News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Envoys Request Entrepreneurs Not To Give Donation To Maoists

The American Ambassador to Nepal Michael E. Malinowski has asked the business community here to be united against the challenges like the extortion and donation to the Maoists. “Every donation given to the Maoists will be helping the environment of killings and terror,” he said. “Every rupee that you donate to the Maoists is being used to buy another bullet, and it is encouraging them to engage in extortion further.” Speaking at an interaction organized by Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) on Friday December 19), British ambassador Keith George Bloomfield said that efforts to build peace will gain pace if things like poverty, bad governance and corruption are controlled. At the same program, Indian ambassador Shyam Saran said that India was gravely concerned over the stability of Nepal as hundreds of Nepalese were entering into India everyday from borders in western Nepal. “Ultimately, it is for the Nepalese themselves to sort out this problem. We can only provide some help,” he said. Leading dailies report.

Cases Filed Against Three Student Leaders

The authorities have filed cases against the three student leaders who were arrested a few days ago. They have been charged under the Offense Against State Act at the Special Court. The authorities have demanded for 3 years of imprisonment and Rs 3000 fine as punishment for Gururaj Ghimire, Gagan Thapa and Purushottam Acharya, the student leaders affiliated to Nepali Congress and UML. They were arrested after they raised anti-monarchy slogans at the December 16 demonstrations. Meanwhile, student organizations and political leaders have protested against their arrest saying it would further intensify their agitation. Leading dailies report.

An MoU To Combat Cross-Border Human Trafficking

Nain Bahadur Khatri, chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has said that Nepal and India are mulling a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in combating cross-border human trafficking. Speaking at a program ‘South Asia Regional Policy Dialogue Assembly on Human Trafficking’, organized by Him Rights Organization and Plan International, Khatri said the MoU is likely to be finalized at a meeting during the 8th annual convention of national human rights institutions of the Asia-Pacific region, which is scheduled to be held in Kathmandu in mid-February. He said that the NHRC has already started a dialogue with the Indian Human Rights Commission to establish an effective mechanism to deal with the problem. Leading dailies report.

Economic Cost Of War High: Experts

The economic cost of the conflict in the country is very high, according to economists and experts. Professor Dr. Bishwambher Pyakuryal, presenting a paper at the program called ‘Nepal’s Conflict Economy: Cost, Consequences and Alternatives’ said that the country’s economy was facing low-level equilibrium with negative growth. He said there was a need to conduct in-depth study to analyze the exact impact on economy. According to him, 60 percent of the country’s population (15-59 years of age) belonged to economically productive segment of population out of which, the age group of 15-29 years occupied 27 percent. Around 87 percent of this young age segment of population resides in villages. He said that lack of program targeting this segment of population is one reason for the conflict. Planners and economists also said that it was very difficult to come up with exact impact of conflict on the economy saying that the human losses were incalculable. Compiled from reports.

CIAA Raids At NOC GM’S House

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has raided the house of Rudra Bahadur Khadka, general manager of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), and initiated investigation against him on charges of amassing huge amount of property. The raid was conducted on Thursday night (December 18). Khadka’s property has been frozen and the CIAA officials say they have gotten hold of some important documents. Leading dailies report.

Two Big Banks To Be Privatized Within Three Years

As a part of its second generation reforms, the government will be privatizing the two big state-owned banks – Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) and Nepal Bank Limited (NBL). According to sources, an understanding to this effect was reached at a meeting between government officials and World Bank officials recently in Washington D.C. In order to carry out the second generation reforms, the World Bank has agreed to provide Nepalese government US$ 75 million under the Financial Sector Reconstruction Project (FSRP). Meanwhile, the government has reached into an agreement called performance-contract with the state-owned Udayapur Cement Factory. The government has decided to provide full autonomy to the factory in operational matters so long as it remains within some fundamental performance-related parameters. Leading dailies report.

India Issues Arrest Warrant Against Maoist Leaders

The police in Lucknow, India have issued arrest warrants against the Nepalese Maoist leaders including its chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka comrade Prachanda, at the request of Interpol. According to AP news, the arrest warrant was issued as there were suspicions that these leaders may be hiding in northern border districts. “The Interpol has issued Red Corner notice against seven Maoist leaders including Dahal,” said Anil Kumar, a senior official at the home department of the Uttar Pradesh government. A few weeks ago Dahal and other senior Maoist leaders had met with Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) in Lucknow. Kantipur daily reports.

