Received: from mp.cs.niu.edu (mp.cs.niu.edu [131.156.1.2]) by library.wustl.edu (8.6.12/8.6.9) with SMTP id NAA22972 for <huestis@library.wustl.edu>; Thu, 4 Jan 1996 13:25:34 -0600 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA18185 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for nepal-dist); Thu, 4 Jan 1996 10:52:21 -0600 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA18181 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for nepal-list); Thu, 4 Jan 1996 10:52:19 -0600 Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 10:52:19 -0600 Message-Id: <199601041652.AA18181@mp.cs.niu.edu> Reply-To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu> From: The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu> Sender: "Rajpal J. Singh" <A10RJS1@cs.niu.edu> Subject: The Nepal Digest - January 4, 1996 (20 Push 2052 BkSm) To: <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu> Content-Type: text Content-Length: 50594 Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 194
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The Nepal Digest Thursday 4 January 96: Push 20 2052 BS Volume 46 Issue 3
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* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
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* "LIFE: Indulgence vs Seeking Truth - Which is your forte?" -Sirdar_Khalifa *
* "If you don't stand up for something, you will fall for anything" -Dr. MLK *
* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" -Sirdar_Khalifa *
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Date: Thu, 04 Jan 1996 11:05:21 -0500 (EST)
From: atuladhar@vax.clarku.edu
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - January 3, 1996 (19 Push 2052 BkSm)
To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
Supporting TND
==================
I support 100% the calls to make TND sustainable. I have mailed a modest
financial contribution today.
I also support Pramod Misra's suggestion that some of the "essences" of
Tnd be valued and preserved:
1.. Total lack of censorship
2. Right and freedom any TND reader to voice his/her opinion
3. Being as widely available as possible, both financially n
technically.
I have no fear about the fate of the first two, in the hands of Rajpal Singh,
his record is our guarantee.
It is the third issues that has been challenging some of the punch of TND.
One, the increasing availability of Nepal news from nepal on-line and
though anytime accessible home pages have rendered *tnd news sometimes
"baasi".
But this technology has already introduced a caste vareiation of
accessibility: some have ready access to netscape and can read nepal news
instantaneously and in graphics, others have access to only the text
broswers in www, while there must be many others who still do not have
access to www.
Even with email access, there were those with limited access to scn, and
those who have to pay, like subscribers in US and worse in Nepal have to
limit the kb or time of access to TND.
We should try to remember our TND readers and try to accommodate these
people by offering both text and some baasi news until a time when most
readers have a better access to tnd, technically, financially, and it
terms of time.
In the end, my salute to Rajpal and members of his editorial team and I
urge all to contribute generously to make ourself proud Nepalese in the
electronic diaspora.
amulya
clark u
%%%%%EDITOR'S NOTE: Thank you Amulya for your kind support on %%%%%
%%%%% behalf of TND. We hope more TND members %%%%%
%%%%% will come forward to help this worthy cause. %%%%%
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Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 10:39:42 -0500 (EST)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: nepalese in USA
Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------
I apologize for a rather long posting. But, it could be quite
interesting and informative :-) for those who are following the thread.
It has a few new data at the bottom of the posting.
In article <29DEC95.22534379@jack.clarku.edu>,
atuladhar@jack.clarku.edu wrote:
atuladhar@jack.clarku.edu wrote:
>Nepalese in USA...
Nepalis.
>I think it was demographer, dr. kanaihya vaidya, who posted a news
>item in scn and subsequently forwarded to tnd, to the effect that
>the total population of nepalese was 3100 something.
It was 3189 persons, which includes a few "non-nepalis" born in Nepal.
I will exclude them later when I get some "free" time.
>Since i skimmed the news, i cannot rember the connection between 1
>or 5% sampling, but it occurred to me that this number is a gross
>underestimate.
There is no need to make connection between 1% and 5% samples.
Actually, they are two independent samples. I used 5% sample.
The data is commonly known as Public Use Micro-data Samples
(PUMS, 5%). Please skim my old article further, and you will notice
that the data is from the 1990 U.S. Decennial Census. As the
enumeration rules of the census state "each person whose usual
residence was in the United States was to be included in the census,
without regard to the person's legal status or citizenship. ...
Persons in the United States specifically excluded from the census
were foreign travelers who had not established a residence."
(Source: Appendix D of any 1990 Census of Population and Housing
publication.) This means the census was to enumerate even those
individuals "illegally" residing in the U.S. but to exclude temporary
visitors.
>I think the estimate by Sanjay Manandhar in HIMAL in 1992 or 1993,
>in article on yonder green dollar pastures are greener, is more
^^^^
>accurate.
^^^^^^^^
How so? Please read my comments below.
