News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

RNA Initiates Actions Against Rights Abusers

The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has conceded that it committed a mistake in the Doramba incident, which occurred seven months ago when RNA soldiers killed 19 Maoists apparently after taking them under its control. The RNA spokesperson Colonel Deepak Gurung said that the soldiers and officer responsible for the incident will be tried in court martial. A Major-General will try in general court martial (GCM) a Major who commanded security forces in Doramba. “The team of five members was formed last Tuesday and will start the hearing very soon,” said Brigadier General B.A. Kumar Sharma, chief of the RNA Human Rights Cell. The army has already taken the commander in its custody on two serious allegations of ‘failing to protect detainees leading to violation of their human rights, and misreporting to army headquarters.’ Although, initially, RNA had said that all were killed in encounter in Doramba, the latest detailed report of the army has revealed that ‘some of the unarmed rebels were killed after their capture even as a few of them were killed in separate encounters at different areas in Ramechhap district.’ Likewise, brigadier Sharma said that in an incident that occurred in Chisapani of Khotang district in December where three persons including a teacher Hari Prasad Bhattarai were killed by security forces, the army court has sentenced two soldiers to two years of imprisonment. The RNA conceded that its forces were ‘misled’ by one soldier who was trying to settle his personal vendetta in Khotang incident. The army court has sent two soldiers to two years of imprisonment and has also dismissed them from service. Besides, the court has also recommended dismissing the commanding officer of the incident for acting irresponsibly. Compiled from reports.

Bhutanese Rights Activists Urge For Internationalization

The Bhutan Human Rights Council – an umbrella body of six Bhutanese rights organizations – wrapped up their two-day meet in Kathmandu on Saturday (March 13) concluding that the refugee issue now needs to be internationalized. The meeting chaired by Bhutanese rights leader Tek Nath Rizal stated that all avenues including bilateral talks and attempts of inviting Indian mediation had failed leaving the only option of internationalizing the issue open. The meeting also stated that the donors and international community can no more wash their hands off the problem saying it is an internal problem. The meeting also urged the international community including United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to continue their assistance in refugee camps. The meeting also decided that the council would launch indefinite hunger strike in Kathmandu beginning the end of March. Leading dailies report.

Europe's First Green Prime Minister

Latvian Parliament has approved Green leader Indulis Emsis as their new Prime Minister in Latvia, according to reports from AP. Green Nepal Party (GNP), founding member of Global Greens, is very delighted to know that Europe has now a Green Prime Minister. This is indeed a great honor and historic achievement for the Greens worldwide and a cause for celebration, said Puspa Prasad Luintel, president of GNP.

Nepal China To Sign On Border Protocol

The governments of Nepal and China will be signing a new protocol on border after a meeting between officials of two countries, which will be held after two weeks. The meeting will identify border problems, and form a committee to resolve them. After the committee completes its tasks, the two sides will sign the new border protocol. The meeting is going to be held in Beijing on March 25-26. This will be the fourth border protocol between the two countries. Nepal and China had signed their first border protocol in 1962. They had then agreed to sign new protocol every ten years. But after 1988, they had not signed a new one. There is 1400 km long regulated border between Nepal and China. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

Maoists Again Abduct Students

Maoists have again abducted three dozen students and teachers from Jogbudha area of Dadeldhura district on Saturday (March 13) morning. The incident has led the District Education Office to indefinitely postpone the annual exams, which were scheduled to start from Sunday. Meanwhile, two security personnel were killed and one injured in an ambush at Chumlingtar of Darechowk village on Prithvi highway on Saturday. In another development, security forces have taken into their custody seven journalists from the office of Radio Saidan, Nepalgunj. Leading dailies report.

Diplomats Outshine Bureaucrats

In an entertaining match, the Diplomatic Mission 11 defeated the Chief Secretary 11 by 7-2 in a friendly football match held in Dasarath Stadium on Saturday (March 13). The match was organized by Sahara Group to raise funds for the benefit of children suffering due to conflict. In a one-sided match, diplomatic mission hit seven goals to trounce the chief secretary team, which only managed to net two goals in return. The Diplomatic Mission 11 was led by American Ambassador Michael E. Malinowski while the Chief Secretary 11 was led by chief secretary Dr. Bimal Prasad Koirala. Leading dailies report.

Court Moves To Curb Sexual Exploitation In Workplace

The Supreme Court, on Friday, has directed the government to enact legislation to curb sexual harassment in the workplace for safeguarding women’s dignity. The court ruling came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a victim and NGOs working to protect women rights. A victim of sexual harassment Shoma Shah had filed the writ petition jointly with a couple of advocates representing various rights groups. The court has directed the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet, Ministries of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Women, Children and Social Welfare and Labor and Transport Management to adopt the provisions of the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and other human rights conventions. A recent study conducted by International Labor Organization (ILO) had shown that around 48 percent of women felt they were sexually harassed in workplaces. Leading dailies report.

