US asks Nepal Maoists to end or suspend strike

May 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kathmandu, May 7 (IANS) With Nepal’s ruling parties failing to persuade the Maoists to withdraw their indefinite strike, the US has asked the former guerrillas to end or suspend their protests as the Himalayan republic wilted for the sixth consecutive day Friday and a constitutional crisis stood only three weeks away.

‘The Maoist-imposed strike in Nepal is creating serious hardships for the people of Nepal and the risk of dangerous confrontation is growing,’ Robert O. Blake, the US assistant secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, said in a statement issued Friday.

‘We call on the Maoists to end or suspend their strike and ease these hardships.’

Violence erupted countrywide Thursday between Maoist protesters, vigilantes and general public opposing the strike. The government clamped curfew in three tense districts outside Kathmandu.

Amidst fears of greater turbulence if the stalemate continued, the US official urged both the Maoists and the embattled government to exercise restraint and ‘good judgment’ to prevent the outbreak of violence.

‘We continue to believe that the only sustainable answer lies in the ongoing political dialogue,’ Blake said. ‘We call on all of Nepal’s political leaders to reach agreement on the issues that have impeded the completion of Nepal’s new constitution and the full implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement.’

However, even on Friday, the sixth day of the general strike that has paralysed the government, transport vanished from roads, shops and educational institutions were closed and there were raised fears of food, fuel and medicine scarcity as the Maoists remained at loggerheads with the ruling parties.

The former guerrillas have pledged to continue the strike till Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal resigns.

Nepal, on the other hand, is challenging the Maoists to remove him constitutionally by garnering a majority in parliament, if they can.

Nearly a dozen rounds of talks have failed to make any headway even as the country faces an unprecedented crisis from May 28 midnight unless a new constitution comes into effect.

If the deadline fails, parliament will be dissolved automatically, leading to the end of the government as well.

The government needs to amend the constitution and extend the deadline to avert the crisis. However, an amendment is impossible unless the Maoists, the largest party in parliament, agree.

‘As the May 28 deadline for the completion of the constitution nears, we hope to see Nepal’s political parties act with dispatch and maximum flexibility to resolve their remaining differences,’ Blake said, adding that the US and others in the international community were ready to assist in any way they could.

The ambassadors of several European states have already given the prime minister a weekend deadline to iron out the differences.

Using strong language, the French ambassador to Nepal, Gilles-Henri Garault, said Nepal’s political parties were wasting time and opportunity and called it ‘stupidity’.

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Centre initiates dialogue with Meghalaya militant groups

March 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Shillong, Mar 25 (ANI): Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief P C Haldar who was nominated by the Centre to hold talks with militant groups in Meghalaya has initiated a political dialogue with the Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC).

The ANVC is demanding for creation of separate Garo Territorial Council.

The people of Meghalaya are watching the talks with eagerness, as the success of talks will ensure peace and progress in the state.

The representatives of the outfit ANVC, a Garo rebel group demanding autonomy, held the first round of talks with the Centre’s interlocutor Pradyot Chandra Haldar in Shillong.

The group had entered into a tripartite ceasefire with the Union and the State Governments on July 23, 2004.

As the ceasefire agreement between the government and the ANVC ends on March 31, the group recently threatened to break the truce.

Though the ceasefire extension was not discussed in Shillong, the meeting was termed as “cordial” from both the sides.

“Today, regarding the discussion on our demands, it was very encouraging but we feel it should go ahead. We should have a kind of assurance from the government that our demands are going to be looked into seriously,” said

Torik Jangning Marak, ANVC spokesperson.

“I had talked with the ANVC representatives. We had detailed discussion (and it was) very fruitful, very useful. We will continue with the discussion further,” said P C Haldar, Centre’s interlocutor.

The ANVC was formed in December 1995 and was proscribed on November 16, 2000.

In September 2009, the group in a meeting with officials from Union Home ministry, decided to give up its demand for a separate state for Garos.

Instead it put forward the demand for the creation of Garoland Autonomous Council, an autonomous body, for all the three districts of Garo Hills – East, West and South – for effective governance.(ANI)

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Hekmatyar gives Karzai 15 demands for possible peace pact with Govt.

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kabul, Mar 23(ANI): The Al-Qaeda-linked militant organization Hezb-e-Islami has handed over a list of 15 demands to the Afghan Government, as Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s moves towards a political dialogue with insurgent groups gathered pace.