>This article gave the actual visa granting histories from UN
>Immigration authorities and had something of the order of 5000 till
>1988 or so and he further assumed that there maybe something on the
>order 3 times the number in undocumented form, making a population
>of nepalis in us at 15000, it is probably 20,000 now, throught the
>1980 the us consul in nepal alone has been granting 400-700 visas to
>Nepales and about 75% were students.
I don't have the Himal article to make more specific comments.
(I'm reading "US" not "UN" Immigration authorities.)
However, based on what Amulya wrote, I would like to make the
following comments:
"Undocumented" residents are enumerated in the Census.
Estimating Nepalis in America based on the visa issued by the U.S.
Consular Office in Nepal is quite inappropriate. It only suggests
intention and one-way flow. The visa method does not account for:
- American citizens of nepalis ancestry who don't need visa;
- Nepalis in America who are citizen of a third country;
- Nepalis who return to Nepal from the U.S.;
- Nepalis who come to the U.S. with tourist visa and subsequently
convert to other visa types upon arrival;
- Nepalis who return to Nepal via a third country (e.g. Canada);
- Nepalis who come to the United States via a third country,
and those who go to a third country via U.S.;
- Nepalis born and dead in the U.S.;
- Those who get the visa but fail to make the trip;
- Visa issued in Kathmandu to non-Nepalis;
- anything else I left out?
I'm sure Sanjay must have screened several of the above sources of errors.
Still the method remains inappropriate to estimate the Nepalis in America.
Please remember that the Immigration and Naturalization Services does
not have enough resources yet to match all the visa issued and departure
card turned in. Sometimes, you never turn in the departure card (I-94
card) and get out of the U.S.
>I wonder if we could get other estimates?
I doubt it, unless someone undertakes the task of conducting a new survey
of Nepalis in America. If it exists, it will certainly be a wonderful
addition to our knowledge base.
Amulya, I presented my source of data. The "actual" number of Nepalis in
America could be higher or lower than the estimate I derived from the
sample of the Census data. We can certainly estimate how high? or how low?
based on the standard statistical procedure of estimating confidence
interval. If you do not believe the U.S. Census, it's up to you. However,
you must know that the census data is the only "official" and "legal"
source of population count in this country. Congressional districts,
revenue distributions, budget allocations, etc. are based on the census
numbers. By all means, U.S. census data is not perfect. By the same
token, which country's census is PERFECT? The U.S. Bureau of Census
estimated nearly 2.5 percent undercount (mostly in the metropolitan
areas with large minority population). I wish I could get hold of all
the census data, that would give more accurate information that the 5%
sample. However, 15-20 thousand that you "thought" should be the right
number is way out of line. Even the 95 percent upper confidence limit
(statistically speaking) yield the number that's way below the
15,000-20,000 that you "thought" is the correct one. We should base our
estimate on available reliable data.
For your comparative information, in 1990 there were: (based on racial
data)
Bangladeshi 12,000
Sri Lankans 11,000
Malayan 12,000
Pakistanis 81,000
Asian Indian 815,000
Thai 91,000
Burmese 6,000
Any further comments are welcome.
Kanhaiya Vaidya
Kanhaiya.L.Vaidya@state.or.us
===>>>PRELIMINARY RESULTS from PUMS (5%), 1990
==================================================
NEPALIS IN AMERICA | U.S.A. TOTAL
|
Sex Persons Percent | Percent
------ ------- ------- | -------
Male 1,852 58.1 | 48.7
Female 1,337 41.9 | 51.3
|
Total 3,189 100.0 | 100.0
|
==================================================
NEPALIS IN AMERICA BY CITIZENSHIP
Percent
Born in US/to Am. parents abroad 29.6
U.S. citizen by naturalization 11.9
Not a citizen of the U.S. 58.5
==================================================
NAPALIS IN AMERICA BY SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
(Age: 3 years and older)
Percent
Not attending school/college 48.9
Yes, public school/college 35.8
Yes, private school/college 15.3
Total=3,082
***********************************************
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 10:48:25 -0500 (EST)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: News 1/2/1996
From: karkis@mail.med.upenn.edu (Sher B. Karki)
The Xinhua General Overseas News Service
Xinhua General News Service
The materials in the Xinhua file were compiled by The Xinhua News Agency. These
materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The
Xinhua News Agency.
HEADLINE: d c 838 bc- nepal -rhino-britain hke010239 -- nepal to gift rhinos to
britain
DATELINE: kathmandu, january 2; ITEM NO: 0102127
BODY:
the nepali government has decided to present a pair of female rhinos as gift
to the london zoo, a press release said today. the decision was made at the
request of the british government and the two rhinos would be used for breeding
research purpose, according to the press release by the forest and soil
conservation ministry. the london zoo is affiliated with the zoological
society of london which is currently engaged in one-horn rhino breeding
research, the ministry said. a recent study found that there were about 450
one-horn rhinos living in the chitwan national wildlife park in southern
nepal.
