Crown Prince inaugurates art show

By Indra Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Apr. 7: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev inaugurated the Natural Rock Art Exhibition organised by the Arniko Academy amidst a function at the Nepal Association of Fine Arts (NAFA) Gallery at Naxal today.

HRH Crown Prince Paras observed the stone arts put on display with keen interest. There are 158 rocks of different shapes and patterns. The stones show figures and images that resemble fishes, mammals, birds and human beings, while a few look like abstract paintings.

Raj Bikram Bhola Shrestha, president of the academy, took 33 years to collect them. He said he has not tampered with any of the rocks except to clean the soil. They are in the very shapes that they were found in.In his more than three-decade long tour to collect the rocks, he travelled to every nook and corner of the hilly regions of the country. His collections on display were made till 2058 BS.
The Department of Mines and Geology estimates some of the stones to be between 500 million to 3.5 billion years old.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kuber Prasad Sharma said that the stones could be tourist attractions.

Secretary of the academy Keshav Rayamajhi said that they have been working to promote fine arts in Nepal and that the Royal family has always been a source of inspiration in this endeavour. This is highly encouraging, he said.

Shrestha said that he has spent three months annually since the last 33 years looking for these stones.

Women's role vital in peace talks: Pun

RSS

KATHMANDU, April 7: Minister for Housing and Physical Planning and the government team's convenor for dialogue Narayan Singh Pun has said that the role of women will be important in the peace talks between HMG and the Maoists.

Inaugurating an interaction programme on "Participation of women in peace talks" organised by the Samata National Development Foundation Nepal here today, he expressed the view that women who are the backbone of society should get first priority in the peace talks.

He disclosed that he would propose representation of women when the government's talks team is expanded and the agenda fixed to uplift women who are exploited socially, politically and financially.
Convenor of the Public Services Monitoring and Inspection Team for Bagmati and Narayani Zones Bharat Mani Jangam said that participation of women in the peace talks is necessary to ensure gender equality and protect and promote their rights and interests.

Treasurer of the Social Welfare Council Pratibha Suvedi, convenor of the foundation Mina Suvedi, Raj Parishad Standing Committee member Miss Bhadra Kumari Ghale and a host of other speakers also expressed their views at the programme chaired by foundation president Major Dayanand Thapa.

Cooperation from all must to eliminate girl trafficking

RSS

KATHMANDU, Apr. 7: Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Gore Bahadur Khapangi has said that if everyone lends cooperation to institutions such as "Maiti Nepal" which is working to rescue, protect and rehabilitate women and children, inhumane activities such as girl trafficking could be eliminated.

Speaking at a function hosted to mark the l0th anniversary of Maiti Nepal here today, Minister Khapangi expressed the confidence that the bad days of girls being trafficked and living wretched and miserable lives could be ended with the joint effort of one and all.

On the occasion, Minister Khapangi gave away cash prizes and certificates to the winners of various competitions including a talent display, a friendly basketball match, art and poetry recitation.

Pandey lauds Nepal-China ties

RSS

KATHMANDU, Apr. 7: Minister for Information and Communications Ramesh Nath Pandey has said that the relations between Nepal and China since ancient times have presented a model of good neighbourliness between a big country and a small one.

Minister Pandey was inaugurating here today the prize distribution function of the General Knowledge Competition 2002 organised by China International Radio (CRI).

Referring to the consolidation of ties between Nepal and China at every moment and era, Minister Pandey said that the goodwill, understanding and confidence of the entire Nepalese towards China have always been on the increase.

Expressing the view that ties between Nepal and China at the people's level were always increasing and this bond was strong and sustainable, he said, "Nepal has always been a good friend of China and every segment in both countries should make endeavours to further deepen this friendship."
On the occasion, Minister Pandey, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wucong Yong and CRI First Deputy Director Chhan Min Yi gave away special prizes to radio listeners Chetnath Acharya, Ramesh Bhattarai and Kaji Ram Gautam.

Seventy winners of the Gyan-Bigyan contest were also rewarded at the function.

On the occasion, the Chinese ambassador said that radio has further boosted ties at the people's level between the two countries.

Deputy Director Yi and a host of other speakers also expressed their views at the programme chaired by the chairman of the CRI Listeners Club National Council Nepal.

HM's address good & timely, Oli says

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ATHMANDU, Apr. 7: CPN-UML standing committee member KP Sharma Oli has said that all aspects of the address given by His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev at Dhangadhi on Friday are good and timely.

Speaking at an interaction programme organised here today by the Reporters' Club Nepal, Oli said that the commitment expressed by His Majesty in the address towards the multiparty system is welcome and that His Majesty was serious about the problem facing the country, adding that His Majesty was even more serious about bringing lasting peace to the country.

Pointing out that everyone should be prepared to make sacrifices from his respective place for turning the peace talks into permanent peace, he said the participation of the political parties is indispensable for making the talks result-oriented. Talks without the participation of political parties would not resolve the problem.

