Maoists all set for action replay

Dina Nath Mishra

It would have surprised me if Maoists of Nepal had not behaved as they behaved in the first week of May 2007. A small group of Nepalese policemen was surrounded by hundreds of Maoist gorillas at night in Suiya village in mid-western market district of Bankey and the ill armed policemen were taken captive. They smashed doors and windows and torched furniture. They were lead by a local Maoist leader Nand Kishore Pandey. It revived memories of days before peace pact of November 2006. This attack left Nepal in tatters and raised doubts over the success of India and UN aided peace process.

It may be recalled that the peace treaty was signed by seven political parties and the Maoists in November 2006. Maoist violence has continued in Nepal for about a decade. Only on April 1, 2007 Maoists joined the Government in Nepal and within a month on May 1, 2007 Maoist president Prachand thundered that they would burst in the Cabinet, in the Parliament, on the streets and also into the cantonment. They demanded that Nepal be declared Republic immediately else they would start urban-centre agitation and bring about the rule of the labours to demolish the monarchy. The May 1 rally and attack by the Maoist gorillas happened on the same day. They did it to make the threat look real, but Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's establishment did not take it seriously.

The Koirala Government's response to the Maoists demands look reasonable. It said that it is only the Constituent Assembly, can declare Nepal a Republic, his Government is not empowered to do so. Let elections be held and let the elected Constituent Assembly declare as they decide and deem fit but the Marxists have adopted the policy of brow beat and dictate. They have their own agenda. Those who have even little knowledge of Marxist history can hardly believe in Maoists intentions of entering into the peace treaty. Marxists of any variety CPI, CPM, Naxalites, Maoists in India or anywhere in the world believe in violence. In West Bengal, they killed large number of Congress leaders. In Kerala they killed hundreds of Sangh Parivar workers and the killings still continue. The Nandigram massacre too continues. They adopt joint front strategy and then start marginalisation of their allies by any means including violence. Umpteen numbers of examples may be cited from the history. In fact anywhere in the world, this strategy has been worked out. Now the same is being practiced in Nepal.

The UN in Nepal has been established at the request of the Government and the Maoists for the peace process and disarming Maoist gorillas. The first phase of disarming them is over. Still, Maoists possess high quality armaments, as these have not been fully deposited in the cantonment under UN observer. The Maoists complain of ill maintained cantonments and put pre-conditions to hoodwink Nepal and the UN. They want early elections as they believe that with the help of gorillas they would out number the political parties. The UN in its report has said that a little delay in holding elections would not be a disaster. Meanwhile, problems of deprived people may be addressed, that is the problems of Madhesis. In terms of population Madhesis account for about 50 per cent. Their contribution to the revenues of Nepal is much more than proportionate. Most of them are not Nepali citizens. Their representation in Army, police and Government establishments is negligible. They are the most neglected in Nepal.

Recently Madhesis revolted against their poor conditions. Most of the political leadership, which is responsible for their plight, is now lending their ears. Their independent leaders have risen to the occasion and they look more united. Meanwhile, the UN has said in its report that their grievances and demands may be addressed before elections. This reason alone may take a lot of time but unless it is done, including settling the question of citizenship, no worthwhile representation of these people is going to be there. As far as the monarch is concerned, he has been stripped of his powers. In no way is he a threat to the present establishment. Declaring Nepal a Republic at this stage appears to be the Maoists alibi for an agitation. Unless the Maoists are fully disarmed and the elections are free and fair, the UN is bound to fail in its objectives. But Maoists are not in a mood to listen to the reason.
The US annual report on nations has declared the Napali Maoists as a terrorist organization. Their terrorist activities are still fresh in the minds of the people. General public has gone cynical. The Maoists are a terrorist group and they can't lead democratically. The UN has a Herculean task. The threatened Maoist agitation may further deteriorate the already complicated political scenario.

