A draft Regional Agreement on promotion and protection of investments within the SAARC region is therefore underconsideration," he disclosed.

Prof. Dr. Madan Kumar Dahal, head of the Central Department of Economics, said that success in achieving economic growth largely depends on how bilateral issues between the SAARC member countries are resolved. Members of the SAARC should have strong commitment to prop up intra regional economy, he added.

Prof. Sharad Kumar Sharma pointed out the need for dismantling barriers for intra- regional trade in the region.

Prof. Kanhaiya Bhakta Mathema spoke about the role of regional groupings in uplifting the economy.
South Asia accounts for 21.9 per cent of the world's population, but contributes only two per cent to the world's GDP. Similarly in the export and import trade, the region accounts for only one per cent and 1.2 per cent respectively.

The success of the SAFTA largely depends upon the attitude of the big nations (like India and Pakistan) and efforts of developing countries and the LDCs like Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

If SAFTA becomes ineffective like the SAPTA, the ultimate goal of economic development cannot be achieved. SAPTA has been in operation for the last seven years now. But it has not been an efficient vehicle for preferential trading arrangement. Countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan could not benefit from the preferential trading arrangement.

The South Asian Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) came into force on December 7, 1995, two years after the ratification of the agenda. The SAPTA was endorsed in 1993 April 11.

SAFTA itself is not a means, but medium to achieve a common economic goal through concerted efforts of each member state. Efforts of individual nations alone are not going to help materialize the main objectives of the SARRC.

Sericulture may pave smooth path to progress

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Nov. 25: Because of its suitable climate, Nepal has a prosperous future as far as sericulture is concerned, experts say.

Nepalese hills from east to west have very suitable climatic conditions for sericulture. The country can prosper if silk products can be exported, said a Japanese sericulture expert, who was involved in Japan-assisted projects.

Masaru Tsuzuku, senior sericulture specialist affiliated with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said, "I have found the temperature patterns here more ideal than in Japan, offering more harvest times." Tsuzuku was sharing his ideas with the media people before returning home upon the completion of the JICA-operated Sericulture Promotion Project that started in 1995.

Tsuzuku, who claims that he smuggled silkworm eggs to Nepal when he came to Nepal seven years ago, said it is a matter of pride that Nepal now produces adequate silkworm eggs.

Before I came here, silkworm eggs used to be supplied from Korea, and my friends in Nepal were happy when I disclosed that I had brought the eggs in my pocket contravening the airport regulations.
Sericulture was launched in Nepal with Japanese help in 1975. Traditional technology and mode of production were applied during the early years. The farmers at that time invested a lot but got low returns. Eggs had to be imported, and mulberry trees were suffered from diseases. Slowly, new approaches were initiated to prevent diseases than to cure them, and self sufficiency was attained in egg production.

Although Nepal still has a long way to go before it enters factory production of silk fabric, significant progress has been made to expand sericulture venture in different parts of the country, said Tsuzuku. Through a capital-based head office and seven branch offices, sericulture has so far expanded to 42 districts across the country.

Annual cocoon production amounts to about 41 tons. Until we expand the production to at least 120 tons, factory operations will not be possible, said the 70-year-old Japanese expert.

Presently, cocoons produced in Nepal are exported to India for further processing as adequate technical facilities are lacking.

Silk fabrics are produced in Nepal on a small scale, and the quality of the yarn need to be upgraded. Nepalese silk products are in demand in Japan for curtain cloths. A private enterprise, Parmita Handloom, exports some of the fabrics.

Asked if Japanese involvement in sericulture in Nepal ends with the completion of the current project, the Japanese expert said that the completion of this phase does not mean assistance will be reduced.

Follow-ups will be extended after taking stock of the performance of the works done so far. "Our aim is to make the people here self-reliant."

In the late Seventies there were around 200 farmers involved in sericulture. Now the number has crossed 1500. Over the decades, several model farmers have emerged who are capable of operating sericulture ventures independently.

Japan led the path to progress through sericulture. So can Nepal, said Tsuzuku.