Interview with elusive leader of Nepal''s Maoist rebels

(27 Apr 2006)

1. Sun rising up over trees
2. Wide shot sun rise
3. Men in barracks getting ready for their day
4. Woman and children in village
5. Man carrying off banana tree
6. Maoist soldiers marching with weapons toward drill area
7. Commander giving instructions
8. Soldiers standing in formation while commander issues instructions
9. Wide shot soldiers snapping weapons up and taking out ammunition clips
10. Close-up female soldier handling weapon
11. Man holding rifle
12. Close-up hands holding rifle
13. Soldiers in formation holding rifles, start jumping up and down to whistle
14. Rifles over soldier''s heads as they jump
15. Close up soldier''s face
16. Wide shot soldiers jumping with rifles
17. SOUNDBITE (Nepalese): Shital, Political Commissar of the Krishna Brigade:
"Our party leader Prachanda is also our supreme commander, and he has kept on saying that the political change we want and the problems we are having, will be addressed by Constitutional change, without any compromise (with the monarchy). And we want to have an election. And after that the country will come out of its problems and the door will be open. All our leaders after that will stop fighting."
18. Soldiers with guns sitting
19. Close up gun barrel, pull focus to face of female soldier
20. SOUNDBITE (Nepalese): Shital, Political Commissar of the Krishna Brigade:
"If the government makes arrangements for Constitutional change we will extend the ceasefire indefinitely."
21. People watching soldiers
22. SOUNDBITE (Nepalese) Shital, Political Commissar of the Krishna Brigade
"If they hold the elections, and they are supervised by the United Nations or another reliable organisation, afterwards we will join the Nepali national army."
23. Various shots of soldiers with weapons dancing in circle
24. SOUNDBITE (Nepalese): Munal, Krishna Senior Memorial Brigade Commander:
"We are fighting for the world and we are fighting for Nepal."
25. Line of soldiers marching on each side of road
26. Close up gun barrels
27. Female soldier marching with rifle, wearing t-shirt saying "Super Girl"
28. Soldiers marching

STORYLINE

Maoist rebels in Nepal say they will participate in the next election if it is properly supervised, and would be willing to join the Nepalese national army.

Waking up at 4:30 in the morning well before sunrise, Maoist soldiers travel through the jungle from village to village, trying to convince people in the countryside to support them.

The Krishna Senior Memorial Brigade was operating 28 kilometres (17 miles) from the town of Baiharawa this week.

They had two dozen engagements with Nepal''s national army.

Just days ago they attacked an army encampment, only to be repelled.

The insurgency has been going on for a decade, and the strength of the army is estimated to be between 10-thousand and 15-thousand.

The Krishna Senior Memorial Brigade has 500 soldiers under its command.

The commander, known only as Munal, is only 25 years old.

He has been a Maoist since he was 18, and is considered a senior field leader.

"We are fighting for the world and we are fighting for Nepal," he told AP Television News on Thursday.

In villages like this one, rebels have set up an area to drill, to demonstrate their seriousness and competence.

Human rights groups say rebels kidnap young people to fill out their ranks and demand tribute from the villages so they can survive.

But the rebel group say villagers voluntarily give them food and places to sleep.





Parliament will be reconvened on Friday.











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