Nepal's Buddhists urge Government to hold talks at Buddha's Birthplace  

LUMBINI: Buddhist monks in Lumbini on Thursday asked the new multi-party Government in the country to hold talks with the Maoists at the birthplace of the Buddha to end a decade-old insurgency.  

The monks said that all the parties taking part in the peace initiative should come to Lumbini to achieve a positive result.  

"When there is peace in mind then there will be peace in reality. But when we do not have peace in mind then talking is valueless so I appeal to all the parties including the Maoists to please come to Lumbini, practise peace (talk) and we will have peace," Nirrardan Sihanuk, a monk from Thailand, said. Other monks also echoed similar sentiments.  

"I think that the peace talks should be held here in Lumbini, the birth place of the Buddha from where He has given the message of peace. We feel that if the talks between the Maoists and the Government is held here then the talks will surely be successful," said Ven. R. Chanduratan, a monk from Sri Lanka.  

The Nepalese Government earlier this month matched a Maoist truce and called the rebels for talks to which the guerrillas agreed. No date for the meeting has been fixed. The Maoists are pressing the new Government to release hundreds of jailed rebel leaders or members in Nepal and in India ahead of the talks. Nepal, Sunday