WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 KATHMANDU 001758

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC PGOV PREL KMDR NP
SUBJECT: WEEKLY NEPAL MEDIA REPORT:
SEPTEMBER 2 TO 8, 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

-- Parties' protest to continue despite
blasts: The five agitating parties will not
halt their protests scheduled for the
afternoon despite the series of bomb blasts
in the Valley Monday morning, a UML leader
said Monday. (Nepalnews.com, 9/8)

- - UML back on streets : A day after i t was
conspicuously absent from the anti-
government agitation, the CPN-UML came out
on the streets in force, shouting slogans
and courting arrests in a bid to prove their
commitment to the five-party alliance.
Behind this move lay a day of red faces and
hectic parleys involving meetings, apologies
and even a mission to its large partner in
protest -- the Nepali Congress. (Media
reports, 9/8)

-- UML's conspicuous absence surprises
agitating allies: As a surprise to agitating
political parties, the UML remained
suspiciously absent from the third day of
the joint civil disobedience, ensuing a
serious crack in the seven-month long pact
among five political parties. (Centrist
"Kathmandu Post," E/D, 9/7)

-- AI flays Government for arresting
"peaceful" demonstrators: Amnesty
International (AI) condemned Thursday's
arrest of "hundreds of political party
leaders, party activists and students while
on their way to a protest rally in
Kathmandu", according to a statement issued
by the world human rights watchdog body.
("The Kathmandu Post," 9/7)

-- Kirat Workers' Party breaks off with
Maoists: Kirat Workers' Party [a rebellion
party] said Saturday it has broken off with
the Maoists. The party accused Maoists for
reneging on agreements when the two parties
merged earlier this year. (Media reports,
9/6)

-- Political parties carry out civil
disobedience: Defying the government's
prohibition order against holding mass
gatherings, thousands of cadres of the five
agitating political parties appeared on the
streets of the capital and across the
Police rounded up some twenty trucks of
*** TOO LARGE SKEW ***
-- Parties to accept Deuba provided House
reinstated: Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML
leaders on Wednesday said they would not
oppose the revival of the Sher Bahadur
Deuba-led government if that were followed
up by reinstatement of the House of
Representatives. The unfolding situation is
a result of the hectic roles played by the
Indian, U.S. and British ambassadors in the
last few days. ("The Kathmandu Post" and
others, 9/4)

-- Breakdown of ceasefire: "Following the
breakdown of ceasefire and peace talks by
the Maoists, the country has been pushed
into another round of political instability
and chaos. However, the new scenario has
also brought the country's major political
players including the King and the five
agitating political parties much closer as
all of them have vowed their strong
commitment to the present constitution.
Gauging the prevailing political situation,
it appears that while the country's major
political forces are still demanding the
restoration of the House of Representatives,
the monarchists are arguing in favor of
holding new elections. This difference can
be considered marginal and can be easily
resolved if the major political forces sit
together to decide the appropriate modality
of bringing the constitutional process to
right track." (Centrist "Spotlight," E/W,
9/5)

-- Agitating parties slow down pace: The
five agitating political parties has so
ft-
peddled on their scheduled agitation as the
government held out a pledge to create the
right atmosphere to pave a way out of the
current political imbroglio. The changing
stances follow a series of hectic efforts
put in by the ambassadors of UK, India and
right atmosphere to pave a way out of the
current political imbroglio. The changing
stances follow a series of hectic efforts
put in by the ambassadors of UK, India and
the U.S. during the last few days. Also
significant were the similar meetings
between Prime Minister Thapa and the Nepali
Congress (NC) president Girija Prasad
Koirala, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav
Kumar Nepal. (Reports, 9/3)

-- Weapons arrive: Three tons of weapons
finally have arrived via Royal Nepal
Airlines in Kathmandu from Dubai, where they
were dumped for about a year after Former
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba purchased
them in Belgium. The Indians have frowned
their eyes over the arrivals of the weapons
passing through Indian air. (Leftist "Jana
Aastha," V/W, 9/3)

-- Proposal to make Madhav PM: The Royal
Palace has sent a message to Madhav Kumar
Nepal, offering him to be the next PM.
Former Minister Devi Ojha conveyed the
message to him. Because of this, the UML's
tone about the September 4 movement has
changed. Thapa, knowing his imminent fall
down, has begun aligning with Nepal
Congress. Once the UML is in power, its
cadres will fight the Maoists from district
to district. And the American and Palace
policy of "iron cuts iron" or the communists
fight communists will be successful in
Nepal. ("Jana Aastha," 9/3)

-- Search for new PM: The days of the Thapa
government are numbered. Now the palace is
looking for a new candidate for the position
of Prime Minister. Former Prime Minister
Sher Bahadur Deuba, Speaker of the House
Taranath Ranabhat, UML General Secretary
-- U.S. envoy for unity against violence:
Nepal's constitutional forces must be united
against the violence isolating the Maoists,
U.S. Ambassador to Nepal Michael E.
Malinowski said Tuesday. (Media reports,
9/3)

