50-yr-old tortured

Kantipur Report
ITAHARI, Oct 17 - A group of Maoists severely beat up 50-year-old Kalimuddin Miya of Madheli-8 in Sunsari, in connection with land and property partition issue with his son, Sunday.
According to locals, the Maoists--Ramjaan, Akar, Wakil, Ramul, along with others--thrashed him with bamboo and rubber sticks during a meeting that was called to settle the issue. "They forced me to obey my son's stance and beat me badly when I said I wouldn't," said an injured Miya. Meanwhile, National Human Rights Commission's regional office in Biratnagar began its probe on the incident, acting upon a complaint filed by Miya.

Maoists never followed 8-point understands or 5-point or 12-point understanding.. Nothing!!

Maoists abduct former mayor
Maoists have abducted a former mayor who was elected during the controversial municipal polls held in February 8 of 2006 by then royal government.

Balibhadra Rana was abducted from a place called Nawalpur while he was on his way home after offering prayers at local Ambikeshwori temple in Tribhuwan Municipality of Dang district.

Rana had been elected as mayor of the Tribhuwan municipality during February 8 polls. Rana had been staying in Kathmandu for last many months but had recently gone to his home in Dang district on the occasion of Dashain festival. nepalnews.com sd Oct 02 06

Why would they ned schools.... they think they shold give guns instead of pens to the kids.

Maoist capture yet another school in Sunsari
Despite pressure from various quarters to declare schools as zones of peace and not to conduct any activities hampering the studies, Maoists continued to capture schools to use it as shelters for Maoist armies and militias.

The Maoist army, militia and cadres have started to use Sharada Secondary School at Khanar-4 in Sunsari for residential purposes and the school playground for parading and holding drills from Monday.

Reports quoted Maoist leader Hemanta as saying that some 25 Maoists are staying at the school. The school is closed till the Chatth festival.

However, headmaster of the school, Suvarna Bahadur Thapa alleged that the Maoists had occupied the school without seeking permission violating universally-accepted norms and not respecting the education sector as a zone of peace.

Joint commander of the Maoist militia (Sunsari) Arjun said, “As we had no place to stay, we took shelter in the school. We will stay there only for a few days.”

Over a week ago, the Maoists had also begun camping in the Holy Land Boarding School at Chainpur VDC-4 Chitwan.

The rebels’ move came at a time when various child rights organizations are asking the rebels and the armies not to conduct any activities in schools, and let schools remain as zones of peace.

Security forces had also used schools as their shelter during the decade long Maoist insurgency. nepalnews.com pb Oct 10 06

Maoist release 27 people
Of the 30 civilians Maoists had taken under their control on Saturday from Khewang village development committee (VDC) of Taplejung district, the rebels released 27 people on Tuesday.

Former chairman of the VDC, Khadga Prasad Tamling, his brother Sancha Bahadur and Himaldhoj Limbu are still in Maoists' captivity.

Maoists had abducted them in connection with a local dispute.

Around 35 locals had staged a sit-in in front of the Maoist Village Government Office Tuesday seeking release of the detained locals.

Maoists have been continuing their excesses like collection of forceful donations, abductions and beating despite ceasefire code of conduct signed by them and various agreements reached between the rebels and the ruling seven party alliance. nepalnews.com pb Oct 11 06

Thorughout the period of peace talk, there wasn't a single day these Maoists kept quiet without harming Sarbahara people.
Maoists capture government office; order DDC not to collect tax

In a clear indication of the violation of ceasefire code of conduct signed by them, Maoists have opened their contact office breaking the padlock of the government office in Mulaghat of Dhankuta district and also asked the District Development Committee not to collect any taxes.

The Maoists opened contact office of the Chhintang Brigade after capturing eight buildings of the Road Divisional Office, which remained vacant since the rebels bombed the office three years ago, reports Kantipur daily.

Brigade Commissar Himal said that they broke the padlock as the office refused to vacate the office for their purposes.

He further informed that People's Liberation Army combatants might reside in the buildings in the coming days.

