http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/nepal/ en-us Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:18:28 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132270/posts The former rebels plan to put all children in public schools by 2010, saying it will even the playing field. Kathmandu, Nepal - The massive election win last April by Nepal's former rebel Maoists put them in the position to set the government agenda, and bring about drastic changes they promised during their campaign. But their initial proposals on education – to end private investment in schools and distribute academic certificates to Maoist fighters – have left many Nepalese worried. They're concerned that their new government will take the country in too radical a direction that favors its former fighters... cs monitor http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132270/posts#comment Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:18:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130791/posts RATANPUR, Nepal — The teenage boy revered as a reincarnation of Buddha sat silently in the jungle as he blessed his devotees Wednesday with a light tap on the head, which they consider the touch of the divine. The followers of Ram Bahadur Bamjan, 18, believe he has been meditating without food and water since he was first spotted in the jungles of southern Nepal in 2005, when believers say he spent months without moving, sitting with his eyes closed beneath a tree. Where is your Obama now ... FoxNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130791/posts#comment Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:45:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2118869/posts The proverb—Every dog has his day — literally came true on Monday when people in Nepal, the world's last Hindu nation, worshipped their dogs with utmost devotion. Despite the transformation of Nepal into a “secular nation”, people did not forget to worship their dogs on the day of Kukur Tihar, and protect their families from destruction. The festival is also known as Narak Chaturdashi. Big red tikas — a paste of vermilion, curd and rice — were put on dogs' foreheads and were garlanded. “It (Kukur Tihar) is a very important festival in our society, and there cannot be any... Hindustan Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2118869/posts#comment Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:11:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2110484/posts KATHMANDU (AFP) – A team of Japanese adventurers say they have discovered footprints they believe were made by the legendary yeti said to roam the Himalayan regions of Nepal and Tibet. "The footprints were about 20 centimetres (eight inches) long and looked like a human's," Yoshiteru Takahashi, the leader of the Yeti Project Japan, told AFP in Kathmandu on Monday. Takahashi was speaking after he returned with his seven-member team from their third attempt to track down the half-man-half-ape, tales of which have gripped the imaginations of Western adventurers and mountaineers for decades. Despite spending 42 days on Dhaulagiri IV... AFP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2110484/posts#comment Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:35:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2107407/posts Nepal’s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda, assured New Delhi during his official visit to India September 14-18 that that his government would not play strategic games between India and China. But his defence minister preached the opposite after returning from a visit to China in the last week of September. A elated Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal told the CPN (Maoist) periodical, The Janadisha Weekly aboutthe support China was prepared extend to Nepal in the military field. Thapa is the ex-Deputy Commander of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army (PLA-M), and one of the leading voices from the... sify.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2107407/posts#comment Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:50:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099870/posts The three-year-old daughter of a Nepalese watch repairer became a "living goddess" on Tuesday after being approved by the country's new atheist government. Despite Nepal being a Maoist republic after the monarchy was unseated in May, the centuries-old tradition of worshipping a young virgin as the living embodiment of a powerful Hindu goddess has survived. "Matina Shakya was chosen after consultation with Buddhist priests, community leaders and officials who will look after her," said Achyut Pokharel, a member of the government-run trust that maintains the tradition. "She became Royal Kumari after a series of pujas (religious ceremonies) on Tuesday at... AFP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2099870/posts#comment Tue, 7 Oct 2008 20:56:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2095323/posts The debt we owe the Gurkhas Lance Corporal Ram Bahadur Limbu won his Victoria Cross in a mostly forgotten war, the Indonesian Confrontation, in Borneo in 1965. First, he charged a machine-gun nest, knocking it out with a hand grenade. Then he made two forays into open ground to rescue wounded comrades, and another to retrieve a Bren gun. He used it to charge down and kill what was left of the enemy. When I decided to look up Lance Corporal Limbu a few years ago, it was a simple matter to find him – I just went to his... Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2095323/posts#comment Wed, 1 Oct 2008 23:41:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2089045/posts Kathmandu: Thousands of Tibetan children and their families face stiff punishment at the hands of the Chinese government for enrolling into schools in India that are run by the Tibetan government in exile, headed by their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, a rights body said. The Washington-headquartered International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) has expressed its misgivings as the ultimatum issued by the Communist Party of China authorities to the Tibetan Party and government workers expired last week. In July, Communist Party authorities in the Tibet Autonomous Region had issued a directive stating that Tibetan children must confess if they have... IANS / Sify http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2089045/posts#comment Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:34:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2067852/posts Kathmandu, Aug 24 (PTI) Maoist leader Prachanda's first foreign trip as Prime Minster to Beijing has sparked a row in Nepal, with the opposition Nepali Congress questioning