Hezb-e-Islami spokesman, Harun Zarghun, said that a five-man delegation representing its leader and former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, arrived in Kabul ten days ago and had met President Karzai.

“One of them is to set a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces and another the formation of an interim administration,” The Times quoted Zarghun, as saying.

Meanwhile, a presidential spokesman confirmed that the delegation had met President Karzai.

“They brought a peace plan, a proposal, and the President is studying it,” the spokesman said.

Hezb-e-Islami was founded as an anti-Soviet militia in the 1980s, when it received US funding. It later turned its guns on other Mujahidin groups in the civil war of the 1990s.

After 2001 the organization split into a legal political entity, which is the largest bloc in parliament, and a militant wing loyal to Hekmatyar, who has been in hiding ever since.

President Karzai is expected to hold a meeting in Kabul next month to establish dialogue with militant groups. (ANI)

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Hekmatyar gives Karzai 15 demands for possible peace pact with Govt.

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Kabul, Mar 23(ANI): The Al-Qaeda-linked militant organization Hezb-e-Islami has handed over a list of 15 demands to the Afghan Government, as Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s moves towards a political dialogue with insurgent groups gathered pace.

zb-e-Islami spokesman, Harun Zarghun, said that a five-man delegation representing its leader and former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, arrived in Kabul ten days ago and had met President Karzai.

“One of them is to set a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign forces and another the formation of an interim administration,” The Times quoted Zarghun, as saying.

Meanwhile, a presidential spokesman confirmed that the delegation had met President Karzai.

“They brought a peace plan, a proposal, and the President is studying it,” the spokesman said.

Hezb-e-Islami was founded as an anti-Soviet militia in the 1980s, when it received US funding. It later turned its guns on other Mujahidin groups in the civil war of the 1990s.

After 2001 the organization split into a legal political entity, which is the largest bloc in parliament, and a militant wing loyal to Hekmatyar, who has been in hiding ever since.

President Karzai is expected to hold a meeting in Kabul next month to establish dialogue with militant groups. (ANI)

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Political dialogue gets going with Meghalaya rebels

March 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Shillong, March 16 (IANS) The central government Tuesday set the ball rolling for political negotiations with Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC), a powerful rebel group in Meghalaya, to ensure lasting peace in the Garo Hills.

‘Today, we have started a political dialogue with the ANVC and discussions on their demand for creation of an autonomous council will continue,’ New Delhi’s pointsman and former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Pradyot Chandra Haldar told journalists here.

ANVC, a tribal Garo rebel group operating in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills region, is fighting for creation of Garoland Territorial Council. It had entered into a tripartite ceasefire with the central and the Meghalaya governments July 23, 2004.

The outfit had threatened to pull out of the agreement and return to armed struggle if the government failed to come forward with an ‘acceptable solution’ to its demands.

‘Today, we have aired our political demands before Haldar and we have left it to the government to decide on it,’ ANVC spokesman Arist Sangma told IANS.

‘We have scaled down our demand from separate statehood to an autonomous council in line of Bodoland Territorial Council in Assam in the larger interests of our people,’ he said, expressing hope that the government would concede the group’s demand to ensure lasting peace and development in Garo Hills region.

However, Tuesday’s meeting between Haldar and the ANVC did not touch on extension of the ceasefire, which is due to expire March 31.

‘Since we discussed mainly about the political issues of ANVC, the ceasefire extension will be discussed in upcoming joint monitoring group meeting scheduled before March 31,’ Haldar said.

Haldar, who arrived in Shillong Monday, also held meetings with Chief Minister D.D. Lapang, Deputy Chief Minister Mukul M.Sangma and other senior government officials.

Meghalaya has asked the central government not to waste time and reach an ‘acceptable tripartite accord’ with the ANVC for lasting peace in the Garo Hills.

Lapang is leaving for New Delhi to meet Home Minister P.Chidambaram to urge upon him the need for extension of the ceasefire with the ANVC.

‘The ceasefire with ANVC will cease March 31. We cannot drive them (ANVC) to the wall…they might go to the extreme,’ Lapang, who also holds the home portfolio, said.

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Indo-Pak ties hit by 26/11, resuming CBMs to take time: Gilani

April 20, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The resumption of confidence building measures between Pakistan and India will take “some time” as bilateral ties have been affected after the Mumbai terror attacks, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday.

