Maoists in India, Nepal say U.S. trying to crush them

Maoists in India, Nepal say U.S. trying to crush them

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Maoist rebels in Nepal and India accused the United States on Tuesday of "openly intervening" in the two countries to weaken their movements and urged Washington to end its interference.

"Particularly in Nepal and India they have been directly intervening in the suppression of the Maoist movements," the groups said in a rare joint statement e-mailed to journalists in Kathmandu.

"As part of their direct intervention U.S. officers have been training the RNA and even entering every sphere of society to subvert the ongoing anti-monarchial movement," it said referring to the Royal Nepal Army, now named Nepal Army.

American diplomats were also visiting Indian government jungle warfare training camps in the central state of Chhattisgarh, which has witnessed high levels of Maoist violence this year, as part of their plans to suppress the extremists, the statement said.

U.S. embassy spokesmen in both countries said they had no reaction to the comments.

Nepal has in the past said Maoist rebels, fighting since 1996 to topple monarchy in the Himalayan country, had received support from their counterparts across the border in India who are campaigning for the rights of landless peasants there.

The Nepali rebels and the government have been observing a ceasefire since King Gyanendra handed power back to political parties following street protests in April.

They have since held three rounds of talks.

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