Nepal to receive again India military aid
Kathmandu (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Indian government has started shipping military equipment to Nepal again, said Sanjay Verma, a spokesman for the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, who was quick to point out however that the "materiel supplied by India was non-lethal".
Local media are reporting that the shipment includes jeeps, bullet-proof jackets and mine-proof vehicles.
The international community severed ties with Nepal following King Gyanendra's direct takeover of power on February 1st. The monarch had declared a state of emergency after accusing the elected government of corruption.
Hundreds of political leaders and ordinary citizens were arrested, newspapers were censored and violence and murders increased throughout the country.
The decision itself was announced on May 10 by Navtej Sarna, a spokesman for India's Foreign Ministry, who expressed his government's intention to renew weapons shipment to its northern neighbour.
At the same time, the Indian government said it hoped that "multi-party democracy would be quickly restored".
By contrast, many NGOs complain that the "human rights situation in the country has not changed".
Some observers suggest a visit by China's Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in May is behind India's decision.
In their view, New Delhi is sending weapons out of concern that Nepal might establish closer ties with China and thus drift away from India, something that took place in the 1960s under the current King's father, King Mahendra.
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