Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

King Gyanendra and Queen Komal receiving sacred Prasad of Lord Krishna in Patan on the occasion of Krishna Janmastami

IN A STATEMENT HE DELIVERED IN THE NAME OF countrymen, King Gyanendra has said that he and Queen Komal are shocked over the brutal killing of 12 innocent Nepalese by Iraqi terrorist group. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims on behalf of the whole Nepalese people. He also has expressed hope that all concerned people including political parties, intellectuals and civil society will work towards preventing any kind of activities that disturb the social harmony. Likewise, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, too, has delivered a statement addressing Nepalese people and appealing them to apply restraint and be calm in this grief-stricken time. Saying that the terrorists belong to no particular religion or community, PM Deuba urged people to refrain from engaging in any activity targeted at any particular community.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED THE DAY OF NATIONAL MOURNING on Thursday (September 2) to mark the brutal killing of 12 innocent Nepalese workers in Iraq. The government offices will remain closed for the day. And the national flags in offices and in diplomatic missions will be flown at half-mast. The government has also announced Rs one million each to the families of the slain workers as relief. Meanwhile, the government has de-registered the Moonlight Manpower Agency, which had taken the 12 Nepalese workers to Iraq from Jordan. According to Labor Minister Raghuji Panta, the government has also started processes to deregister 109 other manpower companies. He said the government is making arrangements to bring back thousands of Nepalese still working in Iraq. The government is also working to bring back the dead bodies of the 12 Nepalese, he said.

INDIAN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER K. Natwar Singh and US Secretary of State Colin Powell called Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday (September 1) to express sadness over the tragic killing of 12 Nepalese in Iraq by terrorists. They also expressed condolences to the families of the victims. Singh even said that his government has instructed Indian mission in Baghdad to take necessary actions to help bring back the dead bodies of the slain Nepalese. Likewise, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has expressed shock and grief over the killing of innocent Nepalese in Iraq. Bangladesh and Japan, too, have condemned the terrorist killing of Nepalese.

IN A SURPRISING TURN OF EVENTS, a group of mob that was on a rampage attacking the manpower agencies, turned their vicious attention at the media houses in Minbhawan and Shantinagar. The mob vandalized the office of Kantipur Publications destroying its furniture, equipment and dozens of motorcycles parked inside. Likewise, the office of Spacetime Publications and Space Cable network were also attacked by the mob. Vehicles were burnt and equipment destroyed. Meanwhile, Kantipur Publications has condemned what it calls the ‘calculated attack’ against it and has deplored the security forces for not coming to their rescue on time. According to Kailash Sirohiya, managing director of the Publications, the security forces came nearly two hours after the incident started. Compiled from reports

THE CONFEDERATION OF NEPALESE INDUSTRIES (CNI) has suspended the Partnership Summit on the theme “Can Nepal achieve double digit growth?” scheduled for September 2 and 3. The decision of suspension was taken because the country was in mourning following the killing of 12 innocent Nepalese in Iraq. The CNI has stated that there was no meaning in organizing the summit when the country was in mourning.

THE KHETAN GROUP HAS DECIDED TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT to one member each of the families of 12 Nepalese hostages killed in Iraq. "Khetan group takes the responsibility of employing one each from the 12 families who have suffered from the barbaric killing of their family member in Iraq on August 31. We are with the nation on this moment of grief," said Rajendra K. Khetan, executive director, Khetan Group. The Nepalese were killed by an Iraqi extremist group called the Army of Ansar Al Sunna on charges that they had gone there to assist the US Army.

ISSUES LIKE LAYING DOWN PETROLEUM PIPELINE across the border from Raxaul in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal, recognition of quality standard marks, transfer of location of four custom offices will come up for discussion at the forthcoming trip of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to New Delhi. Agreements, too, are in the offing in these issues, sources said. However, among other financial agendas that New Delhi has proposed for discussion, the Nepalese authorities have declined to discuss issues like awarding transit facilities to India to reach Tibet for trade, setting up a manufacturing plant for LPG gas in joint venture and allowing the Indian Oil Corporation to run petrol pumps in Nepal. Nepal has asked for more time to study about these issues. PM Deuba is leaving for New Delhi on September 8.

THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON AND THE Minister for Information and Communication Dr. Mohamad Mohsin has said that the government has completed the first phase towards the holding of peace process with the Maoists. “The cabinet has approved the structure and guidelines for the High Level Peace Committee (HLPC),” he said. The HLPC is headed by the Prime Minister and its members include general secretary of the Unified Marxist Leninist Madhav Kumar Nepal, president of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Pashupati Shumsher Rana, president of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) Badri Prasad Mandal and Information Minister Dr. Mohsin. The cabinet has also authorized the HLPC to hold peace talks with the Maoists. Likewise, a separate Peace Secretariat headed by chief secretary has also been formed under the HLPC. Other committees including experts, advisors etc have also been set up. According to Dr. Mohsin, Prime Minister will soon formally invite the Maoists for talks.