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| Tuesday, 4 November 2003 |
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US freezing of assets aimed at turning Nepal into military base: Maoists KATHMANDU, Monday (AFP) Maoist rebels accused the United States of seeking military bases in Nepal to target China and India after Washington declared the guerrillas a national security threat and froze their assets. But the Maoists, who are fighting to overthrow Nepal's monarchy, stressed they would not target Americans, after the US embassy urged US citizens to keep a low profile in the Himalayan kingdom. "It is absurd to think Americans who live across the seven seas face a threat from us. The US wanted an excuse to interfere in Nepal's internal affairs," the Maoist leadership said in a statement. "Despite our declared policy not to cause any harm to any foreigners or foreign power including America, the Americans have taken this action so they can set up military bases with an aim of encircling China and India," it said. "It is a conspiracy against calls by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the European Union and other Western powers for the Nepalese government and the Maoists to resume a peace dialogue," it added. The statement, however, gave no new position on resuming peace talks. Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal said October 27 the time was not right for negotiations because of the Nepalese government's growing "militarization". The State Department announced Friday it had designated the Maoists a threat to national security, a move which freezes any assets the rebels may have in the United States or under US jurisdiction. Immediately after the announcement, the embassy in Kathmandu advised US citizens to exercise special caution because of "the possibility of an increased threat to Americans and American-affiliated organizations from Maoist insurgents in the coming days." The Maoists are not known to have harmed any Americans in their seven-year "people's war." But the rebels have been held responsible for killing two Nepalese guards at the US embassy here and for three bombings of Coca-Cola bottling plants. The United States, Britain and India all stepped up military aid to Nepal amid a surge in the Maoist insurgency last year. The rebels withdrew from a seven-month ceasefire on August 27. Since then more than 1,100 people have died, according to a Nepalese human rights group. |
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