NATIONAL 2 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Long Haul

As the army continues its 'cordon and search' operation, Maoist rebels target communication facilities despite suffering huge losses

By BHAGIRATH YOGI

Hundreds of Maoist insurgents attacked a group of soldiers manning a repeater station of the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) at Raatmate in Rolpa district Saturday. Armed with semi-automatic guns they had looted from the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) barracks in Dang last month, the rebels were attempting to destroy the communications network of the army, which has launched a massive operation against the guerrillas.

An ambulance ambushed by Maoist : Innocent victims

After a nearly seven-hour-long battle, dead bodies of over 50 terrorists lay scattered at the perimeter of the NTC tower. The insurgents also took away dozens of their fallen comrades, dead and injured. Four soldiers were killed and eight others injured in what is seen as the fiercest battle between the security forces and the insurgents after the imposition of a nation-wide emergency. The army also recovered few weapons including light machine guns (LMG) after the encounter.

A day later, RNA personnel also foiled Maoist attempts to damage a repeater station of the NTC at Kapurkot in the neighboring district of Salyan, killing at least 11 rebels. Kantipur daily reported that the casualty on part of the Maoists could be as high as 40. Two soldiers from an army reinforcement team fell victim to an ambush laid by the Maoists.

As the army intensified its 'cordon and search' operation in the second week of the emergency, huge damage was inflicted on the rebels, authorities said. As the total number of casualties so far is yet to be calculated, security personnel have taken into custody hundreds of suspected Maoist cadres fromdifferent parts of the country.

In a major encounter, security personnel gunned down 11 Maoist activists at Sehari village in far-western district of Kailali during nearly eight-hour-long battle Sunday. In its two weeks long operation, the Royal Nepalese Army has already busted a number of training centers of the Maoists in different parts of the country and tried to destroy their communications and supplies network. But due to lack of adequate intelligence and in order to avoid more causalities to the troops, the army's operation may not have gained pace, analysts said.

"In such an operation, intelligence gathering has a vital role to play," said Krishna N.S. Thapa, a retired Lt.-General of the Royal Nepal Army. "The army has launched its operation in a right way and is superior to the Maoists on every front, including training, arms and ammunition and supply of logistics."

The people at large are still finding it hard to unearth the rationale behind Maoists' decision to walk out of the peace talks and go on with what many see as 'suicidal' strategy to take on the army. Sources close to Maoists, however, said the Maoist attack in Dang and other parts of the country was part of their strategy to give `shock' to the government and negotiate from a position of strength.

But the tables may have turned on them. With the government using all its force to contain the insurgency and mobilizing international support against terrorism, it will soon be in a position to dictate its terms. "The state of emergency will continue until all the Maoists are disarmed," declared Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba Monday. Earlier, Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka had said the Maoists must surrender their arms and apologize for their actions if they wanted to resume talks.

The prospects of talks look very remote at the moment as the army is in full swing to completely destroy the terrorist network of the Maoists that had sprawled all over the country over the last few years amid least or no resistance from the government. The government is supplementing its efforts by procuring more arms, ammunition and logistics including night-vision helicopters. Officials said it would take a couple of weeks how the war will have its impact on this year's budget. "The government is considering providing an additional Rs 4 billion to meet growing security expenses," said a senior government official.

For Prime Minister Deuba, there has been little resistance from the opposition or his own faction-ridden ruling party. A joint meeting of the ruling Nepali Congress parliamentary party and central working committee on Sunday extended its 'full support' to the government in its fight against Maoist insurgency. The meeting also asked the government to introduce a special package to give relief to the people and take measures to enforce fiscal discipline. Members of Parliament said to be close to NC President Girija Prasad Koirala, however, came down heavily upon the government and said it was failure on part of Premier Deuba to find a peaceful settlement to the Maoist insurgency as professed by him.

Congress legislators, however, seemed to ignore the fact that things have moved quite far since Mr. Koirala resigned early this year after the 'Holeri episode.' The opposition parties too said they wanted the emergency to be over as soon as possible. Human rights activists, on their part, were concerned that violation of human rights be avoided as much as possible. "The government must restraint itself from carrying on indiscriminate killings," said Krishna Pahadi, President of Human Rights and Peace Society.

Added Sudip Pathak, President of Human Rights Organization of Nepal (HURON), "There is no alternative to peace. So, sooner or later both the sides have to sit together to find a negotiated settlement through peace talks."