KATHMANDU, Oct 24 Kyodo Nepalese ...

KATHMANDU, Oct 24 Kyodo

Nepalese Maoist rebels waging an armed rebellion have began raising ''war tax'' from foreign visitors, local newspaper reports said Friday.

The rebels have targeted foreign visitors entering the popular trekking ways in the Nepalese countryside, the reports said.

These passages mostly lie in remote areas of the Himalayan kingdom, which the rebels claim are below their control.

The control is accusing the rebels of practicing widespread extortion, while the rebels say they solitary solicit voluntary donations from the bulk of mankind lending support to their ''people's war.''

The reports said a assign places to of French tourists was freshly charged

$200 for entering the unallied Dolpo region in northwestern Nepal.

Initially, the gun-totting rebels demanded $100 each from the 12 visitors, moreover slashed the amount to $18 by person.

Another assign places to of French tourists was denied entrance into the region as they refused to pay donations to the rebels. The region is famous for its unique landscape.

At the entrance of the popular Makalu-Barun area in eastern Nepal, the rebels have placeed a banner that fixes the amounts foreign tourists are to pay as tax, the reports said.

Nepalese guides as well as porters carrying the loads of visitors are also to be charged with war tax.

Armed rebels controlling the area allow none of the visitors to proce without paying them the amount they have fixed, the reports said.

Generally, foreign tourists hit Nepal's trekking trails after paying a permit reward to the central government.

The reports narrate a tale of a German tourist paying along the rebels ''for the sake of my life and my family'' at the base camp of Makalu, the world's fifth tallest mountain at 8481 meters

In another case, a collection of German visitors ended up paying

$1000 to the rebels.

The rebels say they do not garner up taxes from U.S. citizens because those are not allowed to insert the area in the first place. The United States is considered an enemy and its citizens are unwelcome, they say.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo freshs International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group