W O R L D

US seeks Indian plan on separate civil, military N-facilities
THE fate of the civil nuclear deal between the USA and India hinges on New Delhi producing a “credible, transparent and defensible” plan to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities, according to Bush Administration officials.

AIDS threat looms large over Nepal
Kathmandu, December 4
As Nepal struggles to cope with an escalating Maoist insurgency and political instability, it has little resources left to tackle an even larger looming danger ---- an AIDS epidemic.

4 Maoists killed in Nepal violence
Kathmandu, December 4
Four Maoists were gunned down by security forces in fresh fighting in Nepal despite an extension of unilateral ceasefire by the rebels. A Maoist Village People’s Government chief was killed in “retaliatory” action by security forces at the Takura area of Jajarkot district yesterday, according to Army sources.

Protesters march on streets to demand universal suffrage in Hong Kong on Sunday. Tens of thousands marched in Hong Kong for the right to directly elect their political leaders and to protest against a package of electoral reforms pushed by the city's chief executive and Beijing. — Reuters

UK court acquits JKLF extremist
London, December 4
The Birmingham Crown court has acquitted Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front extremist Mohammad Aslam Mirza from three charges — murder, kidnapping and the false imprisonment of 50-year-old Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre. After a five-hour deliberation on Thursday, the jury delivered its verdict following a nine-day trial.

Indian boy dies in Manama
Dubai, December 4
A 17-year-old plus-two student of Indian-origin collapsed and died while playing basketball at Indian School in Bahrain’s capital Manama. Joseph David, who hails from Kunnamkulam in Kerala, was attended upon by paramedics after he collapsed yesterday but he died almost instantly, the Gulf Daily News reported today.

Indian woman, child face deportation
Dubai, December 4
An Indian woman, who had gone to Qatar on a 14-day tourist visa 18 months ago and gave birth to a child there is now facing deportation and a fine of over Rs 1.5 lakh for overstaying in the country, a report said today. The woman, shared her woes at an open house organised by the Indian Embassy in Doha on Thursday. — PTI

US seeks Indian plan on separate civil,
military N-facilities
Ashish Kumar Sen writes from Washington

THE fate of the civil nuclear deal between the USA and India hinges on New Delhi producing a “credible, transparent and defensible” plan to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities, according to Bush Administration officials.

These officials say they have discussed this separation plan with their Indian counterparts on “numerous occasions” since the agreement was signed by President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Washington on July 18.

However, State Department officials say that contrary to claims in recent reports they have not presented any “blueprint” on separation to the Indian Government.

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns, the Bush Administration”s points man on the deal, has not provided any plan on how to separate India’s civil and military nuclear facilities, a State Department official said, adding, “We have each reaffirmed that it is the responsibility of the Indian Government to develop such a plan.”

Mr Burns has testified on the deal before the House International Relations Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — both panels will play a key role in amending US laws to make the civil nuclear deal a reality.

Indian officials admit there has not been much progress on the plan for separating civil and military nuclear facilities. However, Bush Administration officials are hopeful New Delhi will present such a plan and begin its implementation by early 2006. “President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will review progress on this initiative when they meet in New Delhi,” a State Department official told this correspondent.

Meanwhile, Indian officials in New Delhi and Washington have cautioned that any changes to the agreement would be a “deal breaker.” Mr Ronen Sen, India”s Ambassador in Washington, recently told Reuters: “If there”s any loading on of what are seen to be additional obligations or changes, it could cause a sort of imbalance, which would undermine the very basis of the agreement (which is) finely balanced in terms of reciprocal obligations and benefits.”

US officials say the Bush Administration also is averse to amending the deal. “As Under Secretary Robert Joseph said, we should not let perfect be the enemy of the good. We believe that the July 18 joint statement represents a good deal for both the USA and India and is a net gain for non-proliferation,” an Administration official said, adding, “We have no plans to modify this initiative and have urged NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) partners and members of Congress to avoid adding conditions that would potentially break the deal.”

Both the NSG and the US Congress have indicated that it will be important for India to begin fulfilling its July 18 commitments before they would be prepared to take action to enable civil nuclear trade with India.

Bush Administration officials say New Delhi”s plan for separating its civil and nuclear weapons facilities must be defensible from a “non-proliferation standpoint” before the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the US Congress can make “the necessary accommodations that allow full civil nuclear trade with India.”

Some members of Congress and non-proliferation advocates in the US are worried the agreement with India would undermine Washington”s non-proliferation objectives and send the wrong signal to nations looking to proliferate nuclear knowhow.