HEADLINE: Security guards' future insecure
BYLINE: By ANDY GILBERT
BODY:
THE shine on former Gurkha Mek Gurung's shoes shows his military past, but
his civilian future is not so bright.
A former rifleman, Mr Mek, 35, spent 10 of his 15 army years in Hong Kong,
catching illegal immigrants on the border, guarding Sek Kong Vietnamese
detention centre and chasing smugglers in speedboats.
The younger of his two children, aged 10 and 12, was born here, as were all
four young children of former Queen's Gurkha captain Krishna Bahadur Ale, who
served in the the territory for 14 of his 24 military years.
Both men were born in the central Nepalese region of Gorkha, which lent its
name to the modern Gurkha.
Both returned to Hong Kong when their army days were over to work for
Jardine Securicor Gurkha Services, to send more than half their wages home and
support their families.
Both now face being kicked out when their two-year visas expire because of
the threat to the imported labour scheme.
"There is work in Nepal, but it is for very little money," Mr Mek said.
"If we didn't work how could we look after our family?"
Mr Mek and Mr Krishna say they would have to remove their children from
private school and give up any hope of providing them with higher education in
Nepal.
Mr Krishna, 46, a chief security officer, recalls the time he helped defend
Hong Kong against the People's Liberation Army at Sha Tau Kok, during the
Cultural Revolution.
"They were shooting across the border and one of them managed to grab our
commanding officer. One of the lads took out his kukri, went in and brought him
back."
He remembers helping the police in rescues during typhoons. He is almost too
modest to admit helping save scores of lives.
But he, and nearly 800 former colleagues face returning to one of the
world's poorest countries.
"Hong Kong is my second home. Maybe we are owed something by Hong Kong.
Maybe not."
HEADLINE: 800 may be forced home
BYLINE: By ANDY GILBERT
BODY:
NEARLY 800 former British Army Gurkhas working in Hong Kong face being
forced to go home because of uncertainty over the imported labour scheme.
The Gurkhas, most of whom served for years in the territory, now provide
exclusive security, ranging from guarding banks and businesses to diplomatic
premises and the residences of government officials.
About 200 work in the construction industry, mainly on projects related to
the new airport.
But now the company which employs them, Jardine Securicor Gurkha Services,
may close because of the problems with the supplementary labour scheme.
That would also mean unemployment for 30 former members of the Hong Kong
Military Service Corps - most whom were local soldiers in Hong Kong for more
than 20 years.
But their boss hopes the Government might make them a special case because
of their service to the territory.
"Due to the Gurkhas' connection with Hong Kong and the close involvement
they have had with local people, is it necessary that they actually have to come
under the labour importation system at all?" asked the company's security
manager Bill Thomas.
"Perhaps there is a case for them to be considered in isolation."
The three-year-old company based in Cheung Sha Wan is threatened by the
scrapping of the general importation of labour scheme under which 25,000 work
visas were allocated to companies on a quota basis.
The Government proposed to offer just 5,000 visas under the new scheme in
what was seen as political appeasement of concerns over rising unemployment. And
it will cut the number to 2,000 if the unions accept a compromise deal.
If they reject it, unionist legislators may go ahead with a private member's
bill which might scrap all imported labour except domestic workers.
"If that happens there will be an immediate loss of employment affecting the
livelihoods of our employees and their dependants in Nepal, " he said.
The company will also have to give up about 150 flats it leases for its
employees.
Mr Thomas said a delay of even a month in the decision on the scheme's
future would mean employees' visas would begin to expire and former Gurkhas
would have to be sent home.
A spokesman for the Education and Manpower Branch said the revised labour
importation scheme would specify the categories of job which were not allowed to
hire people from overseas.
"It has nothing to do with your nationality whether you will be allowed to
work in Hong Kong or not, it is whether a particular job category is permitted
to seek employees from overseas under the new scheme," she said.
She declined to reveal which jobs would be affected, saying only "if the
Gurkhas are working as security guards, it should not be harsh to employ a local
person to fill the job".
The Security Association, a union for security companies, has not discussed
the fate of Gurkhas at its meetings, said vice-chairman Lee Fok-kei.
HEADLINE: European Union to open office in Nepal
DATELINE: KATMANDU, Jan. 1
BODY:
The European Union plans to expand its presence in Asia this year, opening
offices in Nepal, Singapore and Malaysia in a bid to expand political and
economic ties, a published report said Monday. ''Europe is now more aware of
the fact that Asian countries are becoming politically more important on the
world stage because of their increasing economic clout,'' European Parliament
member Thomas Mann told the Katmandu Post. ''The European Union seeks to get
better knowledge about economic and political developments in Asia and thus find
a more suitable perspective for bilateral cooperation,'' he said. Nepal and
the European Union signed their first cooperation agreement in November. At
least 17 EU joint venture enterprises are operating in Nepal and nine other
have been licensed. The ventures include agriculture hotels, carpets,
consulting services and appliances.
