"They have warned teachers to pay 10 percent of their salaries to the party. They have issued death threats to those not paying the amount,” Principal of of Ugratara Higher Secondary School in Pokhara and Central Representative of Nepal Teachers´ Union Siddha Raj Joshi said. [break]
The teachers complained that the Maoists have threatened to reduce their size by six inches from head for failing to pay donations. They are demanding 10 percent of the salary from teachers across the district to run the party and ´revolution´. In places where death threats have not been issued, the teachers have been warned of expulsion from the villages.
“We are worried about how to run our family if we pay 10 percent from our salary to the Maoists,” Joshi rued. Regular classes have been affected in many schools due to the Maoist threat.
The Maoists have also started to extort money from entrepreneurs, businessmen, contractors and employees on a regular basis. They have warned businessmen and contractors that the party won´t allow them to do any business if they do not pay tax of 2-10 percent to the party. They are also taking anything from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 from employees.
Maoists´ Dadeldhura In-charge Bharat Thanuk argued that though the party has sought help from people in some places for party operation and continuity of protests, it cannot be termed "tax".
He also denied using threats to collect donations. “No party can run without help and donations. But our party doesn´t have the policy of forcefully collecting donations,” he said.
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