Full Coverage: Nepal

04/28/2005 KATHMANDU, April 27 (IPS) - In the wee hours of Wednesday several jeep-loads of heavily armed policemen arrived at the residence of former Nepalese prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. He was packed into one of the vehicles and driven away - arrested on charges of corruption.

04/27/2005 Nepal has seen an increase in violence since the seizure of power by King Gyanendra, with 500 homes burnt, hostages taken and nearly 50 dead as the result of clashes with Maoist insurgents. The rebels have also imposed a blockade on Kathmandu and are calling for a nationwide strike against the royal coup.

04/27/2005 Reports that the death rate of women in childbirth is on the rise in Nepal as the result of the conflict have prompted the United Nations to call for both sides to respect basic human rights. It is estimated that maternal deaths due to lack of access to health care outnumber those killed in the fighting.

04/27/2005 The control of rural areas of Nepal is largely in the hands of Maoist insurgents, leading to a grave shortage of effective rural healthcare in those regions. Health officials are afraid to visit such areas through fear of reprisals from both sides while medical supplies are reported to be regularly hijacked by the rebels

04/27/2005 Kuninkaan vallankaappaus on ajanut tiedotusvälineet ahtaalle Nepalissa. Ylen radiossa haastatteleman, paikallisen tuottajan mukaan uutisia ei saa lähettää eikä ajankohtaisista asioista saa puhua. Edes paikallisista asioista ei saa tiedottaa. Sananvapauden rajoitukset tuntuvat pääkaupungin ulkopuolella pahimmin paikallisradioiden lamaantumisena.

04/26/2005 The King’s dismissal of government and seizure of direct power has been welcomed in some quarters as an opportunity to re-establish control over the country and bring an end to the violence between government forces and Maoist insurgents. But in doing so it is possible the King has built a rod for his own back if his ambitious 3 year plan is unsuccessful.

04/25/2005 The UN Commission on Human Rights has decided to appoint two special rapporteurs to tackle caste-based discrimination which will be a big step in the fight against discrimination for the dalits - the oppressed sections - in south Asia.

04/25/2005 The deteriorating political situation in Nepal offers no favours to endangered species. As military protection of national parks is diverted, the poachers regain the upper hand, with inevitable consequences for the rhino population.

04/21/2005 Development programmes in Nepal tend to lack understanding of gender issues and fail to recognize the special problems of women in conflict regions. Pradipna Raj Panta is pessimistic about prospects for the Millennium Development Goal for gender.

04/19/2005 Retired Colonel Daniel Smith examines the difference between the Bush administration's foreign policy "spins" and the hard reality, concluding that those who govern must be accountable under the law and should not defend questionable means or excuse high-level policymakers from accountability.

04/18/2005 Nepal's King Gyanendra, who took absolute power in the country February 1--many say at the expense of his people's basic freedoms--will tour Asia over the next two weeks. The question of democracy versus counter-terrorism strategies will be front and center as the king tries to win over his international colleagues, says one analyst.

04/12/2005 The UNHCR has signed an agreement with Nepal under which it will send observers to monitor respect for human rights in Nepal, where both government forces and Maoist rebels have been accused of widespread abuse.

04/11/2005 This book analyses the problem of the increasing political exclusion of ethnic, caste and gender groups in democratic Nepal and discusses its consequences for democracy and the stability of the country.
Author : Mahendra Lawoti
Publisher : Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd
Pp : 345
Price : $64.95

04/07/2005 Few children relish their first day at school. In Nepal's conflict regions, school property and staff have been casualties, creating an atmosphere of fear and contributing to the country's poor enrolment record.

04/07/2005 Few children relish their first day at school. In Nepal's conflict regions, school property and staff have been casualties, creating an atmosphere of fear and contributing to the country's poor enrolment record.

04/06/2005 The recent release of political detainees by the government of Nepal is little more than a ploy to prevent the United Nations from investigating human rights abuses since the King imposed a state of emergency two months ago, contends Dr. Mathura P. Shrestha, the former Minister of Health.