Diplomatic Briefing
Your exclusive news aggregator handpicked daily!Archive for Nepal
Newsline: US’s Facebook diplomat transferred from Nepal to Uganda
The news that the serving US ambassador H.E. Scott H DeLisi has been transferred to Uganda in the midst of his Nepal assignment by the Obama administration has hit media headlines in Nepal. He was very close to be declared as Persona Non Grata by Nepal government. DeLisi is tentatively scheduled to report to Uganda between June and August, 2012. DeLisi who was nicknamed ‘US’s facebook diplomat’ was hailed by some juvenile reporters of some largest circulating dailies for what they called “DeLisi’s clear stand against general strikes called by Nepal’s political parties and other groups.” DeLisi used to express his views over Nepal’s internal political matters on a regular basis through his facebook account. However, he preferred not to make clear if the views he shared in the social-networking site were his personal one or that of the US administration. The Office of the Press Secretary at the White House announced Mr. Obama’s intention through a statement, but gave no reason for the change. Mr. Daniel Travis, the public affairs officer at the US Mission in Kampala, said the fresh assignment falls within the realm of “regular bureaucratic cycle”, subject to mandatory confirmation by the US Senate. “Yesterday, in Washington, President Obama nominated me to be the next United States Ambassador to the Republic of Uganda, subject to confirmation by the United States Senate,” the US ambassador to Nepal wrote on the social network media.
http://www.telegraphnepal.com/headline/2012-01-25/nepal-happy:-uss-face-book-diplomat-transferred-to-uganda.html
Newsline: US envoy on ‘Facebook diplomacy’
The U.S. Ambassador to Nepal, Scott H. DeLisi, expressed deep concern over the general shutdown announced by the Nepali Congress to protest the death of its youth leader Shiva Paudel, saying intimidation and violence cannot be tolerated in the political front and suggesting that the U.S. may think of reimposing the travel warning to its citizens who want to visit Nepal if such measures are embraced by political parties. “The NC Central Committee has called for a shutdown. If this means a repeat of the intimidation and violence we saw on Saturday I think this is unfortunate,” DeLisi wrote in his Facebook page this afternoon. After Paudel succumbed to injuries inflicted on him during the December 6 attack by the CPN-UML cadres in the Chitwan District Prison, the NC cadres took to streets and obstructed the roads, paralysing the normal life. Alluding to the Nepali Congress, the American diplomat said, “Ultimately, it is up to you as Nepalis to determine the values you want to shape your political culture, but these actions affect your friends as well.” The U.S. Embassy has already announced that it will deny visa to the organisers of bandhs. In similar fashion, DeLisi had asked the CPN-UML’s Youth Association Nepal to withdraw a bandh called by them. DeLisi mentioned that the US recently lifted the travel warning for American citizens hoping to visit Nepal and efforts are being made to bring American investors in the country. “This type of political violence puts our efforts at risk and threatens to recreate the atmosphere that led to the travel warning in the first place.” He further reminded the NC of freedom of movement and democratic values that it has been preaching, and hoped that the party leadership will take up peaceful measures for protest. DeLisi concluded his status in the page, which is followed by over 7,800 Facebook users, writing: As always, I welcome hearing how all of you see this issue.
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=US+envoy+DeLisi+on+%27Facebook+diplomacy%27+against+bandh&NewsID=313122
Newsline: British embassy wall collapse victims’ kin seek compensation
Angry protesters sought compensation from the British Embassy in Kathmandu after the perimeter wall of the embassy collapsed during the previous night’s earthquake, killing three people, including a girl. Locals and relatives of the three killed as well as people from Gorkha district in western Nepal, the home of two of them, assembled before the British Embassy in the Lainchaur area of the capital, demanding compensation. The anger was fuelled after the guards at the embassy prevented locals from conducting rescue operations on their own immediately after the nearly nine-foot wall collapsed Sunday and the search and rescue began in full swing only after the arrival of the army and armed police force personnel. The British Embassy issued a statement, saying it regretted the deaths. It said the British Ambassador, John Tucknott, met with relatives of the victims Monday morning. Sources said the embassy had agreed to pay up to 50,000 pounds as compensation for all the three victims but had said the negotiations should be made through theNepalgovernment. The wall collapse occurred close on the heels of reports in the media about the British government’s foreign aid wing, the International Development Department, having spent 32,000 pounds to safeguard the residence of its chief in Nepal against earthquakes and on renovations. Nepal, along with India and Tibet, was hit by an earthquake Sunday measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale with its epicentre in northeastern India’s Sikkim state. Nearly 50 people have perished so far in the three countries.
http://www.inewsone.com/2011/09/19/british-embassy-wall-collapse-victims-kin-seek-compensation/77507
Newsline: Brazil to set up embassy in Nepal
Brazil is all set to establish its embassy in Nepal after 35 years of signing a strategic agreement. Brazilian officers would be arriving here in Nepali capital Kthmandu within this month with the responsibilities of a residential ambassador. “The cabinet ofBrazilhad decided to establish an embassy inNepalimmediately after Nepal establishes its embassy at Brasilia of Brazil, about one and a half year ago,” said Nepali Ambassador to Brazil Pradyumna Bikram Shah. Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav has reached Brasilia on Monday to inaugurate the Nepali embassy.
