Nepal peace move backed

Moves are afoot to try to end the Maoist revolt

Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has received crucial support from all major political parties for proposed negotiations with Maoist guerrillas.

Participants at an all-party meeting called by Mr Deuba welcomed the peace initiative and called for unconditional talks.

The government should speed up the process of releasing detained senior Maoist leaders to avoid obstructions in the proposed dialogue

Padma Ratna Tuladhar
Human rights activist

They agreed unanimously to grant the government the mandate to take steps to hold negotiations with the rebels.

The all-party meeting was the first of its kind since the Maoist insurgency began nearly six years ago

"The all-party meeting is aimed at seeking a consensus among political parties on the proposed talks with the Maoists," Interior Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka said early.

Confidence-building measures

Mr Deuba came to power in July when his predecessor resigned over the guerrilla violence, which has been going on since 1996 and has seen almost 2,000 people killed.

Mr Deuba has already negotiated a ceasefire with the rebels and ordered the release of several Maoist prisoners.

The rebels have reciprocated by suspending armed attacks on government targets and freeing kidnapped policemen.

The Maoists have been fighting to overthrow Nepal's monarchy and turn the country into a "people's republic".

Bombs

They stepped up their attacks after the massacre in the royal family on 1 June, attacking remote police posts and planting bombs in the Kathmandu valley.

Several leftwing groups have brought unrest to the Himalayan kingdom

When he came to power in July, Mr Deuba pledged to resolve the conflict through a negotiated peace.

Padma Ratna Tuladhar, a human rights activist who acts as mediator between the government and the Maoists, told the AFP news agency: "The government should speed up the process of releasing detained senior Maoist leaders to avoid obstructions in the proposed dialogue."

No date has been set for talks with the Maoists.

Nearly 1,800 people have been killed since the Maoist insurgency was launched in early 1996.