KATMANDU, Nepal March 28 —
Nepal's government and rebels will hold talks next week in the
capital to try to end a seven-year civil war that has killed more
than 7,000 people, an official said Friday.
Two weeks ago, the sides agreed to released all prisoners and
announced guidelines for peace talks, but did not set a date to
meet.
On Friday, government negotiator Narayan Singh Pun said the two
sides would get together Tuesday in a "goodwill meeting."
Pun said the two sides have not agreed on an agenda but would
stick to 22 points agreed upon earlier this month. Those guidelines
include releasing all prisoners of war.
"We have presented the Maoist leaders with a proposal of what the
agenda should be and they said they appreciate our efforts in this
peace process," Pun said.
The two sides were not expected to debate rebel demands for an
interim government and an election for a constitutional assembly
that would draft a new constitution.
Baburam Bhattarai, the rebels' second in command, arrived in
Katmandu on Friday for the talks.
It was his first public appearance since the rebels began their
campaign in 1996 to end the constitutional monarchy in this
Himalayan kingdom. More than 7,000 people have been killed in the
insurgency.
Hundreds of rebels have been arrested since emergency rule was
imposed in November 2001 after failed peace talks, and an
undisclosed number of government troops and officials are being held
by the rebels. Emergency rule was lifted in August.
In January, the rebels decided to halt attacks and negotiate
after the government agreed to stop calling them terrorists, rescind
a bounty on the heads of rebel leaders and cancel a notice to
Interpol seeking their arrest.
The rebels say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader
Mao Zedong.
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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