Maoists Support Party Agitation
In response to the appeal by the seven parties, the Maoists have agreed to become positive towards their joint agitation. In a statement issued on Sunday, Prachanda has welcomed the parties’ decision to go up to constituent assembly as ‘a progressive step.’ Prachanda has also said that directives have been issued to cadres not to attack any civilian, even criminals. Leading dailies repot.
RNA Casts Net Wide For Arms
The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has begun looking for new sources to buy arms and ammunition. On June 18, a state-run daily carried an advertisement placed by the RNA inviting foreign manufacturers and authorized distributors of arms, ammunition and other equipment to enlist their firms with procurement lists for the next fiscal year. The Master General of Ordnance (Provision) at the RNA headquarters has officially invited ‘reputed foreign-based manufacturers and authorized distributors’ by placing an advertisement. While the RNA has not quantified the extent of equipment, it includes ‘various types of arms, accessories and spare parts, ammunition and explosives.’ The move comes in the wake of major military equipment suppliers of RNA like India , the US and the UK keeping military assistance to Nepal under ‘constant review.’ The Himalayan Times daily reports.
Giri’s Company Also Need To Pay Taxes
Following reports that the company he helped floated had defaulted on the payment of bank loans, vice chairman of Council of Minister Dr. Tulsi Giri has landed into yet another controversy. Now, there are fresh reports that the company called Himalaya Plastics has still not paid Rs 5.7 million in revenues and taxes to the government. This was revealed from investigation by the Inland Revenue Department. The department has already informed this detail to the Finance Ministry. Meanwhile, Dr. Giri is said to have started consultations with Nepal Bank Limited (NBL) over the defaulting issue. He met with chief executive officer of NBL Craig McAllister last Wednesday (June 15) and said he is prepared to pay bank the principle amount and requested for waiver of interests. Kantipur daily reports.
FNJ Announces New Agitation Programs
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) has announced new programs of agitation for the month of Asar (mid June-mid July). The second full meeting of central working committee of the federation held in Chitwan has made the decision to boycott programs attended by members of the Council of Ministers, nominated officials at local bodies and regional and zonal administrators. The federation has identified the vice chairman of Council of Ministers Dr. Tulsi Giri as the leaders of the campaign to restrict press freedom. It has announced boycott of reporting of public programs attended by Dr. Giri. They have also announced boycotting Information Minister Tanka Dhakal and has urged all print media to stop showing his pictures. Other programs include sit-ins and demonstrations. Leading dailies report.
Debate On Different Options Positive: Rizal
The Bhutanese refugee leader Tek Nath Rizal has said that beginning of debates on new and useful options at a time when the process of refugee repatriation remains deadlocked is positive. “The debate that has started regarding settlement of refugees in third countries cannot be rejected outright as negative,” he said. Some western countries have shown interest to take some refugees. The Foreign Ministry and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), too, are said to have started informal discussion on this option. But without the approval of the Foreign Ministry, this process will not be started, according to UNHCR representative Abraham Abraham. Rizal has said that it is necessary to understand which countries wish to take back how many refugees and on what condition. The world is observing the World Refugees Day on June 20. Kantipur daily reports.
Parties To Boycott Municipal Elections
The agitating seven political parties have decided to boycott the municipal elections announced by the King to be held later this year. The parties have reiterated their views that they could go all the way up to the election of the constituent assembly. At a meeting of the seven parties – Nepali Congress (NC), NC (Democratic), Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), People’s Front (PF), Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) and United Leftists Front (ULF) – held at the party headquarters of the UML in Balkhu on Saturday (June 18), the top leaders concluded that the so-called election was being staged only to provide legitimacy to the King’s government. They vowed to restore the House of Representatives, form all party representative government and end the authoritarianism through the elections of the constituent assembly. The seven parties have also urged the Maoists to adopt positive attitude towards their agitation. They have stated that the Maoist action of extortion and murder of their cadres even now was helping the monarchy. The parties have termed as illegitimate the appointment of the chairmen and vice chairmen of District Development Committees (DDCs) and have urged the people to boycott them. Leading dailies report.
Thapa To Visit India
Close on the heels of the visit by former prime minister and Nepali Congress (NC) president Girija Prasad Koirala, another former prime minister and president of Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) Surya Bahadur Thapa is also making a ‘medical trip’ to New Delhi, India. According to the party, Thapa is scheduled to meet with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Foreign Minister Natwar Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani and former prime ministers Atal Behari Vajpayee, Chandra Shekhar and former Defense Minister George Fernandes during his stay in New Delhi. Leading dailies report He is scheduled to depart on June 24. Leading dailies report.