Source: The Dail Pioneer, May 6, 2007

Former Maoists declare war on Indian gang

Kathmandu: A group of former Maoists have declared war on an Indian gang preying on businessmen in the border towns of Nepal, warning that they would attack gang members lodged in a key prison if it did not stop criminal activities.
The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), a band of former Maoist guerrillas that was recently banned as a terrorist organisation by the US government, has decided to take on the gang of Indian warlord Chhotelal Sahani, that has been unleashing terror in Nepal's frontier town Birgunj and its neighbouring areas.
Though Sahani was captured by the Indian police and is now behind bars in Bihar's Motihari district, people calling themselves his henchmen have continued to extort businessmen, resorting to broad daylight attacks on those who refused to pay up.
Last week, a Birgunj businessman of Indian origin, Vijay Shankar Hada, was shot by miscreants. He is currently under treatment in Kathmandu's Maharajgunj Teaching Hospital.

A month ago, Hada is said to have received threatening phone calls from a man calling himself Sanju Baba, allegedly the right hand of Sahani.
Most of the extortion calls are made from mobile phones with Indian numbers.
Though the beleaguered businessmen have been urging both the Nepal and Indian governments to crack down on the marauding gangs, the security situation continues to be lax in the border towns.
A private radio station, Himalayan Broadcasting Corporation, Sunday said more than 20 businessmen had wound up their activities in Birgunj and shifted either to India or capital Kathmandu.

With the government failing to combat the menace, the JTMM, who are demanding an autonomous state for people of Indian origin in Nepal's southern terai plains, has now taken it upon itself to play Robin Hood.
Pahal Sinha, a JTMM leader in Birgunj, has issued a warning asking the Sahani gang to stop its activities in the town, the radio station said.
Else, it has warned that it will take revenge on the gang members awaiting trial or imprisoned in Birgunj jail, the report said.
The plummeting law and order situation in the plains last month caused Nepal's Election Commission to say it would not be possible to hold the elections for a constituent assembly on June 20, as promised by Nepal's eight-party government.
Though Nepal's 10-year Maoist insurgency formally ended last month with the Maoist guerrillas joining the government, criminal gangs, bands of former Maoists and other armed groups have kept the plains simmering.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service

YCL friends or foes of Nepali people??

KATHMANDU, May 7 - The Young Communist League (YCL), a newly created Maoist body, on Sunday seized "illegally imported" mobile phones and electronic goods worth more than Rs 30 million in Kathmandu.
The goods include: 1,415 mobile phone sets, 25 LCD monitors and 30 photocopy machines, 288 units of memory cards, 387 units of chargers and 265 units of earphones.
At least seven people, including three drivers, Navin Shrestha, Dilip Balami and Shekhar Bhattarai and others on board - Mahesh Karki, Mohan Karki, Shiva Raj Kandel and Navin
Shrestha - were also taken in. They have been handed over to Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Hanumandhoka for further investigation.

Jwala, Kathmandu district chief of YCL, told The Kathmandu Post that the goods were brought into the country via Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) and were captured at Shahid Gate. "We later handed over the goods to the Revenue Investigation Department (RID)," he said.
Laxman Kumar Pokharel, deputy director general of RID also confirmed that the YCL cadres had handed over the handsets, LCD monitors, photocopy machines, memory cards, chargers and earphones to RID stating that the group had captured three vehicles full of mobile phone sets and other electronic goods at Shahid Gate. "We are currently investigating the matter," he said.
Sources informed that the goods were brought into the country in the name New Hariyali Traders, Siddhi Binayak Traders and New Cyber International. "These companies had produced invoices for only two handsets, a charger and an adapt0r worth Rs 31,708, while releasing the goods," the source informed.

YCL threat displaces locals

Nine people including political leaders, activists and business entrepreneurs from Kusumba bazaar at Sanoshree VDC in Bardiya district have been displaced from the area due to threats by cadres of Maoist youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL).
Former Member of Parliament Khag Raj Sharma and former chairman of Sanoshree VDC Tanka Oli are among those displaced. They are staying in the district headquarters, Gulariya. YCL cadres threatened them in revenge for the local business community and others had protested against Maoist-called frequent banda (general strikes), according to local businessman Dhana Nath Yogi.
Oli said he came to the district headquarters for security "after YCL cadres threatened to kill us". "The Maoists blamed us for campaigning against their agitation," Oli said.

