Cases of child abduction and related violence have been increasing in some Terai districts in the recent days.

Two unidentified people have lost their lives and two others have been injured on Thursday when villagers in Mahottari and Dhanusha beat them up accusing them of trying to abduct children from their village.

The incidents occurred in Khuttapiparadi and Gaushala VDCs of Mahottari district and Thadi Jhijha of Dhanusha district.

Neither the deceased nor the injured have been identified. The villagers have claimed the suspected abductors are Indian citizens.

The injured are being treated at a hospital in Gaushala under police surveillance.

Similar incidents had occurred in the districts last week too. nepalnews.com Apr 23 09

Head of the Nepalese delegation to the Durban Review Conference and Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations in Geneva Dr. Dinesh Bhattarai has said, that all have a collective responsibility to combat discrimination and intolerance in all its forms and manifestations.

Addressing the general segment of the Durban Review Conference in Geneva on Wednesday, he highlighted the plight of those discriminated on the basis of race and ethnicity in many parts of the world, adding, “People continue to be discriminated and victimized for their ethnic origins as being ‘others’. Atrocities committed against minorities whether migrant workers, women or children, are a clear demonstration of undermining the honour and dignity of human beings and disrespecting the equality of human rights.”

He highlighted the arduous struggle and immense sacrifices that have led to profound socio-political transformation in the country within the overall democratic framework, and mentioned competitive multiparty democratic system of governance, universal principles of human rights, freedom of press, independent judiciary, rule of law, inclusiveness, harmony, tolerance, social justice and restructuring of the State as the central foundations of the transformation process.

Expressing Nepal’s commitment to end racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Ambassador Bhattarai said, “As a party to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, we remain committed to combat all forms of discrimination and intolerance. As a multiethnic, multicultural and multilingual society, we recognize the rights of all people to participate on equal footing in all spheres of national life”.

The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by the World Conference on Racism in 2001, provide a comprehensive framework to work together with mutual respect, solidarity and partnership for eradicating the scourge of discrimination and intolerance. The Review Conference (DRC) is being held in Geneva from 20-24 April 2009 to take stock of what has been accomplished, and look for reasons that have stood in the implementation of our commitments. nepalnews.com Apr 22 09

The embattled Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal has submitted a written clarification to the government for defying the latter’s orders Tuesday.

On behalf of CoAS Katawal, Nepal Army spokesperson Brigadier General Ramindra Chhettri submitted the army chief’s clarification to the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar Tuesday morning.

Reports quoted sources as saying that the army chief’s letter bearing his written clarification has already been sent to the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

MoD had on Monday given a 24-hour ultimatum to General Katawal to defend
charges related to recruitment of soldiers against government orders, reinstatement of eight retired Brigadier Generals without first seeking consent of MoD and boycotting of National Games.

The Maoist controlled ministry, which is at odds with Nepal Army since the latter recruited 3010 soldiers by going the government’s orders to stop it, had accused General Katawal of challenging “people’s supremacy” by repeatedly disobeying the government orders.

The government has said it will take a final decision on the army’s chief clarification after discussing with other political parties today.

The cabinet meeting is also scheduled to be held shortly to decide on the issue.

Meanwhile, the ruling Unified CPN (Maoist) has advised the government to suspend General Katawal from the post of army chief if his clarification is not deemed convincing.

A meeting of the party’s Central Secretariat held today morning at the Prime Minister’s official residence to discuss the government’s decision to ask General Katawal to furnish clarification had reached to this conclusion.

The meeting also concluded that the government had the constitutional rights to seek clarification from its army chief and also decided to hold a mass meet in the capital city today in support of the government’s decision to ask General Katawal to furnish clarification on the controversial issues related to the army.

On Monday, Finance Minister Baburam Bhattarai said the government had sought clarification from the army chief with the aim of relieving him of his duties.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had also met with President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav the same day to brief the army’s Supreme Commander on the government decision.

During the meeting, President Yadav reportedly cautioned PM Dahal against any unnecessary intervention, asking him to consult the Interim Constitution and forge political consensus before taking any decision. nepalnews.com ag Apr 21 09

Main opposition Nepali Congress boycotted Monday’s parliamentary sitting, objecting to the government’s order to Nepal Army chief Rookmangud Katawal to furnish clarification, within 24 hours, for not complying with its decisions.

Speaking during the special hour, NC vice-president and lawmaker Ram Chandra Poudel said the government’s move was an attempt to demoralise the army.

