NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Maoists Release Policemen

In accordance with party chairman Comrade Prachanda's announcement on releasing all policemen and private citizens in their captivity, the underground Maoist party freed 26 more policemen from mid-western district of Rukum Wednesday, Janadisha, a pro-Maoist daily reported. According to the report, the number of policemen released so far has reached 49. More policemen will be released, the daily said. The Home Ministry is yet to confirm the latest release of the policemen, who were abducted from Holeri police post in Rolpa district by the rebels nearly three months back. The daily quoted a highly placed Maoist source as saying that the underground party was ready to sit for talks with the government any time "if the latter created a conducive environment for talks." The party has demanded the release of its leaders, including Matrika Yadav, making public the situation of missing persons, withdrawing Public Security Regulations and Armed Police Force and ordering Royal Nepalese Army personnel back to the barracks, among other things. Compiled from reports Oct. 7.

Airline's Permission Withdrawn

At a time when Nepalese travel trade entrepreneurs are feeling the heat in the aftermath of last month's terrorist attacks on the United States, a government agency has withdrawn its permission to allow chartered flights from Taiwan to Nepal. According to a news report, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has withdrawn its preliminary approval to Mandarin Airlines, a Taiwanese company, while the airlines was all set to operate a chartered flight from Taipei to Kathmandu carrying 100 Taiwanese tourists on Thursday. The CAAN gave no reason for its decision. Meanwhile, the Pacific Asia Travel Association Nepal chapter has expressed serious reservations over the government's decision and has demanded that it be withdrawn in the interest of Nepal's tourism industry. Kantipur Oct. 4.

South Asian Maoists Slam US

A group of 10 Maoist parties from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have condemned, opposed and called to resist what they called US war efforts in the aftermath of the "unprecedented attacks at the World Trade Center and Pentagon last month". In a statement issued by the Co-ordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA) on September 24 but faxed to media organizations in Kathmandu on Sunday (Oct. 7), the parties said they strongly condemned "the warmonger US trying to drag the world towards a massive war." They have also condemned what they called servile role of the reactionary governments of South Asian region for "dancing to the tune of US imperialism in the name of countering terrorism." Interestingly, the Maoist parties have not condemned the terrorist attacks in the United States that are believed to have killed more than 6,000 people and injured an equal number of people on September 11. Compiled from reports Oct. 7.

US Envoy Lauds Nepal's Support

US charge d'affaires Larry Dinger has said Nepal's willingness to help in every way to counter terrorism is encouraging. In an interview with the official news agency, Dinger said terrorism is a global problem and that anti-terrorism efforts had focused on South Asia. Responding to a question about the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, Dinger said he hoped that negotiations would bring some fruits, adding that peaceful process is the only reliable way to resolve the problem. Democracy is the only legitimate way to handle the problem, he said. "We also believe in the rule of law and the state has the responsibility to protect private property and personal security," Dinger said. RSS news agency reports Oct. 8.

Gupta Blames Finance Ministry

In what is seen as yet another example of a tug-of-war among government ministries, Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta has said the special rural telecommunication program launched by the government would not be completed on time due to lack of adequate budget allocations. Gupta said out of the $70 million project, which aimed to provide at least two telephone lines in each Village Development Committee in the country, the government was to provide $40 million. Talks are being held with the Finance Ministry and if the resources are not made available, it will take another four years to complete the project, Gupta told the House of Representatives Tuesday. Out of the country's 3,914 VDCs, 1,761 have communication facilities. RSS news agency reports.

Investors Being Sought

Nepalese officials are looking for prospective investors to develop the 250 MW Rolwaling (Upper Tamakoshi) hydropower project in eastern Nepal, a newspaper reported. While most of the hydropower projects developed in Nepal have cost up to US$2,500 to generate 1 MW of power, the in Rolwaling will not exceed more than $1,100 MW, said a preliminary study conducted by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in July. The total project cost is estimated at $277 million, including the construction of 100-km 220 KV transmission line and 37-km access road. A 300-meter-high natural dam has reduced the project cost significantly, said Bishnu Bam Malla, executive director of the NEA. NEA officials said they were exploring both domestic and foreign investment to develop the attractive project. Space Time Sep. 25.

Curfew Lifted In Tulsipur

The local administration has lifted an indefinite curfew imposed in the mid-western town of Tulsipur in Dang district after four days. The curfew was imposed last week as agitating crowds were vandalizing public transport vehicles demanding compensation for the death of two school students who died when a bus overran them last Saturday. The crowd vandalized dozens of passenger buses causing an estimated loss of more than Rs 10 million and burnt down a ticket counter belonging to the bus entrepreneurs. A protester was killed and nine others injured when police opened fire to control the crowd. The local administration imposed a curfew since Monday. Compiled from reports.

'Maoists Planning Attacks'

Maoist-affected village

At a time when the government and Maoist rebels are preparing for the third round of peace talks, the government has beefed up security after getting information that the rebels were preparing to mount assaults on the headquarters of three northern districts, Mugu, Kalikot and Jumla, a newspaper reported Tuesday. A secret circular sent by Police Headquarters in Kathmandu to subordinate offices clearly hinted that there was no possibility of a peaceful solution to the insurgency and asked police to check the movement of armed guerrillas toward sensitive areas. The Police HQ pointed to the possibility of Maoist attacks in other districts as well. The Maoist party has dispatched guerrillas and arms at Siuna and Thirpu in Kalikot district, some seven hours' trek away from the district headquarters, police said. They said the Maoists might try to capture the whole district after India refused to provide them shelter. Police have made necessary arrangements in cooperation with the Royal Nepalese Army to counter the possible assaults, a senior police official, who declined to be named, said in Nepalgunj. Nepal Samacharpatra Oct. 2.

'Look Toward Asian Countries'

In order to mitigate the adverse impact on Nepal's tourism industry in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, travel trade entrepreneurs have said the country should focus on its immediate neighbors and South East Asian countries. Tek Chandra Pokhrel, a senior tourism entrepreneur, said Nepal should focus on India, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan to attract more visitors. The travel trade leaders demanded that the government introduce a special package to offset the adverse impact on tourism. Meanwhile, Nepal and China are going to sign a memorandum of understanding next month to open the door to Chinese tourists to Nepal. Compiled from reports Oct. 2.