Ministers, senior Maoist leaders on a mysterious China trip

NF correspondent

In what appears like a high level trip shrouded in deep mystery, at least two senior cabinet members, and two central committee members of the Maoists undertook a secret visit to China. The team consisting of Defence Minister, Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal; Communication Minister, Krishna Bahadur Mahara; Deputy Commander of People’s Liberation army, Netra Bahadur Chand; and the party’s women wing leader, Jayapuri Gharti; spent about 20 hours in Tibet and returned home on October 31. Badal and Chand were accompanied by their spouses and sons. The visit was undertaken on the day of Bhai Tika, an official holiday, probably to avoid the attention of media as most of them were closed during Tihar. The Maoist team was escorted by Chinese embassy vehicle (11 CD 26) right up to Tibet and back. However, the Foreign Ministry of Nepal is ignorant about the visit and its purpose. “We have no information about such a visit having taken place at all,” said a senior official in the Foreign Ministry. The two ministers asked their security guards from the Nepal Army and Nepal Police to remain on the Nepali side of the border before entering China’s Tibet province. Even the private security of the leaders provided by the party was asked to remain on Nepal side. Neither Ministry of Defense nor the Army Headquarter has any information about the trip. And the Defense Ministry refused to make any comments on it. Information received now say the two ministers were using their official car, but they chose not to display the national flag. Defence Minister Badal had visited China last month on the invitation of PLA there. It is understood that Maoists and Chinese governments are negotiating quietly about providing a War College and other high level training to the Maoists combatants to qualify them for their integration in the Nepal army. The fact that Chinese government provided them with diplomatic escorts all the way from Kathmandu to Tibet suggests that it was a well planned trip. According to official information the Maoist leaders crossed the borders of Tatopani at around 10