Child Haven one week

Darn it, I just lost a long blog to you! Oh well, try again. Children are playing a game of basketball outsdie the window, the grade 10 and 11 teenagers are drinking coffee and watching a Sherlock Holmes dvd with Carole in our newly greenly painted volunteer/teenager's place! I have just had an english communication lesson with the CH Asst. Mgr. and the Mgr. is off to a Lions Club mtg. The serious condition continues here in Nepal, but one major change, the 'curfew' is lifted from 6 - 10 pm and then shops can open and essential vehicles can run... Yesterday was a bummer, my day off, when I planned to wander down to one of Nepal's largest Buddah stupas - square - and try to find a place fora western lunch or cuppa tea and just hang out - but too dangerous. Instead I waited in the office for 2 - 3 hours for the electricity and internet to come back and send my registration to the Canadian Embassy.... After a questionable dinner I went home to my book on Gandhi, but fell asleep instead! Pretty exhausting this not knowing whats happening. On one hand it is very interesting for me to get to know how the daily routine works, and meet the children and staff, on the other hand it is difficult sometimes to know how to be really useful. Thanks to my "striketime" timetable I always have a program to work on.

I will add below the report that Arjun Guragain, Manager of CH asked me to edit for Bonniema last night regarding the current political system that affects us here at Child Haven.

love and hugs, Dyane




"General strike turned violent,
The Maoists strike, or banda, was peaceful until yesterday, May 5th. Today there have been clashes in various parts of Kathmandu, including the areas of Basundhara, Budhanilkantha and Jorpati. The fighting was between the agitating Unified CPN (Maoist) cadres and the cadres of other political parties. These two groups are backed by locals called up by the Maoists. I myself observed unrest especially in the Jorpati and Chabil areas.

Some human rights activists told me that in the Basundhara area two groups, the Maoists and their opponents, were in conflict and fighting one another. They threw stones and bricks at each other. We heard that at least two persons were injured in the clashes. More than 100 policemen were deployed in the area to take the situation into control. The situation continues to remain tense.

Similarly, the situation is tense in Budhanilkantha, which is an area 5 kilometers north from the Ring Road. There were clashes between the locals and the Maoist cadres this afternoon. At least three persons, including a minor, were injured in the incident. Police fired six rounds of tear gas shells to take the situation under control.

In Jorpati, clashes occurred between Maoist cadres and youths supporting Nepali Congress and UML, backed by locals. Police fired 3 rounds of tear gas shells to control the situation. Less than 10 people have been injured in these clashes.

Our group, heard from the Kathmandu FM radio that rallies have been organized and demonstrations staged against the Maoists' general strike in various parts of the capital including Kirtipur, Pulchok, Kapan, Bouddha, and Dhobighat.

The three large parties, Unified CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and CPN (UML), have been meeting from time to time to solve the political problem and resume the peace. They want to bring a logical consensus within the country but, until today, there still has not been success. A meeting of the Unified CPN (Maoist) and CPN (UML) leaders was held today at Nayabazaar, Kathmandu but no progress was made towards reaching a consensus to end the current political impasse.
/ag"