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Maoist threat forces Indians out of Nepal

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, April 7, IRNA -- Enraged by the arrest of a top leader by 
India, Nepal`s Maoist rebels are said to be threatening Indian 
businessmen in border areas, forcing them to flee, the local press 
reported here on Wednesday. 
According to the Hindustan Times, a New Delhi-based English daily,
at least 20 Indian businessmen based in the border district of Bardia 
have left Nepal after being threatened by the rebels. 
The rebels have asked another 40 Indian businessmen at Kusumba 
Bazar, in Bardia, to leave Nepal within 24 hours. 
The threats are believed to be a pressure tactic to obtain the 
release of Maoist politburo member Mohan Vaidya, who was arrested by 
Indian security forces this month. 
Recently, the Maoists torched 18 Indian oil tankers and opened 
fire on Indian truckers. These attacks have been strongly condemned 
by India as "a blatant act of terrorism." 
India`s Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Navtej Sarna 
told reporters here Monday evening that the perpetrators of the 
violence must be apprehended and punished for their crimes and that 
the Indian government holds the Maoist leadership responsible for 
the incidents. 
The Indian government has also requested the Nepalese government 
to provide full security for Indian personnel and property in Nepal, 
he added. 
Sarna said that the Indian government is already working together 
with the authorities in Nepal to confront the challenge of terrorism 
through mutual cooperation. 
The incidents, far from deterring such cooperation, will only 
lead to redoubled efforts on the part of both countries to overcome 
the danger which such terrorism poses to the security of both our 
neighboring countries, he said. 
Sarna said Nepal faces an unprecedented crisis the solution of 
which demands mutual understanding and cooperation between all the 
constitutional forces in the country, in particular, between the 
institution of the constitutional monarchy and the political parties. 
The Nepalese Maoists, who had earlier been trying to reach a 
rapprochement with India, seem to have hardened their stand after 
India extradited two of their top leaders and arrested Mohan Vaidya 
in Darjeeling last week. Vaidya is now in police custody in Siliguri, 
in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. 
Maoists have been struggling to establish a Communist-style 
government in Nepal to replace the constitutional monarchy. 
More than 9,000 people have been killed in the insurgency since 
1996. In fact, Nepal had recently recruited 6,400 men primarily to 
tackle the anti-insurgency, taking the Nepalese Army`s strength to 
70,000. 
New Delhi has been helping Kathmandu with military supplies, but 
its focus has been more on providing training assistance to officers 
of the Nepalese Army. 
It has been learned that the number of vacancies allotted to 
Nepalese officers for military courses in India has been doubled. 
India had also helped the Nepal Army with a supply of Rs 2 
billion worth of arms and ammunition last year. 
2160/LS/210 
End