Newsline: Saudi Arabia asked to establish its embassy in Kathmandu
Minister for Labor and Transport Management Mohammad Istiyaq Rayi has asked his Saudi Arabian counterpart to help establish Saudi embassy inKathmanduat the earliest possible date. Minister Rayi made the request during his meeting with Saudi Labor Minister Adel Mohammad Abdulgader Fakeih in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday. Minister Rayi asked Fakeih to establish an embassy inKathmandusaying that absence of Saudi Embassy in Kathmandu had caused big hassle to Nepali migrant workers choosing to go to Saudi Arabia. Over 300,000 Nepali migrant workers are currently working inSaudi Arabia, as this Gulf country has been one of the most popular labor destination for semi-skilled and non-skilled Nepalis. Nepal already has established its embassy in Saudi Arabia keeping in view of increasing flow of Nepali migrant workers. During the meeting held at the sideline of the International Labor Conference, Minister Rayi raised the issues of increasing number of casualties involving Nepali workers and delay in repatriation of dead bodies of Nepali migrant workers back home. Rayi also urged Fakeih to address the problems faced by Nepali workers on priority basis. According to Ministry of Labor and Transport, Rayi also held separate bilateral talks with labor ministers of Mauritius and Bhutanin the sideline of the Labor conference.
http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/06/15/saudi-arabia-asked-establish-its-embassy-kathmandu
Newsline: Cops in Nepal knock Indian embassy door
Siddharth Nagar police have decided to approach the Indian embassy in Kathmandu through the Ministry of External Affairs to seek details of an encounter in which an Indian citizen was killed inNepalon March 5. “We are sending a letter to the Indian embassy seeking details that will help in the investigation. We are also asking about the criminal history of the deceased,” said Siddharth Nagar SP J Ravinder Goud. Surya Prakash Shukla, a resident of Siddharth Nagar, and his Nepalese friend Bhawani Singh were killed in an encounter in Nepal’s Rupandehi district after they were reportedly handed over toNepalpolice by UP police. The Nepal police had allegedly claimed that the youths had a criminal history inNepal. Shukla’s uncle Dharam Raj Shukla alleged that the sub-inspector and unidentified constables of UP kidnapped his nephew from a market in Siddharth Nagar and handed them over toNepalpolice. On the basis of his complaint, the police registered an FIR against Shahi and unidentified men on March 8. Later, the Siddharth Nagar police arrested sub-inspector Shahi and constables Narendra Mani and Akram Khan.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/nepal-encounter-cops-knock-embassy-door/780928/
Newsline: Pakistan Embassy staffer shot at in Kathmandu
A 36-year-old Pakistani national, employed at the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu, survived a day-light bid on his life Thursday, within three days of a Nepali minister facing a similar attack. M. Asif, 36, was attacked by two men riding a motorcycle in a busy area of the capital Thursday, when Nepal celebrated the start of the indigenous new year. Police, quoting eyewitnesses, said Asif was shot four times in quick succession by the pillion rider in the Vasundhara area of the city around 9 a.m., close to both his residence as well as the Pakistani Embassy. He received a bullet in the arm and was rushed to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital where he was declared out of danger. Police said five people had been arrested soon after the incident and investigations were on.
Newsline: Nepal media group declares war on Indian Embassy
The Indian Embassy in Nepal warned that it would not be a silent spectator to the murky drama of Indian joint ventures in Nepal being maligned by media organisations disgruntled at not receiving advertisements from the JVs. Then the Kantipur Group, a private media house with dailies, magazines and a television as well as FM station in its stable, has begun spearheading an anti-India campaign. Since the Indian Embassy issued the statement on Friday, the group has unleashed a media blitzkrieg glossing over the ad extortion issue and instead portraying the Indian concern as a ham-handed effort to block the criticism of Indian products in Nepal. It is also circulating “condemnations” by a few media organisations, one of which is headed by its own chief, calling the embassy’s concern a violation of diplomatic norms and interference in Nepal’s media.
Newsline: Nepal parliament to look into Indian Embassy ‘threat’
Nepal’s Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations and Human Rights will look into the complaint by a Maoist MP that he was threatened by the Indian ambassador to Nepal and a senior consular official when it has summoned Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala to discuss the issue. The move came after Maoist lawmaker Ram Kumar Sharma lodged an official complaint at the parliament secretariat, urging the government to provide him with security. In his complaint, Shah has also urged action against a senior official of the Indian Embassy, Subrata Das, saying Das threatened him, which was tantamount to an attack on Nepal’s sovereignty. While the Indian ambassador is currently in Myanmar, the embassy has declined to comment on Sharma’s accusations, calling them “baseless”. “The response smacks of arrogance,” Sharma said. “If the embassy had said it regretted the furore and would investigate the allegations and take action accordingly, it would have been more diplomatic and acceptable. Things like this are bound to affect Nepal-India relations.”
Newsline: Chinese embassies stormed in Nepal
Hundreds of “pro-Tibet independence” and anti-China activists have tried to storm Chinese diplomatic organs in Nepal and India over the last two days, marking the 51st anniversary of “Tibetan Uprising Day.” Nepalese police arrested around half a dozen protesters from a main Buddhist monastery, located in the capital Kathmandu, when around 300 people demonstrated alongside Buddhist monks and some Westerners, shouting “Free Tibet” and waving the old Tibetan flag. In a separate incident yesterday, police detained about a dozen young protestors when they tried to make a dash toward a Chinese consulate office in Kathmandu where visas are issued. Nepal is home to around 20,000 pro-independence Tibetans, and the capital has been the scene of several anti-China protests since the unrest in 2008. In neighboring India, heavy security was deployed to prevent unrest in New Delhi a day after Tibetans tried to storm the Chinese embassy, which led to the arrest of around 30 Tibetan activists.