“We want good relations with all our neighbours, be it Iran, Afghanistan or India. We had very good relations with India but ties were affected after the Mumbai incident. The CBMs between us will have to be started once again (and) it will take some time,” he told reporters in Karachi.

Asked about Pakistan’s concerns regarding the sharing of river waters with India, he said this issue “will be taken up at the appropriate forums”. He did not give details.

Recent reports have suggested that Pakistan could approach the International Court of Justice to address its concerns about the Kishanganga hydropower project being built by India in Jammu and Kashmir.

Asked about the concerns of the coalition partners of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party on Talibanisation, Gilani said: “Certainly I share the concern because Talibanisation (or militancy or terrorism) is a threat for the country and we all have to fight extremism and terrorism jointly.”

The federal government had adopted a policy of reconciliation and is “ready to talk to persons who surrender weapons, end militancy and take steps towards peace,” he said adding, its strategy for tackling terror comprises political dialogue, development and deterrence.

Responding to a query on concerns expressed by the US about the situation in Pakistan, Gilani said Islamabad had convinced Washington about its resolve to fight terrorism.

However, Pakistan’s “home-made policy” takes into account ground realities, customs, traditions, self-respect, dignity and sovereignty while making decisions, he said.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will visit the US next month with interior ministry chief Rehman Malik, the Inter-Services Intelligence agency chief and law enforcement officials to discuss Pakistan’s policy to fight terror.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is also expected to visit the US in the first week of May to meet the top leaders of the American administration, Gilani said.

Gilani described the situation in SWAT – where President Zardari recently approved the implementation of Shariah or Islamic law – as “unique” because the government was committed to respect traditions and customs in the former princely state that merged with Pakistan in 1969.

The Awami National Party, which rules North West Frontier Province, is a “progressive party” that moved away from its own ideology and respected local customs by recommending the implementation of Islamic laws in Swat, Gilani said.

Dispelling concerns about the Islamic law system, he said everything would be done according to constitution and there would be provisions for appellate courts. The Nizam-e-Adl Regulation for enforcing Shariah was ratified as “80 per cent peace” had been restored in SWAT, Gilani said.

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Pak to share own counter-terrorism policy with US soon: Gilani

April 19, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Karachi, Apr.19 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the country is ready with its own anti-terrorism strategy which it would be sharing with the United States soon.

“Our policy is ready, and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would visit the US in the first week of May to share this policy with the American administration,” The Daily quoted Gilani, as saying.

Addressing a press conference here, Gilani said President Asif Ali Zardari could also visit the US to discuss the issue with the Obama Administration.

Commenting on the heightened tension with India following the Mumbai terror attacks, Gilani said that the 26/11 incident has certainly derailed the peace process between the two neighbours.

“We need to start confidence-building measures afresh with India. However, it will take some time,” Gilani said.

When enquired about the implementation of Islamic law in Swat and the reservations America has expressed over the issue, Gilani said the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, which was introduced in the valley, was according to the constitution of the country.

“The government is trying to convince the US to keep ground realities in mind, and understand Islamabad’s decision to implement this law,” he added.

Addressing the issue of Balochistan, Gilani said his government was ready to initiate political dialogue with all forces of the region under its reconciliation policy. (ANI)

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Tamils protest outside Australian PM’s home

April 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Canberra, April 14 (Xinhua) Over 100 Tamil protesters converged outside the Australian prime minister’s Canberra residence Tuesday and demanded that Australia play a greater role in efforts to end violence in Sri Lanka.

The protesters wanted Australia to use diplomatic channels to push for a permanent cease-fire in the conflict between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil rebels.

‘We have the right to ask the (prime minister) to stop the genocide,’ said the group’s spokesman, Mahendran Ratmam.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith said the situation in Sri Lanka was terrible.

‘We have for some time been very concerned about circumstances in Sri Lanka, for some time I’ve been calling on the Sri Lankan government to engage in a political dialogue,’ Smith told reporters in Perth.

Smith Monday urged the Tamil Tigers to allow the exodus of civilians.

‘We’ve previously called on the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and engage in political dialogue and we again do that,’ Smith said.

The Sri Lankan government said that it is on the verge of defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the rebel group which has been fighting for a separate Tamil homeland.

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US wants Pakistan-Afghanistan to identify moderate Taliban

April 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 6 (ANI): US National Security Adviser, Marine General James Jones, wants Pakistan and Afghanistan to help the United States approach moderate Taliban activists who are willing to lay down their arms.

