Baidya faction revives People's Volunteers Bureau

KIRAN PUN KATHMANDU, April 24: The hardliner faction of the UCPN (Maoist) led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya on Tuesday formed a 17-member People´s Volunteers Bureau (PVB) under the leadership of party standing committee member Netra Bikram Chand, with the long-term objective of developing the bureau into a new People´s Liberation Army (PLA). A meeting of the first-ever national gathering of the PVB leaders and ex-Maoist combatants held at Kupondol took a decision to this effect. "Today [Tuesday] we formed PVB. This will build the foundation for a new People´s Liberation Army (PLA)," Ashal Khadka, who attended the gathering, quoted General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa as saying at the gathering. Addressing the gathering, Thapa also accused the party establishment faction of dissolving the PLA to appease "status-quoists and reactionary" forces, saying such a decision is unacceptable to them. "Dahal and Bhattarai dissolved PLA to appease India. We will not accept it at any cost," another participant quoted Thapa as saying at the meeting. Thapa also dubbed the recent takeover of the Maoist cantonments by the Nepal Army a “military coup”. Thapa said the PVB will take action against smugglers, fraudsters and the corrupt. Addressing the gathering, PVB in-charge Chand presented immediate and long-term plans of the PVB. According to him, PVB will expand to the state, district and village levels soon. Former PLA Division Vice-commanders Ram Lal Roka Magar, Nep Bahadur Kunwar Magar, Uday Bahadur Chalaune and other commanders Dev Kumar Limbu, former YCL leaders Sabitri Dura, Mul Dhan Roka Magar, Padam KC, Sanjeeb Kumar, Yuba Raj Acharya are other members of the 17-member committee. Though it was formed a year ago to launch “people´s revolt “, PVB had remained largely inactive. It was even opposed by YCL leaders close to Dahal. from Republica English Daily Newspaper