THT 10 YEARS AGO: Nepal-China meet ends with accord to talk again Kathmandu, December 27, 2006 The Fourth Session of the Joint Inspection Committee (JIC) on the Third Joint Inspection of Nepal-China Boundary ended today with Chinese and Nepali officials signing an agreement to continue discussions on incompatibilities of new data of boundary markers. The new data proposed by the Chinese team based on the survey mapping China had done lately puts Mt Everest’s height only over 8844 metres, which excludes the “snow cap at the top.” The established height till date is 8848 metres. “The issue of taking new elevation of Mount Everest will be decided only after analysing aerial photographs of the peak, the aerial survey will be done in 2007 if weather conditions support,” said head of the Nepali delegation and joint-secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pradip Khatiwada. “ The new data has nothing to do with the sovereignty of two countries, but it is important to be precise since the new data was collected by employing advanced technology, including GPS (Global Positioning System) mapping,” head of the Chinese delegation, Li Quingyuan, said. The two sides discussed the incompatibilities of new data with the old data of the map attached in the 1979 Protocol. They exchanged views on marking of the elevation of Mount Everest. PLA fighter talks of his meteoric rise Holeri (Rolpa), December 27, 2006 Lovers tend to kiss and tell. But, a fighter like the commander of the Maoists’ special security force brigade at Holeri under the Maoist fifth division, Gurung can only go into “kill and tell” mode. Today, he shared his experience of battles with security forces during the conflict period, adding that he had a meteoric rise from a humble Maoist soldier to platoon commander in a very short time. “We People’s Liberation Army soldiers would be told only a week prior to launching an attack anywhere,” he said. Recounting his baptism by fire, he said his first taste of battle with security forces was the PLA attack on Ghartigaun Area Police Office in Rolpa. A commander now, he joined the Maoist army as a lifetime member in 1998. He proudly claimed that he was promoted to platoon commander, skipping five levels. The PLA vanguards used to be told only after the party’s central leadership had made the plans for attack, Gurung said, adding, “Often, we used to speculate about the party’s plan for an attack somewhere after the party leadership would begin marshalling manpower, military resources and other logistics necessary for battle.” First, the officers would conduct site surveys to know the condition and numbers of the enemy, identify places where their bunkers were situated and other such information. Then, fighters would be informed about the impending battle.