NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Mainali Removed From Organization Department

The central committee meeting of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) has decided to remove senior leader of the party, C. P. Mainali, from the post of chief of Organization Department of the party for indulging in anti-party activities. Party general secretary Bamdev Gautam had moved the proposal to this effect on the first day of the meeting last week. The party has also asked clarification from Hari Rokka, for taking initiative to explore third front in the Nepali communist movement, without the permission of the party. Rokka is known to be a close aide of Mainali. Mainali has been demanding change in the present central committee of the party in which Gautam enjoys majority, among others. Compiled from reports.

Human Rights Organization Alleges Police Atrocities

Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) has alleged that police had killed 15 people in Khara village development committee in Rukum district on February 22 and burnt down their houses. Making public a report here on Wednesday after visiting the site of incident, President of the Society, Krishna Pahadi, said only one policeman was killed in the encounter. Police then burnt down the entire village in retaliation, he said. He also said that a state of impunity exists in the country in the absence of a Human Rights Commission. "What the police did to the local people would not have been done even by an alien force," he added. (Photo) Compiled from reports March 30.

"Bhutan Gorkha Army Force" An Imaginary Organization

A Bhutanese refugee organization has said that the formation of an underground Bhutan Gorkha Army Organized within Bhutan is nothing but a farce. In a press statement, Bhutanese Refugee Representative Repatriation Committee (BRRRC) said the Bhutanese government itself to derail the possibilities of repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees and create confusion during the bilateral talks may have floated the imaginary organization. The organization has also urged the media not to highlight the sensational stories related to the Bhutanese refugees. Nearly 100,000 Bhutanese refugees are languishing in the camps in eastern Nepal for the last one decade. Kantipur March 30.

Refugees In Nepal Exposed To AIDS Epidemic

A report has said that Nepal faces the risk of AIDS epidemic if the reproductive health of refugees and displaced people within the region is not addressed properly due to trans-border migration. According to the report presented in the opening day of the three-day workshop on Reproductive Health Services in Crisis and Emergencies on Tuesday organized jointly by the UNHCR and UNFPA, Bhutanese refugees living in camps in eastern Nepal are exposed to such risks. According to United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), there are 126,000 refugees in Nepal out of which the number of Bhutanese refugees is more than 90,000. "The magnitude of migrants and transitory population is increasing within the Asian region," said Wasim Zaman, director of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). Out of over 11 million refugees and displaced people worldwide, Asia alone houses 7 million. Leading dailies report March 29.

Boeing Asks RNAC To Deposit Advance Money

The Seattle-based US Company, Boeing, has asked the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) to deposit the lock-off money with it by the end of this month as per its proposal to procure a passenger jet. Executive director of the state-owned RNAC, Bharat Bahadur Karki, told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the parliament on Monday that the Corporation was required to pay US$ 125,000 as a lock-off money to procure Boeing 767-300 ER jet. The Boeing Company has quoted US$ 111 million as listed price for the jet that has the capacity to fly 250 passengers. The PAC members said the committee formed to negotiate the deal should first do its homework by checking the actual price other airlines have paid for similar jets. Karki said the committee would try to bring the price down to US$ 110 million or even less while clinching a deal. The government had given permission last year to the RNAC to explore sources from national and international financial agencies to procure a jet without putting any financial burden upon the national treasury. Kantipur March 29.

Govt. Tightens Security Measures

In the wake of growing violent activities and nationwide armed shutdown strike called by the underground Maoist party, the government has said it has tightened security measures all over the country to protect life and property of the people. In a press statement issued on Thursday, the Home Ministry has appealed the general public to alert police and home administration in case individuals or groups pressure them to give donations under threats. The Ministry has asked people to call 100, 110 and 120 within the Kathmandu valley and Office of the Chief District Officers outside the capital valley if they come across any efforts to create public disturbances. The Ministry said hot line telephones have been installed at 226044 (Home Ministry) and 411549 (Police headquarters) to receive calls round the clock and extend help to the needy. Meanwhile, a policeman was killed and two others injured when a group of suspected Maoist rebels attacked at Harmi police post in western district of Gorkha on Wednesday night, reports said. According to Police, the rebels looted 10 pieces of 303 rifles, nearly 900 pieces of bullets, few shot guns and a revolver. Leading dailies report.

"No Dialogue By Giving Up Arms": Prachanda

General Secretary of the underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Comrade Prachanda, has said that his party will not come to the table of dialogue on condition of giving up arms and within the sphere of the present constitution. In an interview to today"s JANA AHWAN weekly, said to be close to the Maoist party, Prachanda said the proposal by the government was tantamount to asking the rebels to surrender. "Even a common man can understand the motive behind such a proposal," he said. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, addressing the Parliament last week, had said that those who wanted to come to the table of negotiations should give up arms first. Comrade Prachanda"s latest statement has reduced the chances of negotiations between the government and rebels, analysts say. In his interview, Prachanda said that the proposed armed shutdown strike on April 6 was an exercise of mass resistance against the tyrant rulers. Compiled from reports March 31.

Locals Protest Against Duming Site, DPM Poudel Injured

Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel had to face ire of local residents of Syuchatar village development committee in Kathmandu as he visited there without prior notice on Friday afternoon. The locals were protesting the government"s decision to construct a land-fill site in the VDC to dump solid waste generated in the capital. One of the agitating leaders said police intervened and resorted to force while they were making their points to the DPM. Deputy Prime Minister Poudel, who also looks after the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD), Secretary at the MoLD Uday Raj Soti, other senior officials and a number of policemen were injured in the skirmishes. Police said it threw tear gases and resorted to lathi-charge to control the mob. Leading dailies report Apr. 1.

Oli The Stunt Leader

The leader of the Unified Marxist Leninist Khadga Prasad Oli made a daring move to rescue his party worker on Monday, March 27. He reminded the stunt scenes of Hindi movies when he held on to a police van screeching away to release one party worker from the clutches of the cops. It was the day when the UML had called Nepal Bandha and Ratna Bahadur Shahi, a UML worker, made moves to stop a minister's vehicle in Hariharbhawan. He was detained by the cops and was shoved inside the police van. Oli, who witnessed the whole episode from nearby lane, took upon himself to release Shahi. He held on to the van that was racing away. The van stopped a short distance away and as soon as Oli got off the van to demand Shahi's release, it again raced away. Later a senior policeman who came to the place was picketed by UML workers. The police officer apologized to Oli, the former Home Minister, for the misbehavior and released Shahi. Budhabar March 29.

Maoists Plan To Takeover Headquarters

The underground Maoists are said to be preparing to capture one or more district headquarters during the armed shutdown on April 6, 2000. It is assumed that the rebels might make moves to takeover the district headquarters of Rolpa, Rukum, Pyuthan, Kalikot or Jajarkot district. It is the first time that the rebels have called for armed shutdown in the country in the last four years since they launched their people's war. Meanwhile, the nine leftist group has condemned the armed shutdown called by the Maoists saying it fell on the same day they had earlier fixed for separate demonstration against the government. Ghatana Ra Bichar March 29.

Devkota Knocks The Court's Door

Rajeshwor Devkota, the self-styled chief of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand), has knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision to de-register his party. The Election Commission decision comes after the former boss of the RPP (Chand) Lokendra Bahadur Chand, along with majority of the party leaders, decided to merge with the parent party RPP. Devkota and handful of RPP (Chand) leaders, however, decried Chand's move and declared that the RPP (Chand) will continue to work. Nepalipatra March 31.