#93 10 - 16 May 2002 16 pages Rs 20 FREE!FREE!FREE! 11 Sikkim is opening up, getting a new airport, and finding its own identity. 8 EXCLUSIVE Peace for food A 25-nation Asia-Pacific ministerial UNILATERAL conference on agriculture is taking place An email message from Maoist leader Prachanda Thursday proposed a unilateral in Kathmandu next week in the run-up to one-month ceasefire effective 15 May. The first part of the statement is a tirade See-saw war against the United States, and it blames Nepal’s “feudal autocrats” for going to the World Food Summit in Rome in June. High on the agenda of both meetings will Washington to seek help and “invite foreign forces into the country”. Prachanda be the crisis of food security in the world’s sees a grand American design to “encircle China and weaken India”. The statement mountain regions. Chronically food- blames the United States for “trying to turn Nepal into another Vietnam”. deficit hilly regions of the world, including Prachanda says his group is even willing to join in future with other parliamentary Nepal, are now also being wracked by parties, but warns: “If during the ceasefire period the government continues its conflict. This is worsening an already bad suppression, then we will be compelled to launch a fearsome, final war.” Although food situation, says Jacques Diouf, the the message does not bear a signature, human rights groups say it is authentic. The email has also come through the same channels as previous messages which have not been refuted. This unilateral ceasefire offer comes 17 days before the present state of emergency is due to expire. There has been no immediate reaction from the government, but a reiteration of the demand that the Maoists disarm before any future talks is expected. By next morning, security sources told arrived. Eighteen injured soldiers, police us, the scene of the battle had been picked and a civilian flown to Kathmandu on head of the UN’s Food and Agriculture clean, there were no bodies and no weapons Thursday afternoon (see pic) . Organisation (FAO). “Mountain areas are but the ground was soaked with blood. The MPs from the State Affairs Committee home to most of the armed conflicts in army then advanced further up to the (SAC) of parliament who visited Rolpa last the world as well as many of the poorest MIN BAJRACHARYA and least food-secure populations,” says ridgeline and came across the Maoists’ main week described the area as a war zone. “It Diouf. Without peace, we cannot reduce BINOD○○○○○○○○○○ BHATARAI○○○○○○○○○○ base with bunkers, food supply and training feels like Lebanon,” says Prakash Jwala, poverty. Without peace, we cannot ensure isne Lekh is a thickly forested ridge at grounds, reportedly the hideout of rebel “We are convinced the security forces are secure food supply.” (see also p 4-5) 2,500m protected by sheer cliffs to the leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara. doing their best, but there is a severe lack of L south. At the western foothills of this They laid siege to the heights, but the helicopters.” MP Hridaya Ram Thani, SAC Truly Asia range is the Magar village of Thebang, up Maoists being much more familiar with the chairman, agrees. “They need support to Malaysian Airlines, which has been north-east is Gam, the cradle of the Maoist terrain, fled along the ridge north-east make their campaign more effective.” planning to fly into Kathmandu from later revolution. towards Gam. And that is where, in an It is now clear that the lack of air this year is trying to bring forward its Rolpalis have known that the Maoists audacious counterattack, they stormed an support to enforce the cordon around Lisne starting date to July after Singapore had a major base up there. The security isolated army-police garrison on Tuesday was a critical factor that allowed the Airlines decided to suspend operations. forces, working on intelligence, had for the night at eleven o’clock. From there they are Maoists to break through and flee along the “We want to come in as soon as possible,” first time started probing the western prisoner, they then headed further up the believed to have dispersed into Baglung in ridge to attack Gam. says Subodh Rana, of Marco Polo reaches of Lisne from Thebang. A unit of 28 mountain towards Gharelidhara, where top the east and Rukum up north. The security forces had been expecting Travels, local agents for Malaysian. policemen and 72 soldiers were out on Maoists were reported. At about 2:15pm It took only 90 minutes to overrun the a major attack in the area, and the presence Nepal already has some 30,000 workers in of large numbers of rebels on Lisne, they Malaysia, numbers likely to grow. Initially, patrol at eight in the morning on 2 May. they came under heavy fire. The unit Gam base. Many of those who survived Malaysian hopes to extend two of its 4- They made contact with a large group of radioed for air support and kept on fighting. were executed. The final death toll is not say, was indication they were probably weekly Dhaka flights to Kathmandu. Maoists and