News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Tourist Arrivals Decline

The number of tourists visiting Nepal by air has declined by almost half, latest reports say. According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the total number of tourists visiting the country declined by 46 percent in the first five months of 2002 compared to the same period last year. The number of Indian tourists visiting Nepal during this period has declined by 35 percent, while arrivals from other countries plunged by 49 percent, the NTB said. The five-day shutdown strike called by the Maoists last month seems to have had very negative impact on tourism, reports said. Meanwhile, Hotel Association Nepal has urged the government to work toward continuing the flights of Singapore Airlines to Nepal. The airline had announced last week that it was going to stop its thrice-weekly flights to Kathmandu, citing the "uncertain environment" in the kingdom. Compiled from reports.

India Provides Weapons, Training To Nepal

A consignment of 20 armoured truckloads of weapons has reached Nepal last week, report said. The Telegraph, a leading Indian daily, reported that the military consignment reached Nepal on April 23. The Indian Army has also been training Royal Nepalese Army soldiers in jungle and guerrilla warfare in the north-eastern Indian state of Mizoram. The Kolkata-based daily quoted intelligence sources as saying that the covert operation was part of India's support for Nepal's counterinsurgency operations. This is the second such consignment to Nepal from Indian within the last few months. In an interview with BBC Nepali Service on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba confirmed that Nepal had received some vehicles and weapons from India. He did not give details. Compiled from reports.

'85 Children Killed In Armed Conflict'

A Kathmandu-based human rights organization has said that at least 85 children were killed during armed conflict and violence in Nepal over the last six years. Child Workers in Nepal Concern Center (CWIN), an organization advocating children's rights, said nearly 1,500 children had lost their parents and 3,000 others had been displaced by Maoist-related violence since 1996. A report published by CWIN said that of the 85 children killed during the conflict, 41 had fallen victim to landmines. Tarak Dhital, a spokesman for the organization, said children were most affected by the battle between government forces and Maoist rebels. He said 70 children were injured during the conflict and some 30 others were abducted. He said more than 80 children were taken into custody by security forces during the period. Without naming the underground Maoist party, CWIN quoted reports saying that children were being recruited to fight as guerrillas and girls were being sexually exploited. CWIN has urged the Nepalese government to work toward preventing violence targeted against children and to rehabilitate children displaced by armed conflict. The organization has also called on the rebels and civil society to provide security to children and honor their right to life. Compiled from reports.

ICRC Condemns Maoist Acts

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) have jointly condemned the hijacking of four ambulances by the Maoist rebels from Mauwa Khola on the Chitwan-Dhading stretch along the Prithivi Highway during the rebel-sponsored five-day shutdown last week. All four ambulances, along with their drivers, were rescued by a joint team of the Royal Nepal Army, Armed Police and civilian police. At least two policemen, including a sub-inspector, lost their lives. The ambulances were hijacked as they were returning to their respective destinations — Chitwan, Hetauda and Pokhara — after transporting patients to Kathmandu. An AFP report from Geneva quotes a joint statement issued by ICRC and NRCS stressing that medical activity must be protected, respected and facilitated. "We once again urge all those involved in the ongoing violence in Nepal to refrain from any misuse of medical services — in particular the lifesaving service provided by emergency medical workers — and to show absolute respect for the work of those services," the statement added. Compiled from reports May 1.

Nepal-India Transport Talks Inconclusive

Official talks between Nepal and India on facilitating surface transport between the two countries remained inconclusive. While Nepal had proposed to allow passenger vehicles only, India sought movement of both passenger and cargo vehicles between the two countries. As both sides stuck to their positions, a deal could not be worked out, officials said. "The discussions will continue," Chhabi Raj Panta, director-general at the Department of Transport Management and leader of the Nepalese delegation, told reporters last week. Nepalese transport operators had threatened to launch a nationwide protest program if Indian vehicles were provided unrestricted access inside Nepalese territory. Compiled from reports May 1.

Expansion of Telecom Services

The number of telephone lines in Nepal has increased to over 275,000 from 70,000 a decade back. A private sector company is set to offer cellular mobile services within the next three months. The state-owned Nepal Telecommunications Corporation already provides such services to nearly 20,000 subscribers. Four companies are offering pager services, while nearly 100,000 people are using Internet and e-mail services offered by 15 Internet Service Providers. Huge investments have been made in publishing houses. Over a dozen FM radio stations are operating in the country, including four in Pokhara. The government recently provided licenses to private firms to start television broadcasts. Nepal magazine (April 29-May 14, 2002) reports.

'Govt. Can't Fulfil Every Demand'

Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat told the State Affairs Committee of parliament that although national security is the state's prime concern, the government is in no position to meet all the demands of the security agencies. He confirmed that security agencies had demanded funds to buy 17 helicopters (including nine for the Royal Nepalese Army). Dr. Mahat said the army alone had asked for an operational budget of Rs. 17 billion over the next three years, in addition to the regular expenditure. "Maybe we need to rethink and move in a coordinated manner," said Dr. Mahat. He said the government was finding it hard to meet the recurring expenditure of the government, as the performance of almost all sectors of the economy was very bad. Leading dailies report May 1.

SC Interprets Marital Rape As Crime

Last week, the Supreme Court of Nepal made a landmark decision giving verdict that marital rape will now be considered as crime. Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) had challenged the provision of No. 1 of the Chapter on Rape of the Country Code which reads as, "a sexual intercourse with any girl, widow or married woman (someone else's wife), if below the age of sixteen, in any manner whether with or without consent, and if above the age of sixteen without her free will and consent in any manner with physical force, coercion or undue influence deemed to be rape." The FWLD had challenged the above mentioned definition of rape as discriminatory as it did not include the rape by a husband to his own wife. In its verdict, the Supreme Court interpreted that raping of own wife by a husband is also a crime as equal to the rape of other women. Moreover the court has also give a directive order to the Parliament that other laws relating to rape {(i.e. No. 8 of the Chapter of the Country Code which provides right to self defense in case of rape or attempt to rape and also No. 10 of the Chapter of the Country Code which reads as, "In case any person commits rape of a woman, half of his property shall be confiscated and given to the woman)} to be amended including other related laws. Likewise, the forum had also challenged the No. 7 Chapter on Rape of the Country Code which reads as, " whoever commits rape to a prostitute in any manner with physical force without her free will and consent shall be punishable with fine upto Rs. 500 or with imprisonment upto one year whereas in case of rape of other women punishment is upto five years of imprisonment." According to Sapana Malla Pradhan, coordinator of FWLD, "we had challenged the above mentioned provision on rape as discriminatory against specific categories of women. The court has declared the above provision ultra vires considering it unconstitutional and discriminatory against women."