Kathmandu, December 16, 2005

Normal life was crippled in the Valley today and there were sporadic clashes between the security forces and supporters of the bandh called by the seven- party alliance in various parts of the capital. Police fired teargas shells in different parts of the city to disperse the demonstrators. While police rounded up 51 demonstrators, 11 policemen were injured and 21 vehicles, most of them of the government, were damaged. According to police, eight policemen in Kathmandu and four policemen in Bhaktapur were injured and 14 vehicles were damaged in Kathmandu and seven in Bhaktapur. Demonstrators also damaged the District Post Office, Bhaktapur, and a police beat at Dhudhpati. Notwithstanding the huge deployment of security personnel in most areas, the seven- party alliance organised protest rallies and corner meetings in various parts of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur against the brutal killing of innocent people by an army man. Police said they rounded up 51 protestors in Kathmandu. Police resorted to teargassing at Putalisadak, New Bus Park, ASCOL, Tri-Chandra College to disperse the demonstrators.

Foreign minister to attend BIMSTEC meet in Dhaka

Kathmandu, December 16, 2005

Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ramesh Nath Pandey, is leaving for Dhaka tomorrow to attend the eighth ministerial meeting of BIMSTEC countries that will be held on December 18, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting will basically focus on external linkages, institutional issues and matters of sub-regional interests. Prior to the ministerial meeting, the 10th senior officials’ meeting at the level of Foreign Secretaries of BIMSTEC countries will take place to review progress in six priority sectors of cooperation, including trade and investment, tourism, energy, transport and communication, technology, and agriculture and fisheries. Acting foreign secretary, Nabin Bahadur Shrestha, will lead the Nepali team to the secretaries’ meeting, a report of which will be presented to the foreign ministers’ meeting. The last foreign ministers’ meeting was held in Bangkok on July 30, 2004, a day before the then BIMSTEC summit. BIMSTEC, which was established in 1997, groups Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Its aim is to create a conducive environment for rapid economic development; accelerate economic growth and social progress in the sub-region, and promote active collaboration as well as mutual assistance on matters of common interests in economic, social, technical and scientific fields.