RNA Briefs Rocca

The chief of the RNA General Pyara Jung Thapa has briefed the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca at the army headquarters on Wednesday (December 17). General Thapa also complained to Rocca on some ‘international community’ who he said were tilted towards the Maoists, in view of their increased allegations of rights abuses by the security forces. Contradicting the reports of rights abuses, the chief is reported to have said, “We are committed to abide by the democratic norms and international humanitarian laws. We have also instructed our soldiers in this regard. We have set up a separate cell to investigate human rights issues and we have already taken action those found involved in 13 different incidents. The investigations of Dormaba and Doti incidents have reached to final stage. We have opened all our camps for ICRC. Despite all this, some international rights activists make hue and cry over small mistakes by us even as they keep quiet over the use of children in war by the Maoists, their extortion drive and killing of political workers and security personnel.” General Thapa read 15-page long report to Rocca where he has said that RNA needs more weapons and equipments, anti-terrorism training and few helicopters to effectively carry out its operations. He also added that RNA needs some surveillance equipment to target the leadership of the Maoists. He also made it clear that RNA only wants to disarm the Maoists and that it is in favor of negotiated settlement of the problem. In his political analysis, the chief has stated that there are five key actors – the Nepalese government, which wants stability of democracy and constitutional monarchy; the Maoists, who want to convince others on constitutional assembly through struggle; the political parties, who are in favor of reinstatement of parliament; the civil society, who want peace and stability; and the international community, who want peaceful settlement of the conflict. American Ambassador to Nepal, Michael Malinowski was also present during the briefing. Meanwhile, Rocca also met with King Gyanendra on Wednesday. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

Parties Demonstrate Against Regression

The agitating political parties organized demonstrations against political regression all over the country on Tuesday (December 16). They raised extreme slogans and black flags in their demonstration. The political parties also consider Poush 1 as ‘Black Day’ – in memory of the same day in 2019 B.S. when King Mahendra had promulgated Panchayati constitution dismissing elected government. On Tuesday’s demonstrations, workers of the five agitating parties also raised slogans against the monarchy. On the other hand, former Prime Minister and president of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Sher Bahadur Deuba led a separate demonstration of his party. He organized a separate demonstration because he was denied entry into the five party brigade. Deuba also addressed his workers where he urged for coming together of all constitutional forces including the King. In another development, security forces have arrested Gururaj Ghimire, president, and Gagan Thapa, general secretary, of the Nepal Students Union (NSU) – affiliated to the Nepali Congress party – in the evening. Compiled from reports.

Thousands Of Students Affected By Bandh

Owing to the five-day Bandh of educational institutions in Bagmati and Narayani zone called by the underground student wing of the Maoists – All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary) – beginning December 17 till 21, hundreds of thousands of students were affected. According to Raj Kumar Thakuri, general secretary of the Private and Boarding Schools Organization of Nepal (PABSON), although nobody has formally called for the Bandh, over 2000 schools affiliated to PABSON in these two zones remained closed in view of the insecure situation. Almost 400,000 students of PABSON-affiliated schools had to stay home in addition to another 400,000 students belonging to public schools. “Nobody can take the risk by opening their schools at a time when non one is there to take any responsibility,” said Baburam Adhikari, general secretary of the Nepal Teachers’ Organization. Leading dailies report.

Economic Growth Rate To Double This Year

Backed by increase in the agricultural products and improvement in non-agricultural sector, the country will witness more than 4 percent of economic growth. This growth rate is the highest in the last three years and almost double compared to the previous fiscal year. According to preliminary date of the last four months, the growth rate of agriculture sector is 3.5 percent compared to 2.13 last year. The agriculture sector contributes 40 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Ministry of Agriculture has reported that the production of rice-paddy has grown by 7.8 percent this year thanks to favorable climate and plentiful monsoon rain. According to Central Bureau of Statistics, the manufacturing index has increased by 4.5 percent leading to 5 percent growth of non-agricultural sector. “Based on the data of the last four months, we can say that the economic growth rate could exceed 4 percent this year,” said Dr. Yubaraj Khatiwada, member of the National Planning Commission (NPC). “Since the revenue has grown and resources have been availed by the donors, the development expenditure will rise after mid-January, which, in turn, will have favorable impact on the economic growth,” he said. This year’s budget has targeted 4.3 percent growth rate. Finance Minister Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani has claimed that this will be met. The foreign trade, tourism transport and communication, all sectors have shown positive growth. Kantipur daily reports.