Disruption of THT, AP distribution goes on

Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, July 24:

Maoist trade union workers continued their illegal disruption of the distribution of The Himalayan Times (THT) and Annapurna Post (AP) for the sixth consecutive day today.
The workers gathered at Sama Printers (printers of THT and AP) at Bhainsepati in Lalitpur in the morning and tried to seize the newspapers.
The police, who had been deployed on the premises of Sama Printers' office, intervened and stopped the Maoist workers from seizing the newspapers.
The trade union workers then headed for the office of the newspapers at Anamnagar and organised a corner meeting there.
Though they threatened to padlock the offices at 7 in the evening, they were seen no where around the offices after the corner meet.
They also warned distributors against distributing the newspapers.
The pro-Maoist trade union workers' "agitation" drew flak and condemnation from all quarters of the society.
In separate press releases, the Nepal Press Institute (NPI), the Press Chautari Nepal and Reporters' Club Nepal condemned the act as violation of people's right to information.
"It is sad that the distribution of the newspapers has been disrupted. This has denied the people their right to information," Gokul Prasad Pokharel, chairperson of the NPI, said in a statement.
"The agitators and the management concerned should hold dialogue," Ganesh Basnet, vice-president of Press Chautari, said in a release.

DDR not applicable for Maoists: says Prachanda

Maoist chairman Prachanda has said that the model of DDR (Disarming, Demobilisation and Reintegration) will not be applicable for restructuring of the Maoist army.

Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in a meeting in Switzerland. Photo courtesy: Nepalese People's Progressive Forum (File Photo)

Addressing a programme in Geneva, Switzerland, Prachanda said that since Maoists' People's Liberation Army (PLA) had fought for people, the DDR model cannot be applicable for them. "It should rather be applied on the old army," he said.

Prachanda said the PLA should be reintegrated into the Nepali Army and their soldiers be given security duties. Any plan to engage them in other duties would be unfortunate, he said.

Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai are currently in Switzerland.