BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

SENIOR GOVERNMENT officials and business leaders from Nepal and China have stressed closer ties between the neighbors. Inaugurating the fifth meeting of Nepal-China non-government cooperation forum here Thursday, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the government would ensure a peaceful environment for businesses to operate all over the country. President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ravi Bhakta Shrestha said Nepal's business community was looking forward to increasing exports from Nepal to China through the forum. Zhang Xuwu, executive vice chairman of All China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) said the forum would be instrumental in promoting bilateral economic cooperation. According to officials, Nepal's export to China stood at Rs 514 million in fiscal 1999/2000, whereas imports from China amounted to Rs 12,530 million.

KING GYANENDRA HAS, in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 and with the advice and consent of the Council of Ministers, promulgated the Terrorist And Disruptive Activities (prevention and control) Ordinance 2001 "as it has become necessary to make necessary legal provisions to control terrorist and disruptive activities so as to provide security to the general public and ensure peace and order in the Kingdom of Nepal and as parliament is not in session." The Ordinance has clearly defined terror, terrorist and disruptive acts and crimes and has made provision for anyone residing abroad but indulging in crime in Nepal subject to punishment. Despite the state of emergency, expression of views, running of presses and publications, migration and operation of communication systems can take place as usual without, however, infringing the Terrorist and Destructive Crimes Control and Punishment Act and the constitution.

THE NEPALESE GOVERNMENT has declared as terrorists any individuals, institutions or groups directly or indirectly assisting the CPN (Maoist) group and supporting its activities. The decision was taken based after analysis of the violence and killings perpetrated by the Maoists in different parts of the country as well as violent attacks on and arson at government buildings and private property, and in the context of the CPN (Maoist) Chairman Prachanda taking responsibility for such incidents, the Cabinet Secretariat said. The government has also accused the Maoists of instigating personnel of the Royal Nepalese Army and Nepal Police to rebellion.

NEPAL HAS URGED the government of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal to step up security in northern parts of the state to check cross border infiltration of Maoist insurgents hiding there. The Press Trust of India quoted Nepal's consul-general Yubaraj Bhusal as saying that the request was made during his meeting with state Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Kolkata Monday. "I have requested the chief minister to beef up security and not to allow Nepalese terrorists to operate from Siliguri," Bhusal said after meeting. Bhattacharjee gave assurances that security was already tightened in the area and (that he would) give a fresh look to security arrangements in north Bengal so that Nepalese Maoists could not operate from India, the consul general said. In view of the heightened security in Nepal, the Maoists might try to enter West Bengal to carry out their operations, the Nepalese official added.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED health professionals to inform the authorities if anybody with bullet wounds approached them for treatment. Health Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari warned Friday that doctors working in government hospitals as well as in private institutions were liable to government action if they treated terrorists without the knowledge of security agencies. Those violating the regulation would be subject to action in accordance with the recently promulgated anti-terrorist Ordinance, he added. The government's warning has come at a time when reports say a huge number of Maoists have been injured or killed in the ongoing army operation.

THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT has agreed to provide a grant assistance of Rs. 228 million for the Community Environment Awareness Management Project. An agreement was signed here on Friday between the Finance Ministry and Canadian officials. According to officials, the project aims at integrating social and economic work areas along with fulfilling the required basic infrastructure. One of the objectives of the project is to bring about local-level management in building larger development projects.

THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT has agreed to extend the Nepal-India Trade Treaty, which was to expire this week (December 5), by another three months. Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee conveyed his government's decision in a telephone call to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday. However, Vajpayee said Indian industry was keen that certain provisions of the treaty should be modified, agency reports said.