reportedly killed more than A massive hail-storm, made it impossible for clear, but 60 of the 140-strong force were preparing a raid on Libang. This time, 100 of them, including Dil Man Thapa, a helicopters to land. By 6:30 the soldiers had said to be outside the base when it fell. they also wanted an atack to coincide Anti-privatisation? local commander. run out of ammunition, and they retreated Thirty-five charred bodies were found on with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur By blowing up two power houses belong- Acting on a tipoff by a captured female with their five dead. Thursday when reinforcements finally Deuba’s Washington visit. ing to the Butwal Power Company, Maoists have sabotaged its privatisation. The in LONDON repairs at Jhimruk (12MW) alone will cost JITENDRA○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ RAUT ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ over Rs 250 million. The powerhouse at awyers representing ex-Gurkhas filed a petition at the Royal Courts of Justice in Andhi Khola (5MW) is also considerable. London on Wednesday charging the British government with discrimination in pay A consortium of winning bidders had L and pensions against Nepali soldiers. If upheld, the 20 cases could benefit over pledged Rs950 million for BPC before 30,000 veterans and 6,000 Nepali widows. Compensation claims could total £2 billion. the attacks, and are awaiting a damage The court will decide in the next few weeks if the Gurkhas have “an arguable case”. The Gurkhas are represented by the barrister, Cherie Booth, wife of British prime Ayo Gorkhali assessment report. minister Tony Blair and prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba arrives in London on They are allowed Saturday. Due to both reasons, the issue has received wide coverage in the British press. to live with wives Booth did not appear at the press conference on Wednesday but Phil Shiner of Matrix only for 3 of the 15 Weekly Internet Poll # 33 Chambers told us Booth thinks the Gurkha case is “strong and morality is on their side”. years of service, Q. Should the government have announced rewards There are about 3,400 Nepali soldiers in the British Army. Up to 60,000 have died something that does for the capture of the Maoist leadership? in the past 200 years while fighting for the British in various wars. They say that while not apply to British conditions have improved over the years, they are still not treated at par with British soldiers soldiers on pay, pensions and other basic rights. All soldiers are The ex-Gurkhas, represented by the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation treated as Hindu, (GAESO), say they have an air-tight case. A 1947 tripartite agreement between Britain, althoiugh there are India and Nepal grants all soldiers equal treatment. But two days after the pact was non-Hindus in the Cherie Booth to the rescue. signed British and Indian officials sat down and agreed to a bilateral deal, which is what ranks governs payments for British Gurkhas today. Nearly 55 years later, the Gurkhas say they Promotions are racially tinged, and want to be treated equally and their sacrifices recognised. There is discrimination in pension payments. The British government has maintained that although there are discrepancies in GAESO’s Padam Bahadur Gurung told us: “All we are asking is not to be treated as Total votes: 1498 pays and penisons which have been narrowed, the Nepali soldiers get extended home inferior human beings. We want recognition that we have fought loyally as British soldiers, leave and other benefits not provided to British nationals in the army. and demand only the same rights.” Many British citizens seem to agree. A former Weekly Internet Poll # 34. To vote go to: www.nepalitimes.com The lawyers will try to prove that the Gurkhas are victims of racism in the military, paratrooper and now Mayor of Ilafracombe, says in the 30 April issue of the Daily Mirror: Q. The emergency is coming up again for renewal. Should it be renewed? and they base their case on four violations of the British Human Rights Act (1998): “It is scandalous that these people should be treated as second class citizens.” We take pride in jobs well done. [email protected] Phone: (01) 521393, 543017, 547018 Fax: 977-1-536390 JAGADAMBA PRESS 222 EDITORIAL 10 - 16 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMES NATION 10 - 16 MAY 2002 NEPALI TIMES 333 Nepali Times is published by Himalmedia Pvt Ltd, Chief Editor: Kunda Dixit Editor: Anagha Neelakantan STATE OF THE STATE by CK LAL COMMENT by PUSKAR GAUTAM Design: Kiran Maharjan [email protected], www.nepalitimes.com Advertising: Sunaina Shah [email protected] Subscription: Anil Karki [email protected] Sales: Sudan Bista [email protected] Sanchaya Kosh Building, Block A-4th Floor, Lalitpur GPO Box 7251, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 01-543333-7, Fax: 01-521013 Printed at Jagadamba Press: 01-521393 Peace in our time Maoism in a post-Mao world Kathmandu is a well-shielded valley, even grief can’t get past Thankot.