HEADLINE: un park to be constructed in nepal
DATELINE: kathmandu, december 31; ITEM NO: 1231111
BODY:
the nepali government today began to build a public park to mark the 50th
anniversary of the founding of the united nations. the un park, located in the
capital city of kathmandu, is expected to cost 347.8 million rupees (6.3 million
us dollars) and to be completed within three years. at the foundation-laying
ceremony today, prime minister sher bahadur deuba said that the un park would
stand as an eternal witness to nepal's commitment to the united nations.
HEADLINE: Nepali Congress plans revamp after defeat
DATELINE: KATHMANDU, Dec 31
BODY:
Nepal's main opposition Nepali Congress party plans a general council
meeting next March to revamp its organisation after last month's poll defeat at
the hands of communists, party officials said on Saturday.
"We will tighten up the organisation to make it more dynamic and
work-oriented," Nepali Congress president Krishna Prasad Bhattarai told Reuters.
Bhattarai's centrist Nepali Congress lost to the Communist Party of Nepal,
Unified Marxist-Leninist (UML), in last month's parliamentary polls after
infighting weakened the party.
"Indicipline among the party rank and file and intra-party feuds led to the
Congress defeat," said Panna Kaji Amatya, a political scientist at the Tribhuvan
University.
The central working committee of the party decided on Friday to take
disciplinary action against party members who fielded themselves against
official party nominees in November's elections.
"Had there been no rebels from within, we would have won more parliamentary
seats," said Chiranjibi Wagle, a senior party member.
Wagle was among the dissident Congressmen who revolted in July and voted
against Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in a key parliamentary vote.
Koirala resigned and called for mid-term elections.
Nepali Congress won the Himalayan kingdom's first general election after it
led a movement against absolute monarchy, which gave way to a multi-party
democracy in 1990.
The party decided on Friday that Bhattarai and Koirala would jointly tour the
country before the meeting in March.
HEADLINE: russian plane freed by india arrives in kathmandu
DATELINE: kathmandu, december 29; ITEM NO: 1229071
BODY:
a russian aircraft with no clearance to overfly india which was forced to
land in new delhi last sunday by the indian authorities arrived here last night,
kathmandu post reported today. the kathmandu-bound antonov-26 aircraft was
ordered to land at the indira ghandi international airport sunday while flying
from a russian city via the pakistani city of karachi to kathmandu to deliver
spare parts of the russian-made mi-17 helicopters for a nepali airliner. the
aircraft was forced down just two days after another an-26 aircraft was seized
by india on suspicion of air-dropping arms in an eastern indian town. nepali
officials earlier confirmed that the civil aviation department of nepal had
given permission to a private airliner to bring in necessary helicopter parts by
a russian plane.
HEADLINE: Nepal king turns 50
DATELINE: KATMANDU, Dec. 29
BODY:
The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal celebrated the golden jubilee of the birth
of King Birendra Friday, declaring a nationwide holiday and a day of prayer. To
mark the anniversary, the sentences of 74 prisoners were commuted and a massive
procession led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba went to the royal palace
Friday morning to offer felicitations to the king. Prayers were offered in
temples throughout the nation for the long life of the king, whose popularity
has soared after his absolute powers were curtailed by a popular movement in
1990. The Home Ministry declared a national holiday and the birthday was to be
celebrated nationwide for five days. Several foreigners were among 1,380
personalities the king paid tribute to on his birthday, the royal palace said.
The king conferred the Gorkha Dakshin Bahu Medal on Japanese Dr. Manabu Tagawa,
of the Nepal Himalayan Rescue Association involved in a massive search and
rescue operation to save hundreds of foreigners and Nepalese threatened by
landslides and avalanches during a Himalayan storm in November. Sixteen
Japanese were among the 63 killed in the storm. Others honored included
American Carol Lung, also of the rescue association; Mayura Brown of the
Britain- Nepal Society in London, and Ole Larson, honorary consul general of
Nepal in Denmark. Birendra, the world's only Hindu monarch, was born Dec. 28,
1945. As a young prince he attended school in Darjeeling, India, where the
family had fled following a brief uprising, and at Eton in England. During
holidays he worked as a farmboy in France. He began an extensive world tour in
1967, which opened his eyes to the need for progress in his backwards homeland.
Fascinated by the rapid growth in Japan, he enrolled for a year at Tokyo
University and later went to Harvard where he studied American government and
attended lectures by Henry Kissinger. When Birendra ascended the throne in
January 1972 he inherited absolute powers in the executive, legislative and
judicial decision- making. Although his power has been curtained by a succession
of popular uprisings, Birendra remains a popular monarch among Nepal's 17
million people.
