NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

US Security Staff Shot Dead

Two unidentified gunmen shot dead Ramesh Manandhar, a special security officer hired by the US embassy in Kathmandu, at Ravi Bhavan in the capital Saturday afternoon. Manandhar, 28, died while undergoing treatment at Bir Hospital. Manandhar was on an assignment to check guards on duty at different US establishments. Police said they had launched an investigation and a massive search for the assailants. Kantipur daily quoted eyewitnesses as saying the assailants, claiming to be Maoists, warned passers-by not to follow them. They had used a Chinese pistol being used by Nepal Police. The suspected Maoists may have looted the pistol from police, the report said. Robert Kerr, spokesman for the US embassy, said the assailants also robbed Manandhar and took away his ID card. Two people were detained for interrogation. Compiled from reports Dec. 16.

Maoists Set Terms For Resuming Talks

A fortnight after the government declared a nation-wide state of emergency and mobilized the army to crush the six-year-old Maoist insurgency, the underground party has said it is ready for a cease-fire and the resumption of peace talks if the government agreed to its demand for a constituent assembly, a leading daily reported on Friday. In letters sent to the chiefs of the United Nations and the European Union, the presidents of the United States and China, and the prime minister of India, among other world leaders, the party said it was compelled to resume its armed campaign "as the (Nepalese) government was preparing for an armed offensive." The party claimed that it is not a terrorist outfit but a ërevolutionary movement' rooted in the masses and guided by a scientific philosophy. Kantipur Dec. 15.

Maoists Must Surrender: Deuba

A day after a leading daily reported that the Maoists had offered to resume peace talks and withdraw their offensive if the government agreed to hold an election to a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the Maoists should surrender first. Talking to a group of editors and publishers in the capital Friday, Deuba said there was no possibility of resuming talks with the Maoists unless they surrendered their arms, ammunitions and cash and kind they have looted from different parts of the country. Kantipur daily quoted Deuba as saying that the government could not allow the Maoists to spread violence under the guise of talks. "I had genuinely tried to find a peaceful solution to the insurgency. But now the situation has changed," said Deuba. He added that the army operation against the Maoists would continue until the declared objective of disarming the Maoists was completed. Deuba said his duty as prime minister was to protect the country's constitution. "No one has the right to give in to the demand of a constituent assembly." Compiled from reports Dec. 15.

Six Killed In Bomb Explosion

Six people, including five of a family, were killed when a bomb exploded at the house of Bhagvati Chaudhari at Batalpur village in Tulsipur municipality in the mid-western district of Dang Wednesday night. Those killed included an 80-year-old woman and two children aged five and six. According to police, the bomb, being handled by two Maoist insurgents, may have exploded accidentally. Bhagvati, the owner of the house, survived the blast. Shiva Kumar, Bhagvati's son, who had gone underground after becoming a full-time Maoist cadre, had returned home with three comrades the same evening. Leading dailies report.

King, Prime Minister Condemn Attacks

King Gyanendra and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba have, in separate messages, expressed shock at the attack on the Indian parliament by a group of gunmen and have denounced it. In a message to Indian President K.R. Narayanan, King Gyanendra said Nepal strongly condemns such heinous crimes and believes that all countries must work together in combating and eliminating terrorism from the world. In his message to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Premier Deuba said the Nepalese government strongly condemned the act of terrorism against a vital institution of democracy. "Nepal, which is itself a victim of terrorism, understands the cruelty of this heinous act. Such crimes perpetrated by terrorists elsewhere in the world reinforce our conviction that there is an urgent need for closer cooperation among all to eliminate this menace from the world." RSS news agency reports.

'No Indian Army Personnel In Nepal'

The Defense Ministry has strongly denied a report in a weekly newspaper that Indian army personnel had entered Nepal. The report, published in the Nepali-language Jana Astha on Wednesday quoting Rastriya Sahara, an Indian daily, said Indian soldiers had entered Nepal to assist the Royal Nepalese Army in its fight against the Maoist terrorists. "The news is completely fabricated and false," a ministry statement said. The ministry has asked reporters to check with the concerned authorities before publishing security-related news. Compiled from reports Dec. 14.

US Official Reaffirms Support

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ronald Camp has said his government supported the military campaign against the Maoist terrorists because their actions were impeding the development of democracy in Nepal. During his brief stay in Nepal, Camp called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Prajwolla Shumsher JB Rana, among others. Camp left for Bangkok en route to Colombo Tuesday afternoon. RSS news agency reported that a Nepalese business delegation called on Camp Tuesday and urged Washington to provide Nepalese garment products concessional and duty-free access to the US market. Compiled from reports Dec. 13.

Board of Investment Formed

The government has formed a Board of Investment under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. The minister for industry, commerce and supplies will be the vice-chairman of the board. The ministers for finance, water resources, culture, tourism and civil aviation, vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission, the chief secretary, the governor of Nepal Rastra Bank and the president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry will serve as members. The prime minister will nominate three members, on the recommendation of the industry minister. The board aims at drawing foreign direct investment into the country. Leading dailies report Dec. 13.