News update from Nepal, 30 July 2008 News Update from Nepal 30 July 2008 Violence and Lawlessness On July 1, an identified armed gang killed Johan Prakash, principal of Don Bosco School in Morang. The same day, the manhandling of a junior clerk by the Communist Party of Ne­pal-Unified Marxist Leninist's newly formed Youth Force(YF), accusing him of accepting bribes, evoked the rage of the Nepal Civil Service Employees Union. It asked the govern­ment to take action against YF for attacking a civil servant on duty. The YF stopped 13 government vehicles alleging that they used them on a public holiday for personal purpose. On July 3, at Jhapa and Mahottari districts two traders were killed and one abducted by Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha-Rajan(JTMM-R). On July 25, JTMM killed an NC worker in Mahottari. The Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League(YCL) bundled two youths in sacks in Pokhara and thrashed them. The YCL's manhandling caused the death of the Dis­trict Education Officer in Rajbiraj although the former denied it. On July 12, curfew was imposed at Udaypur district as a clash occurred between the Nepal Army and locals. The Nepal Defense Army bombed Jyoti Church in Banke. A nine-year old girl was killed in Sarlahi when two socket bombs went off. In Bardiya, a gang killed an old lady. The cadres of Kirant People's Workers Party set ablaze documents of the Bhain­sepankha Village Development Committee and asked the VDC secretary to quit. The youth wing of Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum(MJAF) vandalized the office of the local daily Kripa at Parsa for writing critical news about it. The VDC secretary of Bastipur has been abducted by an armed group. The agitation of eight student unions has been intensified all over the country against the Vice-President Permanand Jha for taking the oath of his post in Hindi language instead of Nepali or his own mother tongue, Maithili. They also vandal­ized the office of MJAF, and the Madhesi Youth Forum torched CPN-UML Saptari office. The Home Ministry urged all parties to help maintain law and order and preserve communal harmony. The CA also urged the public to stay calm and the Vice-President Jha in an ap­peal said,"He did not mean to hurt the national language." The Supreme Court issued show cause notices to the Vice-President, the Office of the Prime Minister and the cabinet to clarify why Jha took the oath of office and secrecy in Hindi. Strikes called by various groups in different parts of the country made delivery of public goods and services difficult. On July 12, after Gorkha, Banke and Parvat, over 500 police personnel in Nepalgunj took eight senior officers hostage claiming"rampant ill-treatment and discrimination." On July 13, after the cabinet ordered action, the rebels surrendered. 26 police were held and 40 others suspended. On July 16, a three-member Special Police Court probe committee rec­ommended action against 20 Nepal Police Personnel of Gorkha for their night-long protest on June 19. On July 6, Chief Justice K.P. Giri expressed concern about the increasing tendency of vio­lating precedents set by the Supreme Court. He pointed out the inconsistency in adminis­1