Nepal puts bounty on rebel heads

Tight security arrangements have been made across Nepal

The government of the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal has offered $64,000 each for the capture or killing of three senior Maoist rebels.

The reward will go to anyone who can hand them in, dead or alive

Khum Bahadur Khadka, Home Minister

The bounty has been offered on the heads of Maoist supremo Pushp Kamal Dahal, alias Prachand, Mohan Vaidya, alias Kiran, and Baburam Bhattarai.

This is the first time Nepal has fixed prices on the heads of Maoist rebels.

The announcement came as a general strike called by the rebels brought the country to a standstill.

The five-day strike, which began on Tuesday, is in protest against the state of emergency declared by the government in November.

Nepal's long-running insurgency has claimed about 3,000 lives so far.

Cash incentives

Nepal's Home Minister, Khum Bahadur Khadka, said anyone giving information which leads to the capture of the three top rebels would be rewarded half the bounty.

Price of a rebel head

Top three leaders $64,000

Maoist politburo $45,000

Platoon chief $13,000

The home ministry has offered rewards for other rebels as well.

The ministry is also offering cash incentives to those rebels who surrender their weapons.

It said rebels who surrendered would be given security and efforts would be made to get them jobs.

The announcement is being widely seen as a toughening of the government's stance.

There has been no reaction so far from the Maoist leadership.

The government also rejected proposals to resume negotiations with the rebels.

"There will be no talks until the Maoists give up violence," Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat said, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Strike continues

Meanwhile, Nepal came to a grinding halt on Tuesday as citizens observed a five-day national strike ordered by Maoist rebels fighting to overthrow the king and government.

Normally bustling streets and shops in Kathmandu were deserted by people reluctant to defy the rebels, and businesses, schools and offices stayed shut down across the country.

People who dared to go out were forced to walk or cycle as national transport had been halted.

There were reports in the south-western city of Nepalgunj that police had tried to force shops to open and break the strikes but there was no one on the streets.

A defence ministry spokesman said at least 16 rebels have been killed in separate clashes over the past two days.

The country has been placed under tight security in view of the current general strike.