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By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU, April 3 (Reuters) - Nepal's Maoist rebel leaders told countrymen on Thursday they were sincere about planned peace talks with the government in their first public rally in the national capital since launching a revolt seven years ago.

But they warned that they would go back to the jungles of the Himalayan kingdom, from where they have waged a bloody insurgency to set up a communist republic, if the government did not reciprocate with similar sincerity.

A date for talks has not yet been set.

"We have come for talks with responsibility and sincerity," chief rebel negotiator Babu Ram Bhattarai, who ended years of hiding last week, told a crowd of nearly 30,000 people in the heart of Kathmandu.

"But we will be compelled to return to the jungles if the government side fails to show sincerity and honesty during the talks," Bhattarai said as the crowd cheered and riot police kept vigil.

The government and the rebels, inspired by the revolutionary ideas of the late Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, agreed a ceasefire in January and pledged to meet to try to end the bloody revolt.

The talks will be the first since the Maoists, fighting to topple Nepal's constitutional monarchy, walked out of negotiations in 2001 and stepped up violence across the impoverished nation.

The revolt has killed more than 7,200 people, wrecked the aid-dependent economy, scared away tourists -- a key source of income -- and forced thousands to flee their homes.

Bhattarai and five members of his negotiating team were cheered and greeted by people as arrived at rally, barely 500 metres (yards) from the sprawling palace of King Gyanendra.

The rebels now say they are prepared to consider the future of monarchy. They also want to discuss with political parties and the government the calling of elections to an assembly which should draft a new constitution to decide the country's new political structure.

"This alone can give a forward-looking, political solution to the current problem in the country," Bhattarai said.

Analysts said the rally indicated the guerrillas were now keen to come out into the open.

"The meeting definitely will help the peace process," said Lok Raj Baral, who teaches political science at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan University. "The rebels have been able to win the confidence of the people."

REUTERS

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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