By Pratibedan Baidya

Amid reports that Maoists are demanding huge amount of “donations” from joint venture banks and financial institutions in the country, Nepal Bankers Association (NBA) has issued an appealed urging people not to approach banks for any kinds of donations.

A public notice issued by the NBA on Tuesday said that banks collect money from the depositors and mobilize it in different sectors. Banks have to pay the money to the depositors as and when they demand it, so they can’t provide money to anyone as donations or assistance, the NBA said.

Stating that the Nepal Rastra Bank—the central bank in the country– closely monitors their activities and the banks make public their financial reports every three months, the Bankers’ Association said it did expect anybody or institutions demand for such assistance or donations from banks.

Despite repeated calls from Nepalnews, Radhesh Pant, president of NBA, could not be reached for comments. But talking to us on condition of anonymity, officials at the NBA said the Association had issued the statement as bankers in the country were approached to provide donations from time to time from different sectors. They, however, refused to comment on whether the latest public notice by the NBA was in response to the Maoists’ spree to raise “forced donations.”

Sources, however, revealed that NBA’s public notice came after joint venture banks complained that they were being asked for “huge donations” by the rebels over the past few weeks. A source revealed that local unit of the Maoists demanded Rs one million from a Pokhara-based branch of a leading joint venture bank. “Our manager level staff regularly receive threatening calls from the rebels and we are worried about their safety as well as of possibility of armed raids from the insurgents,” a leading banker told us on condition of anonymity.

On Monday, a team of senior army and police officials visited all the commercial banks in Nepalgunj and asked them to further strengthen their security measures. The visit came days after Maoist insurgents raided Karnali Development Bank in Nepalgunj in broad day light and looted Rs 1.8 million.

Talking to Nepalnews, Hari Prasad Koirala, manager of Nepal Bangladesh Bank Nepalgunj branch, informed that the security team inspected the office and received information about the internal security of the bank.

Likewise, Deputy Superintendent of Police Basanta Kumar Lama, one of the members of the security team that visited the banks in Nepalgunj informed that they visited the banks to review the security arrangements of the bank and to better coordinate to avoid any untoward incident.

He informed that they had advised some banks to improve security arrangements, adding that security has been beefed up in the city to avoid any such incidents.Nepal Bank Limited, one of the oldest banks of the country had shifted or merged its 104 branches across the country due to the security challenge.

According to officials at the Nepal Bank Limited, 29 branches of the Bank had been affected from various insurgency

related events.

Cash and property worth nearly Rs 250 million has been looted from the NBL after the onset of the Maoist insurgency.

Similarly, spokesperson of the Rastriya Banijya Bank, Janardan Acharya, said that Maoists have looted property worth 160 million rupees from various branches of the Bank over the past few years.

The RBB has closed a total of 20 branches over the last three years mainly due to security reasons.

Though no businessman has come forward so far saying that he or she has been approached by the rebels “for donations,” privately they admit that they are indeed receiving calls for “donations.”

Industrialist Rajendra Kumar Khetan said that activities of the Maoist affiliated trade union had increased rapidly in the recent days, which had affected the whole business sector. He did not elaborate.

He said that such activities will have not only financial but also social and mental effect, which will hamper the production and growth of the economy in the country.

Despite repeated attempts, Nepalnews could not get response from the security bodies regarding the problem of extortion being faced by the business enterprises including financial institutions.

On Wednesday, two security personnel, three rebels and a civilian were killed when a group of rebels attacked a security team that was providing cover to a vehicle carrying cash from the local branch of RBB to the local security base. The authorities said the rebels, however, could not loot the money. Most of the banks in the districts deposit their cash at the local security bases for security reasons.

A study conducted by the International Crisis Group (ICG)—a Brussels-based think tank—says the CPN (M) is Nepal’s richest political party. In its study entitled “Nepal’s Maoists: Their aims, structure and strategy” published in October last year, ICG quotes a report saying that between February 1996 and May 2003 alone , the Maoists are estimated to have seized over USD 4.6 million in cash and precious metals.

In early 2002, a former Maoist district commander estimated that the rebels needed to spend Rs 10 million every month to keep the war going. This did not include political or administrative expenses, and the movement has grown significantly over the last four years.

“Despite a crackdown on Maoist fundraising since February 2005, extortion continues,” said the ICG report. “Funding a movement of the size and geographical extent that the Maoists have created is not easy but there is no sign that a lack of income alone will prove a decisive factor in weakening the insurgency,” it concluded.

Two locals sustained bullet injuries when Armed Police Force (APF) personnel attempted to rob a hotel at Kapan, Kathmandu on Wednesday evening.

