A compilation of articles from various sorces; most interesting may be the 'corrected' story from the AP, which was revised for unknown reasons. (see below!) Link to photos showing aftermath of attacks.
Monday, November 26, 2001 (Kathmandu):
Emergency has been proclamped in Nepal after weekend Maoist violence left more than 200 people dead. The emergency will be in force for three months and can be extended for another three months after Parliament's approval, a royal palace spokesman said.
A proclamation imposing the emergency was issued by King Gyanendra following a recommendation by the Nepalese cabinet in the wake of a series of devastating rebel attacks by Maoist rebels for the last three days that killed nearly 76 security personnel and government officials.
More than 150 Maoists have perished in operations by security personnel. The proclamation would empower the government to use the army for the first time to tackle the Maoists. The government had earlier desisted from taking the measure fearing it would set off civil war in the tiny Himalayan kingdom.
Opposition leaders blame the government for the new wave of violence. "The leaders of the ruling party have differences of opinion in public. The party president says that there should be no change in the constitution while some ministers in the government say there can be revisions in the constitution. These different views have confused even the Maoists ranks," said C P Mainali, Politburo member, CPN (ML).
Fresh attacks
Maoist violence has escalated since members of the royal family including King Birendra were killed in a massacre in June.
For the first time, violence has also been reported in eastern Nepal, which is not known to be a Maoist stronghold. Rebels attacked and destroyed the Phaplu airport tower in Salleri and later struck at the Solu Khumbu district administration office late last night. Chief Administrative Officer of Solu Khumbu district, Buddhisagar Tripathi was killed in the attack. They rebels took away about Rs 12 lakh worth of cash and gold from Agricultural Development Bank and Rastriya Banijya Bank. Police and army personnel retaliated and chased the rebels even as additional forces, including army troops, were rushed to the spot.
About 20 Maoist cadres, including politburo member Ravindra Shrestha and his wife Laxmi Shrestha, were arrested from Baghbazar in Kathmandu last night, according to a local radio station - Kantipur FM. The report, however, has not yet been confirmed by the government, though it accepted that some arrests were made.
Army may step in
Nepal has so far mainly used police to fight the five-year-old rebellion, which has claimed more than 1,850 lives. Now, Nepali Congress party officials have said the army could also be mobilized to crush the guerrillas.
"In view of the various incidents of violence in the country by the Maoists, the Nepali Congress party strongly condemns the destruction. The party has directed the government to use all constitutional provisions and mobilize all (security) agencies and take tough steps to maintain peace in the country," declared K C Arjun Narsingh, spokesman of the party.
The Nepali Congress, a centrist party known for factional infighting, is trying to close ranks to take decisive action against the Maoists, who are mainly active in large but remote areas of the Himalayan kingdom.
Deuba, who came to power in July promising to pursue a peace process, is under pressure to declare the Maoist group a "terrorist" organization and also act to flush out the rebels.
In a statement on Saturday, Maoist leader Prachanda called the attacks "successful and courageous" but added that his group still favoured a peaceful resolution through talks. (With PTI inputs)
http://www.ndtv.com/topstories/showtopstory.asp?slug=Nepal+to+decide+on+impo sition+of+emergency&id=7935
Nepal sees red
It has been a bad year for Nepal. In addition to the palace massacre, there was unremitting political turmoil in the fledgling democracy.
G.P. Koirala’s brief prime ministerial tenure ended abruptly while the virtual blockade of Parliament with which the year opened was soon overshadowed by spectacular Maoist guerrilla strikes. Now there is every likelihood that guerrilla violence will top the agenda again. It is noteworthy that the changes in the leading institutions of the country were forced by circumstances even as Nepali Naxalites were on the rampage. Now, the Maoists have called for an underground parallel government and have captured several key areas.
This by no means suggests that the elected government has broken down. Indeed, guerrilla announcements of this nature are often intended to serve as no more than a propaganda ploy to rally public support. Nevertheless, the Maoists have struck in a big way once again in the relatively inaccessible western region of the country. Scores of policemen and administrative personnel have been killed or injured. A parked helicopter was blown up. The killing of an army major is a new feature. So far the army had not been targeted. Apparently, two government banks were also looted. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has given a call for a week-long ‘people's action’ at the end of the month and a ‘Nepal bandh’ on December 7.
