News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

"Anti-China Activities Detrimental To Both"

The Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Congwong has condemned Dalai Lama for anti- China activities. In an interview given to The Kathmandu Post daily (October 1 2002), he said that the Dalai Lama is involved in anti-China and separatist activities. "There is Dalai Lama's office in Kathmandu and his representative is involved in anti-China activities. On Dalai Lama's birthday and Tibet's so-called independence day, they indulge in anti-China activities in Kathmandu. This is an attempt to sabotage national unification of different ethnic groups in China. The Dalai Lama office was closed in 1975 but anti-China activity never stopped here. No country has recognized Tibet as a separate country, but Dalai Lama clique spreading activities with an intention to split Tibet from China." The envoy further said, "Nepal and China share about 1400km common boarder. Anti Chinese activity here are not only a concern for China but they are equally detrimental to Nepal's stability as well. Nepal has reiterated many times that it would not let its soil be used against China . We highly appreciate that." The envoy in response to another question about Chinese support to Nepal said that the Chinese government has been providing moral support to quell insurgency in Nepal. They have also provided enough supports in economic fronts including the agreement on opening Nepal as a tourist destination for Chinese citizens. The Kathmandu Post October 1.

Two Day Strike In Valley Schools

Hundreds of thousands of students in the capital valley were affected by the two-day strike (October 1-2) called by banned ANNFSU (Revolutionary), the student wing of the underground Maoists. Some 200 higher secondary schools, 3500 government and private schools and 100 private and government colleges in the Kathmandu valley have been directly affected by the strike. Most of the schools have declared "study leave" for their students for two days in the middle of their term-exams. "When the government finds it difficult to cope with the Maoist problem, how can we risk at the personal level?" said Rajesh Khadka, President of the Private and Boarding School Organization of Nepal (PABSON). The rebels have damaged properties of a number of schools and academic institutions in the capital in the run up to their strike. Compiled from reports October 1.

Rebels Destroy Phaplu Airport

A group of Maoist insurgents attacked and set on fire the remote Phaplu airport tower in eastern hilly district of Solukhumbu Saturday, reports said. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur K. C., who hails from the district, inspected the site and assured that rehabilitation works would start immediately. Talking to reporters after the visit, Minister KC said that a group of ten arms rebels stormed into the airport premises, sprinkled kerosene over the airport tower and set it ablaze. According to initial estimates, damage worth around Rs three million has been caused due to the terrorist act. "Despite destruction, we have already installed a new communications set and air services between Kathmandu and Phaplu have resumed," the Minister said. In a separate incident in the capital, a group of armed pro-Maoist students stormed into the premises of Galaxy Public School at Gyaneswore early Sunday and caused a series of explosions at Principal Gita Rana's office. They also vandalized a bus within the school premises and ran away. Mrs. Rana misbehaved with reporters and photographers and even alleged them as "terrorists" when they reached the site of explosion to cover the incident, reports said. Compiled from reports Sep. 30.

EC Announces Poll Schedules

Amid uncertainties on whether elections will take place as per scheduled, the Election Commission on Saturday announced that the elections to the House of Representatives would be held in six phases over the period of two months beginning November 13 this year. The Commission officials said the decision was made keeping in view of the security situation in the country. According to the program, a total of 15 districts including the capital, Kathmandu, will go for the elections in the first phase. The polls for western districts most affected from the Maoist insurgency would be held in different phases later. The caretaker government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had proposed to hold elections in seven phases citing security reasons. But the major political parties had demanded that the elections should be held in no more than three phases. The underground Maoist party has threatened that it would disrupt parliamentary elections as, according to them, it would not resolve people's problems in the country. Compiled from reports Sep. 29.