However, Maoist area in-charge "Akash", refuted the charges. "This is a propaganda meant to disparage this organization (YCL)," he claimed.
Meanwhile, cadres of Thrauwan National Liberation Front (TNLF) burnt an effigy of Chief District Officer (CDO) Shiva Prasad Nepal. Chunnu Devi, Treasurer of the Front, said they would stage sit-in protests at the offices of land revenue, district administration and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), if the authority did not immediately release all YCL members detained by police on Saturday.
Also, Jhak Bahadur Malla, regional YCL chief, said they would launch nationwide agitation from Monday onward, if the government did not release them immediately without condition.
However, CDO Nepal informed that the administration was planning to sue them for arson charges.
Curfew lifted

The local administration lifted curfew order in Sanoshree VDC of the district effective from 5 am on Sunday. Following clashes between Armed Police Force personnel and YCL cadres, the local administration had been imposing curfew in the area for security reasons since Monday.
Parties concerned
In Kathmandu, issuing separate statements on Sunday, various political parties have denounced the violent activities including arson, vandalism, beating and other excesses carried out by YCL members at Sanoshree in the name of freed kamaiyas (bonded laborers) and landless squatters. "Continuation of such activities by the wings of the ruling party (CPN-Maoist) is itself unreasonable behavior," said a statement issued by the Nepali Congress (NC).
Likewise, issuing a separate statement, NC-Democratic denounced Maoists for issuing threats against nine local political activists including five members of NC-D. Also, National Human Rights Foundation (HURFON) denounced vandalism by the YCL.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 6, 2007

Hope And Optimism

Ian Martin, head of the UN Mission in Nepal, has expressed his optimism over the peace process in the country. Speaking with reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York Saturday, chief of the UN Mission in Nepal who has been involved in supporting the peace building process in the country, shared his unrelenting hope and maintained that the people of Nepal had taken their future in their hands, with strong determination not to allow Nepal slip into conflict. Referring to the deferral of the polls to the constituent assembly, he affirmed that the timetable for the election had been delayed because regulations governing the process had not been readied. The postponement of the constituent assembly polls, according to Ian Martin, would allow more time for the political stakeholders in the country to prepare a better and constructive environment for the polls. As has been consistently articulated by the chief of the UN mission, Nepal's peace process is fairly on track because following the success of the people's movement in April last year, the country has navigated along the way for building peace and democracy in the country.

The comprehensive peace accord has been signed, and essentially very meaningful has been the formation of the interim parliament and the government in which the Maoists have appropriated a lion's share. The Interim Parliament has seen completely new faces of a progressive political genre with women, Dalits and janjatis occupying a relatively fair share of seats in the total composition of the national legislature. The Maoists should be credited for conceding more seats to the subordinated sections of the society, which should be emulated by others especially when allowing more room for the marginalised in legislating the destiny of the nation. The Election Commission has worked enthusiastically to ensure that the polls to the constituent assembly are held in a fair and free manner. This indicates that Nepal's peace building process, as said by Ian Martin, has moved ahead in a smooth and constructive manner. Though political differences surface time and again, these are managed and handled in a deft manner. Thanks to the Nepalese political leadership, the country has been able to demonstrate a very appreciable model of peace building. The political leadership should work in this spirit to hold the polls to the constituent assembly and accomplish the unfinished task of peace building and democratisation.

Source: The Rising Nepal, May 7, 2007

Luring Chinese Tourists

Raju Adhikari

TRAVEL and tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in China. China is the single largest consumer market in the world and has the sixth largest share of the global gross national income. Because of its unprecedented economic growth, China has become a source of potential tourists not only for the Third World but also for the developed European and North American countries.

