Comrade Marcel
22nd July 2003, 22:27
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asi...sia/3082791.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3082791.stm)
Nepal rebels shut office
By Sushil Sharma
BBC correspondent in Kathmandu
The Maoists say they face safety threats
The uncertainty over peace prospects in Nepal has deepened after Maoist rebels shut down their office in the capital. The rebels have closed their liaison office in Kathmandu citing security reasons. The government has assured rebel negotiators of full security measures. But the rebels say they are not convinced, although they have vowed that they would not break the peace talks. The rebels accused the government of failing to provide security to them, following the arrests of some of the junior cadres.
Peace talks
The liaison office had been set up three months ago after rebel negotiators made first public appearance in seven years ahead of peace talks to resolve the long-running insurgency. They included the second highest-ranking leader of the movement, Baburam Bhattarai. But the talks have been stalled after two rounds in May and last week the government formally asked the rebels to resume the talks. Top rebel leaders and their negotiators have reportedly been meeting in a hide-out in western Nepal to discuss their response. A government negotiator and senior minister, Kamal Thapa, has said he hopes the rebels' response would clear the way for the next round of talks soon. Mr Thapa also said that the rebel negotiators would not be arrested under any circumstances. He said that they would be given a free passage even if the talks failed.
Ceasefire
A ceasefire has been in place since January under a peace process to end the bloody insurgency in which seven thousand people have died over the past seven years. Mutual mistrust and suspicion have blocked progress in the peace process. Escalation in arrests, abduction, extortion and minor skirmishes across the country in recent weeks have fuelled concerns of the resumption of hostilities. A minor rebel attack on a police post in the south of the country has been reported on Sunday, but there had been no casualties.
(Edited by Comrade Marcel at 10:29 pm on July 22, 2003)
Nepal rebels shut office
By Sushil Sharma
BBC correspondent in Kathmandu
The Maoists say they face safety threats
The uncertainty over peace prospects in Nepal has deepened after Maoist rebels shut down their office in the capital. The rebels have closed their liaison office in Kathmandu citing security reasons. The government has assured rebel negotiators of full security measures. But the rebels say they are not convinced, although they have vowed that they would not break the peace talks. The rebels accused the government of failing to provide security to them, following the arrests of some of the junior cadres.
Peace talks
The liaison office had been set up three months ago after rebel negotiators made first public appearance in seven years ahead of peace talks to resolve the long-running insurgency. They included the second highest-ranking leader of the movement, Baburam Bhattarai. But the talks have been stalled after two rounds in May and last week the government formally asked the rebels to resume the talks. Top rebel leaders and their negotiators have reportedly been meeting in a hide-out in western Nepal to discuss their response. A government negotiator and senior minister, Kamal Thapa, has said he hopes the rebels' response would clear the way for the next round of talks soon. Mr Thapa also said that the rebel negotiators would not be arrested under any circumstances. He said that they would be given a free passage even if the talks failed.
Ceasefire
A ceasefire has been in place since January under a peace process to end the bloody insurgency in which seven thousand people have died over the past seven years. Mutual mistrust and suspicion have blocked progress in the peace process. Escalation in arrests, abduction, extortion and minor skirmishes across the country in recent weeks have fuelled concerns of the resumption of hostilities. A minor rebel attack on a police post in the south of the country has been reported on Sunday, but there had been no casualties.
(Edited by Comrade Marcel at 10:29 pm on July 22, 2003)