'Help from all parties must to make peace talks successful'

RSS

NEPALGUNJ, Apr. 7: Leader of the CPN-Maoists and coordinator of the CPN-Maoist talks team Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has said that his is a party representing a majority of the people.

Addressing a mass meeting organised by the party's people's mobilisation coordinaton committee here today, he said he was participating in the peace talks because of the peoples' wishes.
Dr. Bhattarai said the success or failure of the peace talks depends on the government, adding however that the present talks would bring positive results.

At the mass meeting presided over by organising committee coordinator Ram Sharan Chaudhari, various other speakers also expressed their views.

Similarly in Ratnanagar, politburo member of CPN-Maoists and the party's talks team member Ram Bahadur Thapa (Badal) has said the cooperation of all the political parties is urgent for the success of the talks process.

Speaking at a mass meeting organised at Campachaur of Narayangadh on the occasion of the People's Movement Day today, he said as only the Maoists can give the country a progressive solution, all the parliamentary parties and other political parties should sit together to find solution.
He said his party is of the view that the solution to the present problems will be roundtable conference, interim government and the constituent assembly but other parties may present their logical option.

At the programme presided over by the organising Gandak regional sub-committee coordinator Danda Pani Poudel, various other speakers including Bhakti Prasad Lamichhane, Laxmi Shrestha, Sushila Sinkhada, Ganga Bahadur Tamang, Mahendra Shrestha, Dambar Bahadur B.K and Singha Bahadur Gole also expressed their views.

Likewise, in Rautahat, CPN-Maoists politburo member and also a member of the dialogue team, Matrika Prasad Yadav, has said that the government should fulfill the minimum conditions for dialogue and specify dates for it.

At a programme organised by the district committee of the party at Rautahat Garuda Bazaar today, he said that his party was willing to hold talks anywhere and at any time.

Emphasising the need for the government to go on releasing the prisoners of conscience, he said that prisoners of conscience have been released only through the legal and court process so far.

Nepal, China likely to review ASA

By Bhuwaneshor Sharma

KATHMANDU, April. 7: Nepal and China are likely to review and amend the existing Air Service Agreement (ASA) between the two countries when they meet in May.

"The meeting, to be held in the third week of May, aims to improve and enhance the existing air links between the two countries," said Nagendra Ghimire, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MTCA). This could bring in new airlines and create a competition in the aviation market and reduce the high airfare, he said.

The meeting, which was supposed to have taken place in December 2002, was postponed indefinitely by the Chinese government. The meeting, scheduled for this week, has been rescheduled for the third week of May in China.

Nepal and China had signed the existing ASA in 1999.

The meeting is likely to be at the ministerial level, but this has yet to be confirmed. "We are communicating with the Chinese government," Ghimire told The Rising Nepal. The previous meeting was held at the secretary level.

The existing flights are inadequate to meet the growing demand of travelers from China. Thus, the meeting will focus on extending the air services to cater to the existing demand and to attract more Chinese tourists. China had declared Nepal as its the ninth outbound tourist destination

New laws must to protect intellectual rights: Experts

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 7: Nepal's membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) may be closer than ever, but legal experts and copyrights activists say that the existing legal provisions are not adequate to protect intellectual property rights.

There are still a number of legal frameworks that need to be developed to protect Nepal's indigenous products, they say.

The existing Patent and Trademark Act, 1965, and Copy Rights Act, 2002, are not sufficient to protect ownership rights of agricultural, herbal and handicraft products, said Kanak Bikram Thapa, Dean at the Faculty of Law, Tribhuvan University (TU), today.

The relevance of intellectual property rights (IPR), in today's context, is on the rise due to global trade. "Having realised its importance, TU's Faculty of Law is in the process of restructuring the courses of study at the Bachelor's Level (LLB) and at the Master's (LLM), " said Thapa.

Speaking at a programme on Intellectual Property Rights today, he said that enforcement of law was essential for the protection of intellectual rights in a least developed country (LDC) like Nepal. At a time when Nepal is working to join the world trade regime, more awareness should be generated among people, Thapa said.

Prof. James P. Chandler, president of the National Intellectual Property Law Institute, USA, said that protection of intellectual property rights encourages economic prosperity. But adequate awareness generating activities and strong law enforcement bodies are necessary, he said.

In response to a query as to how citizens' rights in the LDCs could be protected if any norm regarding intellectual property is violated, he said that there were mechanisms for protecting intellectual rights. Besides, there is the WTO to look into any violation, he added.

Prabhakar Adhikari, convenor of the SLRS, Nepal branch said that it was high time Nepal gave impetus to the issue of protection of intellectual property rights.

Constance Colding Jones, director at the American Centre, said that safeguarding intellectual property rights has great importance in the economy.

Santosh Sharma, secretary general of Copy Rights Protection Society (CRPS), emphasised the need to enforce laws in an effective manner.

According to convenor Adhikari, the American Centre, in collaboration with the Statute Law Revision Society, Nepal branch, Faculty of Law, TU and the Copy Rights Protection Society of Nepal will organise a two-day conference on Intellectual Property Rights starting Tuesday.A similar programme will be organised in Pokhara on April 13 and 14.