Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Row Over Nepal’s Maoist China trip

The row between Nepal’s caretaker government and the opposition Maoist party over the visit of some Maoist commander to China shoot up with the government seeking an explanation from the UNNMIN. However, the Maoist termed it as interference.

Rakam Chemjong, the peace and reconstruction minister, has asked the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), the UN body monitoring the arms and fighters of the Maoists’ People’s Liberation Army (PLA), information regarding the visit of some Maoist PLA.

As there grow tensions between Nepal’s two neighbors, one can see the implications in various manifestations. Last month, there was controversy over telephone conversation of Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara.

Although Maoist leaders claimed that the visit was persona, Nagarik, a Nepali daily, reported that 11 Maoist leaders, including three MPs and several PLA officials, had visited China clandestinely.

Though the Maoists tried to downplay the visit, saying it was a personal one made when then were on holiday. The daily reported Tuesday that two of the MPs had used a diplomatic passport, which is meant to be used only during official visits.

The two MPs are former PLA deputy commander and peace and reconstruction minister Janardan Sharma and Barsha Man Pun Ananta.

Nagarik also said that Ananta, who is part of the special committee entrusted with rehabilitating over 19,500 PLA soldiers by mid-January, had returned to Nepal only to leave on a fresh junket Monday to Switzerland.

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