While announcing the House boycott, Poudel also came down on Prime Minister for failing to fulfill the commitments he repeatedly made before the House. He also criticised the government for its “failure to curb unruly activities” of Maoist cadres despite promising to do so.

The House was expected to endorse three bills tabled by the government. The NC has also opposed the bills. nepalnews.com mk Apr 20 09

The government sought clarification from the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal because the latter repeatedly disobeyed its order, Minister for Information and Communication and government spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara said Monday.

He said the government has asked CoAS Katuwal to furnish clarification on controversial issues related to the army – army recruitment, reinstatement of eight retired army generals and NA’s boycott of the National Games.

Speaking at a programme in the capital city, Minister Mahara said the government has concluded that the army chief openly flouted the prime minister’s direct orders to stall the army recruitment process. He also said that the new recruitment by the army – which NA said was done to just fulfill vacant posts – was against the Comprehensive Peace Accord.

Similarly, he said the government has also deemed army chief’s action of reinstating the eight retired army generals whose tenure was not extended as against the military act and hence wrong.

Accusing the CoAS of challenging “people’s supremacy” by repeatedly disobeying the government orders, a cabinet meeting on Sunday had decided to seek clarification from CoAS Katawal.

The Ministry of Defense has already issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the CoAS today to come up with a valid clarification for his refusal to abide by government orders.

However, Deputy Prime Minster and Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam has outright denied that there were any discussion regarding asking CoAS to furnish clarification on controversial issues related to the army during yesterday’s cabinet meeting.

Speaking at a press meet organized at the Ministry of Home Affairs today, he claimed that there were no discussion about any other issues other than providing appropriate compensation to the Koshi flood victims during yesterday’s cabinet meeting.

The UML minister said he is totally unaware about any plans of the government to take action against the army chief, although it has become common knowledge that the Maoist-led government is seriously considering relieving the army chief from his position.

Another senior UML leader Ishwor Pokharel also said the five coalition partners did not take up the issue of suspending army chief Rookmangud Katawal during their meeting held at prime minister’s residence at Baluwatar Monday morning. He, however, said that the army chief was clearly on the wrong for flatly disobeying the government orders.

However, emerging from the same meeting, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said he briefed his coalition partners about the content of the letter in which the government has sought clarification from the army chief. nepalnews.com ag Apr 20 09

Main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has on Monday bitterly criticized the agendas of the Nepal Development Strategy Paper (NDSP) presented by the incumbent government for upcoming Nepal Development Forum (NDF), scheduled to take place in mid-May.

“The growth agendas and projections of the NDSP not only lack national consensus but also they are based on fallacious premise,” lambasted Dr Ram Saran Mahat, former finance minister as well as senior NC leader.

According to Dr Mahat, the high level taskforce designated to write the NDSP did not consult with the opposition political parties, intelligentsia, civil society, economists and development experts while preparing the same.”The NDSP is supposed to replace the present Three Year Interim Plan by scrapping its third and final year. But the NDSP has neither gone through parliamentary Finance Committee of the National Development Council,” further remarked Dr Mahat.

He also claimed that the estimates for growth and other macro economic variables are highly exaggerated. “The target set by the NDSP to achieve a growth rate of 8.5 percent in 2011, generation of total revenue of Rs 532 billion in constant prices in there year’s time, government investments of 25.6 percent of GDP and the foreign resources of 7.1 percent of GDP is ridiculously unrealistic,” he stated.

According to him, there is also a complete absence of framework policy to increase gross domestic saving from 8 percent to 18.2 percent of GDP and, capital formation from 21 percent to 39 percent of GDP in 2011.The NC also mocked the promise of the NDSP to make the country foreign aid free by 2025.

“Given the fact that the NDSP has raised foreign aid estimates from Rs 51 billion in the current year to total of Rs 233 billion in three years period (i.e from 5.4 percent of GDP to 7.1 percent of GDP in 2011), the promise, the promise to make the country aid-free sounds hollow,” he said.

The NC also advised the government and donors/development partners to seriously ponder over the past emphasis on macro economic stability, Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) and Medium Term expenditure Framework (MTEF) in order to ensure consistency of their approach to the development paradigms and the reform agenda. nepalnews.com nd April 20 09

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal met President Dr Ram Baran Yadav at the latter’s office, Shital Niwas, discussing wide range of issues including constitution drafting process and the government-army row.

The Prime Minister informed the President, who is the Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army, on the notice sent to army chief Rookmangud Katawal by the government, asking him for clarification, within 24 hours, for not complying with its orders. The meeting lasted around 45 minutes.