Various news reports said two assistant sub-inspectors of APF attempted the robbery taking advantage of load-shedding.

Reports quoted the locals as saying the two APF men, stationed at the nearby APF base camp, attempted the robbery at around 5 p.m. by showing guns.

Locals, however, foiled their attempt. Two locals – Govardhan Shrestha of Panauti and Prakash Karki of Khotang – were injured in the firing while the APF men tried to flee the scene. The locals captured the policemen along with weapons and handed them over to the police.

The policemen come to the hotel in a taxi and beat up Krishna Bahadur Khadka, the owner of the hotel and attempted to loot cash Rs 4,000 and a gold ring from his shop.

The Bouddha police post has taken Mitha Ram Adhikari, former VDC Chairman, into custody for necessary investigation of the incident.

When contacted, officials at the APF headquarters at Halchowk told Nepalnews that an investigation is underway.

On Friday, Bhuwan Kharel, owner of Dakshinkali Lodge at Bagbazzar was shot dead by Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of the Crime Investigation Department in Kathmandu, Bidhan Chandra Shah inside Kharel’s lodge after a brief scuffle.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras has said that efforts towards finding a peaceful solution to the current crisis facing the country through dialogue are afoot.

In his address at the rhino presentation ceremony in Vienna, Austria, the Crown Prince on Wednesday said too many of our people live in poverty; far too many suffer from inadequate health care, education opportunities and access to basic public services. This has had adverse socio-economic ramifications.

“Sadly, this sorry state has resulted in Nepal being plagued by insurgency, over the past few years, resulting in the loss of thousands of precious human lives and the destruction of infrastructure erected with huge investments. As a result, our development efforts in all spheres, including conservation, have been badly disrupted. Efforts towards finding a peaceful solution through dialogue are afoot,” crown Prince added.

Crown Prince Paras also conveyed the greetings and good wishes of King Gyanendra to Austrian President Heinz Fischer, as well as to the government and people of Austria.

“The people of the Kingdom of Nepal harbour a deep sense of amity and friendship towards Austria and her people and we are appreciative of the cooperation we have received from Austria over the years,” the crown prince said. “With Austria hosting the Presidency of the European Union, we are confident that it will further deepen cooperation and understanding between the European Union and Nepal.”

Crown Prince Paras, who chairs the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC), said, “The Crown Princess and I feel honoured to have the opportunity to participate in this hand over ceremony of a pair of rhinoceros from Nepal to the Vienna Zoo as a token of friendship from our Sovereign His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev on behalf of the people of Nepal to the people of Austria. This ceremony also symbolises the warm friendship and goodwill that exists between our two peoples.”

“We have no doubt that these two beautiful rhinos have found a comfortable, safe and friendly home away from home here in Vienna, thanks to the sincere support and tireless efforts of friends of Nepal in Austria,” the Crown Prince added.

Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey handed over the two rhinos to the Vienna zoo on Wednesday.

An international annual observatory report for the protection of human rights defenders entitled “Steadfast in Protest” has placed Nepal in the rank of Sudan, Colombia, Iraq, the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Chechnya and Cote d’ Ivoire in terms of “creating permanent insecurity” for the human rights defenders.

The report prepared jointly by the World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and released at 18 countries including Nepal on Wednesday said, “Defending human rights during political or armed conflict is extremely dangerous. Defenders in Cote d’ Ivoire, Sudan, Nepal, Colombia, Iraq, the Palestinian Occupied Territories, and Chechnya have operated in a climate of permanent insecurity, and several of them have been assassinated.”

The 2005 annual report of the Observatory for the Protection of human rights defenders is being submitted to Louise Arbour, the High Commissioner at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Geneva.

The report also describes the cases of 1,172 defenders and obstacles to freedom of association in about 90 countries.

“In Nepal, the situation of human rights defenders seriously worsened in 2005, following the Royal proclamation on February 1. The government widely repressed peaceful demonstrations and gatherings, and also placed restrictions on the freedom of movement of numerous defenders,” the report adds.

Apart from the activists, the report has included journalists, lawyers, doctors, union leaders and intellectuals who denounce attacks on the dignity of human beings as human rights defenders.

The report in Nepal’s case is largely based on reporting of “arbitrary arrests” of human rights activists and scribes after February 1. The report also included the atrocities of Maoists against rights defenders.

The report also included is the case of a scribe of Radio Nepal, Dekendra Raj Thapa, who was killed by the Maoists.

