News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Leaders For Resumption Of Dialogue

At a program held in the capital on Sunday (September 14), different people called for resumption of dialogue between the government and the Maoists. While all of the speakers termed the Maoist move to break ceasefire as mistake, they called the rebels to re-enter the dialogue process. “The current activities of the Maoists are not only against the state but also against the values of human civilization,” said Khadga Prasad Oli, senior leader of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML). Likewise, Chitra Bahadur KC, leftist leader, said that the activities of the Maoists were not revolutionary but terrorist-like. Compiled from reports.

Maoist Threat Forces A Family To Vacate Village

The seven-member family of Basanta Shrestha of Piparigaun, Banke district deserted their native home on Sunday morning (September 14) after the Maoists issued stern warning against him. The rebels had asked him to either move away from the village or face death penalties for his entire family. Shrestha belongs to a poor family. Leading dailies report.

Food Shortage Likely In North-West

Even as the nation’s main festival of Dashain and Tihar is approaching, the people of remote north-western districts like Mugu, Kalikot, Humla and Dolpa are facing the acute food shortage. The demand of food there is simply more than the current supply level, according to Ministry of Supplies. Thousands of people have thronged at the district headquarters to obtain food. The government had targeted to supply 20,000 tons of food but could not meet it. Due to insecurity, the government has already translocated food depots and limited them mostly to headquarters after the Maoists began to loot them. Half a dozen food depots were similarly translocated to safer places after the recent breakdown of ceasefire alone. These remote districts regularly reel under food shortage every year. With the deterioration of security situation, the supply of food has been further complicated. In some places, the government has started to provide food items on ration basis. Leading dailies report.

Stray Bomb Kills Small Girl

A grenade that was left by the Maoists carelessly at a public place exploded and killed a seven-year-old girl in remote Ikudol VDC of Lalitpur district. Bhawana Sanjel, 7, died after the grenade placed carelessly by the Maoists exploded on September 9. When the local people protested against the Maoists for the killing, the rebels abducted five people including three children, it is reported. The rebels abducted Ran Bahadur Darlami, former VDC chairman, his three kids and one Rabi Thapa. Meanwhile, a group of journalists reached Jyamire in Sindhupalchowk to take stock of the situation there after local journalist Gyanendra Khadka was brutally murdered by the rebels. The Maoists hacked Khadka to death mercilessly and in front of his wife last week. The rebels charged Khadka of mis-reporting and acting as informer. A group of rebels had stormed into a local school where he taught and escorted him away before tying him in a nearby post. The rebels even forced his wife to watch while they chopped off his head, it is reported. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

Miss Nepal Sitaula

Priti Sitaula Crowned Miss Nepal 2003

A 22-year-old teacher of pre-primary school Priti Situala was crowned Miss Nepal 2003 at a beauty pageant held in Kathmandu on Saturday (September 13). Likewise, Prerana Shah, 20, was declared the first runner-up and Numa Rai, 20, the second runner-up. Sitaula will represent Nepal in next year’s Miss World Pageant to be held in China. Shah will represent Nepal in next year’s Miss Asia Pacific in Philippines. Meanwhile, police had to resort to lathi-charge to control a violent protest by women leaders of radical leftist People’s Front party who had gathered in front of Birendra International Convention Center (BICC) – the venue of the pageant – to object the show. Leading dailies report.

US, India Discuss Nepal

India and the United States can together help Nepal defeat the ‘ruthless’ Maoist rebels who last month ended a ceasefire, Washington’s top South Asia policymaker said in the Indian capital on Thursday (September 11), according to an AFP report. The Maoists have shown themselves to be a ruthless enemy by their tactics in the field and through terrorist attacks against both government and innocent civilian targets,” US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca told a luncheon in New Delhi. “India’s historic, cultural and social ties with Nepal continue to make it the most important outside influence on events in that country. Working in tandem, our governments can help Nepal defeat the Maoist threat and re-establish democratic institutions responsive to the needs of the people,” she said. Rocca said US involvement in Nepal was ‘to facilitate the efforts both to restore security and to focus on development and poverty eradication – the ills that gave rise to Maoists.’ The Himalayan Times daily reports.