In a separate incident, issuing a statement, Maoist district government chief Umesh Rai ordered the DDC to stop collecting export tax in the district.

The statement also asked all I/NGOs working in the district not to carry out any activities without their permission.

Meanwhile, a report from Terathum said, a squad of Maoist PLA began residing in the District Drinking Water and Sanitation Sub-divisional office in Terathum district from Thursday in the name of taking stock of the security situation of the district. nepalnews.com pb Oct 13 06

Keep on posting till maoist ends violence in shame

Maoists thrash NC workers

BY BIRENDRA KC

ARGHAKHANCHI, Sept 11 -
Violating the past pacts and understanding reached with the government, Maoists have thrashed Durga Bhushal, a Nepali Congress (NC) activist from Balkot VDC, near to death on the charge of not providing donation to them.

On Friday evening, while Bhushal was staying in his shop at Jhikhas of Balkot, a group of Maoists arrived and took him away to their party office and beat him for three hours inside a locked room, family members said.

"As I refused to donate Rs 25,000 to Maoists, Dipak Baijali alias "Dilip", deputy chief of district people's government of Maoists, thrashed me with a rifle-butt and kicked me and warned of further action against me," he said. He has a swollen face and chest.

Similarly, Maoists have issued threats against Bishnu Bhushal, Balkot VDC President of NC and vice-president of Human Rights and Peace Society, Arghakhanchi district, forcing him to resign from his post and join the Maoists by donating all his income to them within 10 days.

Denouncing the incidents, NC District Committee said Dilip has been intimidating political activists affiliated to other political parties not to carry out their activities nor criticize Maoists in the district.

Posted on: 2006-09-10 22:16:15 (Server Time)

atrocities cant be tolerated in anybodys hand
zero tolerance to inhuman act

RAPE BY MAOIST : Village reels under fear

BY UPENDRA LAMICHHANE

DEVAPUR TETA, Bara, Sept 11 -
The fall out of a serious skirmish between Maoist rebels and locals in Devapur Teta village on Thursday over the killing of a Maoist who allegedly raped a woman, continued in the entire village into Sunday. A local youth was killed in fighting Friday, and Maoists have captured about a dozen villagers.

The conflict followed the beating of Maoist cadre Ash Mohammad Mansuri to death by villagers who captured him on the charge of raping a local woman, Thursday morning. The Maoists claimed Mansuri was their cadre as against the villagers' argument. This has further intensified the already-tense situation in the village.

The raped woman has conspicuous injuries over her entire body and she falls unconscious sporadically due to the mental stress, caused by the incident. She hasn't yet received medical treatment. Over a dozen other villagers, who were injured by the Maoist beating are also awaiting medical treatment.

The villagers assemble at every chowk and share their fears with each other. Their fear has intensified after Maoists, claiming that the villagers are under their control, denied admission to police personnel.

"We can't get into the village without their (Maoists') permission," said Arun Prakash Ghale, the police inspector at Telkuwa police base camp. "We could rescue the injured villagers, if we were allowed to get into the village."

Many youths in this village, about 20 kilometers away from the district headquarters, have fled the village due to fear. Many houses remain padlocked.

Maoists had abducted on Saturday Jodhi Shah Kanu, a local from Kalaiya on the charge of being an accomplice in the killing of their cadre. Kanu is the son of outgoing president of CPN-UML Dewapur Teta village committee, Mahabir Shah Kanu. The rebels accuse the senior Kanu of orchestrating a conspiracy in killing their cadre, Yadav. The abducted Kanu, however, pleaded innocence with media persons.

Posted on: 2006-09-10 22:18:47 (Server Time)

Maoists never revealed anything they promised despite the fact that one month time was over, while Govt. did revealed the list it promised. This alone tells us where these Maoists stands... They are big fat liars and bunch of thugs who will always try to extort people by collecting forceful donations without having to work using their hands. Rather their hands only know how to fire GUNS.