HEADLINE: Detained Russian AN-26 leaves India for Nepal
DATELINE: NEW DELHI, Dec 28
BODY:
A Russian AN-26 aircraft forced to land in India for suspected links with a
plane that made a mysterious arms-drop took off for Nepal on Thursday after a
four-day hold-up, officials said.
The AN-26 transport, with its nine Ukrainian crew, took off for Kathmandu
carrying spare parts for Russian-built Mi-8 helicopters after it was thoroughly
inspected by Indian authorities, they said.
The twin-engine Antonov was ordered to land in the Indian capital on Sunday
while on its way from Kazan in Russia to Nepal via Pakistan. It was spotted on
military radars entering Indian airspace.
Its forced landing followed a mysterious air-drop of arms and ammunition on
December 17 near Puruliya in the eastern state of West Bengal by a Russian-made
AN-26 transport which was forced down in Bombay by two Indian MiG-21s.
Its six crew were arrested on charges of smuggling weapons worth 10 million
dollars. The arrested men include five Latvians and a Briton. The Indian police
are hunting for a New Zealander among the crew who escaped.
The plane reportedly dropped more than 300 assault rifles, rocket launchers,
anti-tank grenades and 20,000 rounds of ammunition near Puruliya.
Indian officials have accused Pakistan of involvement in the bizarre air-drop
but Islamabad has denied the charges.
HEADLINE: NEPAL NOT TO ALLOW ANY ANTI-CHINA ACTIONS ON ITS TERRITORY
BYLINE: BY MARAT ABULKHATIN
DATELINE: BEIJING, DECEMBER 28
BODY:
THE GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL RECOGNISESTIBET AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF CHINA'S
TERRITORY. IT REAFFIRMS THAT IT WILLNOT ALLOW ANY ANTI-CHINA ACTIONS ON ITS
TERRITORY, NEPALESE PRIMEMINISTER SHER BAHADUR DEUBA HAS STATED. IT BECAME
KNOWN ON THURSDAY THATHE MADE THIS STATEMENT DURING A MEETING WITH THE
AMBASSADOR OF CHINA TONEPAL.
NEPAL ATTACHES EXCEPTIONAL IMPORTANCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
FRIENDLYRELATIONS WITH CHINA, RESPECTS ITS SOVEREIGNTY AND FULLY RECOGNISES
ITSTERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, THE NEPALESE PREMIER POINTED OUT.
HEADLINE: Hyatt plans $37 million Nepal hotel
BYLINE: By Gopal Sharma
BODY:
Hyatt Corp plans to set up a $37.4 million five-star hotel on the outskirts
of Kathmandu to attract affluent western tourists to the Himalayan kingdom, the
hotel's co-promoters said on Thursday.
The Taragaon Regency Hotel, expected to be completed within two years, will
be a joint venture between the Nepal government, foreign banks and
Chicago-based Hyatt Corp, an official of Nepal's Taragaon Development Board
said.
"Government participation has been kept to a minimum," the board's accounts
officer Shiv Sharan Thapa told Reuters.
Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday laid the foundation
stone of the 300-bed hotel. The government had agreed to contribute land and
finance construction work worth $3 million.
Thapa said the Manila-based Asian Development Bank would invest $9.25
million.
Hyatt has agreed to manage the hotel and is negotiating for an equity stake.
The Korean Development Bank International would give the Hyatt group a $3
million loan to finance the hotel, while Nepali financial institutions and the
public could subscribe to the rest, he said.
Government officials said the hotel was designed to attract revenue from
tourism by catering to affluent western tourists to Nepal, home to the world's
highest peak, Mount Everest.
Prime Minister Deuba said his centre-right coalition government, which
toppled the previous communist government in September, aimed to foster
private sector participation to boost economic growth.
Tourism, Nepal's major source of foreign exchange, provides jobs for
hundreds of thousands of the kingdom's people. Nepal is one of the world's 10
poorest countries.
Nepal earned more than $145 million from tourism in 1994. Officials say
some 171,000 tourists visited the kingdom in the first seven months of 1995.
HEADLINE: India sets up air-security panel after bizarre arms-drop
DATELINE: NEW DELHI, Dec 27
BODY:
The Indian government has set up a high-powered air security panel following
an arms-drop over eastern India last week by a Russian-made plane which foxed
air defences, officials said Wednesday.
The panel, which includes representatives from the air force, intelligence
agencies, customs, foreign, home and civil aviation ministers, would recommend
measures to step up protectection against intruders, officials said.
"The committee will look into all civil aviation operations as they touch
upon security," said a civil aviation ministry official who asked not to be
named. "It will also coordinate with the air force and its scrambler stations."
The Indian authorities have stalked or grounded four planes -- from Oman,
China and Russia -- since the December 18 arms-drop by a Hong Kong-registered
AN-26 transport plane near Puruliya in West Bengal state.
