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Nepal declares rebels 'terrorists'
From Journalist Suman Pradhan
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Following the collapse of a seven-month old cease-fire, Nepal's government has branded Maoist rebels -- fighting to turn the country into a communist republic -- as "terrorists." "The government has declared them terrorists," Kamal Thapa, Nepal's Minister for Information and Communication said on Friday. "The resumption of violence by Maoists targeting army officials leaves us no other choice." The decision was made during a cabinet meeting Thursday, he said. The rebels unilaterally pulled out of the cease-fire agreement on Wednesday before launching attacks on senior army officers. In Kathmandu on Thursday, the rebels shot two army colonels, killing one of them. Security has been tightened in Kathmandu and other areas of Nepal following the end of the truce. Unlike November 2001, the last time the government labelled the Maoists terrorists, Thapa said the government has decided not to put price tags on the heads of senior Maoist leaders and has also avoided asking Interpol to issue international arrest warrants for them. All those decisions were rescinded in January when the rebels and government agreed to the now-collapsed cease-fire. In addition, security sources said Friday that government forces had clashed with rebels in the western district of Rolpa overnight. At least four Maoists were killed in the fighting, an army official said. Nepal's Maoists have been fighting since early 1996 to turn this Himalayan Kingdom into a communist republic. More than 8,000 people have died in the fighting. The cease-fire collapsed a week after the third round of peace talks between the government and the Maoists. The talks ended in a stalemate over the rebels' demand of elections to a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. The government rejected the demand but said it was prepared to amend the present constitution without changing the provisions for constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. Top Maoist negotiator Baburam Bhattarai had issued an ultimatum earlier this week demanding the government accept the constituent assembly demand or risk breaking-off of the cease-fire.
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