Nepal's chaos threatens Everest jubilee

It was supposed to be a celebration of humanity's spirit of adventure. Almost 50 years ago, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed to the summit of Mount Everest and brought the world's attention to the little-known kingdom of Nepal.

But golden jubilee celebrations in the Everest region are in danger of collapsing as Maoist insurgents attempting to overthrow the government in Kathmandu tighten their grip on the approaches to the mountain.

In the village of Lukla, gateway to the Mount Everest region, a new airport built to capitalise on a projected boom in the numbers of tourists is now surrounded by razor wire and patrolled by armed troops. At 8pm each evening, a klaxon sounds to mark the start of a curfew.

In the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazar, two days' trek up the valley, the army garrison has been reinforced. Trekkers returning from valleys immediately east of the Everest region say Maoist fighters boast they will attack Lukla airport once the trekking season ends later this month. Last February, Maoists detonated home-made bombs inside the airport's control tower, disrupting flights for several days.

If the Maoists succeed in taking control of Lukla it will be a humiliation for the new government in Kathmandu and King Gyanendra. Nepal was in political chaos when Hillary and Tenzing reached the capital after their historic climb in 1953, but, 50 years on things are now far worse. Earlier this month Gyanendra sacked the failing elected government and appointed an interim Prime Minister. Fresh elections are planned, but cannot be held until security improves.

Last week's death toll climbed to more than 140 after Maoists renewed their strategy of mass attacks on remote police and army posts, mainly in the poorest regions of western Nepal. Three thousand insurgents were reported to have overrun the town of Jumla, close to the Rara Lake National Park, killing 33 police and four soldiers. The army reported recovering 55 bodies of Maoists who died in the attack and a cache of weapons including rifles looted from the security forces. A leading government official and two other civilians were also killed.

In Gorkha, 95 miles west of Kathmandu, 23 police died in a similar raid. Security forces reported recovering the bodies of 63 Maoists but the death toll was expected to rise.

East of Kathmandu, a land mine planted by rebels blew up a bus on Thursday, killing two people and injuring 22 others. The bus was crowded with passengers as public transport reopened following a general strike called by the Maoists, which left Nepal's crumbling economy paralysed for three days.

The conflict has been shockingly brutal in a country more famous for the warm welcome it extends to visitors. According to government sources, almost 8,000 people have died in the six-year insurgency, most in the past year. More than 6,000 rebels are reported to have died, according to government officials. More than 850 police have also died, many of them attacked in the dead of night in remote outposts.

Despite their ambition to overthrow the king and establish a Communist state, Maoist leaders have gone out of their way to reassure tourists that they will not be harmed. Tourists are seen as an economic opportunity, not just by the government and the Maoists but also by local gangsters who use the Maoists' reputation to intimidate Westerners.

Mountaineer Doug Scott, a director of Community Action Nepal, says a fund-raising trek just returned from central Nepal was robbed by Maoists. 'They're usually very polite and non-threatening about it. Trek leaders are approached and there's a good-natured haggling process to fix a price. In the six years since the insurgency began, not one single Westerner has been harmed.'

Nepal's new Deputy Prime Minister, Badri Prasad Mandal, said last week that the government wants to resume talks. The Maoists, too, have claimed they want to negotiate a settlement.

Despite reassurances from all sides, tourism has slumped by more than 70 per cent. Almost half a million people used to visit Nepal, earning one of the world's poorest countries £100 million and employing 200,000.

Peter Gibbs of British trekking outfitters Himalayan Kingdoms said the company was monitoring the situation daily and would cancel holidays and refund clients if necessary. 'We are guided by the advice of the Foreign Office and we have local agents on the ground who keep us reliably informed.'

Himalayan Kingdoms has planned eight separate trips to Everest to celebrate the golden jubilee. Events planned range from the world's highest marathon to an elephant polo tournament.

In London, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will attend a special gala lecture featuring members of the successful 1953 expedition. Hillary will travel to Kathmandu to lead the celebrations there on the anniversary of the climb, 29 May.