PM Dahal met the President hours after the government asked the army chief to come up with a formal clarification. A cabinet meet yesterday concluded that the army chief had gone against a number of decisions of the government, “challenging the norms of civilian supremacy”.

There has not been any reaction from the President’s office regarding the row between the government and the army.

The government and the army top brass are at odds over the retirement of eight Brigadier Generals, new recruitments in the NA and the boycotting of some events under the 5th National Games.

According to sources, Prime Minister Dahal during a meeting with the army chief yesterday asked him to resign and that the government is mulling over his ouster. nepalnews.com mk/ia Apr 20 09

A photo exhibition on Bhutanese refugees resettled in the United States of America opened at Beldangi II refugee camp in Jhapa district Monday. The exhibition entitled ‘Home’ and organised by UNHCR, exhibits photographs taken by photographer Kashish Das Shrestha, a photographer and journalist based in New York.

With over 30 photos, the exhibition focuses on two families – the Odari and the Neopaney families – who arrived in New York in June 2008, UNHCR said in a statement.

The exhibition is managed by photo.circle, a photo collective based in Kathmandu that organises photo exhibitions, presentations, workshops and festivals with a strong emphasis on story telling through the visual medium.

“This exhibition is part of our ongoing information dissemination strategy on durable solutions. These extraordinary photos, and commentary by Shrestha provide a moving insight into what life is like in a resettlement country for one young refugee couple and their families,” the statement quoted Diane Goodman, UNHCR Deputy Representative in Nepal as saying.

“The Neopaney and Odari families miss their friends in Nepal and hope that someday they can visit Bhutan. They are also excited and grateful for their new life in the USA,” said photographer Shrestha.

The exhibition will be held in all seven refugee camps between April 20 and 24.

Since the start of the resettlement programme in November 2007, some 12,388 refugees have left Nepal for resettlement countries. The US has received the largest numbers so far – 10,934 and most are resettled in cities like Tuscon, Seattle, Pittsburg, Altanta and Baltimore.

Departure to Australia is 675, New Zealand 220, Denmark 161, Norway 159, Canada 148, and the Netherlands 91, the UN refugee agency said. nepalnews.com ia Apr 20 09

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav has said that the ongoing peace process will fall in serious jeopardy if the new constitution is not drafted within the stipulated time.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 6th National Convention of Federation of Non-Governmental Organisation in the capital city, he said there is a greater need of understanding and cooperation between the political parties to draft the constitution on time and take the peace process to its logical conclusion.

Dr Yadav further said the political parties have no other alternative left than to resolve all their differences and move ahead in the path of national reconciliation. He also said the political parties needs to bear this in their mind since the task of drafting the constitution on time is very challenging.

Saying that the country is going through a difficult transition period and that rumor about disintegration of the country is also making rounds, he urged all ethnic, linguistic and religious communities in the country to maintain unity and communal harmony.

He also believed that a “progressive constitution” can be drafted only after achieving national unity and harmony.

Also speaking at the programme, head of Constitutional Council (CC) and senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal said he was confident on the new constitution being drafted within the stipulated time and also hoped that the differences seen among the political parties will soon end.

He also urged all political parties to give priority to politics of consensus so that the new constitution can be drafted as per the aspiration of the people.

At the programme, civil society leaders expressed serious concern over the trend of political parties giving shelter to criminal groups and said that this had led to rise in culture of impunity in the country. nepalnews.com ag Apr 20 09

General secretary of CPN (UML) Ishwor Pokharel has said the five coalition partners during their meeting held at prime minister’s residence at Baluwatar Monday morning did not discuss the issue of suspending army chief Rookmangud Katawal.

Emerging from the meeting, Pokhrel told reporters that the five parties did not take up the issue formally, a range of other issues were discussed during two-hour long meeting.

There were reports that the government is mulling over suspending the army chief citing his non-compliance with government orders.

Pokhrel added said his party has not been informed formally what clarification Katawal has been asked to furnish by the government. He further said Nepal Army, as an arm of the government, should obey to orders of the civilian government without condition.

Meanwhile, the coalition parties agreed to amend the three ordinances – Ordinance on Voters List, Ordinance against Disappearance of Individuals and Ordinance on Inclusive – tabled in the parliament as bills for endorsement. The five parties agreed to vote in favour of the ordinances.

Pokharel also said the cabinet would pass a bill that addresses the demands of the Tharu community. Similarly, the five parties agreed to sanction Rs 1.5 billion as compensation to the Koshi victims. nepalnews.com ia/ss Apr 20 09