PM asks Maoists to reveal whereabouts of disappeared people

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, Sept 12 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala Tuesday said that the government would make public the whereabouts of those disappeared at the hands of state only after the Maoists disclose details of those they have disappeared.
The PM made the comment at a meeting with the agitating families of those disappeared at the hands of state at the latter's residence in Baluwatar today morning.

"You should pressure the Maoists to make public about the status of abducted people before asking the government,” a family member of the disappeared persons quoted the PM as saying.

Koirala also informed the families of the disappeared people that the government had handed over responsibility of publicizing the whereabouts of the missing people to Deputy Prime Minister Amik Sherchan.

The PM also urged them to call off their stir and instead, pressure the Maoists to publicize whereabouts of people disappeared by them.

The protesting family members of the disappeared people also handed over a memorandum to the PM during the meeting.

Making public the names of 152 persons who were abducted by the Maoists on various dates in the past, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday had asked the rebels to immediately disclose the status of the abductees.

The commission sent a name-list of the abductees to the rebels' secretariat and urged the latter to immediately provide details about them.

According to the commission, the Maoists have already killed 24 abductees.

"As the Maoist supreme leader Prachanda, during an interview with Kantipur Television, pledged to make public the status of the abductees if this is sought, we appeal to the Maoists to publicly disclose their status," the NHRC statement said.

Claiming that the Maoists have not detained anybody, the rebel leader in the interview broadcast on Saturday said that his party would reveal the details of people disappeared at the hands of or captured by the rebels within a month.

He also said that his party would make public the accounts of all the houses and lands seized by the Maoists during the conflict within the next two months.

Posted on: 2006-09-12 04:14:34 (Server Time)

All these Maoists know is threatening.. as if Baburam got phd in Terrorism.
Maoists threaten security agencies

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, Sept 13 - Maoists in Morang have warned the authorities of severe consequences if they reestablish police posts and small customs, while in Arghakhanchi the rebels beat up a Nepali Congress cadre Monday for not paying "donations".
In Morang, authorities have not been able to implement their earlier decision to reestablish police posts and small customs in the rural areas, due to threats from the Maoists. "A meeting of all security agencies of the eastern districts had decided to reestablish police posts and customs one by one. But because of Maoist threats, the decision could not be implemented," a security source said.

The rebels have warned that they would start abducting policemen and customs officials and even wage war against them if the offices were reestablished. In the eastern districts alone, 331 police posts and five dozen small customs were relocated during the Maoist insurgency.

In eastern Balkot VDC-2 of Arghakhanchi district, Maoists Monday evening brutally beat-up local Nepali Congress cadre Durga Bhusal, for not paying donations. Earlier, on Sept 8 too the rebels had captured and thrashed Bhusal with rifle butts. The rebels this time have also charged Bhusal of informing media about the earlier incident, family sources said. A local FM station had broadcast news about Bhusal's beating. The rebels have been demanding Rs 24,000 from him. The incident has terrorized the entire village.

Also, Maoists recently abducted 13-year-old Ameet Bhattarai of Bakhara village, Bangal-5, in Arghakhanchi. Bhattarai was abducted when he had gone out to fetch water, family members said. He is an eighth grader at local Saraswati Lower Secondary School.

Bhattarai's family members have appealed to human rights workers and journalists for the release of their son. "We have already requested the Maoists to let us meet our child once, but they did not listen to us," said his mother Basundhara, adding, "earlier they (Maoists) used to say that our son is with them, now they even deny having him. We just want to see our child once."

In Mahottari, Maoists have not made public the whereabouts of local businessman Sambhu Yadav and Indian national Chandreshwor Shah, whom they had abducted from Dhirapur VDC a week ago.
Posted on: 2006-09-12 21:27:17 (Server Time)

Locals protest against Maoist atrocities

Kantipur Report

LAHAN, Sept 16 - Locals of Dhangadhi VDC of Siraha district disrupted traffic on Dhangadhi stretch of the Mahendra Highway for more than five hours on Saturday morning protesting against yesterday’s Maoist cadres' assault.
The protest resulted in disruption of traffic of all the short- and long-route via Dhangadhi stretch of the highway.

