NEPAL: Maoist deputy commander addresses "victory" rally in Nepal, warns against conspiracy

Thousands of Maoist rebels and their supporters organised a noisy "victory" rally in the Nepali capital on Friday (November 10) to celebrate this week's power sharing deal with the government as a triumph of the people. Nepal's ruling seven-party alliance agreed on Wednesday (November 8) to include the Maoists in an interim government on or before Dec. 1 after they agreed to lock up their weapons and confine fighters to camps under United Nations supervision. Shouts of "Long live the republic of Nepal" and "This is the people's victory" echoed around a stadium in the heart of Kathmandu as flag-waving crowds cheered the prospect of the rebels taking their seats alongside elected politicians . Many of those who attended the rally wore red bandannas printed with a solitary star, the revolutionary icon. They carried Maoist flags and made clenched fist salutes. "Our view is that we have been able to defeat the reactionary forces with this historical agreement, and it is the directives of our party as well the view of us militia as well. That's why we have come here to celebrate the occasion of the victory by coming here from our regions," said Abista who was among those who took part in the rally. Leader Prachanda did not attend the rally but his deputy, Prabhakar addressed the large gathering with one strong message: "We haven't left our concept, our concept has been rather more powerful and more spread over the Nepali people's mind.. Therefore if anybody tries to conspire with the help of same ideas and concept we can make the 20 million people hold the weapons," Prabhakar said. "At the supervision of UN we are going to a camp with all the weapons locked with the keys in our own hands, and with rights to unlock ourselves if anybody conspires," Prabhakar added. While 20,000 rebels and their sympathisers, according to police estimates, poured out to hear them, many ordinary Nepalis appear just relieved that an agreement has been reached after months of tortuous peace talks and little progress. Under the groundbreaking deal, the army will be confined to barracks and an equal number of its arms handed over in the run up to elections for a constituent assembly next year. The assembly will prepare a new constitution and decide the fate of the monarchy, which Maoists have been fighting to overthrow for The proposed assembly is a long-standing Maoist demand in return for an end to their revolt, and the movement's leaders have vowed to accept its outcome. More than 13,000 people have died in the Maoist insurgency since 1996. The guerrillas resumed talks with the government after King Gyanendra ended his absolute rule earlier this year and handed power to political parties.

ITN Source | November 10, 2006

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