Kathmandu: Welcoming the Maoists announcement to suspend all armed operations for a week, the Nepal Government today (Oct 18, 2004) said it will temporarily halt military action against the rebels during the Hindu festival beginning October 20.

"The Government takes positively the Maoists' announcement to temporarily halt military activities and asks the rebels not to avoid dialogue but to honestly come forward for dialogue to resolve the problems peacefully," Nepal's Minister of Information and Communications Mohammad Mohsin told reporters.

The Nepalese Government has decided to suspend all military actions against the Maoists during the Hindu festival starting this week and ending in mid November, he said.

"The Government is always committed to respecting the Nepalese peoples' constitutional rights to involve in peaceful activities," the Minister said reading out the Government statement issued after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

The Government has also made it clear that all citizens will be allowed to move freely and observe cultural-religious activities without any obstacle during the great Hindu festival Vijaya Dashami, he said.

However, all kinds of violent activities including, abduction, extortion, threats, arms exhibition, movement carrying arms or involvement in any activity that threatens national unity and integrity will be prohibited, he said.

The Nepalese Government's statement comes four days after the Maoists announced a unilateral ceasefire. The CPN (Communist Party of Nepal)-Maoist president Pushpa Kamal Dahal popularly known as Prachanda had issued a statement on Friday (Oct 15, 2004) saying the party would halt all military activities for nine days during the Hindu festival.

The Government's decision to reciprocate the Maoists' statement came today after tremendous pressure from the civil society members, human rights groups and political parties including Nepal Communist Party-UML (United Marxist-Leninist), the major coalition partner.