Suspected Communist Rebels in Nepal Ambush Army Truck, Shoot Police Chief, Kill at Least 14 People
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA Associated Press Writer
The Associated PressThe Associated Press
KATMANDU, Nepal Feb 27, 2005 — Suspected communist rebels in southern Nepal ambushed an army truck, shot a police chief and attacked villagers Sunday, killing at least 14 people a day after lifting a highway blockade that crippled the flow of essential supplies in protest of the king's recent power grab.
The rebels ambushed an army truck carrying soldiers on patrol near Patlaiya, about 160 miles south of Katmandu, killing eight of them, police said.
Another 10 soldiers were injured and taken to hospitals, a spokesman at the army headquarters in Katmandu said.
In nearby Butwal, suspected rebels fatally shot the town's police chief and his assistant before escaping.
Separately, insurgents killed four people in overnight attacks on villages in the south, police said. Villagers in the area have shown rare defiance of the rebels, killing 21 guerrillas in the past few days.
The rebels announced Saturday they were lifting the blockade to ease the discomfort of the common people. However, they vowed to step up their campaign against the army.
"We are going to start a new phase of movement increasing military resistance and mass movement of people," rebel chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, said in a statement.
A Nepalese army spokesman declined comment.
The insurgents, who have been fighting for more than eight years to topple the monarchy and install communist rule, blocked the country's highways using crude bombs, mines and boulders, disrupting deliveries of basic supplies across the Himalayan kingdom and choking off major cities.
On Sunday, some 40 oil tankers brought much-needed gasoline, diesel and kerosene to the capital, Katmandu, which had been facing a fuel shortage. Dozens of trucks loaded with fresh vegetables and fruits, rice, flour, chickens and milk also arrived.
Buses and cars parked in garages for days ventured out onto roads snaking through the mountainous country.
"We have had several telephone calls this morning from people who wanted to make reservations. Finally, it's business as usual," said Ram Shrestha, a ticket clerk at the local bus station in Katmandu.
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Sunday, February 27, 2005
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Nepal's King Gyanendra has sacked the government and placed the prime minister under house arrest.
Sphere: Related Content
Maoists call off Nepal blockade
Last Updated: Saturday, 26 February, 2005, 16:03 GMT
The Maoist blockade brought the country to a standstill
Maoist rebels in Nepal have called off a nationwide transport blockade they ordered to protest at King Gyanendra's seizure of power earlier this month.
The Maoist leader, Prachanda, said the decision was taken to show "our greater responsibility towards the public".
But he threatened to call an indefinite strike next month unless the king reversed the state of emergency.
The two-week-long stoppage caused misery throughout Nepal, says the BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu.
An Indian driver was shot dead while under military escort. There were food and medical shortages and people would walk for days to get to their villages, or give up in despair.
Nepalis were also caught between Maoist violence and army coercion, our correspondent says.
There have been reports of soldiers threatening to impound vehicles if their drivers did not continue to use the roads - and an unconfirmed account of the Maoists cutting off the arm of one driver, he says.
King Gyanendra says he sacked his government because it had failed to tackle the Maoists.
Nearly 11,000 people have died in Nepal's 10-year Maoist insurgency.
'We will be watching'
"If there are no changes, our party will be obliged to observe an indefinite nationwide general strike from next month [starting March 14]," Prachanda said in a statement distributed to the media.
We are going to start a new phase of movement increasing military resistance and mass movement of people
Prachanda statement
"We will be watching political developments in the country," he said.
He said the blockade was being ended to make way for new ways of combating "the feudal authoritarian gang" running the country.
Terming the authorities "royal butchers", Prachanda said they would be fought through military resistance.
"We are going to start a new phase of movement increasing military resistance and mass movement of people," he said, giving no details.
Prachanda's appeal for a people's movement suggests he may be wooing the country's political parties, many of whose leaders and members have been arrested since the royal coup, our correspondent says.
So far they have rejected such an alliance for as long as the Maoists use violence, he says.
In a new meeting, representatives of five of the parties have called for a nationwide pro-democracy rally on 8 March. Sphere: Related Content
The Maoist blockade brought the country to a standstill
Maoist rebels in Nepal have called off a nationwide transport blockade they ordered to protest at King Gyanendra's seizure of power earlier this month.
The Maoist leader, Prachanda, said the decision was taken to show "our greater responsibility towards the public".
But he threatened to call an indefinite strike next month unless the king reversed the state of emergency.
The two-week-long stoppage caused misery throughout Nepal, says the BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu.
An Indian driver was shot dead while under military escort. There were food and medical shortages and people would walk for days to get to their villages, or give up in despair.
Nepalis were also caught between Maoist violence and army coercion, our correspondent says.