his visit to China ahead of India, which had "invited him first". Prachanda's five-day official visit to Beijing is in a sharp departure from tradition where India has been the first port of call for most previous Nepalese prime ministers. Nepali Congress general secretary Bimalendra Nidhi criticised the newly-elected Prime Minister for visiting China to attend the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics at a time when thousands of people have been rendered... ptinews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2067852/posts#comment Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:57:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062718/posts Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who led a revolutionary insurrection that claimed 13,000 lives over 10 years, was elected prime minister of Nepal on Friday night, becoming the first Maoist to lead a democratic government. The election of Mr Dahal – who used the nom de guerre Comrade Prachanda (”the Fierce One”) – follows four months of political wrangling as the Maoists struggled to garner sufficient support from other parties to form a government, and even gave up at one point after their rivals united to elect a president opposed by the party. Dahal, 53, led his Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)... Financial Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2062718/posts#comment Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:39:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035108/posts Kathmandu, June 23: The CPN (Maoist) has decided to launch a 'people's struggle' to settle the constitutional crisis in Nepal, after charging the Nepali Congress (NC) of intentionally delayed the formation of the next government. According to Kantipur, the Maoists took the decision as a meeting of Seven Party Alliance (SPA), held at Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala's residence on Sunday failed to reach consensus over the structure of Security Council, including a few issues on integration of armies-Nepali Army (NA) and the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Senior Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai said that the Nepali Congress doesn't want... www.dailyindia.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035108/posts#comment Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:48:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030635/posts Nepal's former Maoist guerrillas have indicated a sudden shift in their position on the deployment of the UN in the thorny peace process, saying the world body could be asked to stay on even after its tenure ended next month. "The UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) will be needed as long as there are two armies in Nepal," Maoist deputy chief Baburam Bhattarai said. UNMIN was sent in by then UN secretary general Kofi Annan when both the Maoists and the other major parties asked for arms monitors to keep watch over the barracks and weapons of the Nepal Army... IANS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030635/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:18:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030631/posts While the contentious issue of power sharing continues to vex Nepali politics, leading many to fear a new round of political turmoil in the country, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has expressed his eagerness to soon visit China where he wished to visit the village of "the great helmsman", Chairman Mao, and "get some more inspiration". In an interview to a correspondent of China Daily at his residence in Buddhanagar Thursday, the Maoist chairman said he hoped to visit China soon. "When our communication minister was there (in China) he was instructed to prepare for my visit. I hope... nepalnews.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030631/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:12:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030625/posts KATHMANDU: Before making his final exit from the Narayanhity palace, Nepal’s dethroned king Gyanendra held his maiden press conference in the palace in whichhe defended himself and his family against several dark allegations, the darkest being that he had engineered the murder of his elder brother Birendra and the latter’s entire family in 2001 so that he could ascend the snake throne of Nepal. “At a time the nation and the royal family were plunged in grief, the allegations were part of the war strategy by certain quarters to malign me and my family,” the 61-year-old said. “I was not... indiatimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030625/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:01:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2029737/posts Nepal celebrates as former king evicted from palace By Thomas Bell, South East Asia Correspondent Last Updated: 11:16PM BST 11/06/2008 Nepal's former king has been evicted from his palace as his former subjects revelled in the loss of his dignity and the opening of his secrets. Gyanendra loses his £1.5 million annual allowance and 600 staff The country was declared a republic two weeks ago and Gyanendra – now Mr Shah – was told to pack his bags and leave. In his final public act before leaving the palace, he addressed the nation on television. "I have assisted in and... The Telegraph (UK) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2029737/posts#comment Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:59:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2025883/posts Less than a week into a republic, Nepal stands on the verge of fresh political chaos once again with the Maoists Tuesday asking prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala to quit within 24 hours or face their pullout from the coalition government as well as a new street movement. Maoist supremo Prachanda and his deputy Dr Baburam Bhattarai met the premier Tuesday to remind him that as the largest party in the newly elected constituent assembly, their party had the "people's mandate" to head the next government. Sources said the two leaders had also talked tough about power-sharing, refusing to budge... indiatimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2025883/posts#comment Wed, 4 Jun 2008 16:05:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024255/posts Kathmandu, May 31 (PTI) Maoist chairman Prachanda, who is set to lead the next Nepal government, has warned the media of "serious consequences" if it continues to criticise the party, a move flayed by the country's apex journalists' body. "We will no longer tolerate criticism as we have already been elected by the people," he said addressing a rally here to celebrate the country's transition to a