Nepal army plans arms shopping during truce DailyIndia.com Nepal's Army is ready for a massive arms shopping spree, just a month after Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat condemned the hike in army expenditure under King Gyanendra and pledged to slash security allotments in the budget as well as cancel loss-making military deals...... The Nepal Army headquarters in Kathmandu Tuesday asked for bids from 'reputed' manufacturers from abroad and distributors for a formidable arsenal for 2006-07...... The shopping list contains arms, ammunition, explosives, accessories and spare parts. Armoured personnel carriers, tanks, helicopters and aircraft, too, are included. There is also a sizeable list of non-lethal equipment like bomb disposal suits, bullet-proof vests, parachutes and communication equipment....... The army announcement comes at a time when Nepal's seven-party alliance government is holding peace talks with Maoist insurgents. Both sides have called a ceasefire and expressed a desire to reduce the strength of the army....... Four years ago, the strength of security forces was over 121,000. But it rose to over 165,000. By April this year, the royal regime had spent nearly Rs.16.5 billion in the name of security....... The army also paid millions to brokers, many of whom were close to the palace...... For instance, the son of Bharat Keshar Simha, a retired general and royal aide who supported the royal coup, made $1.5 million from a single deal involving the purchase of two second-hand helicopters from the Russian company Kazan Airways....... India, which provided Nepal arms at a 70 percent subsidy, is yet to resume lethal supplies.
The feudals in the upper strata of the Nepal Army are as strong as mush: they are nothing, not after the April Revolution they are not. They have lost their power but not their attitude.
When it looked like the revived House might cut the king to size, Pyar Jung paraded a few military vehicles in Kathmandu (
Pyar Jung's Toys).
When Girija Koirala asked him to come meet him, he showed up with another general in tow. These days he has learned to go alone. Girija is boss. Pyar Jung is slowly learning.
The army sent truckloads of armed men when Prachanda surfaced, near where he surfaced. That was not exactly conducive to Prachanda's surfacing, something essential to the peace process.
The finance minister has spoken against the lavish expenditures of the army. The army has responded by declaring it wants to go on a major shopping spree.
These people are providing a strong case as to why the villains of the April Revolution can not be granted amnesty.
The seven party alliance has to know it derives its power only from the people, only from the April Revolution. The people are unafraid, and will come out into the streets again in large numbers if they have to.
The king is irrelevant to the whole idea of a republic. The army generals are even less relevant.
If the Nepali people might make a political decision to abolish the army, there is no general in the land who has the option to get in the way.
The seven party cabinet already has the powers to fire all the generals en masse, if it might so choose to. Fire a select few.
People in the police and the army not obeying the orders of the democratic government is not an option. Orders have to be given, and if they do not get obeyed, those not obeying have to be summarily fired, on the spot, no questions asked. "You are fired!"
And if there are gangs inside the police and the army that are behind that disobeying, they have to be exposed and fired.
For now the finance minister has to get the Prime Minister to order the army to not purchase anything. The seven party alliance has the power to have India, US, Europe keep up its sanctions upon the army.
The Maoists have to help the country move towards an eight party alliance. And you do that by not giving the army reasons to blackmail this government. As in, let us a free rein, or the Maoists are ghosts, they will come.
These army generals behind the curtain are playing with fire.
I wish the eight party alliance had opted for an expanded House rather than a dissolved House. Eight party governments at the center and eight party governments at the local levels. (
40 Seats For Maoists, 25 For Others)
The Maoists should not give any reason for the seven party alliance to get blackmailed by the feudals inside the army. The seven party alliance should get level with the people. If the army is a problem, come tell the people. The people will rise all over again.
On the other hand, if the seven party alliance is suspicious of the Maoists, it should level with the people on that one too.
The idea is not to trust or distrust the Maoists. The idea is to create a roadmap that can be trusted.
Dissolving the House in return for a dissolution of the Maoist local governments is not a bad baragain at all. I wish they had gone in the other direction instead, into forming eight party governments.
In The NewsLack of breast-feeding caused Nepal royal family's downfall? DailyIndia.com
Major UN role in Nepal peace building on cards Hindustan Times, India
Nepal begins to frame temporary constitution “Once an interim constitution is approved, the constitution of 1990 will be annulled..... “We are engaged in discussions with the interim constitution-drafting committee,” said Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the rebel spokesman. “Our leader Prachanda is on a nationwide campaign of political training for party cadres. He will come back to Kathmandu within a week after completing the program”Explaining Maoist strategy: Gatsby comes to Nepal Nepalnews.com, Nepal If you understand "democracy" in Iran, you have a good idea of what the Maoists mean by the term. Only the correct people get to run, so the correct people win, so the correct outcome is assured, thus the will of the people has triumphed...... At heart, the bedrock for Maoist thought is dividing the world into groups. This is clearly visible in the interviews which Maoist luminaries have been giving fast and furious...... What the Maoists mean is that the "structure of oppression" must end. Thus their conception of "democracy" or even "equality" are not ours..... a position is legitimate simply because it has been advanced. Simply observe Kathmandu traffic, and you understand...... As traffic backs up, vehicles invariably move out into the opposing lane. They are clearly in the wrong, especially the motorcycles on the sidewalks..... Koirala, for instance, is in such poor health it's problematic he will be able to see this business through. Opposite him, the top two Maoists are arguably, clinically paranoid types....... all major figures of all parties are surrounded by what amount to male groupies. Even when they disagree, they say nothing, because to do so would be to lose their place in the queue...... The fourth element in the equation is that Nepal has always been a society shaped by the hardball nature of the struggle for existence. The zero-sum existence is much like that in the colonial Massachusetts in America that produced the Salem witch trials of Daniel Day-Lewis and “The Crucible.” ....... So are the Maoists irrational? Not at all. Bin Laden, to cite an analogy, is perfectly rational within his framework of logic. It is his framework that is cracked..... It is not a clash of ideas which is taking place -- it is a clash of rival mobilization efforts...... And in this, the Maoists are much ahead of the game.
