Even as Nepal prepares for a landmark election in its transition process, anew conflict, inherently separatist in nature, is gathering pace in the country,as fatalities mount in the ongoing ethnic unrest that is affecting the southernpart of Nepal. Ek Mani Nepal, Under Secretary of the Nepali home ministry,disclosed that violent demonstrations, largely orchestrated by the MadheshiJanadhikar Forum (MJF, also known as the Madheshi Peoples’ Rights Forum),across the eastern and central Terai (moist land) Plains of southern Nepal, fromJanuary 19 to February 7, 2007, resulted in the death of 24 persons. 18 peoplereportedly died during clashes with the police; three in civilianconfrontations; one was killed in a shootout involving a Maoist; a policemandied during demonstrations by Madhesi activists; and a truck driver wasreportedly killed by the 'Terai Cobra' organisation, of which little elseis known. MJF Vice-President, Kishor Kumar Bishwas, however, claimed that thedeath toll was 38. The current unrest began on January 19, 2007, when theMaoists reportedly shot dead a Madheshi demonstrator who was attempting toenforce a transportation strike to protest against the Interim Constitution.