BRITAIN'S ADFIC AND OTHER DONORS ACCUSED OF INTERFERENCE

PRESIDENT RECEIVES CREDENTIALS FROM NON-RESIDENT AMBASSADORS

Kathmandu, 17 May: President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav Monday received credentials from ambassadors of Iceland Gudmuudur Diriksson, New Zealand’s Jan Henderson, Karen Anne Tan Ping Ming of Singapore, Janez Premoze of Slovenia and Vietnam’s Nguyen Thanh Tan.
They are non-resident ambassadors.
The president participated in an official government function even as his stepmother died the same morning.
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ARMY OFFICERS FROM USA, ,MALAYSIA ATTENDING NEPAL ARMY COURSE FOR FIRST TIME
Kathmandu, 17 May: Two army officers from China and one each from
Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and USA are participating in a training course that started at the Military Staff College at Shivapuri Monday.
Officers from Malaysia and USA are attending the training course for the first time; 27 Nepali army officers are participating.
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NIDC NET PROFIT DROPS SUBSTANTIALLY

Kathmandu, 17 May: NIDC Ltd net profit in Q3 of the current fiscal year ending 13 April dropped to Rs 87.38 million.
It recorded a Rs. 296.15 million net profit in the corresponding period year quarter.
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BLUE SHEEP POPULATION UP IN DHORPATAN

Kathmandu, 17 May: Population of blue sheep has increased at the hunting reserve in Dhorpatan, Nagarik reports.from Baglung.
The population increased with the re-establishment of outposts displaced during the insurgency and control of poaching.
The population has increased by 67 at two blocks.
“With this ratio, the population of blue sheep has increased significantly,” said Arjun Bjusal of the reserve.
There were 228 blue sheep in 2007, now there are 295.
The reserve covers seven blocks in Baglung and Rukum
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BRITAIN’S DFID AND OTHER DONORS ACCUSED OF INTERFERENCE
Kathmandu, 17 May: In its strong response to DFID-Nepal’s decision to stop funding the Janajati Empowerment Project II (JEP II), Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) today accused the UK government’s international development agency of practising ‘double standards’ and accused it of “promoting corruption” in the name of providing assistance for transparency and good governance, Lekhnath {andey writes in The Himalayan Times.
NEFIN, an umbrella organisation of 56 different indigenous groups across the country, also blamed DFID-Nepal and other international donor agencies for “interfering” in the internal matters of a sovereign country.

“We have found DFID and other donors promoting corruption in Nepal in the name of support,” NEFIN chairperson Raj Kumar Lekhi Tharu mentioned in a letter forwarded to Head of DFID Sarah Sanyahumbi, a copy of which was obtained by THT.

DFID-Nepal had publicly announced last week it would no longer continue its financial support to NEFIN’s JEF II project, due to the latter’s continued involvement in national strikes and bandhs.

In a letter addressed to Lekhi on May 10, DFID Head Sanyahumbi had said NEFIN’s continued calls and involvement in national strikes made it difficult to continue funding.

“Due to NEFIN’s recent continued involvement in supporting the April 27 bandh and based on information verified with you that NEFIN is part of a wider front for the bandh on May 13 to protest for constitutional rights of Janajati and people from marginalised communities, I am sorry to inform you that DFID will not be able to provide further funding as a result,” she had mentioned in the letter.

DFID was a major source of funding for NEFIN’s movements and programmes. In its response, NEFIN defended that the project money of around 200,000 pounds has not been misused in strikes and bandhs. It stated that stopping the funding will not “make any difference to it.”

“You know we are capable of running the movement without any external support. We consider external interest in this matter against the national prestige,” Lekhi said in the letter.

“Organising movements, forms of movement, and agendas of movement are our internal matters. We want to make you aware that we will not tolerate unnecessary interest and pressure in this regard.”

NEFIN blamed the donors for “promoting consumerism and elitism” in Nepal. Talking to this daily, NEFIN chief Lekhi said he has started “Jihad” against donor-created-dependency in Nepal. To fight against it, he has formed a front called Nepal Nagarik Morcha.

“Donors should make their support transparent. The Morcha will fight for it,” Lekhi stated. The State Affairs Committee of the Parliament had also raised the question of growing foreign funding in every sector of the nation, including security sector, and subsequently passed a resolution that international donors and their local partners should make their spending transparent.
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DIALOGUE FOR TALKS WITH ARMED GROUPS





Kathmandu, 17 May : - Peace and Reconstruction Minister Bishwonath Sah Monday said that efforts were underway to hold talks with the armed outfits of Terai, The Rising Nepal reports from Janakpurdham.
Speaking at a press conference here, Minister Sah said that as efforts were also made in the past to bring the armed outfits to the dialogue table, the government was giving continuity to it by urging them to come to the negotiation table.
He said the Ministry was in contact with about half a dozen outfits and talks would be held with them within two weeks.
According to him, two groups among them had sat on the dialogue table twice in the past.
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DR. DEMANDS SECURITY FROM GOVT.





Kathmandu, 17 May: - UCPN-Maoist vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai has demanded with the government and his party for providing him security due to the threats from ‘some gangsters and criminal elements in his party, The Rising Nepal reports.
According to Maoist sources, the vice-chairman of a major ruling party made a phone call on Monday to Home Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Maoist party general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ to ensure his security as he received reports that plots were hatched to harm him physically.
The source said that Dr Bhattarai got the report from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers entrusted with the responsibility for the security of party head office at Paris Danda during the internal party meeting Monday morning.
"The PLA members informed the vice-chairman that he overheard phone talks made by some leaders of the party’s workers union including Janak Bartaula about plans to physically assault him," the source close to Dr Bhattarai said.
Due to unhealthy rivalry among different factions of the Maoist trade union, there have been some incidents of beating and threats in the Maoist party lately. Following factionalism, the party has already dissolved the central committee of its trade union and formed a convention organising committee.
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