Seven More Districts To Be Hit By Food Crisis

Although the total national production of foodstuffs increased in the last fiscal year, the number of food crisis hit districts went up by additional seven districts. According to a survey by the Agriculture department, the number of districts, which cannot sustain itself on the volume of foodstuff it produces on its own, has reached to 43. The problems seen in the distribution system due to Maoist insurgency is said to have worsened the crisis. Although the production of country’s primary food-grain rice increased in Terai, problems emerged due to distribution system, which has been thrown out of gear due to insurgency. Particularly, distributions to remote districts have suffered. Although the total food production of the country is adequate to feed its population, the lack of infrastructures like road has hampered in the distribution system resulting in food crisis in hilly and higher altitude districts. Kantipur daily reports.

Nepal To Become WTO Member On Time

Officials have said that it is only a matter of ‘correspondence’ and that Nepal will become full member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) within the stipulated time of March end this year. According to Prachanda Man Shrestha, joint secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and chief of WTO Cell, dismissed concerns that Nepal might not become WTO member as it had no elected parliament to ratify the membership granted by the WTO six months back. As per the WTO rules, its membership needs to be ratified by the country within six months to be awarded full membership. Leading dailies report.

Nepal To Play In SAF Games

Ending the uncertainty over the Nepal’s participation in the South Asian Federation Games (SAFG) due to controversy surrounding the Nepal Olympic Committee (NOC), the government has said that 153 Nepalese athletes will leave for Pakistan to take part in the games, which will start after two weeks. The participation was confirmed after NOC and Nepal Sports Council (NSC) buried their differences in the interests of the players. Leading dailies report.

Nepal Runs High Risk For Natural Calamities

Nepal ranks 11th in terms of risk from earthquakes and 30th in terms of flood-risk. This was revealed in a global report on Reducing Disaster Risk: A Challenge for Development published by the United Nations Development Program that was released amid a function on Tuesday. At the program Dr. Hari Krishna Upadhyaya, a member of the National Planning Commission (NPC), said that since the natural disasters exert enormous toll on development, it could also hinder the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The risk from natural disasters threaten the prospects of achieving the MDGs, especially the target of halving the global poverty by 2015. “While only 11 percent of the people exposed to the natural hazards live in countries classified as low human development, they account for more than 53 percent of total recorded deaths,” said Upadhyaya. The report shows that billions of people in over 100 countries are periodically exposed to at least one event of earthquake, tropical cyclone, flood or drought. As a result of these disasters, more than 184 deaths are recorded in different pasts of the world everyday. Some 75 percent of the world’s population live in areas affected at least once by earthquake or tropical cyclone or drought between 1980 and 2000. The Himalayan Times daily reports.

Telecom Sector Opened Up

The cabinet has approved the Telecommunications Policy 2060 on Monday (March 8) allowing the private sector to participate in all forms of telecom service including ordinary telephone, WLL, mobile and others. The country is expected to make a big stride in telecom sector with this policy. The policy has created an environment conducive for open competition among various players, which would result in better service and economical price for consumers. Till now, the government has been allowing only one company to operate a particular type of telecom service. As it had obstructed competition, the telephone and mobile accessibility could not reach to general population. Likewise, the government has also decided to transform the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) into a company by gradually withdrawing its ownership from it. According to Sushil Ghimire, Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communication, the government had formulated this policy with the assistance of the World Bank. Leading dailies report.

Maoists Torch A Medical Van

Maoists set fire on two vans that were carrying medical equipment and medicines near Bailpara of Dailekh district on Sunday (March 7) night. The medicines were being transported for distribution to local people at free mobile health camp, which was scheduled to be held in Dailekh Hospital beginning Monday. The camp was being organized by Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) – an NGO led by Dr. Arjun Karki, president of NGO Federation of Nepal. Hundreds of local people have already gathered in hospital to receive the health service at the hospital. The Maoists, after torching the vehicles, even took a team of doctors under their control and released them only on Monday morning. The women wing of Maoists had called Nepal Bandh on Monday. In another incident, Maoists attacked an ambulance in Dang district. The ambulance of Dang Chamber of Commerce and Industry was returning after taking a patient to Nepalgunj when the Maoists attacked it first with socket bomb and then with bullets near Satbariya section of the road. On Monday itself, security forces diffused bombs placed in Minbhawan and whereas it said that the bomb scare in two other places turned out to be hoax. Kantipur daily reports.

Maoists Initiate Blockade In 13 Districts

Three different ethnic fronts of the Maoists – Tamuwan National Liberation Front, Magarat National Liberation Front and Madhesi National Liberation Front – has announced 15 day economic blockade in the headquarters of 13 districts of three zones – Gandaki, Dhaulagiri and Lumbini – beginning March 9 (till March 23). The blockade has affected the business activities, education and agriculture in Chitawan district. Maoists have felled trees and created obstacles in the Narayangadh-Mugling section of the highway with the aim of disrupting the passenger and goods flow. Agriculture cooperatives, dairy cooperatives, poultry farmers, business community and all other sections of society have severely deplored the Maoist decision and has asked the latter to immediately withdraw its blockade. Meanwhile, the blockade has also affected four district of Rapti zone excluding Dang. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.