Twelve students were injured when police intervened in a symbolic silent ‘candle rally’ by the students affiliated to the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU) from Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus at Ghantaghar demanding ‘internal democracy’ in the party.

Bikash Koirala, Deepak Bhattarai (TC Free Student Union (FSU) chairman), Ananda Khanal, Purusottam Mahat, Rajendra Prasai, Rajendra Bastola, Anil Khanal, Surendra Tripathi, Raj Kumar Dhakal, Anup Raj Pokhrel, Samir Khatiwada and Kiran Sitaula were badly beaten by the police. Out of them, seven students sustained serious injuries.

Connecting the Saraswati Multiple Campus incident where the NSU joined hands with the National Democratic Students Union, Bikash Koirala, a former central member alleged that both the NSU central committee and Home Minister were behind the incident.

Deepak Bhattarai, TC FSU chairman, said they would organise a similar kind of protest programme tomorrow at noon against the attack on the students.

The NSU dissident faction had threatened to form a parallel central committee if the existing committee continued working against the principal guided by the Union and did not withdraw the action taken against the seven students who were blamed for vandalising the NSU central office on March 16.

A policeman, a journalist and a civilian were injured when Maoist rebels opened fire indiscriminately at Kalaiya, the district headquarter of southern district of Bara on Thursday morning.

According to reports, police constable Shiva Thapa was injured critically when the rebels opened fire targeting him at around 9 a. m. Bara district correspondent of Nepal Samacharpatra daily, Satya Prakash Shrestha, who was reading a newspaper at a local stationery shop, was also injured. An employee with the District Health Office of Bara, Bhikhari Prasad Saha, was also hit with the bullets.

Shrestha, who is also the district president of Human Rights and Peace Society – a leading rights group—was hit on his leg by the bullet.

According to police, all the injured persons have been taken to the Narayani regional hospital at Birgunj for treatment.

Eyewitnesses said two rebels arrived on a motorbike, opened fire indiscriminately and immediately fled. Police said a search operation is underway.

Vice-chairman of the Council of Ministers Dr Tulsi Giri has urged all stakeholders to work collectively to establish a common mechanism to reap benefits from the development in the Information and Technology (IT) sector.

Speaking at the inaugural session of 12th edition of the annual IT fete, the 12th CAN Info-Tech at the Birendra International Convention Centre in Kathmandu today, vice-chairman Dr Giri said that the government is working to create an conducive environment where all concerned parties can take benefit from the development in the IT sector.

He said that the websites of ministries of the government will help to bring transparency and accountability in the bureaucracy.

“The High Level Commission for Information and Technology is working for the development of IT sector in the country and the government is committed to assist it,” Dr Giri added.

In the inaugural speech, vice-chairman of the High level Commission for Information Technology, Sharad Chandra Shah, said that the commission has invested all its time to develop physical infrastructure and the laws which are essential for the development of IT in the country.

Biplav Man Shrestha, president of Computer Association of Nepal (CAN), the organiser of the mega IT event, said that the government is not giving proper attention for the development of IT sector of the country.

He expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s apathy to implement policies related to IT.

“The government did not meet the commitments expressed in the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS),” he added.

General Secretary Vivek SJB Rana also spoke in the program.

On the occasion, vice-chairman Dr Giri felicitated CN Upadhaya, coordinator of the CAN Info-Tech for his contribution in holding the mega event since the beginning.

110 different companies including four Indian companies working in the different fields of information and communication technology are participating in the exhibition that will last till March 28.

The latest information and communication technology, hardware and newly developed software are the main features of the exhibition.

“The Nepalese Microsoft office system and Nepali computer software Nepalinux along with exhibition of teli-centres of rural areas and Nepali Pavilion are some of the attractions of the exhibition.

According to CAN, around 300 thousand visitors are expected to observe the Info-Tech. Over 230 thousand people had visited last year’s exhibition.

Altogether 38 experts including 17 foreigners of 10 countries will present working papers on the conference.

Discussions will be held in the topics including infrastructures for IT, development of software, e-commerce, bio-informatics and e-governance, CAN informed.

The association has been organising the IT event annually since last the 12 years.

British Ambassador to Nepal Keith G Bloomfield has said that there has to be genuine willingness among all political forces to compromise, to abandon long-held positions and to act on their find-sounding public declarations to resolve the problems of the country.

Speaking at an interaction between visiting British parliamentarian and Nepali political leaders, he said, “Since the London Conference four years ago the international community has consistently argued that the King and the parties should work together to agree a strategy for handling the Maoist threat and bring peace to this tragically war-torn country through negotiations and reintegration of the Maoists into the mainstream. Our advice has not been acted upon. We have even been told to mind our own business.”