The locals also called for a market shut down today. Though traffic resumed at 10:30 in the morning today after they were assured of a thorough investigation, the market in the area still remained closed.

The Maoist cadres had beaten a local trader Karna Shrestha of Dhangadhi VDC-2 Friday night at around 9. Shrestha received severe injuries on his head and is undergoing treatment at a local clinic.

According to victim Shrestha, a group of 4-5 Maoist cadres took him under control last night and injured him with some sharp weapons.

According to our correspondent, a meeting is scheduled to be held later today between the Maoists and market management committee members to resolve the issue.

Posted on: 2006-09-16 01:03:30 (Server Time)

Rebels continue recruitment

Kantipur Report

MOTIPUR (MORANG), Sept 17 - Establishing a "recruiting center" at Sindhiyatol of Motipur VDC-5, Maoists are continuing recruitment for their "People's Liberation Army - PLA" and training recruits here in the district.
The center recently recruited 450 youths-- girls and boys-- and they have started military and political training to its cadres and PLA members in the area. Confirming the report, Sushil, Morang secretary of the Maoists, clarified that they were continuing recruitment in the PLA.

Likewise, "military trainer and company commander" Binod stated that they were giving military as well as political training to the PLA.

The center established in the name of Ratna Sakunta Smriti Brigade that looks after the military and political sections of Morang, Sunsari and Jhapa districts is only for 10 days, claimed Maoists. The center, 22 kilometers northeast of Biratnagar, is on 10 bighas of land belonging to local Gopilal Shrestha.

Meanwhile in Sankhuwasabha, Nar Bahadur Baraili, 58, of Kharang-5, Simle, died on August 21 allegedly after being tortured by Maoists, said family members. The rebels kept pouring cold water on Baraili, who had been suffering from fever, on the charge of being drunk. He died 10 days after the Maoists "tortured" him.

A group of Maoists led by Khila Ram Khatiwada, "VDC People's Government Chief", beat up Baraili, after he failed to "donate" Rs 7,000, according to the family. He breathed his last at Tumlingtar airport while being rushed to the district headquarters for treatment.

Likewise, in Chainpur, the Maoists have intensified their donations drive.

In Lahan, locals of Siraha Dhangadhi bazar brought vehicular movement along the Mahendra highway to a complete halt for two hours on Saturday protesting the beating of a local shopkeeper by Maoists. Maoists on Friday night had beaten up Karna Shrestha, 40. He is

undergoing treatment at a local clinic. Local businessmen also shut down the market.

Posted on: 2006-09-16 21:21:17 (Server Time)

Rebels rob family, bar from leaving village

BY PREM NEPALI

MIJURE, KASKI, Sept 19 - After robbing all the belongings of a family, Maoists have also barred its members from leaving the village. The house of Min Bahadur Gurung of Gahatebeshi, Mijure-8, was robbed by Maoists on July 6 this year. Family members have not been allowed to leave the village ever since. Gurung is the former Panchayat chief of the village and was a prisoner of war during the Second World War.
The family became a Maoist target after Gurung's son Sujan alias Raju, who formerly served with the Maoists, defected. Sujan left the rebel outfit after being released from the captivity of security forces. He had been captured by security forces during a battle in Pasgaon, Lamjung.

The family comprising 14 members is surviving on the support of villagers and relatives. Maoists robbed and barred them from leaving the village on charges of corruption, exploitation, repression and espionage.

The family members who are under strict vigilance of Maoists, do not openly talk about their plight fearing retribution. There is an 80-year-old person, four women and five children in the family.

"They even took clothes of my nine-month-old granddaughter," Gurung said. "They have said this is their action, and have threatened to kill us if we tell anyone."

Some 100 Maoists, including two dozen armed ones, had robbed food grains, kitchen utensils, clothes, jewelry, money and a suitcase, including other items from the house, eyewitnesses said.

