But the Maoists refuted the claim that the deceased, Narendra BK, was a Maoist combatant from a cantonment monitored by the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).
Citing registration number 3682 and photo number DSC 00796 in the the Identity Card recovered from BK´s body, the Home Ministry claimed he was a member of the People´s Liberation Army (PLA). The ministry, however, did not state which cantonment he belonged to.
Maoists termed the government´s claim an "utter nonsense and an attempt to cover up the killing of innocent landless people."
Maoist Standing Committee member Barsaman Pun admitted that Narendra BK was not a cantoned PLA member. "He was a former member of the People´s Liberation Army," Pun told myrepublica.com. "UNMIN must have denied by now that he was a member of the PLA," he said.
UNMIN spokesperson Kosmos Bishwokarma said, "UNMIN is still investigating. Preliminary report show that there are several people of that name [Narendra BK], but no one has the same registration number in UNMIN´s record on registration and verification of Maoist combatants."
According to PLA´s seventh division acting commander Jivan, BK was a resident of Tatopani VDC-3 and a former Maoist combatant, but he was automatically disqualified after he did not come to the cantonement to stay after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Pun said the government cannot ignore the plight of some 25,000 landless people, and his party will continue struggle for the rights of the landless people. "The government should state clearly if they are not Nepali citizens," Pun said. He said the Maoists will intensify protest sunless the government declares the deceased as martyrs, compensate the families of the killed, provide free treatment to the injured and provide land to them.
Meanwhile, the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Squatters´ Association (ANSA) announced on Sunday that it would encroach upon the forest again on Monday. Organizing a press conference, it claimed that the authorities have disappeared over 250 of its members from the clash site.
Related story
Leaders parroting old promises to woo squatter votes