republic. Targeting the Kantipur publication that brings out the largest circulated dailies Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post, the former rebel leader said, "You journalists did well to continuously criticise the Maoists before the... PTI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2024255/posts#comment Sun, 1 Jun 2008 03:43:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022551/posts KATHMANDU: Nepal on Wednesday scripted a new chapter in its turbulent history as the new constituent assembly abolished the 240-year-old monarchy and declared the country a "secular, federal democratic republic". The 601-member assembly met at the Birendra International Convention Centre on Wednesday evening where a motion was passed to declare the country the world's newest republic. After a series of meetings, the Seven Party Alliance agreed to table the motion of republic in the first meeting of the constituent assembly, dominated by Maoists. Out of 601 members of the constituent assembly, 572 were present during Wednesday's meeting. The motion to... The Times of India http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022551/posts#comment Wed, 28 May 2008 18:44:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022082/posts New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) The Maoists in Nepal do not favour an “open border” with India and want the unregulated cross-border movement to be reviewed. Baburam Bhattarai, the second most important leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), has said in an interview with an Indian monthly magazine “Hardnews” that the current arrangement to have “open borders” that are “unregulated” is not to the advantage of either country. “Open border is not a big advantage, not even to India,” Bhattarai told the magazine. He said the current arrangement was mostly misused by big smuggling networks. Large number of... Indo-Asian News Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2022082/posts#comment Tue, 27 May 2008 21:09:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021791/posts Excerpt - KATHMANDU, May 27 (Reuters) - The Nepali government warned on Tuesday that it could use force to throw unpopular King Gyanendra out of the royal palace if he refuses to leave voluntarily after the 239-year-old monarchy is abolished. A special assembly elected in April is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Wednesday and formally declare an end to the monarchy, a key part of a 2006 peace deal with Maoist former rebels that ended a decade-long civil war. "The king must leave the palace immediately and move to the Nirmal Niwas," Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra... Reuters (excerpt) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2021791/posts#comment Tue, 27 May 2008 07:59:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017436/posts Bagdogra (PTI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday hoped that Nepalese political parties involved in the electoral process have an obligation to make a success of the "democratic experiment" and extended India's support to the exercise. "We feel that all political parties which took part in the elections have an obligation to make a success of this democratic experiment," Singh said in an interaction with reporters here after concluding the "most successful" visit to Bhutan. On Maoists forming the next government in Nepal, the Prime Minister said that India has been in touch with the leadership of the erstwhile Maoist... PTI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2017436/posts#comment Sat, 17 May 2008 20:12:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014575/posts Nepalese police have arrested some 560 Tibetan women, including many Buddhist nuns, after breaking up demonstrations against China's crackdown in Tibet. In the first example of all-women protests, three rallies in Kathmandu were quickly stopped by police. It was the biggest round-up since Tibetan exiles began near daily demonstrations in March. Protestors wearing black armbands wept and shouted "We want free Tibet" as they were dragged to police vans. Police said those detained were being held in detention centres around the capital, and would be freed later. BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2014575/posts#comment Sun, 11 May 2008 23:20:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012647/posts The authorities in Nepal are closing Everest Base Camp completely to foreigners not intending to climb the world's highest peak. They are doing this because China is worried demonstrators might disrupt their project to bring the Olympic torch up the mountain. China is seeking to bring the torch up any day now, when weather permits. Meanwhile, scores of Tibetan exiles have been arrested while demonstrating in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. Many amateur trekkers come to Nepal with Everest Base Camp as their ultimate goal. The husbands and wives of summiteers stay in the camp before their spouses go on up.... BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2012647/posts#comment Wed, 7 May 2008 21:00:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011586/posts The leader of Nepal's Maoists has said that his party's recent election victory is a sign of the global resurgence of communism. But Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, stressed his party believed in retaining multi-party competition. Prachanda has made it clear that he wants to become the first president of a Nepalese republic. The Maoists won twice as many seats as their nearest rivals in last month's polls for a constitutional assembly. Investment priorities Prachanda's comments are a reminder of the extraordinary way in which Nepal has contradicted the world's move away from communism in the past... bbc.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011586/posts#comment Mon, 5 May 2008 20:42:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008702/posts Since 2005, Prachanda, the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), has become a lovable mascot of India's liberal elite. They see nothing but positive in him. His pre-2005 record has been forgotten -- the brutal massacre of innocent civilians in different parts of Nepal by the well-trained, well-armed and well-motivated insurgent army raised by him, his contacts with the Shining Path guerillas of Peru, his role in helping the Maoists in India, particularly in Andhra Pradesh, his fulminations against India, particularly against the Indian Army, his devotion to Mao Zedong's thoughts, his raising of his insurgent army with... rediff.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2008702/posts#comment Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:39:44 GMT