"In the past, villagers used to borrow kitchen utensils from the Gurung family whenever there was a feast," said Badi Gurung, a neighbor. "Today, the family is borrowing from villagers."

The group looted Rs 1.3 million received by Gurung as compensation for being a prisoner during the Second World War as well as earnings of his sons Arjun and Roop Bahadur who worked as laborers in the Gulf for twelve and four years respectively.

Family members do not discuss details of the losses with outsiders. "They took away everything they got hold of," a family member said.

Among the robbers were Maoist cadre Kesh Bahadur B K, Bijaya, Nischal, and Bishnu BK among others, a villager said. Before the robbery, Maoists had been using the house as shelter. Gurung's son Sujan had joined the rebel outfit during that period.

Posted on: 2006-09-18 21:42:27 (Server Time)

Maoists vow to make S Asia ‘flaming field’

BY TILAK P. POKHAREL

KATHMANDU, Sept 21 -
A South Asian regional grouping of Maoist parties, of which the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) is a founding member, has in its recently concluded meeting vowed to "advance revolutions for the seizure of power by armed force".
The Fourth Conference of the Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA) held in August in an undisclosed location in the region has also vowed to "deepen and extend the links between genuine Maoists of the region". This was stated in the political resolution adopted by the conference.

Contrary to what they have agreed with the government on the road to peace, Nepali Maoists - in the joint resolution - have vowed together with their counterparts in the region to "turn South Asia into a flaming field of Maoist revolutions".

"US hatched-up conspiracies with Indian expansionism to kill the new democratic revolution in Nepal has been blocked and the revolution continues, giving rise to a wider and powerful upsurge against the hated monarchy and is gaining new victories."

Dina Nath Sharma, the Central Committee member of the CPN-M, informed that his party had sent central committee member, "Comrade Satya Prakash", as their representative to the meeting, which had the participation of leaders of nine Maoist parties of the region. Among them are three parties each from India and Bangladesh, and one each from Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.

The resolution, as usual, has remained critical of "expansionist India" and "imperialist USA". "It called on the oppressed peoples of South Asian countries to join the struggles against Indian expansionism and imperialism, particularly against the main enemy US imperialism," the resolution said, condemning "US and Indian expansionist conspiracies" in Nepal. It also termed the proposed reforms by the Bhutanese King as "a sham".

CPN-M played an instrumental role in bringing together the Maoist parties of the region, which culminated in the formation of CCOMPOSA in July 2001.

Though 13 parties - five each from India and Bangladesh, and one each from the other three - participated in the first meeting of CCOMPOSA initially, only nine parties have remained in the grouping five years later. It's not clear what happened with the two parties from Bangladesh and one from India.

Maoist Communist Center and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), which was also known as the People's War Group merged in 2004, forming the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

The Maoist parties are working to develop a "red corridor" of Maoist insurgency from Nepal to Sri Lanka searing through about a dozen Indian states including Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra, Karnataka and Kerala.

Sharma, who is also a member of the Maoist negotiating team, said his party during its second national conference in February 2001 had decided to reach out to their "friends" in the region to build a strong fraternal base.

Though the party has a goal of establishing 'the South Asian Soviet Federation', Sharma said, "It's a matter of something too far away." However, he sees CCOMPOSA as the "first step" toward this direction.

"CCOMPOSA vows to deepen and advance the new democratic revolutions in different countries of South Asia…Let South Asia turn into a flaming field of peoples' revolutionary upsurges and burn to ashes imperialism (particularly US imperialism), Indian expansionism and all reaction in the region," said the resolution of the 4th conference.

Contradictions

When asked why his party has adopted the self-contradictory policy of engaging in the peace process on the one hand and vowing to turn the region into a "flaming field of revolutions" on the other, Maoist leader Dina Nath Sharma said his party will try to find "a meeting point" between these contradictions. "We want to explore it positively."

Sharma also disclosed, without elaborating, that "some of our friends in the region" [other Maoist parties in the region] have opposed CPN-M's preparations to join an interim government. "We will move ahead through consensus."

