The Maoists have set up the first temporary camp of their People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the eastern region.

The battalion-level camp established at Sombare area of Prithivi Nagar VDC in Jhapa district, which houses 250 PLA members, was inaugurated amid a function on Wednesday. Reports said most of the PLA members stationed in the camp are equipped with modern arms like AK-47 and SLR.

Battalion commissar Naresh said the PLA men would only carry out their regular activities like security patrolling from the temporary camp and will also be assisting in the party’s three-month long public awareness campaign. The battalion operates under the Ratna-Shakunta First Brigade of the PLA.

Dozens of other members of the battalion will, however, stay in civilian houses in a group of 10 to 15, reports added. Although some locals have complained that the rebels forced them to feed and provide shelter, local Maoist leaders claimed that no pressure has been applied on the locals.

The Maoists had set up the first temporary camp of their army in the mid-western district of Surkhet a few weeks earlier.

This Wednesday, the Maoists and the seven-party alliance government agreed on a joint letter, which was sent to the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, inviting the world body in the management of arms and monitoring of the armies of the state and the rebels.

The PLA is said to have more than 15,000 well-equipped combatants who are backed by tens of thousands of full-time political cadres. n