News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Father Watrin Dies At Age 83

Father Eugene Watrin, Senior Jesuit, who has been tirelessly involving himself in various charities, social service and educational development of the country for the last many decades, died on Sunday (February 29) at the age of 83. He was suffering from pancreatic cancer. After his death, American Ambassador to Nepal Michael Malinowski issued a statement on behalf of the U.S. Embassy and the American community in Nepal expressing heartfelt condolences. “A resident of Nepal for almost fifty years, Fr. Watrin dedicated his life to educating and improving the lives of its citizens. Fr. Watrin exemplified in his life the virtues he preached in his liturgy: kindness, patience, compassion, and service for others. While we in the American community mourn his passing, we also celebrate his memory and the example of selfless love and service that he set. Compiled from reports.

NIDC To Be Privatized After Initiating Reforms

The government has decided to privatize the Nepal Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC) after one year following extensive internal reforms within the body. The cabinet has decided to launch rapid reforms within NIDC despite a report by an international consulting group Price Water House, which has advised for its immediate dissolution. “The government has directed to privatize NIDC only after bringing out improvement in its financial condition. It is essential to recover bad debts for improving its condition,” said a senior government official. Studies have shown that 97 percent of NIDC’s loans have over-shot their expiry period. It needs to recover around Rs 1.6 billion in principal and interest amounts. Kantipur daily reports.

Two Killed In Maoist Ambushes

In separate incidents, a civilian and a security personnel were killed due to Maoist-laid ambushes. A driver named Krishna Bahadur Tamang was killed when a mini truck he was driving fell into a roadside ambush laid by the Maoists in Dhamale of Nuwakot district. He was carrying chickens in his mini truck and was on his way to Kathmandu after the Maoist withdrew their five day general strike. In another incident, a security personnel got killed after the vehicle he was traveling in fell into the ambush in Sankhosh VDC of Dhading district. Half a dozen other security personnel were injured in the incident. Likewise, in Panichaur area of Sindhupalchowk district, a laborer died after a banner bomb put by the Maoists exploded. The Maoists, reportedly, had hung the banner bomb expecting security personnel to come and destroy their banners. Leading dailies report.

Villagers Flee To Escape Conflict

Villagers of around two hundred families of 12 villages of Mohanyal VDC of Kailali district have left their village to stay in nearby jungles by building sheds there. The villagers had left their villages to escape the atrocities by the Maoists who frequently demand them to provide food, shelter and even work as their porters and participate in their programs. Likewise, they also were suffering from rude behavior by the security forces when they come to village. According to Bhagirath Bhat, former VDC chairman, the families have taken away their cattle and their belongings to the nearby jungle areas where they have set up sheds. The villagers have also sown wheat in their fields and few of them come to village daily to check on their fields. According to Amar Singh Tarami, principal of local National secondary school, the number of students attending the classes has reduced due to this development. Kantipur daily reports.

FSU Polls Held, Bandh Withdrawn

The Free Students Union (FSU) polls were held in 39 colleges of Tribhuwan University (TU) and a few colleges of Mahendra Sanskrit University (MSU) across the country on Thursday (February 26) despite the bandh called by the Maoists’ student wing aimed at disrupting them. In some colleges outside the Kathmandu, valley, however, the polls had to be suspended. Gita Bhakta Joshi, registrar at the TU, said that polls in those colleges would also be held within this month. The preliminary results showed that the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), which is close to Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) has emerged victorious in most of the colleges with Nepali Congress (NC) affiliated Nepal Students Union (NSU) trailing behind it. Even the NSU affiliated to NC (Democratic) has won in some colleges by allying with ANNFSU. Meanwhile, the Maoists’ student wing ANNFSU-Revolutionary has withdrawn its five-day general strike beginning Friday. On Thursday, lots of vehicles plied in the city and even shops were opened defying the bandh call. Two vehicles – a Safa tempo and a microbus were damaged by bomb explosion in the city. Leading dailies report.

PM Reiterates Commitment To Hold Election This Year

Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa told the visiting delegation of Nepal Bar Association (NBA) that the government is committed to hold general elections within this year, preferably around November. “But I cannot give a specific date as that is the job of Election Commission,” he said. PM Thapa also expressed concern over the rights situation in the country terming it as a national issue. In a significant move, PM Thapa ruled out possibility of third party mediation in resolving the Maoist problem. He said that the government was capable of solving the problem on its own. He said this in response to the growing speculations of inviting United Nations to mediate in the peace process here. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