Posted on: 2006-09-20 21:07:55 (Server Time)

Maoists seize goods, return container lorries

Kantipur Report

DOLAKHA, Sept 22 - Maoists Wednesday midnight "released" five container lorries they seized at Sindhupalchowk from the Revenue Investigation Department (RID) the same day, after emptying the contents of two of them.
The lorries were earlier seized by police and handed over to RID officials after they had "mysteriously" entered Dolakha from Tatopani along the Nepal-China border instead of heading for Kathmandu. But they were captured by the rebels while being taken to Kathmandu by the RID.

The Maoists said they emptied the two container lorries and took all the goods. "Since the remaining lorries had necessary documents for clearance, they were allowed to go without checking," said Jyoti, a district committee member of the rebels' Dolakha unit.

Although he claimed to have handed over the lorries without breaking the seals, police denied this.

According to police in Dolakha, two of the lorries are under the control of police in Kavre while two others were taken by Barabise police. However, it was not known what happened to the fifth lorry although the rebels claimed that they returned all five of them.

Jyoti added that the seized goods from the two trucks, which included "phone sets, radios, watches, decoration goods, readymade clothing and other items", would be returned to the owners after consulting all the parties concerned.

Police said the Maoists had seized the lorries before the RID could begin investigations into their "mysterious arrival" in Dolakha.

As the lorries had reached Dolakha under mysterious circumstances, their seizure and release by the rebels in questionable circumstances have raised many eyebrows.

Posted on: 2006-09-21 20:40:43 (Server Time)

Maoists ‘tax’ collection, donation drive still on

Kantipur Report

SANKHUWASABHA, Sept 22 - Maoists have been collecting "tax" on most goods entering Tehrathum district, by stopping vehicles at Basantapur area.
"Kirant district peoples' government" has been collecting Rs 10 per bottle of alcoholic drink, Rs 5 per kg of goods of daily use and Rs 1 per kg of grocery items imported to the district.

However, the rebels have claimed they stopped collecting similar "tax" on goods entering Sankhuwasabha district from Wednesday. "Though we have stopped collecting tax in Sankhuwasabha, we are not going to stop it in Tehrathum," district member of Maoists, Nitesh said.

Meanwhile, in Salyan, Maoists and other groups have increased their "donation drive" lately. Maoists, several sister-organizations of political parties and local clubs have been harassing commoners, businessmen and civil servants openly demanding huge sums of money, locals said.

Businessmen demand end to Maoist excesses
Demanding immediate end to Maoist atrocities, businessmen in Sankhuwasabha have started an agitation. On Thursday, the district chapter of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries submitted a memorandum to the Chief District Officer, asking the government to put an end to Maoist excesses. Surprisingly, the move has come a day after the rebels claimed they had stopped collecting "tax" on goods entering the district. The agitators have also warned they will close down the market and intensify their protest if their demands are not fulfilled.

Posted on: 2006-09-21 20:40:16 (Server Time)

This clearly shows Maoists are puppets of India.

Dr Bhattarai hails Indian support; expert underscores empowering national forces

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, Sept 24 - Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai said on Sunday that India played a major role to sign 12-point agreement between the SPA (Seven Party Alliance) and the Maoists.
Speaking at a programme organised by Centre for Contemporary Studies, Nepal, Dr Bhattarai said that the 12-point agreement could not have been reached without Indian government's support.

Commenting on the SPA's negligence on democratisation of Nepal Army, Dr Bhattarai also made clear that it was the major obstacle to summit talks giving rise to political deadlock in the country.

Expressing doubts over the government's recent statements and dilly-dallying on addressing the issues of elections to the constituent assembly, Dr Bhattarai said monarchy in the country is the major hindrance in "state restructuring process".

Bhattarai also alleged the international community of advocating monarchy and referred American Ambassador to Nepal James F Moriarty's statements as against the spirit of people of Nepal. He argued that unnecessary interference from the international communities have played huge role in obstructing the peace process.

