TIBET

Nepal is a sovereign country, we don't have to follow orders from China ('Mt Olympus', #391). We should not even consider stopping mountain expeditions which are one of the biggest earners for our economy just because a neighbour says so. We should consider our own national interest, not somebody else's.

N Phunkang,
email

. I can understand Chinese officials leaning on Nepal to ban expeditions on Mt Everest and to stop protests by Tibetans in Kathmandu ('Cold Blood', #392). But who told them they must break the heads of monks, kick nuns and drag them by their robes to be stuffed inside vans to be taken away for detention. Such brutality, broadcast worldwide, brings nothing but shame on Nepal.

Roshan Thapa,
Bangkok

MADHES

I really understand Prashant Jha's concern when he says if the Madhesi moderates don't win, the extremists will take over ('Murkier and murkier', #392). But why can't they stay united when there was such a big movement supposedly to support them? When will the newly-powerful Madhesi leaders stand up for their populace? Gross under-representation of marginalised groups (dalits and women) in their closed PR list shows that their parties are still controlled by traditional local elites. The NC is not bathed in milk, but at least it has an inclusive PR list. I would vote for a national party and urge everyone else to do the same.

Sandeep Dhungana,
email

MUSTANG ROAD

. Lovely story, 'A road runs through it' (#391). I'm excited to ride the new road, but also full of memories of the old route. There are 10,000 new opportunities on road: service industries, new trekking options, hotels, orchards and farms that can export products, natural resources, new educational opportunities, and much more. A tip of the hat for the old towns though.

John Child,
email

. Kunda Dixit takes a non-committal middle path in analysing the road from Beni to Jomsom. He should have pointed out how the highway is going to completely destroy the trekking potential of the world's most precious place. Even if the more remote parts of Myagdi and Mustang are opened up, the question is: would they benefit from tourism? These are culturally fragile places and we have seen the potential of tourism to soil its own nest.

Andre Bennett,
Paris

CLEAN AND GREEN

Reading about the renewable energy and recycling of domestic waste in Gorkha ('Clean and green', #392). I wish the same could be said for the Kathmandu Valley. The Bagmati is stinking and flowing with domestic waste of all kinds. We too could make compost manure and generate alternative energy from our waste, but sadly Kathmandu seems to be behind Danda Gaon in this respect.

Rabin Rachalica,
Bhaktapur