The AN-26 was forced down in Bombay on Friday by two MiG-21s from the air
base of Bhuj. Its six crew were arrested on charges of smuggling weapons worth
10 million dollars.
The plane, during a criss-cross flight over India and Thailand, vanished from
military radars for nearly two hours to make the arms-drop, sparking criticism
of the military's failure to track the rogue aircraft.
An internal security official said Tuesday the seized aircraft, which
originated in the Pakistani city of Karachi, had planned to parachute a second
consignment of weapons over in India.
"Inter-Services Intelligence of Pakistan is the prime suspect behind the
incident," Minister of State for Home Affairs Sibtey Razi said.
The arrested crew of the AN-26 have told investigators that about half of the
weapons cargo was still in Karachi, he added.
"This is a very good breakthrough," Razi said.
India's arch rival Pakistan has yet to react to the allegations.
Officials in the West Bengal state capital Calcutta have said they believe
the weapons were intended for an outlawed Hindu sect, the Ananda Marg, or "Happy
Path," which is based near Puruliya.
West Bengal police have arrested nine sect members -- including three
Americans, a Greek and an Irishman -- in connection with the arms drop.
Detectives have also arrested two Indians in New Delhi, owners of an air
charter company who obtained permission for the AN-26 to enter Indian airspace.
HEADLINE: report on nepal -india economic cooperation presented
DATELINE: kathmandu, december 27; ITEM NO: 1227115
BODY:
a report jointly prepared by nepali and indian private business organizations
on ways to promote economic cooperation between the two countries has been
presented to nepali prime minister sher bahadur deuba. the federation of
nepalese chambers of commerce and industry (fncci) and the confederation of
indian industries (cii) formed a joint task force to look into the promotion of
nepalese export to india and indian investment in nepal. the report of the
task force was finalized here on monday. officials of the two organizations
handed over the report to deuba tuesday. on the occasion, fncci president padma
jyoti informed the prime minister that the report recommended ways and means to
promote indian investment in nepal and export of goods and services from
nepal to india. the report will be presented to indian prime minister p. v.
narasimha rao soon, it was reported. an agreement between fncci and cii was
also signed tuesday under which a joint economic council would be formed to
implement the recommendations of the joint report. the joint council is
scheduled to come into force after the joint report is presented to the indian
prime minister.
HEADLINE: India stalks Chinese, Omanese planes after arms-drop
DATELINE: (UPDATES with India blaming Pakistan for arms drop)
BODY:
By Pratap Chakravarty
NEW DELHI, Dec 26 (AFP) - Authorities searched three more planes and chased
an Omanese jet in Indian airspace as New Delhi stiffened air security in
response to a huge arms-drop in the country's east, officials said Tuesday.
Indian air force fighters on Monday stalked a Gulfstream jet from Muscat
carrying an Omanese minister to China, and police searched two Chinese planes
as New Delhi ordered a review into the December 18 arms-drop.
The air force planes allowed the Omanese jet to proceed Monday to China
following a mid-air clearance of the passenger aircraft, said Director General
of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials Tuesday.
Two Chinese Yak-12 planes held in Ahmedabad were also allowed Tuesday to
leave for Pakistan.
The latest action followed the force-landing Sunday of a Russian AN-26 in New
Delhi and the detention of its nine Ukrainian crew members for allegedly
violating Indian airspace.
The fate of the plane, on a fight from the Pakistani city of Karachi to
Nepal, would soon be determined, DGCA officials said.
Indian authorites on Tuesday blamed Pakistan for the arms drop after the
arrested crew members said half their load of weapons remained in Karachi.
"This is a very good breakthrough," Home Minister Sibtey Razi told the Press
Trust of India.
Razi said federal investigators would probe an "international conspiracy" and
"Inter Services Intelligence of Pakistan is the prime suspect behind the
incident."
Another cargo plane was searched in the eastern port city of Calcutta late
Monday, but details of its origin or destination were not immediately known.
"We are toning up aviation security and streamlining procedures as a
precaution against what happened in Puruliya," a DGCA spokesman said of the
10-million dollar arms-drop by another AN-26 last week in the eastern town.
Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao called an emergency meeting on Christmas
day to review the incident, which has now flared into a political issue with the
opposition blaming the federal government for the security lapse.
The meeting came two days after the seizure of the AN-26 in Bombay and the
arrest of its six crew members on charges that they had air-dropped crates of
weapons to the sleepy town of Puruliya in eastern India.