Jones stressed the need for a greater cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the fight against terrorists, and said that President Barack Obama’s new strategy offers new hope for peace and security in South Asia.

“Surely the Pakistani people and Afghan people know more than we do,” Jones told the Dawn when asked how the US would approach the moderates among the Taliban.

“And they can certainly help us in identifying those who are moderate in their views and wish to be participating in the political process,” said the US National Security Adviser.

Explaining who he believed were the moderates, Jones said those who were willing to participate in the political process “without violence and without terror and without causing breaches in the security of either country.”

“And so I think that as we work towards identifying those people who wish to enter into a peaceful dialogue, political dialogue, there’s certainly room on the table for them,” he added.

Asked what’s new in President Obama’s new strategy for the people of Pakistan, especially when drone attacks have continued unabated, General Jones said: “What’s new is a regional focus. There has been a tendency in the past to deal with Pakistan and Afghanistan as separate issues. By appointing Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as a regional representative, the US is signalling a more comprehensive strategy.”

The US official pointed out that trouble in the border areas were of concern to both countries and should be dealt with accordingly.

In the new strategy, he said, President Obama also has indicated that the US would like to be helpful to its Pakistani friends and wanted to do whatever it could to be supportive of the government’s efforts. (ANI)

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NATO leaders agree to resume direct talks with Russia

April 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Strasbourg (France), April 5 (Xinhua) The leaders of NATO member states have agreed to relaunch talks with Russia in the framework of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), suspended by the alliance unilaterally after the Russia-Georgia military conflict.

‘Despite our current disagreements, Russia is of particular importance to us as a partner and neighbor,’ they said in a declaration issued at a two-day summit marking the 60th anniversary of the bloc here Saturday.

They said that areas of common interest between NATO and Russia lie in the stabilisation of Afghanistan, efforts toward arms control and disarmament, the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, anti-terrorism and fighting drugs- trafficking and anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.

The leaders said that they would ‘assess possibilities for making (the NRC) a more efficient and valuable instrument for our political dialogue and practical cooperation’.

‘We want to step up practical cooperation in the NRC,’ NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a press conference after the summit.

‘We think this relationship can deliver more than it has until now, if all parties take the necessary steps,’ he added.

But at the same time, NATO said that cooperation with Russia did not mean compromise of its core principles, criticising ‘the build-up of Russia’s military presence’ in Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia and urging for full withdrawal of Russian troops from the two regions.

The NRC was established in 2002 as a forum for direct dialogue between the NATO and Moscow and was suspended following the Russia- Georgia military conflict in August 2008.

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Sri Lanka Govt. says 10,000 civilians have escaped from war zone

February 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Colombo, Feb.8 (ANI): The Government of Sri Lanka on Sunday said that at least 10,000 civilians have escaped from the island-nation’s war zone in the last four days.

Calling on the Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender unconditionally or be killed, President Mahinda Rajapakse said late on Saturday: “I want to tell the Tigers: ‘Lay down arms and surrender to security forces.”

He told party supporters that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had been encircled in a narrow strip of land and had taken thousands of civilians’ hostage.

“They must let the civilians go and then unconditionally give themselves up. I must warn them we will not halt our operations against terrorism until we reach our final objective,” he warned.

“Over 10,000 civilians have come to Kilinochchi while 139 others have come to Jaffna since the Independence Day (Wednesday). Among the rescued civilians are over 2,800 children and about 3,000 women,” said a statement from the defence ministry.

The ministry added that medical care, food and water were being provided at the frontlines for the fleeing civilians, who it says were among those held by the Tigers as “human shields.”

The United States, European Union, Japan and Norway last week asked the rebels to lay down their arms and take part in a political dialogue to end Sri Lanka’s vicious unrest which has claimed an estimated 70,000 lives since 1972.

Military officials said the air force at the weekend launched further strikes on the remnants of the Tamil Tigers after successfully bombing a key rebel hideout Friday and killing at least 11, including a top leader.

The Tigers Saturday mounted several counter-attacks in the Mullaittivu area — which until recently was their military stronghold — but security forces beat them back, according to the defence ministry.

The Tigers have been restricted to an area less than 100 square kilometres (38 square miles) in Mullaittivu, where officials estimate 120,000 civilians are still trapped.

The Tigers are fighting for survival after being driven back into a small patch of jungle by a military offensive that threatens to end their 30-year armed campaign for an independent ethnic Tamil homeland. (ANI)

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