CHINESE PM WEN ARRIVES 20 DEC.; TIBET MILITARY TEAM COMING WEDNESDAY

NEPAL’S DR. ASHOK BANSKOTA AWARDED

Kathmandu, 9 Nov.: Nepal’s top orthopedist Dr.Ashok Banskota has been awarded the 2011 Health Winner by World of Children in New York, an announcement said.
Dr. Banskota was conferred the award in New York along with seven ‘change makers’/
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CHINESE PM WEN ARRIVING 20 DEC,; TIBET MILTARY TEAM ARRIVES WEDNESDAY
Kathmandu, 9 Nov.: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is arriving on a three-day official visit to Kathmandu on December 20, a highly placed government source told the Post on Tuesday,
Anil Giri writes in The Kathmandu Post..
The date was offered by the Chinese side during the visit of Liu Qi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai signed the formal letter of invitation on Tuesday, accepting the dates proposed by the Chinese side for Wen’s visit.
“As the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) is gearing up for nationwide elections of party officials slated for the second half of 2012 (October), it was imperative to host Wen within this year. Wen is busy throughout the year in 2012,” the source said.
Wen’s detailed itinerary is still in the process of finalisation, but officials said he will be holding most of his official meetings on December 21. He will return to Beijing on December 22.
Wen will be the highest ranking official to visit from Nepal’s immediate neighbours—India and China—since 2001. Earlier, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji visited Nepal in 2001 and Chinese President Jiang Zemin in 1996.
A Chinese military delegation led by the Lieutenant General (Military Commissioner) of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is arriving in Kathmandu on Wednesday to prepare for Wen’s visit. The delegation will assess the security situation and hold meetings with senior military officials.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha will be visiting Beijing “very soon” in connection with Wen’s visit, the source said. If political equations do not change, PM Bhattarai is also planning to visit China after Wen’s trip. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been hinting at the Chinese premier visiting Nepal this year. Before Bhattarai left for the Maldives on Tuesday, a Cabinet meeting finalised the dates of the visit and directed government entities to gear up for the same.
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INDIAN GORKHA REGIMENT BEST PATROLLING FORCE
Kathmandu, 9 Nov.: The Gorkha Regiment of the Indian Army, which recruits people from Nepal, has become the world's best patrolling force, Mahesh Acharya reports in The Kathmandu Post from New Delhi .
According to reports which emerged late, the 4th battalion of the 9 Gorkha Rifles regiment grabbed the gold medal in the annual Cambrian Patrol Competition held in Wales, the United Kingdom, last month.
This is the first time a battalion of the Indian army has emerged the winner of this competition which is also referred to as the 'Olympics of Patrolling.'
The Gorkha team beat 100 teams, including 14 of national armies of different countries, Indian media reported.
"This achievement is extremely important as this competition is of great significance," a retired Indian Army General, Ashok Mehta, said.
The Gorkha regiment which has its regimental centre in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state of India, recruits people of the Chhetry and Thakuri clan from Nepal. Domiciled Indian Gorkhas are also recruited, who form about 20 percent of the total strength, according to the official website of the Indian Army.
This competition--conducted by the British Army for the past 40 years, is held under adverse battle conditions in jungles and mountain terrains aiming to develop operational capability as a mission oriented tactical team, Indian news agency IANS said.
Members of the winning team were recently felicitated by Southern Army Commander AK Singh at the headquarters of the battalion in Rajasthan.
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PM. MAOIST CHIEF TO VISIT CANTONMENTS TO BOOOST MORALE OF FORMER FIGHTERS
Kathmandu, 9 Nov.:: Amid the growing rift in the Maoist party over the integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal have decided to visit cantonment sites to encourage combatants to participate in the regrouping process, Phanindra Dahal writes in The Kathmandu Post..
Over 19,000 Maoist combatants living in 28 cantonment sites will gather at the seven main cantonment sites for the regrouping process that will begin on November 16. The Special Committee Secretariat on Sunday recruited 210 members of a survey team to complete the regrouping by November 23.
“The prime minister has confirmed that he will visit all the seven main cantonment sites to oversee the regrouping process,” Balananda Sharma, the coordinator of the Special Committee Secretariat, said. In Tuesday’s meeting of the committee, Sharma suggested that the PM and other top leaders of major political parties and members of the Special Committee actively participate in the process and boost the morale of the combatants.
Officials said the participation of the top leaders will boost the confidence of the surveyors’ team and will be instrumental in preventing “any unwanted incident.” “We believe that the hardliners at the cantonments will be unable to challenge the implementation of the deal, if both Prachanda and Baburam visit the cantonment sites during the regrouping process,” said a member at the committee Secretariat.
One of Dahal’s aides told the Post that the Maoist chairman will be at the cantonment sites during the regrouping process.
Following reservations expressed by a group of combatants loyal to the hardline faction of the Maoists led by Mohan Baidya, Maoist leaders Barsha Man Pun, Janardan Sharma and PLA Commanders Nanda Kishore Pun and Chandra Prakash Khanal continued talks with local division commanders. Finance Minister Pun has assured committee officials that the regrouping process will begin smoothly.
The committee Secretariat plans to keep an NA helicopter on standby in Kathmandu to transport party leaders to the cantonment sites. It plans to complete all logistical preparations within this week and set up a temporary headquarters in Chitwan to supervise the regrouping process. The three-day orientation programme for the surveying team will begin at Staff College in Jawalakhel on Wednesday. Teams of varying sizes will be formed early next week.
Each combatant verified by UNMIN in 2007 will be entitled to the integration, voluntary retirement and rehabilitation options during the regrouping process. Combatants will receive counselling on each of the options and will be distributed new identity cards.
The committee Secretariat has urged combatants to bring along with them identity cards with bar codes given by UNMIN while attending the regrouping process, a member of the committee Secretariat, Deepak Prakash Bhatta, said.
Number of fighters
Cantonments UNMIN (2010) Current (2011)
Ilam 1933 1930
Sindhuli 1656 1659
Chitwan 3912 3979
Nawalparasi 3074 3038
Rolpa 2430 2428
Surkhet 3109 3106
Kailali 3335 3321
Kathmandu 153 27
Dead, suspended,
imprisoned and
deserters - 114
Total 19,602 19,488
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