From: Barry Stoller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: [Peoples War] Nepal: civilians killed in army crack down AFP. 29 December 2001. Nepal says civilians could have been killed in army crack down on rebels. KATHMANDU -- Nepal defence secretary Padam Kumar Acharya admitted Saturday innocent civilians "might have been killed" in army operations against Maoist rebels. "We cannot say that innocent persons have not been killed in the army operation," Acharya said. "You must try to understand the situation and seriousness of the mission the army has taken," Acharya told a press conference. But he did not say how many civilians had been killed in the army's month-long operation against the Maoists. "We are not mobilizing the army in the country to kill the Maoists but we want to disarm them and bring them to the mainstream," said Acharya, adding that the army had been mobilised in 72 of the country's 75 districts. At least 356 Maoist "terrorists" had been killed in the past month, excluding any bodies the rebels had taken away themselves, he said. Information and Communications Minister Jaya Prakash Gupta Friday said 36 civilians were among nearly 500 people killed since the government imposed a state of emergency last month. Acharya stressed that no foreign troops would take part in operations against the Maoists. "This is totally an internal affair. We won't let any single foreign soldier come into this country," he said. "Our defense mechanism is sufficent to bring the Maoists to the track," he said. Acharya said from next week troops would be operating two MI-17 helicopters acquired from Russia which arrived Friday. "The soldiers have been given enough gear to combat the Maoists in the high altitudes," he added. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Stoller http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