US Envoy Likens Baburam With Nazi Goebbels

The American ambassador to Nepal Michael E. Malinowski has said that there is similarity in the ‘propaganda policy’ adopted by the Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai with that of Goebbels, the Hitler’s propaganda machine during the second world war. “When I see the Baburam Bhattarai, leader of so-called Maoist continuously leveling charges that the army, foreign forces or country are responsible for the derailment of ceasefire, it reminds me of Goebbels, the Nazi leader during second world war,” said Malinowski. He also urged the Maoists to return to peace negotiations and said development was more needed than bombs and terror. He also took a swipe at the Maoists for exploding bombs that killed a 10-year-old schoolboy in the capital a few days back. He was talking to reporters at the program held in Pharping to mark the second anniversary of September 11 terrorist attacks on America. A peace garden has been developed in Satikhel area of Pharping in memory of those killed in the terrorist attack. The ambassador unveiled a plaque that read “We Shall Remember” on the occasion. A local women group is managing the peace garden. Compiled from reports.

Parties To Decide On Eighth Phase Of Agitation Soon

The five political parties who have been launching agitation against political regression could soon decide on their eighth phase of agitation. From September 4-10, the parties organized agitation breaching the prohibitory orders imposed by the government. In the meeting of the five party held last week, the leaders expressed satisfaction over the success of the agitation. Meanwhile, reports say there is a growing rift among the parties on the date and nature of the forthcoming phase of agitation. The bigger parties Nepali Congress and Unified Marxist Leninist are said to be in the mood to suspend the agitation during the festival season that is about to begin. Compiled from reports.

NHRC Presents Its Report

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) submitted its report on the Doramba incident to the Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa. In its report, the commission has stated that the army killed 19 Maoists in the area after they were arrested. The commission has stated that the army violated the constitution, existing laws and Geneva convention. It has also requested the government to take necessary action against those guilty. Likewise, the commission’s report on Paanchthar incident has charged the Maoists of brutally killing five unarmed soldiers and one civilian. The commission also adds that the Maoists also killed two policemen in similar fashion in Siraha district. It has also charged the Maoists to flouting the Geneva convention. Meanwhile, in response to the NHRC report, the RNA has formed court of inquiry to fully investigate the Doramba incident. Leading dailies report.

Koirala Arrested And Released, Others Too

In the last day of the seventh phase of agitation by the five political parties, on September 10, Girija Prasad Koirala, president of Nepali Congress (NC), who led the Congress agitation was briefly arrested by the police and later released. The police arrested over 2000 leaders and workers of parties as they continued to breach the prohibitory orders. Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), however escaped arrest as he was shielded by people’s volunteers unit of the party. They were all released in the evening. Meanwhile, a mini-truck overturned after crowds of party workers got into it. Dozens were injured and rushed to Bir Hospital. The parties have decided to suspend their agitation keeping in view the upcoming Dashain and Tihar festival. Compiled from reports.

Govt. To Kick Out Two Stroke Three Wheelers

The cabinet has decided to push the three-wheelers with two stroke engine away from Kathmandu valley within the next one year. With the objective of promoting clean air in the valley, the polluting three wheelers will be asked to leave. They will also not allowed to run in Pokhara and Lumbini. Although the government has not announced any compensation to the owners of the three wheelers, they will be allowed to register Euro 1 taxi or microbus if they comply. There are around 2400 such three-wheelers currently in the capital valley. Kantipur daily reports.

Amnesty International Condemns Bomb Attacks

The international human rights watchdog Amnesty International (AI) has criticized the Maoists for launching haphazard bomb attacks in capital. A 12 year old schoolboy was killed in the attack while dozen others were injured. The AI has questioned the justification of exploding bombs in crowded public places during rush hour and added that much more casualties could have occurred. It also deplored the recent killing of a journalist in Sindhupalchowk and a female community health worker in Doramba by the rebels. Likewise, international media rights organizations Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Sans Frontiers have condemned the killing of the journalist by the rebels. Gyanendra Khadka, a reporter working for National News Agency was hacked to death by the Maoists. Leading dailies report.