-- Government bans protest rallies: The
government has banned holding rallies,
processions, mass meetings, sit-ins, strikes
and other such programs in Kathmandu,
Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts from
September 2 to September 23. (Government-
owned "Rising Nepal," E/D, 9/2)

-- Foreign envoys urge party leaders: The
ambassadors of the U.S., UK and India are
believed to have urged Nepali Congress
President G.P. Koirala and CPN-UML General
Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal to hold

SIPDIS
dialogue with King Gyanendra after his
return from Britain. The envoys were of the
view that the parties and the institution of
constitutional monarchy should get united in
finding solutions to the problems.
Meanwhile, informed sources revealed that
the ambassadors of U.S. and the UK met PM
Thapa and stressed upon him not to increase
the rift with the parties. (Kantipur and the
Kathmandu Post, 9/2)


2. SECURITY FORCE, MAOIST CLASHES

-- New RNA brigade in east to crush rebels:
In its bid to tighten the national security
following the collapse of the peace process,
the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has decided to
establish another infantry brigade in the
eastern development region, increasing its
total strength from around 60,000 at present
to over 65,000. ("The Himalayan Times," 9/7)

-- One killed, 12 injured in Valley blasts:
Multiple bomb blasts in the capital, six in
number so far, has killed a 10-year-old
student injuring 12 more Monday morning.
(Nepalnews.com, 9/8)

-- Maoists kill journalist: Maoists Sunday
brutally murdered journalist Gyanendra
Khadka, 35, a reporter of National News
Agency ( ASS ) for Sindhupalchowk di strict .
(Media reports, 9/8)

-- Maoists loot banks: The Maoists looted
the Agricultural Development Bank in Bara
district and destroyed the Area Police
Office and VDC buildings at Madhuvan baza
ar
on 9/6. ("The Himalayan Times," 9/8)

-- Maoists continue outrage: Maoists
overnight bombed the ancestral home of Raj
Sabha [National Council] member Rudra K.C.
in Myagdhi district, radio reports said.
(Media reports, 9/6)

-- Clashes countrywide: Fourteen Maoists and
one police official have been killed in
separate clashes in the country since
yesterday (9/3). ("The Himalayan Times,"
9/5)

-- Maoists bring in weapons: The Department
of Investigation has presented a report to
the government saying that the Maoists have
brought into the capital a large quantity of
RDX and sharp shooters. (Centrist "Nepal
Samacharpatra," V/D, 9/4)

-- 18 Maoists, 3 security men killed:
Eighteen Maoists and three security
personnel were killed in separate incidents
in Lamgunj, Morang, Siraha and Sarlahi
di stricts on 9/1 and 9/2 . ( Media reports ,
9/3)

-- Two civilians, seven rebels killed in
can frontations : Two members of a fami ly were
k i 1 led and seven others , incl uding women and
ch i ldren , in lured in crossfire between the
security forces and Maoist rebels in a VDC
of Udayapur district on Saturday. In
another incident, at least seven Maoists
were reportedly killed yesterday during
exchange of fire in Sarlahi and Sindhuli
districts. ("The Kathmandu Post," 9/2)


3. PRESS AND MEDIA

- - The government has handed out 1 icenses to
five new FM stat ion s . In addi lion to 12 new
stations announced since last week, the
Win i stry of In format ion and Communications
has now i ssued 1 icenses to 43 FM stations .
(Independent "Nepali Times," E/W, and
others, 9/5)


4. BUSINESS/ECONOMY
-- Nepal to join WTO: Nepal will join the
WTO on September 11 . Prachanda Shre stha ,
Joint Secretary at the Mini stry of Industry
and Commerce, said the signing ceremony
would be held at the Cancun ministerial
conference the following day in Mexico.
(Nepalnews.com, 9/6)

-- Three Nepali hotels among Asia's best:
Three Nepa 1 i hotels - - Dwarika ' s Ho tel ,
Kathmandu Guest House and Yak & Yet i - - have
been enlisted in the top 300 hotels and
resorts of Asia, Kantipur (9/6) reported
quoting asiahotel.com.
-- WLL phone service from next week: United
Telecom Limited (UTL),a private telecom
operator, is launching its service next
week, possibly on Wednesday, ending the
three-decade long monopoly of Nepal
Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) in
basic telephony. ("The Kathmandu Post," 9/5)

-- Exemplary achievement: Chilime hydropower
plant, Nepal's first indigenously developed
20 MW power plant, begins production.
(Spotlight, 9/4)


5. OTHERS

-- Organic fertilizer from capital's wastes:
The government has decided to grant
permission to Lona Fertilizers, a private
company, to produce organic fertilizer from
the capital's waste for 30 years, a
published report said Saturday. (Media
reports, 9/6)

MALINOWSKI