Monthly Archives: November 2006

CPN Maoist must halt its anti-peace process activities immediately and apologize to the general public for creating havoc which casts doubt over their seriousness in ongoing peace efforts

Where is their Son/Husband, Maoists? Residents of Khaduwar village in Banke district are in sad mood after Maoist started taking away teenagers and children to recruit in their Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA). One of them is Khu Bahadur Nepali whose whereabouts is unknown. His mother Sabitri (right in the photo above) and wife are worried. Pic by J Pandey

There is a saying in Nepali that burning candle becomes extra bright seconds before dying. Is CPN Maoist that candle? If not why they are behaving like so? Why are they are continuing harassing general Nepali public even after signing a pace agreement with the government? They are forcefully abducting teenagers to recruit in their army, torturing people in the name of Peoples’ Court, threatening villagers to provide them food and shelter, extorting money from tourists and threatening journalists who write against their party. In the past few days, these Maoist activities are increasing alarmingly.

Maoists in Biratnagar, Itahari, Ilam, Tehrathum, Sankhusabha, Sarlahi, Dang, Banke and other districts have abducted teenagers younger than 16 years to recruit in their Peoples Liberation Army. In Itahari, they have threatened to take physical action to a journalist for writing news critical to the party where as in Udayapur they have intervened in a cultural program. In Manthali, the district headquarters of Ramechhap, they Maoist has arrested and tortured two in charge of murder, according to locals. In Kumarwarti VDC, Nawalparasi, Maoist cadres have forcefully taken away farmers’ rice. They have abducted three minor girls in north-eastern Samjong VDC of Dhading district. Those girls, all 14 years, have been identified as the 7th (Dilmaya Himrung and Gorimaya Lama) and 8th (Phulmaya Himrung) graders in Chautara Secondary School. Parents of the abducted girls have demanded their safe return.

In Deuri Bazar of Udayapur, Maoist’s Kirat National Liberation Front intervened in a cultural program organized on Tuesday night, arrested artists and spectators for two hours and ordered for the program to be stopped. In the program organized by Naulo Bihani Sanskritik Abhiyan, four people including Front’s Jeevan Kirati intervened, said Mohan Gole, chair of the Abhiyan.

Indrajeet Chaudhari, Cheif of the Maoist Peoples’ Government, makes public the decision about releasing Balibhadra Rana, Mayor of Tribhubannagar Municipality. Balibhadra Rana with his relatives after being released by the Maoist. Pic by Sudarshan Rijal

Maoists have arrested two people of Kuvu Kastali village in Ramechhap district for their alleged involvement in the murder of Bishnu Ghimire in Khiji village of Okhaldhunga district. Maoist cadres have said that they will be handing over the two to District Police Office, Ramechhap after investigating.

In Sarlahi, Maoists have taken away hundreds of youths to recruit them in their Peoples’ Liberation Army. After Maoists promised to pay Rs. 7 thousands (one hundred dollars) per month and guaranteed future postion in the national army, many parents permitted their children to go with Maoists. “I am not sure if they will recruit me in PLA,” said a youth. “But I am going with them hoping that I will be enrolled in Nepali Army and get salary.”

However, the Maoist leadership has denied having any recruitment drive. District In charge (Sarlahi) Prabhat said that the party was just organizing organizational campaign under as per the earlier announcement of the party. Saying that expanding the organization was aimed at improving party’s position in the upcoming election, Prabhat said, “We will continue expanding organization, reforming and increasing the number of cadres.”

In Terathum, 40 boys and girls have ran toward Maoist cantonment after Maoist promised them attractive salary.

In Sankhuwasabha, Maoist has continued recruiting in PLA. In the photo above, a reble poses with a UN official who was there to visit a cantonment site.

In Pokhara, Maoists have started making hotel and restaurant laborers their cadres overnight and taking them to cantonment site. They took more than 200 laborers from hotels and restaurants in Pokhara on Wednesday alone. They were taken to the Maoist cantonment site (see pic below) at Chirtung village in Palpa. Laborers were boarded into a bus with the license plate number Ga 1 Kha 1891.

Maoist PLA members take part in a regular exercise in Chirtung Danda of Devinagar VDC, Palpa district. The fourth division of PLA will be kept here as per the agreement between the government of Nepal, CPN Maoist and the UN. Pic by Madhav Aryal

In Morang’s Sundarpur and Dulari villages, more than a dozen school children have been forcefully taken away to recruit in Maoist PLA. Parents staged a sit-in for about an hour in front of the office of Maoist eastern command at Salakpur.

Meanwhile, reporter of Gorkhapatra daily Ambar Khadka and Suman Puri of local Udghosh daily who had been there for reporting were threatened by the Maoist. “We can do anything to you if you write news about this,” a reporter quoted Tulasi Sinkhada, chief of Dulari Village Peoples’ Government and Sundarpur’s Agni Sitaula, threatening them.

In Gothgaun village of Ramechhap district, Maoists barred children from meeting their parents. Those children were being taken away for recruitment.

This blog is based on reports by Kantipur journalists from around Nepal