Revenue

Chinese expenditure on travel is currently growing at 27 per cent per year. According to a recent report issued by one U.S. tourism firm, China is the world's fastest growing tourism market in the world, with total revenue from China's tourism industry reaching more than $67.3 billion. As China's economy grows and stringent travel restrictions are relaxed, urban middle and upper class Chinese are increasingly looking beyond their borders for travel.

A growing number of Mainland Chinese are travelling overseas as their living standards keep improving and purchasing power rise. China is expected to see more than 100 million outbound travellers in 2010, making China one of the largest contributors of travellers in the world. The World Tourism Organisation has predicted that China will be the world's largest tourist market by 2020. After its accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), China is obliged to abide by many trade regulations of the world trade body. The travel industry is one of those Fast developing public service and advertising sectors have contributed a lot in the rapid development of tourism in China. Going overseas is no more a dream for many city dwellers in China. Big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou contribute more than half of all Chinese outbound travellers. In 2005, more than 20,000 travellers from Beijing alone visited different countries during the golden week holiday in October. There were 31 million Chinese travellers in 2005, compared to just 8 million in 1998.

Nepal's tourism industry accounts for 8 per cent of Nepal's gross domestic product and is the third-largest revenue generator after agriculture and industry. Nepal's tourism is dependent mostly on Indian, Europeans and U.S. tourists, who together contributed 160 million dollars to the nation's economy last year. In recent years, Nepal has started attracting Chinese tourists as well. According to the Nepal Tourism Board, a gigantic leap in the number of Chinese tourists was registered in the month of February this year (2007) as compared to last year (281 per cent). These Mainland tourists represent an enormous source of revenue for countries that can attract them over the coming decade. Even if Nepal can grasp only a portion of the outbound Chinese tourists, it will be very crucial for raising the national economy. Since Nepal became the first South Asian nation to gain Approved Destination Status from the Chinese government, it has drawn significant numbers of Chinese tourists. But due to lack of direct flights from major cities and the high ticket cost, the number of Chinese travellers was limited in the past. Now there are directs flights from two major cities - Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The increase in visitor numbers from China is a result of direct air connectivity in the recent months with the addition of new airlines between Nepal and China. But to attract more and cut travel cost through free market competition, more airlines need to operate direct flights between Nepal and China.With the vastly improved situation in the country, the rising confidence of international travel trade and consumers has paved the way for more travellers to visit Nepal. The Nepalese embassy in China has exempted visa fees for Chinese tourists. Nepal tourism authorities are training more Chinese guides, and improving accommodation to suit the needs of the Chinese tourists, which are positive signs towards attracting more Chinese tourists in the future.

But there are certain things to consider. Chinese tourists are quite different compared to conventional US and European tourists. For the Chinese, the concept of the outside world is still vague. They expect a similar environment and food in the countries they visit. Most of the Chinese tourists like to travel in groups. Good televised programmes can do wonders in preparing them to visit Nepal. Though Nepal borders China, many Chinese even do not know where Nepal lies. Chinese are most responsive to televised advertising especially on the national broadcasting and television channel. Inviting Chinese television channels to Nepal to film the different attractions and preparing promotional advertisement would greatly boost tourism.?As Nepal is a cheaper and close destination, the possibilities of visiting Nepal for a couple of days are high. Chinese are attracted by beautiful scenery and exotic lifestyles. Nepal possesses both of these. Besides, Chinese love shopping during travel. Research suggests that as much as 20% of their total travel expenses go to shopping.

Language

Chinese expect their hotels to be equipped with entertainment centres, hair salons, bowling alleys, karaoke bars and the like. Even a thermos bottle inside the hotel room to serve themselves green tea adds to their satisfaction. A Chinese restaurant is an indispensable place inside the hotel, and Chinese speaking TV channels are also necessary. Language is a major barrier for most Chinese. So Chinese speaking guides and other materials must be provided to win their trust.As a growing powerhouse, both economically and politically, China is reshaping the global travel market. If Nepal can attract more Chinese outbound travellers, it will certainly contribute to the economic prosperity of the nation.

Source: The Rising Nepal, May 3, 2007