RNA Complains Of One-Sided Allegations

The spokesperson of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) Colonel Deepak Gurung has said that many rights bodies have been coming out with one-sided reports by only talking with the Maoists and their sympathizers without getting in touch with security forces, in alleging gross rights abuses on the latter. Colonel Gurung said that those killed in Jugedi in Chitawan were, indeed, civilians. He, however, added that RNA does not intend to kill innocents and that the guilty ones will be punished if found that the soldiers had used excessive force. “In that particular incident, the RNA had acted on a preliminary information that the Maoists were extorting money,” he said. Likewise, he denied RNA involvement in killing of UML MP Hem Narayan Yadav. Colonel Gurung also said that the girls killed in Kavre were, indeed, Maoists, adding that the RNA was probing whether the girls were raped before being killed. Colonel Gurung also denied reports that the British government was providing arms and ammunition to the RNA. “They have only donated helicopter for non-lethal purpose,” he said. Colonel Gurung confirmed that two Maoist leaders Matrika Yadav and Suresh Ale Magar, who were handed over by the Indian authorities, are under the custody of the government. Leading dailies report.

Malinowski Visits Chiluwal’s Kins

American ambassador to Nepal Michael E. Malinowski visited the residence of Ganesh Chiluwal, the slain president of Maoists Victims Association. He shared the grief of the family members over the loss of their brave son. The Maoists had shot Chiluwal to death two weeks ago in the capital. Leading dailies report.

More Abductions By The Maoists

Maoists have abducted 65 students of Bafikot secondary school while they were returning after taking part in Birendra shield sports tournament in the district headquarter of Musikot of Rukum district. Locals have said they do not know where the students have been taken by the Maoists. Many suspect that they going to be provided with political indoctrination as well as military training by the Maoists. Of late, the rebels have intensified their drive to compel students to join their fold. Leading dailies report.

US Report Slams Govt And Maoist For Rights Abuses

A US Department of State report released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, has said that the Nepal government and Maoists both were guilty of serious rights violations the whole of last year and are continuing to do so. The report submitted to the US Congress, highlighted Nepal government’s poor rights record saying, “Security forces are using brute force, abusing detainees, even torturing them either to punish or extract confessions.” The Maoists, too, were torturing, killing, bombing, forcibly conscripting children, and targeting government agents but not sparing civilians either during 2003. The Himalayan Times daily reports.

4 French Tourists Injured In Bomb Attack

Four French tourists were slightly injured when suspected Maoists hurled a socket bomb at a jeep they were traveling in Mahendra highway in the far-western district of Kanchanpur on Wednesday – the first day of five day general strike called by the Maoists’ student wing. The tourists were coming from India to Nepal when they came under the attack. This is the first incident when Maoists have targeted tourists. However, two days after the incident, an ANNFSU-Revolutionary functionary of far west region has issued a statement acknowledging its responsibility in the bomb attack on a vehicle in which four French tourists were traveling. It has stated that they had no policy of targeting tourists and that the incident was a mistake. Leading dailies report.

India To Support Nepal’s Peace Bid

Indian foreign secretary Shashank extended a helping hand to Nepal in the latter’s efforts to bring peace and stability in the country. He was speaking at a reception organized by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries and the Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Shashank said Nepal was passing through a critical phase, and India as her close friend and neighbor would continue to provide support for her peace and economic prosperity. Shashank said he was optimistic of Nepal overcoming the grave challenges posed to the country and would emerge again as a stable and prosperous nation. Calling for creation of a wide range of income generating opportunities for talented people of Nepal, Shashank added Nepal’s economy was showing resilience despite the uncertain political situation. The Himalayan Times daily reports.

Bid To Jailbreak Foiled

The bid by notorious Indian criminal Pappu Yadav to escape from the country’s central jail has been foiled after an associate sang about the plan before the authorities. Yadav had been nabbed by Nepal police on June 17, 2003. Yadav’s associated had been planning to bribe jail authorities to stage-manage his escape. Leading dailies report.

COE Meet On SAFTA

In order to thrash out the outstanding issues like framing sensitive list and rules of origin, which are vital to implement the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA), the meeting of the Committee of Experts (COE) began at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu on Thursday. The SAARC Summit held early this year in Islamabad had authorized the COE to resolve the pending issues like rules of origin, sensitive list, technical assistance to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and revenue loss compensatory mechanisms. The COE – commerce joint secretary-level body – will be meeting frequently to come up with the final decision. According to sources, this is the first COE meeting held after Islamabad summit and that it would need to meet for a number of times before reaching to final conclusion on the outstanding issues. Leading dailies report.

NBA To Internationalize Rights Abuses Issues

The meeting of senior legal experts expressed concern over the deteriorating human rights situation in the country and decided to invite some international rights bodies to monitor the situation here. The Nepal Bar Association president Shambhu Thapa said that the nine year old insurgency had claimed thousands of lives including five lawyers and also informed that nine lawyers were missing. “We should call the international rights groups to monitor the situation of people’s rights,” said former law minister Subash Nemwang. The NBA has expressed grave concerns over the growing trend of disappearances. Compiled from reports.