Mr Robert Einhorn, a former assistant secretary of state for non-proliferation in President Bill Clinton”s Administration, says that US officials “have made clear that they will not propose legislation to the US Congress before India comes up with a defensible plan for separation.”

Mr Einhorn suggests the US Congress should modify the law to permit nuclear cooperation with states not party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty “that are responsible nuclear powers.”

AIDS threat looms large over Nepal
Sudeshna Sarkar

Kathmandu, December 4
As Nepal struggles to cope with an escalating Maoist insurgency and political instability, it has little resources left to tackle an even larger looming danger ---- an AIDS epidemic.

As the world observed World AIDS Day on Thursday, Navakiran Plus, an organisation working for the rights of drug abusers and HIV infected people, sounded an alert, asking the government to give top priority to combating AIDS.

"It is estimated that over 1 per cent of adult Nepalese will be infected with HIV by the end of 2005," it said.

"This means Nepal will move from a state of concentrated epidemic to a generalised one in a month.

"The best time to fight AIDS was 20 years back and the second best time is now," the organisation urged.

Currently, there are over 62,000 persons living with HIV/AIDS in Nepal, a large majority of whom do not know their status.

An outbreak of AIDS in Nepal would directly impact India, its southern neighbour and largest trading partner. Tens of thousands of immigrant Nepali men and women go there each year in search of work.

Taking advantage of the open border between the two countries and the fact that Nepalis do not require a passport or visa to go to India and vice versa, traffickers sell hundreds of teenage Nepali girls and boys in the red light areas in Indian cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi.

A survey done by Family Health International in 2004 and quoted in the Nepal Millennium Development Goals progress Report 2005 estimates that about 50 per cent of the female sex workers in Mumbai's brothels are HIV positive. In 1998, it was found that among the former sex workers who returned to Nepal from India, between 5,000 and 25,000 living in Kathmandu were at various stages of infection.

As much as 10 percent of the men migrating to Mumbai were found to be HIV positive in 2003 while the HIV prevalence among migrant workers returning from Mumbai was estimated to be 7.7 per cent.

Nearly 75 per cent of all truckers and 51 per cent migrant workers were reported to have had sex with sex workers. Of them, only 40 per cent used condoms. — IANS

4 Maoists killed in Nepal violence

Kathmandu, December 4
Four Maoists were gunned down by security forces in fresh fighting in Nepal despite an extension of unilateral ceasefire by the rebels.

A Maoist Village People’s Government chief was killed in “retaliatory” action by security forces at the Takura area of Jajarkot district yesterday, according to Army sources.

Three other rebels were killed in Sankhuwasabha district during a separate operation, the National News Agency said.

The security personnel shot dead the three Maoists during a routine patrol and confiscated one Insas Rifle along with 200 rounds of ammunitions.

Pressure is mounting on the Royal government to reciprocate the Maoists’ decision to extend ceasefire and initiate process to end the ten-year conflict. Welcoming the Maoists’ decision, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has asked the royal government to reciprocate the truce. In a statement the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on both the Maoists and the government to declare indefinite ceasefire and take initiatives towards establishing peace. — PTI

UK court acquits JKLF extremist

London, December 4
The Birmingham Crown court has acquitted Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) extremist Mohammad Aslam Mirza from three charges — murder, kidnapping and the false imprisonment of 50-year-old Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre.

After a five-hour deliberation on Thursday, the jury delivered its verdict following a nine-day trial.

A British citizen, Mirza, was arrested from Pennsylvania for overstaying in the US after his visa had expired. Finger-print evidence revealed that he was a member of the JKLF, wanted for the kidnap and murder of Mr Mhatre. Twenty-one years ago, Mr Mhatre was abducted and killed in an attempt to secure the release from prison of the group’s founder Maqbool Bhat.

Mirza told the court he was not involved in the murder and added that he was appalled by the charges and had no recollection of the events of 1984 due to severe memory problems. Denying any involvement, he told the court that after the killing he had gone to Kashmir on family business. — UNI

Indian boy dies in Manama

Dubai, December 4
A 17-year-old plus-two student of Indian-origin collapsed and died while playing basketball at Indian School in Bahrain’s capital Manama.

Joseph David, who hails from Kunnamkulam in Kerala, was attended upon by paramedics after he collapsed yesterday but he died almost instantly, the Gulf Daily News reported today.

The deceased is the son of M.J. David, who manages Mohammed Harbi Technical and Electrical Services, and Lilly David, a former teacher at Asian School.

The body will be flown to Joseph’s native place in Kerala after the funeral service here tomorrow.

Joseph’s parents said he did not suffer from any illness except that he was treated for a food allergy last year. — PTI