***************************************************
Forwarded By: Rajesh Shrestha <rshresth@husc.harvard.edu>
Subject: Bhutanese refugees to march home; force a resolution
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 10:53:03 -0500 (EST)
Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------
Bhutanese refugees to march home; force a resolution
Determined after years fruitless international negotiations on their
behalf, Bhutanese refugese have decided to take matters into their own
hands. Several hundred Bhutanese refugees now living in Nepal have
declared their intention to march back to Bhutan beginning January 14,
1996, with the intention of compelling the king to resolve their
situation.
Nearly 100,000 refugees from Bhutan now struggle in refugee camps in
Nepal. In the late 1980Us and 1990Us the Bhutanese government embarked
on a ROne Nation, One PeopleS (driglam namzha) policy, and began
expelling ethnic minorities, forcing them to surrender their citizenship
documents at the border. Many of those expelled were third- and fourth-
generation residents of this small Himalayan kingdom; they had owned land
and had enjoyed full citizenship rights.
The Bhutanese refugees currently are stateless, as they have been denied
nationality, which is one of the rights guaranteed in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. They do not enjoy the protection of a
state, and have no legal basis to reside anywhere in the world.
About 1/6 of the total Bhutanese population of six million are now
refugees, the largest percentage of refugees of any country. Yet, their
plight has largely been ignored by the international community. Six
rounds of talks between Bhutan and Nepal have failed to resolve the
issue. Meanwhile depression, desperation, and stress-related disorders
common to victims of extended detention are on the rise.
For more information contact
Appeal Movement Coordinating Committee (AMCC)
Damak-11
Jhapa, Nepal
Telefax: 00977-23-80245
-and-
Jesuit Refugee Service Asia/Pacific
Soi Aree 4 (South)
Phoholyothin Road 7
Bangkok 10400 Thailand
(66-2) 279-1817
jrsap@comnet2.ksc.net.th
***********************************************
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 12:25:47 GMT
From: Anil M Sakya <Anil.Sakya@brunel.ac.uk>
Subject: British tycoon ready to follow Nepali 'son and heir' into exile
To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
Published in The Sunday Times on 31 Dec. 1995
Headline: British tycoon ready to follow Nepali 'son and heir' into exile
By: Rajeev Syal
Body: He rescued the Nepali boy to honour an extraordinary pact with the
man who had saved his life. Now Richard Morley is preparing to give up his
millionaire lifestyle to accompany his "son and heir", who has been told to
leave the country.
Jay Khadka, 19, is subject to a Home Office deportation order. If a final
appeal fails in the next three weeks, then he and his guardian will both
set off to pursue a nomadic life on the Indian sub-continent, travelling
from country to country.
Morley, 42, has handed over responsibility of his multi-million-pound
computer business to his colleague; the keys to his castle in the Forest of
Dean, Gloucestershire, have gone to members of his family; and friends will
look after his other homes across the world.
"We have little choice. I have raised him as my child for five years and
love him as if were my own, I cannot abandon him now." sail Morley, who
has made Jay the sole heir to his fortune.
Next week they will receive their immunisation jabs for polio, tetanus and
typhoid. Two weeks later they expect to pack up and leave for good.
Their extraordinary story began in 1984 when Morley was trekking through
the Himalayas in search of a remote village. He fell ill and collapsed,
stranded at 17,500ft. He was found doubled up. thirsty and seriously ill by
local people who sought the help of Basu Khadka, a village policeman. He
ran across country for three days to raise help. Morley was airlifted to
safety, and after recovering thanked the policeman and asked how he could
ever return the favour. "He asked me to one thing for him -- to look after
Jay, his young son, if anything happened to him." said Morley last week.
Four years later the policeman died of a suspected heart condition. When
the tycoon heard of this, he returned to Nepal to fulfil his promise.
Jay, the 14, was working as a kitchen hand in a restaurant. He had been
abandoned by relatives, stood dressed in ragged clothes and was painfully
thin.
Morley, a widower whose common-law wife died several years ago and has no
children decided to rescue Jay. Once in Britain, armed with a visitor's
visa, Jay was introduced to Morley's life. The body was told the 50-room
Clearwell Castle was part of his legacy; he took up piano lessons and
listened to Beethoven and Mozart; he learnt to read and write English; he
also learnt about the family business of computers which had given Morley
sufficient wealth to buy homes in France and London, and to amass an art
and book collection.
Despite his wealth, Morley insists it has been Jay who has given him the
happiness he has always sought. "To be able to give to a son, teach and
pass on what one has learnt of life is ultimately more fulfilling than
making money, The material things in life are throwaway," he said.
Their problems with immigration officials, however, began almost as soon as
they arrived back in Britain. A false age of Jay's passport, which said he
was 18 when he was only 14, ensnared them. Jay's relatives had lied about
his age years before in doer to get him out to work, and ironically it was
only this deception that had allowed him to leave Nepal in the first place.
When Morley applied to adopt the youth, however, he was told he could not
because he was 18. When he told the officials that the age on the passport
had been tampered with, they said it would have to be corrected in the
country of origin.