INTERVIEW WITH PRACHANDA Kantipur Publications My situation after the 1990 popular movement was almost like it is today. I was open to the media and was not completely underground. A totally new process began after the start of the People's War (in 1996). Now the situation is somewhat similar to 1990....... Their situation was totally different after February 1, 2005. Then the seven parties came and we signed the 12-point understanding........ India helped the 12-point understanding in a positive way........ our talks team was in Kathmandu during the first round of talks. .. After we realised that the peace talks were going nowhere, we planned to attack Dang. After the attacks in Dang, the UML leaders became happy. May be they thought that it would be a great loss to the UML if we entered peaceful politics....... There isn't that much brainwork done by the seven parties behind the 12-point understanding. It would have been great had this understanding been built on their (seven parties') own vision........Even among the seven parties, six were not in favour of House restoration. But the Nepali Congress could not give up this slogan. Girijababu could not abandon it........ If the talks fail, there will definitely be an October Revolution of its own kind in Nepal. We are ready to lead that revolution.......... if the seven parties do not understand by October, then the situation will move towards an October Revolution..... Koirala.. He is still where he was three years back. He mentioned ceremonial king only yesterday. But this ceremonial thing doesn't work in Nepal. This proves how much rigid he is........ The talks will be successful if the pressure can be increased....... There shouldn't be the parliamentary republicanism, which is in practice in other countries, in Nepal... We need a republicanism of our own kind......... What happened without competition? In the USSR, Stalin gave no place to competition and went ahead in a monolithic way. What was the result?....... Words like libralisation and globalisation are being much touted these days. But if you look at it closely, the very supporters of these theories have not implemented it in their own countries. The most powerful countries and America themselves have not implemented it. They have referred it to the poorest countries......... One hundred years back, we were very much self-dependent. We were not economically weaker than others........ if the state has the right programmes and vision, then there are only 20 million mouths but 40 million hands. If the 40 million hands are put to work in the right way, imagine where this could take the country in 10 years........ we do not need this 90 thousand-strong army. We can cut it down by 80 thousand. 10 thousand is enough. ...... We can earn millions from our herbs. We have so much Yarchagumba. Let's open processing factories where it is found. Thousands will get jobs and we can earn hundreds of millions of rupees. Money will start growing there....... If all citizens are made to undergo a five-year military training, there will be 25 million soldiers ready. Once that army is ready, even if India or China attacks, we can save the country. But even if we make a 500 thousand-strong army and keep it in barracks, it cannot fight anyone. What's the use of it? ....... Let's cut down the armies of both sides. Let's train the people into a militia. The militia will maintain law and order. Let's keep the army only to train the people....... We encourage those who want to develop industries in the country, create jobs, make profits and invest the profits in the country. We are organising a national meet of the capitalists. There, we will invite even those who disagree with us. We want that Nepal's capital does not go outside. We are clear that there will be no development in Nepal unless the capitalists can make some profit. But let that profit not be through exploitation and let it also not go abroad. We are also going to propose to the capitalists to invest where the most profit can be made. We should introduce a strict law to stop those who earn here and deposit the money in America or India. Two killed in stray bomb explosion in Surkhet Immediate suspension of Army Chief Thapa sought A writ petition was filed at the Supreme Court on Tuesday demanding immediate suspension of Chief of the Army Staff Pyar Jung Thapa, then Additional Inspector General of Police and current Acting IGP Basudev Oli and Valley DIG Dilip Kumar Shrestha in order to pave the way to impartial investigation into their alleged role in the brutal suppression of the democratic movement. ..... The petition was filed by Baburam Giri, Borna Bahadur Karki, Hariram Labaju and Ashikram Karki on behalf of the Human Rights Organization of Nepal and its Legal Aid Committee. PM Koirala to undergo prostate surgery on Wednesday prostate laser surgery .... Interim govt only after arms management: Home Minister both the government and the Maoists were engaged in arms management homework..... Stating that the committee formed to draft an interim constitution was just a "technical committee," the minister said that the government would address the demands put by women during their recent street protests. "Restructuring of the committee can be done." ........ The minister termed the "seizure" of Parvat District Development Committee by the Maoists a serious violation of the parties-Maoist agreement. "It is a serious violation of the seven-parties-Maoist agreement. It can create doubts about the Maoists' honesty" Dy PM Oli meets UN Secretary General Annan RPP in favour of constitutional monarchy: Bohora Case filed against army chief Ram Maya Nakarmi, wife of Padam Narayan Nakarmi who is among 49 people allegedly disappeared by the state from the Nepali Army's Bhairabnath Battalion at Maharajgung, filed a case of murder against army chief General Pyar Jung Thapa and four other army officers, at Kathmandu District Police Office, Monday....... In the case (registration number 18815 3-5), Nakarmi has accused the army chief, then commander of the battalion Lieutenant Colonel Raju Basnet, Major Bibek Bista, Captain Indibar Rana and chief of the Directorate of Military Intelligence Dilip Rayamajhi, of murdering Padam Narayan.... army personnel in civvies took Padam Narayan from his house at Lalitpur sub-metropolis Ward No. 3 on September 22, 2003, stating that they had a few questions to ask him....... "When I asked them who they were and why they were taking my husband away, they replied that they were army personnel and even produced their identity cards" ...... Despite inquiring about her husband later at all army barracks in the Valley, she was unable to gather any information....... "I was told by Krishna KC and Himal Sharma, who were transferred from barracks to Nakkhu jail, that Basnet, Bista, Rana and Rayamajhi were the main individuals involved in torturing and killing detainees in the barracks," she has said. "Other people, who were later released from the barracks, told me that Thapa, Basnet, Bista, Rana and Rayamajhi, after consultations among themselves, meted out torture on detainees and even killed them off." ....... On May 26, the OHCHR- Nepal released a report that concluded that 49 people were disappeared from army barracks. Maoists capture Parbat DDC CIAA takes over excise waiver case Parliamentary committee begins probe into Belbari killings Commission names 150 people for suppressing April uprisingएमाले कार्यकर्ता अपहरितँमाओवादीलाई सरकारले पाल्नुपर्छ’ माओवादीद्वारा जिविस सभापति पद कब्जामहोत्तरी घटनाको छानबिन मागराजारानी रहने प्रावधान हटाउन मागबाह्र कक्षासम्म माध्यमिक बनाइनुपर्नेमाओवादीले मोटरसाइकल लुटे 'राजा कुनै पनि नाममा राख्नु हुँदैन'प्रधानसेनापतिविरुद्ध ज्यान मुद्दामहिला थप आन्दोलितप्रचण्ड प्रशिक्षणमामाओवादीद्वारा चरम यातनासेनाको कुटाइले विद्यार्थी गम्भीर घाइतेआधा आकाशको आवाज प्रतिनिधिसभा विघटनको औचित्यछलफलबिना सहमतिदलहरूमा असन्तुष्टि तीव्र कांग्रेस स्रोतका अनुसार 'सेरेमोनियल राजतन्त्र'बारे पार्टीमा तीव्र बहस भएको थियो । पार्टीमा उत्पन्न अन्योल निराकरणका लागि महासमिति बैठक बोलाउनुपर्ने प्रस्ताव महामन्त्री रामचन्द्र पौडेल र सदस्य नरहरि आचार्यले राखेका थिए । 'पार्टी सभापति र उपसभापतिबाट सेरेमोनियल किङका सम्बन्धमा आएको धारणा पार्टीको विधानविपरीत हो,' आचार्यले भने- 'संवैधानिक राजतन्त्रको अवधारणा पार्टीको एघारौं महाधिवेशनबाट हटिसकेको छ, सभापति र उपसभापतिले यसबारेमा भ्रम उत्पन्न गरेकाले त्यसको निवारण हुनुपर्छ ।' आचार्यले त्यसको निवारणका लागि तत्काल महासमितिको बैठक बोलाइनुपर्ने माग गर्नुभयो । 'व्यक्तिगत विचार भन्न पाइन्छ । तर सभापति र उपसभापतिको भनाइ पार्टीको एजेन्डा र नीति भने हो महासमितिबाट पारित गराउनुपर्छ,' उनले भने । परम्परागत रूपमा संवैधानिक राजतन्त्रको पक्ष्ापाती कांग्रेसले गतवर्षको महाधिवेशनमा 'राजतन्त्र' सम्बन्धी प्रावधान झिकेको थियो । विधानमा राजतन्त्रबारे कांग्रेसको नीति मौन छ । तर कांग्रेस सभापति कोइरालाले विराटनगरमा र उपसभापति कोइरालाले पोखरामा 'संक्रमणकालीन अवस्थामा सेरेमोनियल किङलाई पनि ठाउँ दिनुपर्ने' तर्क अघि सारेका थिए । कांग्रेसको झापा जिल्ला कार्यसमितिले 'जनादेशका पूर्ण सम्मान नेपाली जनताको पूरा गर्न संविधानसभामार्फत नेपाललाई लोकतान्त्रिक गणराज्यका रूपमा स्थापित गर्न संविधानसभामा जानुभन्दा अगावै नेपाली कांग्रेसले लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्रलाई आफ्नो प्रमुख एजेन्डा बनाउनुपर्ने निर्णय गरेर केन्द्रमा पठाइसकेको छ ।
