May 03, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 15, 1428

KATHMANDU: After battling security forces for a decade, Nepal's Maoist former rebels said on Wednesday they face a new enemy in the UN-monitored camps where they are confined -- snakes.“At least 700 snakes were killed by People's Liberation Army (PLA) fighters at a cantonment in Kailali in far western Nepal during April alone,” Ananta, the deputy commander of the Maoist army said.

Around 31,000 former guerillas have been registered by the United Nations in 28 camps around the country as a crucial part of a peace deal reached late last year between the Maoists and the government. But the former rebels have frequently complained that conditions in the camps are dismal. “Our comrades are living in miserable conditions. Generally, they are housed in buildings that have thatched roofs and no cement walls,” said Ananta, who goes by one name.

Rebel leader Prachanda said on Tuesday that camp conditions were among the reasons the Maoists announced a series of mass protests for later this month. “The PLA has to stay awake all night just to kill the snakes. These are the kinds of conditions our army is facing, and the government is not serious about improving the conditions,” he said.—AFP