The recent Aaha Gold Cup and Buddha Subba winners African United Club (AUC), that assembled many African players playing in the “A” Division league in Kathmandu, is scheduled to play a friendly match against the national team on 18th March.
ANFA General Secretary said the friendly is being organized to prepare for the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup. “The main aim of the friendly is to strength our side,” Shrestha said. However, ANFA is also planning to give away the “Rupak Memorial Prize” on the same day calling on Home Minister Kamal Thapa, the ex-President of ANFA, to do the honours.
ANFA has taken the initiative to honour and recognise the contribution of former footballers and persons actively involved for the betterment of the discipline. Three former players, one current player and one personality from outside the valley will be presented with a motorcycle and a cash prize of Rs 100,000 each with the sum collected from the charity match, a newspaper said.
ANFA spokesperson Lalit Krishna Shrestha informed called of all to enjoy the day by coming to the stadium to watch the thrilling match.
His Majesty King Gyanendra gave away awards to scientists and an organisation for their significant contribution in the field of science and technology and conservations amidst a function organized by the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST) at Birendra International Convention Centre on Thursday.
He Majesty Queen Komal was also present on the occasion.
Their Majesties the King and Queen, who were in Pokhara for an informal visit of western development region returned to Kathmandu on Thursday.
Bagmara Community Forest Management Committee of Bagmara Chitwan received the first Shree Panch Gyanendra Conservation Award. The award carries a purse of one hundred thousand rupees.
Dr Man Bahadur KC, consultant cardiologist of Martyr Gangalal National Heart Centre, meteorologist Archana Shrestha of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, computer engineer Dr Subarna Shakya, pharmacist Dr Saffar Mansur and soil scientist Dr Junukamal Tuladhar received the Crown Prince Youth Science and Technology Prize. The prize carries a purse of thirty thousand rupees.
While Bhattedanda Conservation Ropeway and senior journalist Bhairam Risal received the Royal Academy Science and Technology Promotion Award, physicist Dr Binil Aryal, mathematician Dr Mahendra Prasad Panthee, Chemist Dr Akkal Deo Mishra and bird ecologist Dr Hem Sagar Baral received the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World award.
Speaking at the function, vice-chairman of the council of ministers Dr Tulsi Giri, called on the RONAST to address the necessity of the people, strengthen infrastructure and make full use of them.
Vice-chancellor of RONAST Prof Dr Dayananda Bajracharya said that Nepal has lagged behind in the sector of science and technology due to lack of policies, sufficient investment, foresightedness and priority.
He informed that the number of high-level human resources in the sector in the nation had reached 28,000 but using their expertise for the economic and social development of the nation is an uphill task.
The Indian government pledged assistance worth Rs 29,973,484.00 for construction of a girls’ hostel at Tribhuvan University , Kathmandu .
A press statement issued by Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said Indian Ambassador to Nepal , Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, laid the foundation stone for the construction of girls’ hostel building at Tribhuvan University on Thursday.
“The long-felt need for a girls’ hostel that will be available to more than 100 girls will now be fulfilled,” the statement reads.
The construction of new hostel building will provide a conducive and secure environment for girls coming from all parts of Nepal to pursue higher studies.
The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has accused the Maoist rebels of using children for various activities in violation of their rights and international laws.
Addressing a press meet organised in the eastern town of Itahari by the Eastern Divisional Headquarters (EDH) of the RNA on Thursday, Colonel Tara Bahadur Karki said that over 15 percent of the Maoist guerillas in the region are children under 15 years of age.
The security forces in the east have arrested seven such children, including three in Taplejung, one in Tehrathum and one in Rangeli, recruited by the Maoists as spies and handed them over to CWIN, he said.
The division claimed that the arrested children said the Maoists use them to carry their arms and ammunition and send them to security barracks to oversee the movement of security personnel.
On the occasion, RNA screened a video footage of a 12 years old child guerilla, Bhuvan Dahal, who was arrested while spying against the security forces at the security base camp at Rangeli. The child said that he has been working as a spy for the rebels since May 25 last year.
The child is a resident of Beltar-6, Udaypur. According to him, there were around 35-40 children deployed by the rebels at different places for spying against the security forces, specially against the RNA.
Lt Col of EDH Tek Bahadur Chand stated that the Maoists have been using a large number of children as spies in the region. He said the Army has taken necessary precautionary measures to check Maoists from using children.
Many national and international organisations including the UN have asked the rebels and the security forces not to use children as spies or for whatever purpose. They have said that the rebels have recruited children as guerillas but the rebels have refuted it saying they do not use children as spies or recruit them in the militia.
A New York-based leading rights group, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has said civil war has now engulfed almost every district in the country.
