NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Demonstrators Vandalize Press Vehicles

A scene of the strike

On the first day of the three-day nationwide general strike, activists belonging to the six left parties forced the office of the Biratnagar branch of the government-owned daily Gorkhapatra to close down on Sunday, Gorkhapatra reported. A group of about a dozen youths barged into the office in the morning, threatened the staff, locked the office and took the key with them. They also threatened that they would vandalize the office if the office were not closed for three days. Himalaya Times daily reported that left demonstrators in Kathmandu vandalized half a dozen bicycles used in distributing the newspaper on Sunday. They also threw stones at the motorbike used by its reporters covering the strike and misbehaved with a reporter belonging to Yugasambad weekly, the daily said. Similarly, Nepal Samacharpatra daily reported that organizers of the bandh misbehaved with its two staff and a report and vandalized three motorbikes in the eastern town of Biratnagar early Sunday. The daily said left activists obstructed five people distributing its newspaper and manhandled a motorbike used by a reporter in Kathmandu. Kantipur daily reported that left activists blocked six of its distributors in Pokhara from distributing the newspaper and misbehaved with a reporter with state-owned Radio Nepal. Such incidents took place despite the left parties’ public announcement that they would not disrupt movement of essential services, including the press. Compiled from reports.

Maoists Loot A Bank, prachanda Criticizes UML

A group of Maoist rebels detonated a grenade at the sub-branch office of the Agriculture Development Bank at Mayanglung in the eastern hilly district of Tehrathum Saturday night, destroyed important documents and looted more than Rs 300,000 in cash, RSS news agency reported. Meanwhile, in a statement, chairman of the underground Maoist party, Comrade Prachanda, referring to a parliamentary committee’s decision implicating a UML leader in the China South West Airlines lease deal, has accused the main opposition party of moving towards moral degeneration and corruption. In a statement issued Saturday, the top Maoist leader heavily criticized the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority for failing to book Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in connection with the Lauda Air deal, saying: "It has proved that this (parliamentary) system can’t root out corruption," Nepal Samacharpatra daily reported Sunday. Compiled from reports May 28.

AI Calls For End To Violence

The London-based human rights watchdog, Amnesty International (AI), has renewed its call to both the Nepalese government and Maoist rebels to stop killings and violence. In a statement issued Sunday on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, the AI has urged the rebels to honor instruments of international human rights, including the Geneva Convention on prisoners of war. Similarly, the AI has urged the Nepal government to respect the principle of rule of law and not to indulge in extra-judicial killings. Kantipur May 28.

Rebels Abduct Former MP, Demand Release Of Their Colleagues

A group of armed Maoist rebels abducted former Nepali Congress legislator and president of the party’s Pyuthan district unit, Mukti Prasad Sharma, Tuesday evening from his house in the mid-western district, reports said. Kantipur daily quoted an unnamed highly placed source in the Maoist party as saying that the rebels would release Sharma only if the government made public the whereabouts of five Maoist leaders and activists, and released them within the next three days. The party has demanded the release of Dandapani Neupane, Milan Nepali, Iswori Dahal, Matrika Yadav and Lokendra Bista in exchange of the release of Sharma. "If the government did not release them within three days, its consequences could be very grave," the source warned. Reports say the whereabouts of some of the Maoist activists in the list, including Milan Nepali, are still unknown. Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress central office has condemned the abduction and has demanded that the government take strong steps to ensure release of Sharma. Compiled from reports.

‘Direct Talks Likely’

Rejecting the call for all-side meeting to resolve the Maoist problem by self-appointed mediators, Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel has said the government is in favor of "direct talks" with the rebels. Addressing a program organized by the Amnesty International Nepal chapter here Tuesday, Poudel came down heavily upon the ‘People’s Committee for Peace Initiatives’ headed by Padma Ratna Tuladhar and alleged the committee of using the ‘dialogue as a means for propaganda,’ Kantipur daily reported. "The government is ready for talks and the rebels, too, are ready. Then why don’t talks take place, people are at their wit’s end," the DPM said. Poudel, however, did not explain how the direct talks would be held between the government and rebels. Compiled from reports May 23.

People Demand Continuation Of Gardep Project

Hundreds of local people took out a rally at Tamghas, headquarters of the western district of Gulmi Tuesday demanding the continuation of the Gulmi-Arghakhanchi Rural Development Project (GARDEP), Kantipur daily reported Wednesday. The fate of the project remains uncertain after a group of armed Maoist rebels burnt down a vehicle owned by the European Union-assisted project a few weeks back at Rupakot in Gulmi district. Local leaders belonging to the ruling Nepali Congress, main opposition UML, Rastriya Jana Morcha and consumer groups denounced the violent act by the insurgents and demanded continuation of the project which they said was benefiting thousands of people in the backward hilly districts of the country. The local consumer group has also sent a petition to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, through the local District Administration Office, to ensure continuation of the project. Compiled from reports.

Activists Demand Ban On Old Vehicles

Activists and experts from South Asia have called on the governments in the region to phase out old vehicles, improve the quality of gasoline fuels and promote natural gases so as to improve the deteriorating air quality of South Asia’s growing cities. They said each country in the region was paying a high cost for their indifference. Hilal A Raza, the director-general of the Hydrocarbon Institute of Pakistan said Pakistan’s economic cost of environmental pollution has been estimated US$ 1.8 billion annually. "Theproblem in this part of the world is that vehicles older than 20 or even 30 years are running in the streets. They have to be phased out, and emphasis should be given to natural gas-run vehicles, which cause little or no pollution," said Raza. Experts also voiced their concerns on the condition of the roads and infrastructure in South Asian cities. A group of experts are taking part in a regional meeting in the Nepali capital. Compiled from reports May 23.

19-Member 'People's Govt' : In Rolpa

The underground Maoist party has formed a 19-member ‘people’s government’ in their stronghold in mid-western district of Rolpa amid a public function attended by thousands of people on May 16, Janadesh weekly, said to be close to the Maoists, reported Tuesday. The weekly has given the names of all 19 members of the ‘people’s government’ headed by Santosh Budha Magar. The government has a representative from ‘people’s militia’ and two women members. The weekly said the eight-hour long declaration ceremony was attended by old people, young, women and children alike. Senior government officials, including Inspector-General of Police Pradip Shumsher JB Rana, inspected the mass meeting by making four or five rounds aboard a helicopter, the weekly reported. Compiled from reports May 23.