The Maoists' move The Maoists' new guerrilla tactics: Maoist attacks on infrastructure leaves nation high and dry Mid-western region hardly affected be Maoists' destructions Map of Nepal

The Maoist movement has suddenly moved to fast-forward. When the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) held its second convention in Dang in February, the party announced a new Prachanda Path doctrine calling for a "mass uprising" in urban areas to take the revolution forward. A

t the vanguard would be Maoist front organisations of students, women and workers. The Maoists had banked on the street protests escalating that followed the Royal massacre of 1 June 2001. But the party's strategy has failed. There just wasn't enough critical mass in the protests for the Maoists to instigate an urban uprising. The Maoists have changed their strategy, which is to foment confusion in urban areas by using "banner bombs" - booby trapped explosives hanging from big banners denouncing the new king and the prime minister.

The party was planning to declare a "regional peoples' government" in the areas in midwest Nepal under their control. The next step soon after would be announcing a parallel national interim government like they have done in the districts under their control. So, the Maoists continue their presence in Kathmandu, through booby traps, infiltration of protests against the public security regulations. In the countryside, Maoist forces continue their attacks on police posts and army barracks. The Maoists will also keep taunting the Army, try to infiltrate its ranks to bring down morale and stoke disunity. The Maoists know that sooner or later they will have to take on the Army.

The other characteristic of the Prachanda Path doctrine is the fusion of the "mass uprising" in urban areas with the "peoples war" in the hinterland. The Maoists have declared eight districts in Bheri, Karnali and Rapti Zones as having "peoples' governments" and they appear to be consolidating their hold on districts on the periphery like Dang, Bajura and Dailekh. Maoists are also abducting and attacking security personnel which brings them valuable manpower and weapons.

Earlier the Maoists' collection of taxes and donations were aimed at medium and large businesses and their targetting corrupt local officials were populist. However, the extortion is getting indiscriminate and hurting the not-so-well-off, and many popular local figures and elected officials have been brutally killed just for daring to oppose local Maoists. The fact that the Maoists' tactics have changed so frequently is seen by some as confusion and differences in the ranks. The Maoists are now trying to prepare for a big confrontation.

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The Maoist's new guerrilla tactics: Destroying infrastructure and attacking key security posts
The Maoists had recently concentrated on attacking electric power plants, schools, road links, bridges, local government offices and other parts of Nepal's infrastructure. The latest attacks show Maoists are still adept at using darkness and terrain to strike hard at security forces.

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The Maoist forces are launching lethal attacks on hydropower installations, drinking water pipelines, irrigation facilities, health posts and bridges.

In Jajarkot Khalanga , the headquarters of Jajarkot district, Maoist rebels damaged the 80-year-old water supply system. There is no drinking water in district headquarters after the rebels cut off water supply lines. Prior to that, Maoists damaged drinking water networks in Okhaldhunga, Achham, Bajhang, Sindhupalchok and Pyuthan. The district authorities have not enough money to repair the damaged supply lines.

The headquarters of at least six districts - Khandbari of Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Taplejung, Phidim of Panchthar, Okhaldhunga, Dhading - have been forced to plunge into absolute darkness after the Maoist attacked small hydro installations there. The Maoist forces also attacked the 12 MW Jhimruk hydroelectric plant. The personnel was warned by the rebels not to repair it.

The Maoist attacks on control towers of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal in the country's most inaccessible areas in the mid- and far west has forced hundreds of thousands of people to remain isolated from rest of the country. The state-owned Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation has been forced to cancel its flights to at least six districts in the same region. The airports that have remained largely disfunctional include Chaurjahari airport in Rukum, Sanphebagar airport in Achham, Bajura airport, Baitadi and Darchula airport.

Rebels damaged two bridges in Bardiya district. The attacks on a bridge over the Mana river connecting Bardia with Banke, and a pontoon bridge over the Karnali river connecting Kothiyaghat with Rajapur's 11 villages, have directly being an impact on thousands of people in the mid-western Terai.

The rebel attacks have also affected the country's telecommunication network. Thanks to the attacks on repeater and marts stations, telecommunication facilities in 16 districts cease to exist. Over 90 telecom stations have already been destroyed by the rebels. NTC

The rebel attacks and plundering of small banking facilities around the country has also affected the developmental projects of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

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The people of the Mid-western Development Region have been badly affected by the violent activities unleashed by the Maoists. Thousands of people of Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Dailekh, Dolpa, Kalikot, Mugu, Jumla, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan, Surkhet and Jajarkot districts of the Mid-western Development Region have been rendered homeless as a result of the terrorist activities of the Maoists. About 2,000 people including Royal Nepalese Army and police personnel, and ordinary people have lost their lives. Air services to Jufal of Dolpa, Choujahhari of Rukum, Kolti of Bajura and Sanfebagar of Achham have been stopped after the Maoist rebels destroyed the airport tower and office. Problems have been faced in supplying essential and other commodities after the closure of air services being operated for the benefit of the people of these four remote districts.

Telecommunications services in Jumla, Kalikot, Jajarkot, Rukum, Rolpa and other districts excluding Pyuthan and Salyan districts have been disrupted after the Maoist forces destroyed the telecommunication repeater station and towers.
Maoists have also totally destroyed the office, machinery and other materials used for building the road from Chhinchu to the headquarters of Jajarkot district and delayed construction work of the road.

The Maoist terrorists have caused a loss of billions of rupees by destroying the development infrastructures in the headquarters of Dang district and the Jhimruk Hydroelectricity Project of Pyuthan district. The destructions of health posts, drinking water and electricity projects, bridges and police posts had a negative impact on the overall development of the Mid-western Development Region. The Maoists have pushed the Mid-western Development Region backwards for many years.

Australia: Maoist tactics flayed

Australian Foreign Minister has condemned the recent Maoist tactics of targeting the telecommunication infrastructure. He has also flayed the recent tactics whereby the rebels have widened their sphere of activity to blocking food supply to Humla and Jumla. Their tactics of attacking the hydropower stations, drinking water facilities, pipelines and bridges too have come under fire. The Australian FM has also condemned the instances of kidnappings and torture, execution and intimidation of common people.

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