Govt. begins work on controversial peace commission

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 4 April: Government has begun preliminary work on the ultimate formation of a high-level controversial peace commission by forming a peace and conflict management committee.
A South Africa-like –Truth and Reconciliation Commission- has been proposed but it has run into trouble with government determined to ignore, forget or even pardon abusers of grave human rights abuses without pursuing and prosecuting them.
UN and major world capitals have opposed such an approach of the government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala; the protests acted as a brake but government has again moved ignoring international concerns and protests.
Government Thursday formed a peace and conflict committee under convenorship of former speaker Daman Nath Dhungana and al communist leader Padma Ratna Tuladhar who has been working with human rights organizations.
The committee will work with the government to push the peace process and conflict management for lasting peace and conduct assembly elections.
A government announcement said it felt the committee was needed to push the peace process forward.
International reaction to the formation of the committee hasn’t come so far.
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Tibetans call off anti-China protests

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 4 April: One day after the Chinese ambassador asked Nepal for protection of its assets and action against anti-Chinese activities, Tibetans Thursday called off daily anti-China protests in front of the Chinese embassy and the UN from 7 April.
Government had threatened action during elections.
But the Nepal Tibet Solidarity Committee (NTSC) said it called off the protests since 10 March because of approaching assembly elections on 10 April and it didn’t want ‘ to create inconvenience to the government and people of Nepal during election”.
The committee asked ‘individuals and Tibet supporters' who have been 'voluntarily' organizing protests to refrain.
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