Rocca Stresses Dialogue Between King, Parties
United States ’ Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian affairs, Christina Rocca has said that US remains concerned about Nepal as the Maoist insurgency continues to undermine political stability and prospects for development. “On February 1, King Gyanendra’s dismissal of the government, the curbing of civil liberties and arrests of hundreds of political activists seriously set back Nepal’s democracy and eroded even further the unity of legitimate political forces in opposition to the Maoists,” Rocca said this before the House International Relations Subcommittee for Asia and the Pacific in Washington recently. “It is essential the King’s government fully restore civil liberties and the legitimate political parties join it in addressing the insurgency and Nepal ’s serious developmental problems,” she added and suggested an important step forward would be the beginning of a dialogue between the King and political parties to restore multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy. She told the US firmly supports Nepal ’s efforts to counter the Maoist insurgency. Stating that a Maoist takeover would have profoundly negative effects in Nepal and the region, she said, “The Maoists must renounce violence and engage in apolitical process to resolve grievances.” She told the subcommittee members that the US continued its non-lethal security assistance to Nepal after February 1 while lethal security assistance remains under review. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
NHRC Releases Report On Madi Incident
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has released its preliminary investigation report on the Chitwan’s Madi bomb blast where 39 civilians had been killed when the Maoists exploded landmines in the passenger bus. Releasing the report, a member of the NHRC Sudip Pathak said that whereas the concerned official of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) was guilty of allowing around 12 soldiers to board the passenger bus, the Maoists were guilty of international humanitarian laws for attacking a civilian passenger bus. According to its report, the Maoists had warned bus operators of the area not to carry plainclothes personnel of security forces some time back. But the district administration failed to act on these warnings by the Maoists. As a result, the security personnel used to regularly board passenger buses when moving from one place to another. On that fateful day, too, seven personnel (according to local RNA officials) were returning on vacation. But the bus was blasted when it reached Bandarmudhe khola killing six soldiers, and dozens of men, women and children. The NHRC has demanded that the Maoists provide it with the name of the planners and implementers of the attack since they were individually responsible for such a barbaric incident. A week after the incident the RNA has already stated that it would take strict action against any soldier found boarding a passenger bus. The NHRC is also conducting investigation on incidents of similar bus attack in Narke of Kavre and killing of family members of security personnel in Dhangadi. Compiled from reports.
No Maoist Infiltration In Refugee Camps: UNHCR
Representative of the United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Nepal , Abraham Abraham, has refuted claims by the Bhutanese government that Maoists have infiltrated UNHRC-administered refugee camps in Morang and Jhapa. “This is not true,” he said, brushing aside Bhutan ’s accusations and added, “There is no Maoist infiltration in the camps.” Refugee camps, he said, should be a zone of peace. He was quick to add, “If we don’t find a durable solution, there are chances of refugee youths getting into militant activities.” The Himalayan Times daily reports.
China Delivers Five APCs
China delivered five Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) on Thursday. Nepal had bought them some time back. A source at the Tribhuwan International Airport said they were delivered at around 8:30 on Thursday (June 16) morning. The cargo plane has brought military equipment from China , he said and added the equipment include five APCs. Officials, however, are tight-lipped on the delivery. Neither the officials at the Ministry of Defense (MoD) nor the army spokesperson could confirm the delivery. “At the moment, Directorate of Public Relations is not aware of it,” said Brigadier General Dipak Kumar Gurung. The wheeled WZ-523 APC, according to an unofficial website on Chinese Defense affairs is China ’s first generation indigenously-developed combat vehicle. The vehicle was first revealed in October 1984. The vehicle, also sometimes referred to as M-1984, has a two-man crew and can carry 10 infantry soldiers and is amphibious. “The Chinese APCs are of European standard, and have protection against nuclear, biological and chemical attacks,” said a security official. The Himalayan Times daily reports.
Maoists Kill Six Including An Infant
Maoists have abducted six family members of security personnel including an infant and killed them brutally. In Dhangadhi, a group of armed Maoists abducted Laxmi, wife of an Armed Police Force (APF) jawan Keshab Shah, and her one-year-old son Dipendra; Radhadevi, wife of another jawan Man Bahadur Singh; and Durgadevi, wife of jawan Upendra Air. They were taken to a community forest nearby where they were brutally slain. Likewise, Ganesh BK, a relative of another jawan Dharma Bahadur BK, and an unidentified civilian were also similarly slain. According to APF regional office in Attariya, the spouses of the APF personnel had been staying in rented apartments close to its battalion office. But they were abducted and later killed by sharp weapons. Kantipur daily reports.
