From A World to Win News Service
Revolutionary Worker #1245, July 4, 2004, posted at http://rwor.org
The following article is from A World to Win News Service:
June 21, 2004. A World to Win News Service. The Maoist-led Nepal People's Liberation Army has dealt the Royal Nepal Army two solid blows in twin major ambushes within the space of five days.
The first came on June 14 on the east-west highway around 80 kilometers east of the city of Nepalgunj, in western Nepal. The Satbaria Second Brigade of the PLA detonated landmines to stop a 37-man unit travelling in two trucks between Kusum and Samshergunj. According to the BBC, they were heading to attack the Maoist forces. The Maoist weekly Janadesh reported June 15 that the PLA laid the morning ambush to target troops who had set out from Samshergunj in Banke district to terrorize the people in Kusum. The explosion was so loud that it was heard in Nepalgunj. As one of the vehicles was blown into the air by the explosion, 22 RNA men were killed. Then the PLA soldiers engaged the rest of the RNA patrol in a firefight. The survivors surrendered their weapons to the PLA.
The weapons seized in this successful action included light machine guns, rifles, pistols, mortars, grenades, and a large amount of ammunition, along with other equipment. In fact, it is through engagements on a scale beginning very small and now advancing in large strides that the forces led by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have acquired all of their weaponry since the people's war began in 1996.
After the attack, the east-west highway remained affected for a long time. News of the engagement spread rapidly and electrified the country. Janadesh said, "The PLA has achieved an unprecedented victory against the enemy, compensating the losses suffered in the Kusum attack in September last year."
In a similar ambush not far from Nepalgunj June 19, PLA soldiers of the Lishne Gam Third Brigade wiped out an RNA security patrol vehicle in Dang district in western Nepal. This time 18 royal forces were killed, and a great many were reported wounded. The rest were forced to return to their barracks. The government forces were part of an operation closing in on the Maoists from six directions, with the aim of cordoning off Pandon and Khimadi in the Kailali district of western Nepal. The PLA had attacked the Royal Army in Pandon last year. The RNA had taken over a school for use as a military barracks. Since then the Royal Army has not dared try to re-establish a presence in the area.
The Maoists mockingly call the king's armed forces the Royal American Army because they are so dependent on U.S. support. The revolutionaries aim to overthrow the semi-feudal monarchy and U.S. and Indian domination of Nepal.
In other news, BBC reported that the Maoist-led All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) called off a countrywide strike by secondary and college students after winning their central demand. The students had closed down thousands of schools for nearly two weeks to force the government to withdraw the "terrorist" label it had attempted to stick on them. The government was said to be negotiating with the students about its other two demands, that the authorities account for Maoist and other revolutionary leaders who have disappeared, and that school fees be lowered. The students warned that they would walk out again if the government failed to keep its promises.