Making public interim findings of their three-week-long fieldwork in nearly a dozen districts in Lalitpur on Friday, Sam Zia Zarifi, research director of the HRW’s Asia division, said space for Nepali civilians has decreased dramatically. It does seem pretty clear that both Nepali security forces and the Maoists have behaved according to international humanitarian laws to some extent. “It is the success of the international human rights monitoring and Leahy amendment. But terror and impact on civilian lives is quite high,” he added.
According to the HRW team, the Maoists were found seeking shelter in civilian areas and launching attacks from civilian areas. Similarly, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) was found using helicopters and dropping off explosives and 81 mm mortars from helicopters during clashes. “Dropping of mortars is indiscriminate and has added to civilian casualties,” said Zarifi.
The Human Rights Watch team said they were very concerned about what they called government’s alleged sponsoring of vigilante groups in several districts of southern terai. The members of vigilante groups were found to be extorting villagers, torturing them and even killing suspected Maoist rebels. In some cases, vigilante groups worked as advance team before the patrol by the security personnel, they said. In Kapilvastu, for example, the government was even arming the vigilantes. The HRW team said they found evidences of what they called the government supported vigilante activities in districts including Bardiya, Nawalparasi, Dhanusha and even in the mid-western district of Dailekh. “It’s a real cause of alarm. The government should absolutely stop such practices,” said Zarifi.
There were no new cases of disappearances reported during their study period, the practice of re-arrest had dropped and the army was promptly handing over the detainees to civilian authorities. However, there was absolutely no accountability among the security forces neither for the past nor for recent cases (of rights violations).
— Human Rights Watch
Anna Neistat, emergency researcher with the HRW, said during their field research they met 16 child soldiers who were above 18 years of age. “However, they were all recruited while they were child,” said Anna. “The Maoist claim they don’t recruit children as guerrillas is simply not true,” she added.
According to the HRW investigation, most of the children from the Far-Western region were forcibly recruited. Most of them were abducted from the schools and some of them were forced to stay back. The abductions seems to have gone up during the four-month-long ceasefire (October ’05 till Jan. 06).
Similarly, Human Rights Watch said there was absolutely no state policy for the rehabilitation and reintegration of these children. The authorities clearly had no idea as what to do with these children, the researchers said.
The Human Rights Watch team said there had been some improvements too. There were no new cases of disappearances reported during their study period, the practice of re-arrest had dropped and the army was promptly handing over the detainees to civilian authorities. “But, 100 percent of the detainees we interviewed said they had been tortured or abused by the army after they were taken into custody. This practice simply has to stop,” said Zarifi.
The HRW team, however, said there was absolutely no accountability among the security forces neither for the past nor for recent cases (of rights violations). Zarifi also expressed concerns saying that the recently amended Terrorism and Disruptive Activities (Control and Punishment) Ordinance (TADO) was systematically barring people from filing habeas corpus petitions.
The authorities are yet to respond to latest allegations by the Human Rights Watch that has come just days ahead of the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Commission (now renamed as Human Rights Council) in Geneva.
Tang Jiaxuan
Visiting state councilor of China, Tang Jiaxuan, has said that China is in favour of unity among Nepal’s constitutional forces in order to resolve the present crisis.
In his speech during a joint reception organised by the China Study Centre and the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu on Friday, councilor Tang said that he sincerely hoped that all constitutional forces in Nepal would come closer in the best interest of the country and the people and “seek to appropriately settle the current difficulties and problems through dialogues, upholding Nepal’s independence, sovereignty and national unity.”
Stating that to achieve the goal of promoting social and economic development and improving life for its people is crucial for a country, the Chinese delegate said, “Nepal with peace, reconciliation and amity, enjoying stability, development and prosperity serves the fundamental interest of its people and will promote regional peace, stability and development.”
Tang expressed satisfaction over the decision of the SAARC to grant observer status to China. He said, “We welcome the recent SAARC summit’s decision to accept China as an observer into the organisation. China is ready to establish formal ties with the SAARC at an early date and enter into cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, thus contributing to the regional cooperation and development.”
Being one of the major donors of Nepal, China’s development will bring more opportunities to Nepal and promote the common development of two countries, he believed. “We look forward to working with Nepal to make greater contribution to world peace, stability and prosperity through our own development,” he added.
He lauded the friendly relations between both the countries since ancient times and expressed commitment to assist Nepal in its effort to safeguard sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
“Nepal is a sovereign country and its internal affairs shall not be interfered anyway by any outside forces,” Tang said, adding, “We believe that the Nepalese government and people have the political wisdom and the capability to solve their own problems.”
Unlike other countries, China has described the February 1 royal takeover of last year as an internal affair of Nepal.
Tang also appreciated Nepal’s support to China over the issue of Taiwan and Tibet as well as other major issues related to Chinese sovereign rights and interests.
“The Chinese government will continue to pursue a policy of friendship towards Nepal and give high importance in developing comprehensive and friendly relations with Nepal,” he added.
