A group of 50 Maoist combatants led by Navin Baral, Bibek and Dhiraj of Dudhauli-based Satellite Camp No 2 in Sindhuli district, allegedly stormed Tandi VDC-9 and Dudhauli VDC-1 and thrashed the villagers. [break]In another incident, Maoist combatants from Nawalparasi-based satellite camp No 4 had allegedly ransacked Gulmi district´s Gwagha village.
Issuing a statement, the UN political mission said its Acting Chief Arms Monitor has already sent a letter to Maoist Army Commander Nanda Kishor Pun “Pasang” to draw the latter´s attention into the alleged involvement of Maoist combatants in the incidents.
“The issue will be raised in the next meeting of the Joint Monitoring Coordination Committee (JMCC), which is responsible for supervising the implementation of the agreement on monitoring of arms and armies,” the statement reads.
The statement further urged the UCPN-Maoist and the commanders of the two satellite camps to fully cooperate with the ongoing police investigation into the incidents.
“UNMIN further calls on the UCPN-Maoist and all parties to adhere strictly to the peace agreements and refrain from issuing provocative statements,” the statement adds.
Clarify gentlemen´s agreement: Landgren to govt, Maoists
UNMIN chief Karin Landgren has asked the government and the UCPN (Maoist) to clarify the September 13 gentlemen´s agreement relating to the Nepal Army.
“The gentlemen´s agreement is very important to the peace process. It is clear under the arms monitoring agreement that the parties can come to separate agreements about what is or is not a violation. Now UNMIN monitoring mandate continues unchanged for these four months. But we will need a complete clarity from the parties about the context of the gentlemen´s agreement. So we will be speaking to parties to understand what has been agreed …,” Landgren said Wednesday when journalists asked whether UNMIN would object if the government procured arms for the national army under the gentlemen´s agreement.
The government and the UCPN (Maoist) reached the gentlemen´s agreement on September 13, allowing the Nepal Army to recruit and procure arms --something prohibited by an arms monitoring agreement between the two sides -- “through dialogues at political levels”. On the occasion they also signed a four-point agreement pledging to complete outstanding tasks of the peace process basically by January 14, 2011.
It was Landgren´s first press conference after the Security Council extended UNMIN´s term for a last time on September 15. She returned to Kathmandu Friday after briefing the Council on Nepal´s peace process. The government had taken strong exception to her statement to the Council and even filed a formal rebuttal.
Asked whether the government or she was right on a host of issues mentioned in her September 7 statement to the Council, Landgren said, “My statement to the Security Council is public. The government has made its comment public. I think the information is on the record and anyone can come to their conclusion about what is accurate.”
She added, “...I am always ready to have discussion with the government and parties on any issues of concern regarding UNMIN´s functioning or UNMIN´s reporting.”
She also clarified that the Secretary-General did not intend to question the legitimacy of the caretaker government while referring to a new duly formed government in his report to the Security Council. She said the reference “merely reflected the ongoing elections to form a new government in due course”.
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