News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Nepal

Left Parties Demand Fair Polls

A delegation of seven left parties has demanded that the caretaker government create an environment for impartial elections. A delegation led by CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba Sunday and presented a memorandum regarding the prime minister's foreign visit, the status of public corporations and forthcoming mid-term polls. The delegation drew the attention of the prime minister to ending the state of emergency, restoring civil rights, resolving the Maoist problem through talks, and assuring the masses about holding free and fair elections. RSS news agency reports Aug. 26.

Two Maoist Activists Die In Explosion

Two Maoist activists were killed and four others were injured when a powerful bomb went off at a rented room in the capital's Bafal-Sitapaila area Sunday afternoon, reports said. State-owned Radio Nepal quoted police sources as saying that one of the dead was identified as Dipesh Shrestha, central member of the pro-Maoist student body, ANNFSU and a resident of Gorkha district. The other deceased is said to be Shrestha's cousin. After the explosion, security forces sealed off the area and launched a massive search in the adjoining houses. Police suspect that the rebels were using the house to manufacture explosives to carry out subversive activities within the capital valley. In separate incidents, security forces short dead three armed Maoist rebels at Pipaladi area of Kanchanpur district on Saturday, the Defense Ministry said Sunday. Ten other Maoist rebels were killed in Kailali and Bardia during the weekend, authorities said. Compiled from reports Aug 26.

'Army Will Be In The Field, Emergency Or Not'

Defense Secretary Madan Prasad Aryal said on Saturday that Royal Nepal Army (RNA) operations against the Maoist terrorists would continue irrespective of whether the state of emergency was extended or not. He said that RNA is sufficiently equipped to provide security for a free and fair mid-term poll on November 21. Speaking at a regular interaction program at the Reporter's Club in the capital, the defense secretary claimed that the military action in the past nine months after the state of emergency was imposed has obtained massive success in demolishing the Maoist organization. Aryal said nearly 3,400 Maoist rebels were killed and another 500 injured in the ongoing security operations. He said 7,178 people out of total 9,900 arrested on suspicion of being Maoist activists have been released after conducting necessary interrogation. He added that 166 soldiers have died and 235 injured while two army personnel are still missing. Space Time Aug 25.

FNJ Calls Off Hunger Strike

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) called off its month-long protest after the government agreed to fulfill all of its demands, including instituting a commission within next 15 days to probe into alleged atrocities committed by security forces against media personnel since the imposition of the state of emergency in November last year. The FNJ had launched a relay hunger strike at Bhadrakali in the capital since Wednesday to press for its demands. As per the agreement, the government has also agreed to make the whereabouts of the arrested journalists public. According to FNJ, nearly 140 journalists were taken into custody since November 2001 out of which nearly two dozen are still behind bars. Meanwhile, the government on Thursday made public the report submitted by a three-member committee regarding the whereabouts of a pro-Maoist editor, Krishna Sen. According to Kantipur daily, the committee, led by joint secretary at the Home Ministry, Sushil Shumsher JB Rana, has concluded that there were no records of Sen being taken into custody by any of the probable security agencies. Media reports had claimed that Sen was allegedly tortured to death a couple of months back while in police custody. Compiled from reports Aug. 25.

Govt. Withdraws Directives

As per an agreement with the agitating journalists, the government on Friday has withdrawn nine-month old directives imposing restriction on the media within the country. The Home Ministry said that matters prohibited by notice no. 1 and 2 published by the Ministry of Information and Communications in supplementary 49 of part 51 of Nepal Gazette dated 2058-8-11, the period of validity of the notice has now expired and no such notice has been issued since then. The notice was issued in the aftermath of the imposition of the state of emergency in November last year. As per the understanding reached between the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and the government, the latter has agreed to making the condition of the arrested journalists public within 15 days and then starting the process of their release, sending the notices received at the local level to the media through local security agencies, resolving immediately the problems encountered in unhindered circulation of periodicals by local administrations and constituting a commission within 15 days for the study of miscellaneous problems experienced by the media sector and the government, and submitting a report† in this regard. Compiled from reports.

30 Rebels, One Soldier Killed In Rolpa

At least 30 Maoist rebels, including the area commander and instructor of the Maoist guerrillas, were killed in a massive offensive launched by the security personnel at Thabang area in the mid-western district of Rolpa Tuesday (Aug. 20), officials said. According to Defense Ministry, at least 60 more rebels were injured when the army personnel raided the Maoist training camp in one of their strongholds. One soldier was killed and three others sustained injuries, the Ministry said Wednesday. In separate incidents, the security forces killed four rebels in three districts. They also recovered guns and explosives from the sites of encounter. Compiled from reports.

Maoist Leader Pradhan Denounces Violence

A pro-Maoist lawyer and member of the "Joint Revolutionary People's Council (JRPC)" - considered the parallel government of the underground party - Mukti Pradhan, has announced that he has 'revolted' against the Maoist ideology and wanted to lead a peaceful life. Talking to reporters at the office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Monday, Pradhan said he always had full faith in the present constitution of the country and also called upon both the government and the rebels to find a peaceful solution to the six-year-old insurgency. He did not explain the reason for his 'enlightenment." Led by senior Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, the underground party had announced constitution of the JRPC days before the imposition of the state of emergency in late November last year. A lawyer and human rights activist, Pradhan said there was a need to prevent Nepal from turning into Somalia. "We have seen that even 25 years old conflict in several countries hasn't been resolved (through armed struggle). So, there is no alternative to peace." Human rights activists accompanying Pradhan said they feared that the security forces could arrest him. Besides declaring him as a terrorist, the government has declared a bounty of Rs. 3.5 million on his head. Compiled from reports Aug 20.

Rebels Murder Editor Sharma

Reports said Maoist rebels have abducted and killed Nava Raj Sharma, editor of "Kadam" weekly published from remote northern district of Kalikot. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reported Thursday that Sharma was abducted by the rebels on June 1 while he was on his way towards his house at Shiva Thana VDC in the district. His badly mutilated body had been recovered one week back. The information related to Sharma's death became public only when a fact-finding team from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) visited the district last week. Sharma was also serving as a teacher at Badi Malika secondary school in the district. A pro-left journalist, Sharma is believed to have been targeted by the rebels after one of his reporters in the weekly left the job to become an area commander of the Maoists in the district. Nepalese and international press freedom groups including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters sans Borders have condemned the murder of Sharma and have demanded probe into it. Compiled from reports Aug 22.

NWSC To Be Privatized

As per the commitment expressed by the Nepalese government to the donors, plans are afoot to privatize the management of the state-owned Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) in the capital. Following confusion that was created after World Bank changed its priorities, the privatization of water management got fresh support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Together the two donors have pledged assistance worth 6.63 billion rupees to carry out the process of privatizing it. The government has already enacted a law a year ago which allows it to hand over the management of drinking water to foreign private sector. The government officials hope to privatize it within one year. Leading dailies report Aug. 21.