December
8, 2007
Tourist Outcry Over Maoist Extortion
Grows in Nepal By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu
Even as a red-faced Nepal government arrested two Maoist guerrillas
after the tale of their assault of a Swiss tourist hit the headlines
worldwide, complains started pouring in from more and more
foreigners about their harassment at the hand of the rebels, whose
leadership takes pride in saying no foreigner was ever attacked
during the 10-year armed uprising.
After it became known that Maoist cadres had beaten up and injured
31-year-old Swiss trekker Steve Jeanneret who was on the way to the
Annapurna mountains, a popular trail for trekkers, for refusing to
pay them "donation", another group of Swiss visitors said they were
harassed by the rebels in the same area.
A team of Swiss journalists, who had gone to the Annapurna region
about a week ago, ironically to write about the tourism potential of
Nepal, are alleging Maoists forced them to pay NRS 2,000.
"We were harassed by the Maoist activists and eventually, had to pay
NRS 2,000," Lorenz Kummer, foreign editor of Swiss daily Der Bund
told the Himalayan Times daily.
"We argued that the (Maoist) leaders had said there would be no
extortion," the daily Saturday quoted Kummer as saying. "But they
did not let us pass."
According to the report, the group was accosted in Birethanti
village, about 150 km northwest of Kathmandu, the same place where
Jeanneret was attacked.
A gang of young men calling themselves Maoists stopped them and
asked for NRS 2,000 from each.
"They did not attack us but we had a very bad time," Kummer said.
Eventually, the tourists agreed to pay NRS 2,000 after being told
that their Nepali porters would be in trouble if they refused to
"donate".
After they made the payment, the group was handed a receipt with a
flourish.
Written in English, it was signed by Amar Tamu, self-styled convenor
of the Tamuwan State Committee, the regional wing of the Maoists.
The Himalayan Times said they were also given a press handout signed
in the name of Baburam Bhattarai, the No.2 leader in the Maoist
hierarchy.
The "Appeal to foreign tourists" said that Maoists survived on
"voluntary donation from well wishers and supporters" at a time
there was a vicious propaganda against them.
"We loathe the very idea of extortion," the pamphlet said. "We
humbly appeal to you to make a voluntary donation according to your
capacity."
Jeanneret, who was shown by TV channels as sporting a bloody bandage
around his head, was beaten up by Maoists in the same village
Wednesday for refusing to pay a "donation" and telling the
extortionists that he could complain to Maoist supremo Prachanda.
The assault came at a time Nepal is expecting tourist arrivals to
cross the half a million mark and triggered protests to the
government from hotel and travel trade associations.
Subsequently, police arrested two Maoist cadres from the district
Friday.
Despite the Maoists signing a peace accord last year and promising
to stop extortion, the practice has soared in recent times.
Tourists in the Annanpurna area are also feeling the pinch. In less
than a month, at least two British trekkers said their groups had
been made to pay ""donations""
The rising extortion targeting foreigners comes at a time the
Maoists want to improve their image abroad and have been sending
several of their leaders to Europe to defend their policy.
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