Speaking at the same programme, SD Muni, an Indian expert on Nepal, emphasised on empowering national forces of Nepal to keep the international pressure and interference at bay. Muni said that when the national forces in Nepal weaken, the international interference increases and stressed that in Nepal's restructuring process, Nepal's national forces must be strong so as to play a decisive role.

Underscoring India's eagerness to assist Nepal in establishing democracy, Muni said other international agencies including UN must support Nepal to give an exit to all the persisting political deadlocks.

Posted on: 2006-09-24 04:01:23 (Server Time)

Rebel ‘court’ at temple premises

BY SHIVA PURI

RAUTAHAT, Sept 24 - The Mahadev temple at Chandranigahapur in Rauthat district is crowded with people. However, none of the people at the shrine have come to pay homage to the god or to partake in any religious ceremony. These people are rather at the Maoists' "People's Court", established inside the temple premises.
Though the Maoist leaders have time and again claimed to have put an end to such kangaroo courts, the rebels here have been operating the same unabated. People mostly come here to settle disputes concerning land, financial matters and family quarrels. Member of the Maoists' court, Laxman Bhattrai, claims that more than one thousand cases have been filed at the court and around 70 cases have already been solved.

Bhattarai says that unavailability of space was the reason why they had to set up the court in the temple. "The peoples' court was earlier in the nearby house belonging to one royal relative Nokh Jung Thapa. We shifted here after the peoples' liberation army started using the house as its base camp," Bhattarai said. However, he also said that the "court" would be shifted elsewhere after a "better place" is found. While Thapa and his family have been living in Kathmandu, the rebels here have seized their property.

Posted on: 2006-09-23 23:39:23 (Server Time)

Maoists committed serious HR violations: OHCHR


Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, Sept 26 - The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal, Monday, expressed serious concern regarding serious human rights violations committed by Maoists after they announced ceasefire in April.
A report released by OHCHR Monday said there has been no let up in atrocities committed by Maoists - like killings, abductions, ill-treatment, extortion, recruitment of children in Maoist ranks, and violation of rights of internally displaced people (IDPs). According to the report, the rebels were responsible for the death of at least 16 civilians since the ceasefire declaration of April 26.

"Despite the September 2 directive by the CPN-Maoist leadership to end human rights abuses, and repeated calls by our Office that the leadership hold its cadres accountable, serious abuses continue throughout the country," an OHCHR press release has quoted David Johnson, Officer-in-Charge of OHCHR-Nepal, as saying.

The UN rights body has also urged Maoists to demonstrate that they are serious about their commitment to end these abuses and ensure that those cadres responsible are brought to account.

"Children continue to be recruited and used in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and militias," said the statement. "OHCHR-Nepal notes the release, on 22 September, of 12 out of 20 children recruited by PLA in Dolakha. However, there are still numerous children in the PLA and militia, including new recruits."

OHCHR had said on June 27 that the rebels were responsible for at least nine deaths. However, one of them appeared to be a "genuine suicide", according to Kieran Dwyer, Spokesperson of OHCHR-Nepal.

After OHCHR raised the issue of a series of killings in the Central Region in June, the report said, the pattern of killings ceased. "However, despite this, and general commitments expressed by the CPN-M leadership in the past, serious abuses have continued, and the question of accountability has yet to be addressed in most cases."

Since the ceasefire declaration, the report said, the rebels also abducted at least 184 individuals.

Recruitment of children

The report has seriously raised the issue of recruitment of children in the Maoist army. "Since the ceasefire, concerns have been raised that some 50 children - including some as young as 12 years old - were taken away from their families to take part in PLA and militia activities," said the report. "OHCHR has received credible reports that some of them have received military training with weapons."

‘Police handed over suspects to Maoists’

Though the OHCHR said it is encouraged by the rebels handing over suspects to the police - this varies from district to district. In some cases, the police have handed over suspects to Maoists for prosecution. "However, such handovers are far from systematic, and in a few cases, police have handed suspects over to the CPN-M," the report said without singling out any specific case of police-to-Maoist handover.

Posted on: 2006-09-25 21:36:48 (Server Time)