The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has raised serious concern regarding movement of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) army personnel outside cantonment sites in southern Nepal on Friday.
The UNMIN on Friday issued a press statement terming the movement of CPN-M combatants outside the cantonments as serious violation of agreement after some 4,000 CPN-M combatants demonstrated outside their cantonments in Nawalparasi District, situated some 160 km south west of the capital city Kathmandu.
Stating that the UNMIN has monitored the movement of large numbers of CPN-M army personnel outside the main cantonment site in Nawalparasi District and its satellite sites, the press statement termed it as a serious violation of the commitments made in the agreement on the management of arms and armed personnel reached between the CPN-M and their partners in the Interim Government.
The statement said that the UNMIN deployed three mobile teams to monitor this movement of CPN-M army personnel. UNMIN has communicated its concerns direct to the political and military leadership of the CPN-M, who advised that it ordered the immediate return of personnel to the cantonment.
"While the verification process of CPN-M army personnel is proceeding well, implementing the commitments in relation to the management of arms and armed personnel, without exception, is essential to the overall peace process and in particular to preparing a free and fair atmosphere for the Constituent Assembly (CA) election", it added.
On Friday morning, the CPN-M's "People's Liberation Army" (PLA) personnel came out of their camps and demonstrated demanding fulfillment of the 22-point pre-requisites for the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections, salaries at par with Nepal Army soldiers, among others.
The local radio station said that the PLA soldiers in combat fatigues ventured up to two kilometers away from the cantonment in Arunkhola and satellite cantonments in Kawasoti and Jargha to hold the demonstration.
The demonstration by the PLA combatants has come at a time when the CPN-M have been threatening to walk out of the government and launch agitation if their demands are not met by Sept. 18.
Over 30,000 PLA combatants are currently stationed in seven main and 21 satellite cantonments spread in different parts of the country. The cantonments are monitored by the UN.
Source: Xinhua
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