Earlier, Tang called on Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Talking to journalists after the meeting, Foreign Minister Pandey informed that issues of bilateral interest were discussed during the meeting.
Likewise, Tang also separately called on president of Nepali Congress (NC), Girija Prasad Koirala, president of NC (Democratic) Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN (UML) leaders Amrit Kumar Bohara and Bharat Mohan Adhikari.
Talking to journalists after the meeting, leaders said the current political situation of the country and issues of bilateral interest were discussed during the meetings. The Chinese government is aware of the aspiration of Nepali people, they maintained.
The top Chinese delegate, who arrived in Nepal on Thursday, held meetings with cabinet vice-chairmen duo Dr Tulsi Giri and Kriti Nidhi Bista on Thursday.
His Majesty King Gyanendra is also scheduled to grant audience to Tang.
The US government has provided USD 1.4 million to UNHCR’s Programme in Nepal.
A press statement issued by UNHCR said the USA contributed USD 1.15 million for the UN refugee agency’s 2006 Annual Budget Programme for Nepal.
The US government also provided USD 250,000 for support of new Tibetan arrivals in the Reception Centre in Kathmandu.
A press statement issued by the UNHCR in Nepal quoted UNHCR’s Representative in Nepal, Abraham Abraham as saying, “We wish to express our sincere appreciation to the government and people of the USA for this generous contribution.”
“These contributions are part of the USD 203.8 million contribution from the USA to UNHCR’s 2006 overall Annual Programme Budget. The USA is the refugee agency’s largest donor,” the statement adds.
The refugee agency in Nepal is providing international protection and assistance to some 105,000 Bhutanese refugees who have been sheltering in seven camps in eastern Nepal since the early 1990’s.
The refugee agency also protects and assists newly arrived Tibetans in transit in Nepal, as well as responding to the protection needs of the asylum-seekers and refugees of other nationalities in Kathmandu, the statement adds.
Maoists insurgents killed two members of a ‘village security group’, a resistance group, in Nawalparasi district on Friday.
Wakil Musalman and Murtura Diwan, who were associated with the ‘anti-Maoist’ resistance group, were killed by a group of armed Maoists at Guthisurpura area this afternoon, according to reports.
Reports said the Maoists have confirmed the killing of the two men, accusing the two of involving in “anti-Maoist activities”.
Normal life around the country continued to suffer on Friday due to the blockade imposed by the Maoists as a high-level meeting of seven opposition parties failed to arrive at a conclusion regarding an ‘understanding’ reached during parties-Maoist talks in New Delhi, India.
The meeting of top leaders of the seven-party alliance held at Nepali Congress (NC) president Girija Prasad Koirala’s residence at Maharajgunj this evening discussed the ‘understanding’ reached in the negotiation between the alliance leaders and the CPN (Maoist) representatives in Delhi.
The meeting was postponed until Sunday with top alliance leaders expressing different views over the understanding “as per which the parties will announce strong general strikes”- which was the main condition put forth by the Maoists to call off their ongoing blockade and upcoming bandh.
The seven-party meeting lasted for nearly an hour, according to participants.
Emerging out of the meeting, NC (Democratic) president Sher Bahadur Deuba said the alliance entered into a serious discussion over the ongoing move. “We continue to discuss a range of issues. We are very serious which is why the meeting has been extended,” Deuba told reporters.
He, however, dodged questions regarding the ongoing talks in New Delhi. “I don’t know about Delhi [negotiations],” he concluded.
In Delhi, an agreement has been reached between the parties and the Maoists to issue a joint appeal declaring general strike by the alliance while the rebels would withdraw their blockade, according to news reports.
Arjun Narsingh KC of the NC said today’s seven-party meeting was focussed on the upcoming mass demonstration of the seven parties slated for April 8.
Similarly, CPN (UML) leader Subash Nemwang said, “We are gearing up for a massive mass movement on April 8 while the royal government is making all attempts to disrupt it. Today’s meeting was mainly focussed on our movement.”
Normal life was affected on the fourth day of the Maoist blockade imposed in highways and district headquarters around the country as prices of vegetable and other essential goods continued to soar. There were also reports of food shortage in a number of district headquarters.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Kamal Thapa warned that the government would not hesitate to take stringent action against the leaders of the opposition parties for forging links with the Maoists who have been declared as terrorists.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Makawanpur District Council in Hetauda today, Thapa said the Maoist-parties collaboration was against the spirit of nationality and national sovereignty.
The interior minister accused the parties of trying to launch movement for a republican state with the help of the Maoists. He said that the parties-Maoist understanding would not give outlet to the present political impasse.
A 13-year-old child was killed in a blast carried out by suspected Maoists in Kalaiya, Bara district.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the blast occurred when the child was playing in front of the District Health Office on Friday afternoon.
No more details were given.