September 24, 2005: In the last week, Maoists have kidnapped over 2,000 students and teachers in western Nepal. Kidnapping is used to indoctrinate the young, and recruit some of them into rebel combat units. Those who resist are killed. The Maoists do not consider these operations a violation of their truce.
September 23, 2005: India, because of leftist opposition, has continued to withhold arms shipments to Nepal. So the Nepalese have decided to buy assault rifles and ammo from the Chinese. The Indian made rifles were seen as defective anyway.
September 22, 2005: The king walked the streets of the capital, for the first time since he dismissed the elected government last February, and was cheered by thousands of Nepalese. The king promised elections and the return of democratic government next year.
September 19, 2005: India is preparing a large scale attack on its own 9,000 Maoist rebels, who are becoming increasingly active, and violent, throughout eastern and central India. Some of the Indian Maoists operate on the Nepalese border, and cooperate with the Nepalese Maoists.
September 18, 2005: Maoists kidnapped sixty teachers from nine rural schools. The Maoists lecture and threaten the teachers into teaching with a pro-Maoist slant. Teachers that refuse are killed.
September 17, 2005: The Maoist truce is largely a sham. The rebels continue to kidnap, extort and intimidate. They apparently consider "truce" to mean no mass attacks on government bases. The army and police are not observing the truce, and continue to pursue rebel units in rural areas.