MOU On West Seti Project Signed

The Power Trading Corporation (PTC) of India and the Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC) have finally entered into a memorandum of understanding to develop the 750 megawatt West Seti hydroelectricity project in far-western Nepal. "We have finally made a significant breakthrough," Bill Bultitude, Managing Director of the SMEC West Seti said. "A formal commitment or intent has been made to proceed with further negotiations to achieve the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to generate power from West Seti," he said. The agreement was signed in New Delhi, Thursday, by Bultitude on behalf of the Australian company and Mahendra Kumar, Executive President of the PTC. Set up by Government of India in 1999, the PTC is responsible for power trading and signing PPAs with the neighboring countries. According to Bultitude, SMEC has submitted a price of US 5.12 cents (Indian Rs. 2.45) per kilowatt per hour for West Seti power, and negotiations are going on between the Indian officials and the Australian developers to decide on the actual price. While SMEC is trying to sell power in US cents, Indian officials are negotiating to buy a part of it in Indian currency, according to Bultitude. The PTC is also negotiating with the northern Indian states, its potential buyers. "It will take several months to conclude the negotiations," he said, emphasizing that the MoU is "the first major step of what is still a significant road ahead." Kantipur September 29.

Nepal King, PM Send Condolence

In a message sent to A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, President of the Republic of India, King Gyanendra has expressed shock over the cowardly and mindless act of terrorism in Akshardham temple, Gandhinagar, resulting in the loss of a number of lives. While condemning terrorism in all its forms, His Majesty said Nepal strongly feels that it cannot be justified as a means to achieving any end. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, in a message to his Indian counterpart A. B. Vajpayee, also condemned the attacks at the religious site of Hindus. 31 people had been killed and several others injured Monday when two gunmen entered the temple premises and started shooting the devotees indiscriminately. The terrorists were later killed in a successful commando operation. Compiled from reports Sep. 26.

Jaisi Taken To Kalikot

Maoist rebels have reportedly taken the former president of Achham district development committee and a UML activist Krishna Prasad Jaisi to their training center at Kalikot, KANTIPUR daily reported. The daily has quoted secretary of UML's far-regional zonal committee, Dinesh Subedi, as complaining that security forces have not launched search in Kalikot district to rescue Mr. Jaisi. Jaisi was abducted by a group of armed Maoist rebels from Sanagaon of Doti district while he was on his way to attend a zonal level party meet. A popular local leader, Jaisi was actively working to raise resources in order to rehabilitate Mangalsen, district headquarters of Achham, devastated during the Maoist attacks early this year. A group of eight human rights organizations have appealed to the Maoists to ensure Mr. Jaisi's safety and immediate release. Compiled from reports.

Khetan Announces Candidature

Renowned industrialist Rajendra Kumar Khetan has announced his intention to battle it out in the forthcoming elections. The second Vice President of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Khetan has announced that he will fight the elections for the post of MP from Parsa Constituency 1.Interestingly, this is the same constituency from where senior Congress leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai won and subsequently became prime minister in the last general elections. Khetan has said that he will be fighting as an independent candidate and claims he has the goodwill from all political parties. He said that he wanted to become the MP so that he can better represent the business and economy sector in the law making body as well as to lend his expertise and experience in framing economic and financial policies in the parliament. He has also said that due to absence of representation of industrialists and businessmen in the parliament, the laws and policies have been more of a theoretical kind and not pragmatic. Compiled from reports.

SAARC Writers' Conference Concludes

The fifth SAARC writers' conference concluded here Saturday with a number of activities. Opening the three day conference, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also the current chair of SAARC, said that SAARC has always encouraged direct contact among various sections of the peoples within the region as a meaningful way to bring them together. The conference was organized by the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Litterateurs on the theme, "Striving for cultural connectivity and peace." Eminent writers and poets like Ajit Cour and Ashok Vajpayee from India, Ahmad Faraz from Pakistan, Abdul Khair from Bangladesh, poet Madhav Ghimire, Abhi Subedi and Mohan Koirala from Nepal took part in the conference. Convenor of the conference, Chandrakant Jha, said that more than ten working papers were presented and a multi-lingual poetry symposium was organized on the occasion. Compiled from reports.