He further said that no sustainable peace process is possible without a democratic environment and democratic intentions, adding, “All experiences suggests that what is required is widespread consultations among the different interest groups, including the political parties and civil society, in a way which ensures their buy-in.”

Expressing dissatisfaction over the violent activities of the Maoists he said, “The Maoists have not yet abandoned either their obsolete political ideology or their unacceptable pursuit of political ends by violent means, both of which the international community has rightly and soundly condemned.”

Referring to the 12-point pact between political parties and the Maoists, the British envoy said the efforts of the political parties to draw the Maoists into peaceful resistance in the latest Memorandum of Understanding between them is therefore a welcome development. However it is not enough, he added.

The United States has criticized the pact and stressed the need of consensus between the King and political parties to tackle the Maoist insurgency.

Stating that the ongoing Maoist violence continues to undermine the cause of peaceful resistance and to make it easier for opponents of political engagements to justify their refusal to engage, Bloomfield said, “We therefore urge the Maoists to resume a ceasefire and to renounce violence permanently. We also urge both the Government and Maoists to work sincerely towards a properly monitored ceasefire agreement, followed by a well-structured peace process.”

Commenting on the His Majesty’s plan to conduct parliamentary elections by April 2007, the British envoy said there should be democratic environment for an election to work. “Locking up senior political leaders arbitrarily and without trial, using intimidation to force people to vote, and banning peaceful demonstrations will not contribute to such an environment.”

He also added that there should be representation of credible political parties for the elections to be valid. “It is not the number of parties that counts here, but their ability to mobilise the people as demonstrated by their track record in the previous elections. Elections which were boycotted by nearly all the parties represented in the last parliament would not be an exercise in meaningful democracy and do little to solve the constitutional crisis,” he added.

The United Kingdom (UK) had marked the municipal elections held on February 8 and boycotted by the mainstream political parties as a meaningless exercise to resolve the political crisis of the country.

The visiting six-member British parliamentary delegation led by Conservative MP Sir John Stanley will present their report in the British parliament and the government.

They held discussions with the leaders of various political parties to access the political situation of the country. The delegation also visited some parts of the country to access the situation there.

The British government has been stalling military assistance to Nepal following the February 1 royal takeover of last year, terming the move as setback to democracy.

The central committee meeting of the Rastriya Prajatantra party led by Home Minister Kamal Thapa has urged all political forces of the country to come together to bail the country out of the present crisis.

A press statement issued after the meeting said that political parties should take the call of His Majesty the King on the occasion of Democracy day as an opportunity to create conducive environment for dialogue and consensus to resolve the problems the country is facing.

The statement further said, “RPP believes that it is not in the interest of democracy and the country to forge an alliance with the armed Maoists who are fighting to wipe out democracy and constitutional monarchy in the country.”

The party also appealed to the political parties to call off all programmes of general strikes, saying it will adversely affect the life of general people and ultimately affect the economy of the country.

The meeting also urged for consensus among all democratic forces to bring the Maoists into the mainstream of politics and urged the government to create conducive environment for holding talks and find consensus among all constitutional forces of the country.

The meeting also appealed to the seven political parties to review their decision of working together with the Maoists at a time when they are continuing violent activities.

Talking to journalists after the meeting, party chairman Kamal Thapa said the seven-party alliance should withdraw their decision to work with the Maoists to give outlet to the present political crisis.

Ambassador of Pakistan to Nepal, Sohail Amin, has said friendship between Pakistan and Nepal is based on the shared interest of protecting our sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as ensuring relations with all countries on the basis of the principles of peaceful co-existence.

In a message issued on the occasion of the National Day of Pakistan on Thursday, Amin said both the countries share similar views on most of the regional and global issues and enjoy bilateral relations free of any tensions or differences. “Pakistan remains committed to further strengthen these relations with HMG and people of Nepal in all fields,” he said.

In his message, the Pakistani envoy recalled the devastating earthquake that hit parts of Pakistan on 8 October 2005 killing more than 80,000 people. He thanked the international community for its generous support in relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction works and also thanked Nepal for their sympathy and support for the earthquake victims.

The envoy further said Pakistan is now a key player in the comity of nations, committed to ensuring peace and security in its neighbourhood and friendship based on sovereign equality with all States. “Pakistan is in the forefront of war against international terrorism,” he added.

Pakistan observes March 23 as its National Day in commemoration of the Lahore meeting on that very day in 1940 that passed a resolution to establish a separate homeland for Muslims of South Asia. Seven years later an independent Pakistan was born with the partition of British India.