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| Crown Princes Himani Rajxmi Devi Shah Inaugurating the flower show 2005 |
THE GOVERNMENT HAS DISSOLVED THE High Level Peace Committee effective February 2. As per the decision of the Council of Ministers, the committee along with various sub-committees have been dissolved, according to the Peace Secretariat.
INDIA AND AMERICA HAVE SAID they want to see the restoration of multiparty democracy in Nepal soon and that they are coordinating for the purpose. Addressing a joint press conference in New Delhi the visiting US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and Indian External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh said that the two countries were in “complete agreement” on the situation in Nepal. Rice noted that the US and Indian envoys in Kathmandu have shown ‘outstanding cooperation’ in a bid to ‘try and get that country to get back to multiparty democracy.’ “That must happen and we are in complete agreement that it needs to happen very, very soon,” she said.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS STATED THAT, in conformity with its one-China policy, it considers Taiwan as an integral part of the People’s Republic of China, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The government believes that the anti-secession legislation enacted by the Chinese National People’s Congress will contribute in the reunification of Taiwan with the People’s Republic of China,” states the release by the Ministry.
INDIAN ARMY HAS CHANGED ITS pre-scheduled route to ascent Mount Everest. The Indian team, which was for the first time taking women in its mountaineering expedition, has now decided to scale the mountain from Chinese side. Earlier it had prepared to climb the mountain from South Col (Nepal side). Indian army chief J.J. Singh has said that they changed the route due to security situation in Nepal. Meanwhile, replying to a query regarding news reports of possible Pakistani military assistance to Nepal, Singh said that the army had given its suggestion on this issue to the government and that the decision would be made by the government.
THE UNITED TELECOM LIMITED (UTL) has resumed its phone services since Saturday (March 19) after the government approved its operation. The Indian-investment company had been lying out of operation since February 1. The service was allowed to resume after the process of re-registration of its customers was completed. Out of its 31,000 customers, 23,800 had applied for re-registration. Among them, the lines of 22,600 have been opened. Those phones whose customer could not be identified clearly have not been opened. The UTL has Rs 3 billion investment. It is said to have lost Rs 70 million during the days it remained out of operation. Meanwhile, Nepal Telecom has also assured its customers that mobile phone services would resume within a week. Currently, it has re-registered the users of post paid mobile phones in Kathmandu valley.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS CONSTITUTED a High-level Committee for the Protection of Human Rights under the chairmanship of the Attorney General. “The establishment of the high level committee is in conformity with the commitments that have been expressed by the government, particularly those announced on 26 March 2004,” a press release issued by the Human Rights Promotion Center (HRPC), Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers stated. According to government spokesperson and Information Minister Tanka Dhakal, the decision to constitute the committee was taken by the cabinet meeting on Wednesday (March 16). “The Committee will work towards ensuring the protection of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the legal rights provided for by the prevailing laws of the country, and the rights under the human rights and international humanitarian treaties and instruments to which Nepal is a party. With a view to strengthening the National Human Rights Commission and making it effective, the committee will assist the commission in monitoring and investigation of human rights. The committee will also assist to implement the recommendations put forward by the NHRC for the protection of human rights and take necessary measures concerning cases of violation of human rights and international humanitarian laws,” the release states. National Director of the HRPC is the member-secretary of the Committee while secretaries of Home; Defense; Foreign Affairs; Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; Women, Children and Social Welfare; Local Development; and Education and Sports are its members.
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SAID on March 17 that it has cut over 1 million pound sterling worth of aid to Nepal. The British government said it fears that aid intended to fight poverty and help develop Nepal will be diverted to other sources. It also said that it was concerned about the safety of the aid workers in Nepal. British International Development Minister Gareth Thomas said future assistance to Nepal would be kept under review. “We will not continue programs in the face of increased an unacceptable risk or interference,” he said. “The UK has called on both parties to the violent conflict in Nepal to ensure that the international community can continue to provide development assistance that is needed to provide essential services to the poor.”
THE HOME MINISTRY, in a press release issued on March 17, claimed that the recent statements by the Maoist spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara denying the expulsion of Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and wife from the party is a bid to cover up facts, and that both are kept under tight security of the Maoists. It may be recalled that the army had claimed that the Maoists had expelled both the leaders.
THE UNITED NATIONS AND BILATERAL DONORS have reminded the security forces and the Maoists that they have a duty to protect civilians caught in crossfire. They have urged both sides to make every effort to ensure that civilians get access to essential supplies and that medical emergency supplies and cases get unhindered passage at all times. They have said that insecurity, armed activity and Maoist blockades are pushing Nepal toward the abyss of a humanitarian crisis. Children are especially threatened; supplies of vaccines, Vitamin A capsules, deworming tablets and essential drugs are not reaching people in rural areas for months, thus causing wholly preventable deaths.
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