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| Thursday January 11, 2007 Kathmandu,- Nepal's Maoist rebels are continuing to extort money from foreign tourists in western Nepal despite a peace agreement with the government, newspaper reports in the Nepalese capital said Thursday. The Maoists rebels are openly levying what they call "tourist taxes" from trekkers visiting the Annapurna area, about 150 kilometres west of the capital, Nepali language daily Kantipur reported. The Maoists have set up two check posts along two trekking routes into the Annapurna Conservation Area where everyone is subjected to pay the money to the Maoists, the newspaper said, adding that the Maoist drive had intensified after the peace agreement with the government. "The tourists are made to pay 100 rupees (1.50 US dollars) a day for trekking in the area and are provided a receipt bearing the name of a Maoist-aligned organization for the payment," Kantipur said. According to local Maoist leader Mahendra GC, about 17,000 rupees is collected in a single day from tourists. However, people living close to the Maoist check points say the actual amount is closer to 40,000 rupees a day. The Maoists also claim that the fee, or "donation" as they call it, is according to the party policy. "We have been told to collect the money until the old government is dissolved and the interim constitution comes into effect," the newspaper quoted Mahnendra GC as saying. According to him, the number of visitors has increased in recent months following peace between the government and the Maoists. But local people in Annapurna Conservation Area have expressed alarm over what they call the Maoist extortion drive. Kantipur quoted local people as saying that they feared the Maoists move would send a negative image to the world and hurt Nepal's tourism industry. The Annapurna area is a popular destination for trekkers with its diverse natural environment and some of the most spectacular scenery. The area is also the home of some the tallest mountains in the world, including Mt. Annapurna and Mt. Dhualagiri. Under the agreement signed between the government and the Maoists in late November, the Maoists were to stop all forms of extortion, including those from foreign tourists. In their 10-year-long insurgency, the Maoist rebels repeatedly extorted money from local people and industries across Nepal, threatening them with action if they did not comply. Several factories were bombed for not giving in to Maoist demands. The Maoists for their part have maintained that the money is needed for the welfare of their fighters. |
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