Buses and trucks torched by Communist Terrorist on the highways leading into Kathmandu, Nepal on Monday night

2004-09-29 / Associated Press /

A general strike called by communist terorists shut down half of this Himalayan kingdom of Nepal Tuesday despite a government call for the public to defy the guerrillas.

Nepal's Home Ministry said yesterday it had deployed additional security forces and urged the public not to honor the strike. The ministry promised to compensate anyone whose property or vehicles were damaged by the rebels in retaliation for their defiance.

In the past, the guerrillas and their supporters have vandalized shops and torched vehicles of anyone who defied their strike demands.

The two-day shutdown, which began yesterday, affected the eastern and central regions of the country, including the capital Kathmandu, forcing the closure of schools, businesses, transport and markets throughout the affected regions.

Police said at least a half dozen buses and trucks were torched by the rebels on the highways leading into the capital on Monday night, even before the strike was to begin. No one was injured in the attacks.

Vehicles stayed off the roads yesterday but the airports remained open. Government workers were forced to walk to their offices and tourists were driven to the airport in buses with armed police guards.

In the capital Kathmandu, soldiers and armed policemen were stationed on all major intersections of the city while hundreds of troops patrolled the streets.

Coercive force

Thousands of passengers were stranded at the bus station in Katmandu as drivers refused to run their routes.

Most people do not support the rebels but comply with the strikes out of fear of attacks by the Maoist communists.

The guerrillas say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong and have been fighting since February 1996 to replace Nepal's monarchy with a communist state.

The communist insurgency has claimed more than 10,000 lives.

Violence has escalated since the insurgents withdrew from a cease-fire in August. The rebels walked out of peace talks and resumed attacks on government and civilian targets.
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