A large-scale violation of law and order as has been seen in the country can ill serve the public cause. Earlier in the year, the Maoists had sought a dialogue on condition that Mr Koirala cease to be the prime minister. The political class obliged, but the three-month old ceasefire, during which talks were held with the guerrillas by the successor Sher Bahadur Deuba government, has clearly broken down. The six-year old Nepal insurgency has already claimed more than 2,000 lives. Until the political system as a whole meets the challenge, Kathmandu may find it difficult to deal with the crisis. The palace and the political class also need to develop a common perspective for this to happen. Equally, the government must take credible steps to address pressing economic and social questions that beset one of the poorest countries in the world.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/261101/detedi02.asp
Saturday November 24 11:42 AM ET Nepal's Maoist Rebels Break Truce, Kill 37 By Gopal Sharma
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's Maoist rebels, fighting to topple the constitutional monarchy, have broken a four-month-old truce and killed at least 37 people in a series of attacks across the kingdom, officials said on Saturday.
The rebels raided police and army posts, kidnapped a top district official, looted banks and ransacked government offices in the attacks in western Nepal late on Friday, police and witnesses said. Forty people were wounded in the raids.
Prachanda, the head of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), claimed responsibility for the raids. ``Revolutionary fighters have carried out successful and courageous attacks on the royal army and police posts,'' he said in a statement.
But he added: ``We are still in favor of peaceful resolution of the problem through talks.''
Home (Interior) Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka told reporters the centrist government also wanted peace ``but the government will not lag behind in taking any step to maintain the law and order situation in the country.''
He said the ruling Nepali Congress party would hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss tough steps against the rebels.
Two days before the raids, Prachanda said the truce was no longer justified and the peace process had failed.
The Maoists, who launched their rebellion in 1996 and who are strongest in western Nepal, indicated in recent talks that they might drop their demand for a republic but still wanted a new constitution.
A government statement said 14 soldiers and nine police officers were killed in raids on security posts in Dang district, 280 miles west of Kathmandu, and 14 policemen were killed in Syangja, 140 miles west of the capital.
Private Kantipur radio station said two civilians were also killed in Dang but there was no official confirmation of this.
Officials said 13 policemen and 26 soldiers were wounded in the attacks, but there were no immediate reports of casualties among the rebels.
A police official said the rebels detonated a bomb at Surkhet airstrip in west Nepal, destroying a parked helicopter operated by the private Asian Airlines.
MIDNIGHT ATTACK
Witnesses in Dang said the raid began just before midnight with coordinated attacks on the district administration office, the police station and the military barracks. Police said the rebels captured the district administrator.
``Government offices were ransacked by the rebels, who also looted cash from the banks,'' Shankar Gautam, a witness speaking from Dang, told Reuters.
The rebels, who model themselves on Peru's Shining Path guerrillas, are fighting to replace the monarchy with a communist republic.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba came to power in July on a platform of peace with the Maoists, after the rebels stepped up attacks on remote police posts following the June massacre of most of the royal family, including the popular King Birendra.
Both sides then agreed on a truce and exchanged several prisoners in the run-up to the talks.
The government said it was ready to accommodate some rebel demands through amendments to the constitution but would not compromise the constitutional monarchy established in 1990.
The rebellion began in early 1996 in remote areas where peasants lead a difficult life and are said to suffer widespread discrimination at the hands of landowners.
More than 1,800 people including police and guerrillas have been killed since then.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011124/wl/nepal_rebels_dc_6.html
Sunday November 25 5:26 AM ET Nepal Rulers Get Tough on Maoists After Truce End By Gopal Sharma
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal's ruling party authorized tough army action to crack down on Maoists Sunday as the death toll reached 42 in a weekend of attacks after the rebels ended a four-month-old truce.
Police said five policemen were killed in an ambush on Saturday in the latest assault by the rebels, who are fighting to topple the constitutional monarchy. Maoist violence has escalated since most members of the royal family including King Birendra were killed in a massacre by the then crown prince in June.
An emergency meeting of the ruling Nepali Congress party urged the government to take tough action against the rebels and party officials said possible steps could include the declaration of a state of emergency in rebel-dominated areas.
The army could also be mobilized to crush the guerrillas, they said. Nepal has so far mainly used police to fight the five-year-old rebellion which has claimed more than 1,850 lives.
``The party has directed the government to use all constitutional provisions and mobilize all (security) agencies and take tough steps to maintain peace in the country,'' Nepali Congress said in a statement.
``If the government thinks it necessary, it can proclaim an emergency, use the army and even declare the rebel group as terrorist,'' Congress member Narahari Acharya told Reuters.
Party officials said Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, facing pressure to take tough action, was expected to call a cabinet meeting later Sunday.
