First e-mails to blogdai
Just received first e-mail from Thamel. Tourists are relaxed and no problems as of now. King is cracking down in two areas only: Human rights activists are in big trouble as well as anti-king protesters. Air travel ticketing is starting to improve. We understand that there will be nationwide monitoring of communication for a while so, watch your subversive emails to Nepal.
-=blogdai
Exerpts: Posted by Nepalis in Kathmandu
Namaste It is exciting to open compter and see emails after week long closure of all system. In short i am replying everything is fine and Thamel's situation is much normal than before. all corrupted people are in custody of Security. Last night Thamel celebrate the light festival to welcome the new action planned Government.Rest is fine and life is safer now, thanking you
Email from another Nepali friend:
Hi, finally we are in touch with other people and the world.Things are still the shocking and peacefull.
Let you know soon other news...just got emailo working and you are the first email....you take care thanks a lot for everthing.
posted by blogdai @ 2/08/2005 05:15:00 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
thats not true...only two areas the king is cracking down on??? what about the maoists?? no crack down? give me a break !!
Blogdai trusts that readers and posters have been keeping up with the threads. However, the reflexive nature of some posters begs for a repeat of events and predictions previously mentioned. The crackdown on Maoists will occur shortly. The whole point of this takeover is to crack down on Maoists. It is not necessarily germain, however, to those in Nepal who are of immediate concern to us: our friends and loved ones. For those, activism and anti-king sentiment are of real concern and should be avoided for safety's sake.
Give blogdai a break next time and read the threads.
-=blogdai
One step at a time please. Lets start from the corrupt to the maobadi, minor to gigantic. It is easier to get hold of the corrupt. You have to go hunting for a thulo macha. Bachha lai hinnai na sikai dagurna dinu ta hunna ni.
More over our army is a bit rusted so give then some slack.
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fyi
NEPAL ASSOCIATION OF TOUR OPERATORS (NATO)
Information Release
KATHMANDU
FEBRUARY 8, 2005
With an aim to reassure the world that Nepal is a safe destination, tourism professionals from both government and private sector are gathering in New Delhi on February 9, 2005 to organize Nepal Show Case – a confidence building campaign targeted at Indian tourists and other foreigners coming to Nepal via India.
The organizing of such program at this hour is essential, mainly to counter the distorting messages that have been spread all over, thus creating unnecessary confusion to outbound tour operators and the incoming tourists following to the disruption of communication in the last few days, says Basant Raj Mishra, President of NATO.
The campaign is jointly led by Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO), Pacific Asia Travel Agents (PATA Nepal Chapter) and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) with support from His Majesty’s Government of Nepal – Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA).
The Nepali team will hold a Business to Business session with the Indian tour operators and those foreign tour operators having their outlet in India during the event. A press conference will also be organized to apprise of the latest tourism scenario, including the smooth operation of international communication system to the Media, which will be followed by a reception.
A total of 12 tourism companies of Nepal are taking part in the program whose audience would be some 200 tourism professionals including those from Indian tour operator and Indian press.
“We have begun our efforts from India, as the Indian market is important for Nepalese tourism industry and almost one-third of the non-Indian tourists do come via India,” he added, stating that such activities would help regain the confidence of foreign tour operators and the tourists from the third countries that have already arrived in India in their long-haul tour to India and Nepal. “In the days to come, we will also organize similar events as a marketing campaign to promote Nepalese tourism in the European and American Markets,” Mr. Mishra added.
Nepali delegation would put its efforts to assure Indian tour operators of safety and security of tourists in Nepal and convince the Indian journalists that the life in Nepal is normal and everything is running as smooth as it was ever. The Nepali members of the team will relay their foreign counterparts that tourism would in fact, flourish in the changed scenario.
The Nepali team includes Honorary Secretary of NATO and the Board Member of NTB Mr. Ashok Pokharel, CEO of NTB Mr. Tek Bahadur Dangi, President of PATA-Nepal Chapter Mr. Prabin Bahadur Pandey and Honorary Secretary of PATA Nepal Chapter and Executive Member of NATO Mr. Shikher Prasai.
The twelve private companies participating in the event include Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Hotel Yak and Yeti, Hotel Annapurna, Hotel Everest, Shangri-La Hotel, Asian Trekking, Dharma Adventures, Himalayan Expedition, Natraj Tours and Travels, Shangri-La Tours, Yeti Travels and Cosmic Air.
Tourism entrepreneurs are upbeat that the industry will not see the cancellations any more after this campaign. “The tourists were discouraged to travel to Nepal before, but now we hope that the business will be better,” they say. The tourism entrepreneurs have also thanked His Majesty’s Government of Nepal for resuming the international communication services in such a short span of time.
SO is the implication that it's okay to crack down on human rights activists? As long as it's limited to them, that's okay?
It starts with one group, moves to another. Journalists. Trade unions. Where does it end? When you allow repression to build up, it could be directed at you next.
It's not OK, it's never OK to detain someone for their beliefs.
Crackdowns were strategic. Press crackdown was to limit communication to rebel groups within Nepal and to manage the inevitable tabloid-like media frenzy that would have occured had the lazy Western media been able to do a full "spin" on this story. This was also the reason for the brief transportation shut down.
Communication crackdown was to keep all opposing groups from organizing protests or, in the case of the Maoists, planning attacks. Already, as these bans have been lifted, the political parties are organizing protests simply to be seen as martyrs for democracy by the western media.
Human rights activists are at the apex of democratic freedoms. They are a bit much for a Nepali monarch to tolerate since they happen to organize protests and write anti-king stuff.
Rather than exhaust ourselves in a breathless frenzy of tyrrany scenarios, why don't we just wait and see what happens? Already 150 political prisoners have been released, while, so far, one activist has been arrested. The U.S. is willing to play along for a while, so why not world opinion as well?
So, take some time, watch events and don't worry about the king moving against any more groups. You know, the delicate balance that is democracy requires all parties to play by democratic rules. This balance is easily upset by those who play by no rules: the Maoists. Time for someone to step in and re-assert the rules of Nepali society.
You know, if I were going to die without an operation, would I condemn the surgeon trying to save my life because he hurt me with his scalpel?
-=blogdai
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