[Via... http://www.egroups.com/group/Communist-Internet ] . . ----- Original Message ----- From: Magnus Bernhardsen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2001 4:12 PM Subject: [red_activism] Nepali student leaders arrested ANNFSU(R) leaders arrested, crisis looms By Nitya Nanda Timsina KATHMANDU, May 12 - The uncertainty facing the education sector took a new twist Saturday after the government arrested the representatives of All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary) after four days of negotiations between the concerned parties failed to make a breakthrough. ANNFSU (R) General Secretary Purna Poudel and Raju Nepal were arrested from the main entrance of the Ministry of Education, Kesharmahal, the venue of today's meeting, at around 3:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon, said a press release issued by ANNFSU (R), the student wing of the underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists). Representatives of private schools present at today's meeting confirmed the arrest. The sudden move came minutes after a meeting called to resolve the crisis in education sector ended inconclusively. The meeting was called to find ways to implement the recommendations made by countless reports prepared in the past, and meet the demands put forth by the radical students' union which is bent on closing down all the privately run schools from Monday, Jestha 1 (May 14). Inter alia the ANNFSU (R)'s demands include, 50 per cent reduction in the fees charged by the private schools, promotion of public school, removal of Sanskrit as a compulsory subject from the curriculum, and compulsory enrolment of government officials' and ministers' children in public schools. A press release issued in the evening by the ANNFSU(R) demanded the release of the two leaders and warned of dire consequences if they are not released. "If the government does not immediately asks for an apology and release our leaders, we will be forced to come up with more strikes and tough actions against the government," the release signed by ANNFSU (R) member Bipin Bhandari said. Today's meeting, was participated by the representatives from Private and Boarding Schools Organization of Nepal (PABSON, National-PABSON, Guardians Association of Nepal, Nepal National Teachers' Association, Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Students Union, and the representatives of CPN-UML and ML affiliated ANNFSUs and the Ministry officials. Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Rama Kanta Sapkota, President of Nepal National Teachers' Association, NNTA said, "The government must have waited till tomorrow for their reactions. Now because they have been arrested it would be difficult to bring them to negotiations." Another press release issued by PABSON expressed unhappiness over the sudden arrest and called for an immediate release of the two so as to create a conducive environment for talks. The PABSONs representatives were to hold talks with the protesting students tomorrow. Following today's meeting, Ministry of Education and Sports formed a five-member high level working committee under the chairmanship of Dr Nirmal Prasad Pandey, member of National Planning Commission to resolve the crisis, and make education more effective, more transparent. The committee will study the reports submitted by the National Education Commission 2049, High Level National Commission Report 2055, reports of the study groups on private and boarding schools management 2055 and the suggestions and demands of the Students' organizations from various quarters for strengthening the educational standards of the public schools and fixing an appropriate ceiling for fee to be charged by the privately run schools. The government agreed to scrap Sanskrit as compulsory subject from the school curriculum and agreed nearly on five other demands of the revolutionary students but the fixing of ceiling on fee structure drew a lot of controversy that left the problems undecided. Government said it would appoint a high level committee to make detailed study in a five-week time, it would implement the recommendation. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
