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| Sunday, 22 May 2005 |
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Nepal says not yet military aid from India KATHMANDU, Saturday (AFP) Nepalese army officials Friday said Nepal had not yet received any military assistance from India despite New Delhi approving a shipment following the lifting of emergency rule in the Himalayan kingdom. India earlier this month decided to send to Nepal a shipment of arms it had delayed after King Gyanendra seized power on February 1. "Despite India's announcement that it has partially resumed the aid suspended after the royal takeover in the kingdom, we have not yet received them yet," said Major General Kiran Shumsher Thapa. "The army is battling terrorism with limited resources but if the supply of military assistance is not resumed, it will invariably help the rebels in the end," Thapa said. Nepal's ill-equipped army is fighting a Maoist insurgency aimed at at toppling the monarchy and installing a communist republic. The insurgency has claimed more than 11,000 lives since 1996. India is Nepal's biggest arms supplier and has close ties to the country's military. It suspended military assistance following Gyanendra's sacking of the democratically elected government and assumption of power on February 1. Britain also cut military supplies to Nepal following the king's takeover and called for the restoration of democracy. Gynanedra at the end of April lifted a state of emergency imposed after grabbing power but retained the extraordinary powers he assumed. General Thapa also said the Nepalese army had taken action against soldiers involved in rights abuses. "The army has investigated 41 cases of abuses and jailed 45 soldiers ranging from six months to seven years," Thapa said. Thirty-two soldiers were also sacked and 12 demoted while others had their promotions blocked or were given warnings, he said. International rights groups have accused the security forces of carrying out "extrajudicial executions" in the fight against the Maoists. |
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