Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03KATHMANDU1263
2003-07-06 08:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT: JUNE 24 - 30, 2003

Tags:  OPRC PGOV PREL KMDR NP 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 001263 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC PGOV PREL KMDR NP
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT: JUNE 24 - 30, 2003

- STATE FOR NP, AC, PM
- STATE FOR IN/R/MR
- STATE FOR SA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO
- STATE FOR SA/PPD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KATHMANDU 001263

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC PGOV PREL KMDR NP
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT: JUNE 24 - 30, 2003

- STATE FOR NP, AC, PM
- STATE FOR IN/R/MR
- STATE FOR SA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO
- STATE FOR SA/PPD

1.POLITICAL AFFAIRS

"PEACE TALKS"

-- Prachanda urges for talks, blames army: Maoist
leader Prachanda has urged the government to implement
immediately the agreements of the second peace talks,
for further progress in the ongoing dialogue process.
He held the Royal Nepal Army responsible for derailment
of the ongoing peace process. "The army has tried to
derail the process by carrying out various provocative
activities, with an ulterior motive to derail the
process", he said. (centrist "Kantipur," V/D and the
sister publication "Kathmandu Post," E/D, 6/30)
-- Prachanda seeks parties' cooperation: Prachanda has
asked all the political parties for their "co-
operation" in the peace process between the Maoists and
the government. In separate letters dispatched to the
parties, Prachanda said "there is serious conspiracy
from within and outside the country to derail the peace
talks." (Media reports, 6/28)

-- Thapa government to terminate peace talks: The Thapa
government is set to abort the Maoist-government peace
talks and is doing homework to announce a referendum to
ask whether the people liked the pre-October 4
government system or the king's rule thereafter. (pro-
Maoist "Jana Dharana," V/W, 6/26)

-- Parties have no confidence: Do the parties have
confidence to go for a referendum? They are protesting
only because the king is popular. Only five per cent
people are in support of the parties. (Rightist
"Hindu," V/W, 5/26)

"FIVE-PARTY JOINT MOVEMENT"

-- Nepali Congress begins relay hunger strike: Nepali
Congress commenced (6/29) a 24-hour relay hunger strike
in 53 districts as part of the fifth round of the five-
party movement against the October 4 royal move.
Similar hunger strikes were held at all the three
districts in the Valley, demanding disclosure of the
assets of King Gyanendra and the nationalization of
late King Birendra's personal and family assets. (Media
reports, 6/30)

-- 5 parties task force meet arrives at consensus: A
meeting of the Task Force committee, formed by the five
agitating political parties, to explore a common agenda
of forward looking approach, has unanimously agreed

upon some of the major issues like bringing the Royal
Nepal Army (RNA) under the parliament, making public
the king's property, keeping the provision of
referendum in the constitution and others. ("Kantipur,"
6/27)
"Army-Maoist clashes"

-- Maoist cadre killed in army action: The Army,
providing security to a helicopter carrying Japanese
assistance for a school in Bhojpur district, shot dead
a Maoist who attacked with a socket bomb Wednesday
morning. (Nepalnews, 6/26)


2. NEPAL-U.S.

-- USAID-assisted female health volunteers bring down
child mortality rate: Female Community Health Workers
(FCHVs) have played an instrumental role in bringing
down the child mortality rate in Nepal, a review of
their work by the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID) has shown. The
review paper was presented at a monthly press meet held
by the American Center. The USAID, which has supported
the FCHVs, a program of the Ministry of Health, said
the voluntary female health workers have brought down
the child mortality rate by 42 per cent in the last 15
years, thanks to their success in popularization of
Vitamin A use. (Major English dailies, 6/28)

-- Assistance money used for visiting U.S. troops: A
big chunk of
U.S. assistance money to Nepal to
eliminate the Maoist war is actually being spent on
Nepal-visiting U.S. troops. All the expenses made for
the five-member team that arrived in Kathmandu [last
week] under U.S. Pacific Commander Lieutenant General
Campbell's leadership ".will be deducted from the U.S.
government's assistance of 14 million dollars.
Although U.S. troops come to Nepal from time to time in
the name of training, it has not really helped the
Royal Nepal Army (RNA). Instead, their visits have
increased the army's expenditure. [Nepali] army
officials, who are serious over U.S. troops' increasing
activities/interference, say that some officers of the
RNA were, in fact, able enough to provide as much of
the training as offered by U.S. troops. A military
official said: "They have learned more from us rather
than teaching us. They visit appropriate/inappropriate
places. They come here only to enjoy in the name of
conducting training." (leftist "Jana Aastha," V/W,
6/25)

-- Tourism boycott over Tibetans called off: A campaign
to boycott tourism to Nepal after the deportation of 18
Tibetans has been suspended, the U.S.-based Ethical
Traveler organization has said. (Nepalnews.com, 6/25)

-- U.S. expects Nepali troops in Iraq: The Bush
administration is in talks with Nepal to send troops to
help U.S. forces police Iraq. "Nepal is one of the 40
countries the United States is expecting to send troops
to Iraq," said a news story in The Washington Post.
(Kantipuronline, 6/24)

-- No formal request for troops, says Info Minister:
The Government has not received a formal request from
the U.S. for Royal Nepal Army troops to be dispatched
to Iraq, Government Spokesman and Information Minister
said in his first formal news conference.
(Nepalnews.com, 6/24)


3. STUDENT UNREST

-- Nation-wide schools' closure from Monday: Private
and boarding schools in the nation are closing down
indefinitely from Monday, after the private school
organizations failed to hammer out agreement with the
seven agitating student unions. School officials have
said that schools may not resume unless the government
fulfils minimum demands of the unions. The closure
would affect over 8,500 private schools in the country
and 1.5 million students and 150,000 teachers
associated with them. (Media reports, 6/30)

-- Government, Maoist students hold negotiations: The
government has agreed to a number of demands put
forward by the Maoist students, All Nepal National
Independent Students' Union (Revolutionary). It is
said to have withdrawn its policy on phasing out 10+2
from Tribhuvan University (TU) and on investing on
higher secondary education, as demanded by the
students. Meanwhile, the group of striking student
organizations [students affiliated with other political
parties] locked up principals' offices and schools'
accounts sections in about half a dozen schools in the
capital. (Major newspapers, 6/26)


4. REFUGEE ISSUES

-- Police arrest Tibetans: Police on Tuesday arrested
19 Tibetans in Acham, where they had arrived after
crossing over to Nepal from a border village. (Media
reports, 6/27)".. The 19 Tibetans have been kept in the
UNHCR office in Dhangadi." (pro-India "Himalayan
Times," E/D, 6/28)

-- First refugee repatriation in 13 years: The first-
ever refugee repatriation in 13 years will be done by
September 8 this year with the initial departure of
around 9,000 refugees towards Bhutan, the Foreign
Ministry told Nepalnews Wednesday. (Nepalnews.com,
6/25)


5. OTHERS

-- 56 families rendered homeless in Baglung flood: At
least 56 families were rendered homeless and property
worth Rs. 15 million [near 200,000 dollars] was damaged
after a flash flood washed away more than 15 houses in
Baglung. Around 70 households were badly affected by
the flood and landslide in the area. (Media reports,
6/26)
MALINOWSKI