After killing at least 37 security personnel during Friday night attacks in their western strongholds, rebels exploded a bomb near a truck carrying 46 policemen Saturday at Kalidamar in Surkhet district, 312 miles west of Kathmandu.
``Four police officers and the driver of the hired truck were killed in the ambush and another five policemen have been injured,'' senior police official Amar Singh Shah said by telephone from nearby Nepalgunj. The others survived.
There has been no confirmed report of casualties among the rebels of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), who police say also captured the district administrator of the Dang area of the western region.
The Maoists, led by underground leader Prachanda (One name) take inspiration from Peru's Shining Path guerrillas.
CALL FOR ACTION
The rebels ended a truce worked out in July after walking out of peace talks with the government.
The Nepali Congress, a centrist party known for factional infighting, is seeking to close ranks to take decisive action against the Maoists, who are mainly active in large but remote areas of the impoverished Himalayan kingdom.
``He (Deuba) has to strengthen the government's defensive measures and mobilize armed forces and take tough action against the rebels,'' said analyst Dhruba Kumar, at the Center of Nepal and Asian Studies of the Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu.
The English-language ``Kathmandu Post'' daily said the government should take some ``unpleasant'' measures and temporarily curb civil liberties to manage the situation.
``Such measures must be taken so that people continue to enjoy a democratic environment in the country,'' it said in a front page editorial.
After the royal massacre rocked the Himalayan nation, the Maoists demanded polls for a constituent assembly to prepare a new constitution, which was turned down by the government.
They stepped up their attacks after the palace massacre.
Deuba, who rode to power in July vowing to pursue a peace process is under pressure to declare the Maoist group a ''terrorist'' organization and also act to flush out the rebels from their hideouts in the Himalayan foothills.
Maoist leader Prachanda said in a statement Saturday that the attacks were ``successful and courageous'' but added that his group still favored a peaceful resolution through talks.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011125/wl/nepal_rebels_dc_8.html
'CORRECTED STORY'
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - The Nepal cabinet will meet Monday to consider clamping a state of emergency on the Himalayan kingdom after Maoist rebels killed a total of more than 100 people in a spate of violence at the weekend, a minister said.
In our KATHMANDU story, ``Nepal considers state of emergency to stop Maoists,'' please read in first paragraph ...after more than 100 security forces and Maoist rebels were killed in weekend clashes... instead of ...after Maoist rebels killed a total of more than 100 people in a spate of violence at the weekend...
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011126/wl/nepal_rebels_dc_9.html http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011126/wl/nepal_rebels_dc_10.html
KATHMANDU, Nov 25 – So far the death of 40 people, including 14 army men, 13 policemen and three civilians, have been confirmed in the continuous violence waged by the underground Maoist rebels since Friday evening – leading a bloody end to the months long ceasefire that presented high hopes for a fruitful peace talks between the government and the rebels.
The most shocking casualties have been in the first ever attack upon the Royal Nepal Army, where 14 army personnel of Sri Bhawani Prasad Baks Company including Major Naresh Upreti, who was commanding the contingent, and Second Lieutenant Bikash Thakuri have lost their lives in Dang. The army company that was taken by surprise has also lost heavy arms and ammunition, including 99 Self Loading Rifles as confirmed by Interior Minister Khum Bahadur Khadga. The arms were looted in an army truck stolen during the raid that was later found deserted.
According to military sources, seven trucks of army personnel deployed from Surkhet, Butwal and Kathmandu are currently conducting search operations
in northern jungles of Dang district. The source also said that heavy army casualties resulted as the attack were made while most of them were sleeping.
Heavy casualties have also been reported on the Maoist side, which Minister Khadga said could be around 70-80.
The rebels have continued their terror attacks in various parts of the country even on Saturday. Latest reports say that the rebels trapped a large number of police personnel at Waling of Syangja district in an ambush but let them go after looting arms and ammunition. Until late Saturday night, a contingent of RNA soldiers have been placed on stand-by in the capital to be flown over to Waling and conduct search operations, our sources say.
In Dang, the rebels killed four policemen in District Police Office and another five in Narayanpur police post of the same district. Three civilians have also been killed in Dang. In the northwestern district of Syangja, the rebels killed 14 policemen, including Inspector Mohammed Nur Aalam when raiding several police posts.
Several financial institutions have also been looted in various places. (sjs)
http://www.kantipuronline.com/Maoist_attacks.html#Maoist Attack News
Photos from attacks: http://www.kantipuronline.com/Photo_feat_attack.html#Aftermath Maoist Attack
www.kantipuronline.com/Photo_feat_attack...