There was no way that Jay could return without risking detention or falling
into the hands of his "undeserving" relatives, and over the next four years
Morley fought continually with authorities to grant him permission to stay.
But in February a deportation order was served.
Jay still fears returning to Nepal, and if the pair have to leave they will
travel to the countries where his passport gains him access. They will be
allowed to stay in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives and India.
The 80 villagers in Clearwell have rallied round to offer support and have
started a petition.
The exceptional circumstances of Jay's case have also gained support from
Westminster. Paul Marland, MP for Gloucestershire West, is writing to Home
Office ministers asking them to review his plight. A Home Office spokesman
said it will take all the circumstances into account at the next hearing of
the case.
Jay will continue to appeal to the British authorities from abroad and
insists that he will never be able to readjust to life in Nepal. He said:
"I am English, this is my home and I am no burden on the taxpayer. All I
ask is for a chance to live with my new father and my family. Have we not
been through enough?"
***
Anil's Comment: Nepalese government or Royal Nepal Embassy in London can
help this poor boy and I think for the sake of Jay Khadka and his
extraordinary kinded adopted father they should be handed any kind of help
by the concern authorities.
*********************************************
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 14:43:37 +0000 (GMT)
From: strawn <chris.strawn@queen-elizabeth-house.oxford.ac.uk>
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Bhutanese refugees
A posting to SCN recently talked about the 14 January Bhutanese refugee
march to Thimpu. Below is some more information from the Appeal Movement
Co-ordinating Council (AMCC) and the UK Bhutanese Refugee Support Group
(BRSG).
A coalition of all the Bhutanese human rights and political groups was
formed in September to launch a coordinated Appeal Movement. The Appeal
Movement Co-ordinating Council (AMCC) has issued a Declaration stating
their objectives and proposals. They call for:
1. The restoration of fundamental Human Rights in Bhutan
2. The early repatriation of Bhutanese refugees
This will be achieved:
1. Either through National Reconciliation
2. Or through Constitutional or Legal Settlement
The declaration outlines the two phases of the Appeal Movement.
Phase One:
The AMCC sent a petition to His Majesty the King of Bhutan on 7 September
urging him to resolve the Human Rights problem in Bhutan and the
Bhutanese refugee crisis through the process of National Reconciliation.
The AMCC also sent copies of this petition to World Leaders with an appeal
to urge the Government of Bhutan to embrace National Reconciliation and
extend support to the Appeal Movement.
The AMCC plans to continue highlighting the Appeal Movement through public
meetings, seminars, letter writing campaigns, peaceful rallies, press
conferences, etc until mid-January. If the Royal Government responds
positively they plan to urge it to release Tek Nath Rizal in order for
him to participate in the National Reconciliation process. However, if the
Royal Government ignores the petition the AMCC plan to move to Phase II
of the appeal [which seems imminent now, my comment].
Phase Two:
This will begin with a Peaceful March to Bhutan on January 14, 1996, by
volunteers from amongst the Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. They will march
to Thimpu to appeal to the King of Bhutan on behalf of the AMCC. The
AMCC will offer two alternatives to the King of Bhutan. These are:
1. Either to resolve the Human Rights problem in Bhutan and the Bhutanese
refugee crisis through the process of National Reconciliation
2. Or allow the Bhutanese refugees and other victims of human rights
violations in Bhutan to plead their cases in the Court of Appeal in Bhutan
and redress the issue through due process of law.
It is anticipated that several hundred people will march as far as Bhutan,
while several thousand people will join the march from the refugee camps
in Nepal to the border.
Write to the King of Bhutan!
As a followup to the post on the January 14th Bhutanese refugee march to
Bhutan, people might like to have an address to fax/write to.
The Appeal Movement Co-ordinating Council (AMCC) is asking people to write
to the King of Bhutan:
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck
King of Bhutan
Taschichhodzong
Thimpu
Bhutan
Fax: (your countries int'l dialing prefix) 975 2 22451/ 975 2 24272
The AMCC office can be contacted at: Damak 11, Jhapa, Nepal,
Tel/Fax: (int'l prefix) 977 23 80245
The AMCC is calling for support from the international community in the
following ways:
By directly urging His Majesty the King of Bhutan to resolve the Human
Rights Problem in Bhutan and the Bhutanese refugee crisis
By requesting your government to urge the Royal Government of Bhutan to
resolve the crisis.
By requesting inter-governmental organizations such as the United Nations,
EU, Non-aligned movement, SAARC, etc. to urge the Royal Government of
Bhutan to resolve the crisis.
By creating a Bhutan Support Group in your country/locality or further
strengthening the existing BSG.
(Please contact me if you would like a suggested letter format put out by
the UK BSG.)
chris strawn
refugee studies program
chris.strawn@qeh.ox.ac.uk
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