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Date Posted: 04:10:23 06/26/02 Wed
Author: Lynn Msc
Subject: Hey there...........
In reply to: Sudie 's message, "Hi, I remembered I Owed You My Thoughts On This..." on 01:17:14 06/26/02 Wed

Good to be here........do you remember my interest in the Nepal region.......I found this on the struggle against Maoist rebels and the whole human rights issue over there

June 24, 2002 Posted: 7:32 PM EDT (2332 GMT)

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NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) -- The king of Nepal has won pledges of Indian support for his country's battle against Maoist rebels on his first international trip since coming to the throne after the massacre of most of the royal family a year ago.

King Gyanendra's talks with Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and senior ministers focused on the Himalayan kingdom's need for military assistance to fight the communist guerrillas, as well as on trade.

An Indian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told reporters Monday that Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh told the king that India was ready to help its troubled northern neighbor.

"India remains committed to doing whatever we can for Nepal, especially in these testing times," the spokeswoman cited Singh as saying.

The Maoist guerrillas want to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and set up a one-party communist republic. More than 4,700 people have been killed since the rebellion broke out in 1996.

India has given impoverished Nepal various types of military assistance including arms, intelligence sharing, helicopters, trucks and mine-resistant vehicles.

"India of course will continue to support the government of Nepal for the steps taken by it to maintain peace and security in the country," Indian President K. R. Narayanan said in a speech at a dinner for the king.

"Our policy has always been to see Nepal as an independent, modern, prosperous and peaceful country."

Tourism hurt

Indian officials did not give details of how it might give more help.

Nepal's government has said it desperately needs foreign military aid to crush the rebellion.

The fighting has threatened Nepal's multi-party democracy and seriously hurt its economy.

The rebels have destroyed infrastructure, and the violence has also scared away tourists, squeezing a key source of revenue and hampering growth in one of the world's 10 poorest countries.

Gyanendra took over the throne of the world's only Hindu kingdom after his brother, King Birendra, and most of the royal family were killed in June last year by then-Crown Prince Dipendra in a shooting spree apparently fueled by drugs and alcohol.

India is Nepal's biggest trade partner and a key aid donor.

Copyright 2002 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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