From rxpgnews.com
Historic Nepal treaty ends 11-year Maoist conflict
By Indo Asian News Service,
Nov 22, 2006 - 4:48:51 AM
Kathmandu, Nov 21 (IANS) Nepal entered a 'new era' as Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist leader Prachanda Tuesday evening signed a 10-point Comprehensive Peace Treaty, bringing to an end an 11-year-old conflict that has claimed over 14,000 lives.
'Nepal now has entered into a new era. A new beginning has been made now,' Koirala said.
The agreement, which came into immediate effect after the inking by the top Nepalese leaders at the Birendra International Convention Centre at 8.30 p.m. (local time), has declared the end of the civil war besides assuring permanent ceasefire between the state and the rebels.
The peace accord, which has come as a 'combination of peace, ceasefire and human rights accord', has bound both the sides to stop armed offensive against each other and also against civilians.
While the combatants of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists will remain in their camps, the Nepal Army will remain inside within their barracks.
Activities like extortion and illegal taxation have been prohibited and the two sides have also agreed to make public the whereabouts of those from either side who are missing by making public their real names and pseudo-names within 60 days.
They will also not resort to military recruitment, stop ferrying arms and ammunition and explosives and would not conduct any activities that would be damaging to the other side, the accord said.
In another major development, both sides have agreed convert late king Birendra's property into a trust and nationalise King Gyanendra's property. They have also agreed to decide the fate of the 237-year-old institution of monarchy during the first session of a constituent assembly that is likely to be elected in May-June.
The accord also says that the two sides have expressed their commitment to abide by the universal norms and values of human rights, multi-party democracy, rule of law and express utmost commitment to universal declaration of human rights 1948.
Before signing the pact, teams from the two sides held several rounds of negotiations till Tuesday morning, but had failed to agree on some points of the draft of the peace accord.
The peace accord was earlier scheduled to be signed Nov 16 but was postponed to Tuesday.
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