There have been reports of soldiers threatening to impound vehicles if their drivers did not continue to use the roads - and an unconfirmed account of the Maoists cutting off the arm of one driver, he says.
King Gyanendra says he sacked his government because it had failed to tackle the Maoists.
Nearly 11,000 people have died in Nepal's 10-year Maoist insurgency.
'We will be watching'
"If there are no changes, our party will be obliged to observe an indefinite nationwide general strike from next month [starting March 14]," Prachanda said in a statement distributed to the media.
We are going to start a new phase of movement increasing military resistance and mass movement of people
Prachanda statement
"We will be watching political developments in the country," he said.
He said the blockade was being ended to make way for new ways of combating "the feudal authoritarian gang" running the country.
Terming the authorities "royal butchers", Prachanda said they would be fought through military resistance.
"We are going to start a new phase of movement increasing military resistance and mass movement of people," he said, giving no details.
Prachanda's appeal for a people's movement suggests he may be wooing the country's political parties, many of whose leaders and members have been arrested since the royal coup, our correspondent says.
So far they have rejected such an alliance for as long as the Maoists use violence, he says.
In a new meeting, representatives of five of the parties have called for a nationwide pro-democracy rally on 8 March. Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Nepalese army to continue to battle Maoists despite U.K. arms halt
Source: Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA)
Date: 23 Feb 2005
Nepalese army to continue to battle Maoists despite U.K. arms halt
Kathmandu (dpa) - The Nepalese Army will continue to battle the Maoist insurgency despite a British decision to suspend military assistance to Nepal, the Himalayan kingdom's internet news site reported Wednesday.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was reported to have told the British parliament that the U.K. government was suspending its military assistance to Nepal.
The British government along with most Western governments severely criticised King Gyanendra's takeover of all state powers on February 1 and the imposition of a state of emergency that curbed civil liberties, including press freedom.
Western countries including the United States are calling on King Gyanendra to restore democracy as soon as possible.
The internet news site, Nepalnews, reported that the spokesman of the Nepalese army, Brigadier Deepak Gurung, commenting on the British move, said ``We are obviously saddened by the decision of the British government.''
Saying democracy was never put in danger due to the army in Nepal, the spokesperson said, ``We are fighting for promotion and protection of democracy against Maoist terrorists and this decision of the British government would certainly back the Maoists at the moment.''
According to reports in the Nepalese press Wednesday, India has also indicated that it was suspending all military supplies to Nepal.
Political observers are attaching considerable importance to a meeting between the Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers Dr. Tulsi Giri and the Chinese ambassador in the Nepalese capital Wednesday.
They say that Nepal might be preparing to buy arms from China as these have now been denied by India and the Britain.
They recall that purchase of arms from China in 1988 led to an Indian economic blockade in 1989 that lasted for over 15 months. dpa sb jh Sphere: Related Content
Date: 23 Feb 2005
Nepalese army to continue to battle Maoists despite U.K. arms halt
Kathmandu (dpa) - The Nepalese Army will continue to battle the Maoist insurgency despite a British decision to suspend military assistance to Nepal, the Himalayan kingdom's internet news site reported Wednesday.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was reported to have told the British parliament that the U.K. government was suspending its military assistance to Nepal.
The British government along with most Western governments severely criticised King Gyanendra's takeover of all state powers on February 1 and the imposition of a state of emergency that curbed civil liberties, including press freedom.
Western countries including the United States are calling on King Gyanendra to restore democracy as soon as possible.
The internet news site, Nepalnews, reported that the spokesman of the Nepalese army, Brigadier Deepak Gurung, commenting on the British move, said ``We are obviously saddened by the decision of the British government.''
Saying democracy was never put in danger due to the army in Nepal, the spokesperson said, ``We are fighting for promotion and protection of democracy against Maoist terrorists and this decision of the British government would certainly back the Maoists at the moment.''
According to reports in the Nepalese press Wednesday, India has also indicated that it was suspending all military supplies to Nepal.
Political observers are attaching considerable importance to a meeting between the Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers Dr. Tulsi Giri and the Chinese ambassador in the Nepalese capital Wednesday.
They say that Nepal might be preparing to buy arms from China as these have now been denied by India and the Britain.
They recall that purchase of arms from China in 1988 led to an Indian economic blockade in 1989 that lasted for over 15 months. dpa sb jh Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
12 Maoists killed in Nepal, blockade continues - The Times of India
AP[ TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2005 01:02:33 PM ]
KATHMANDU: Maoist rebels set off a dozen bombs west of Nepal's capital, hitting schools, government buildings and a power station, while fighting with government forces in the east killed 12 guerrillas, police said Tuesday.
At least three civilians were wounded in the explosions on Monday, police said. The rebels lost 12 fighters in a shootout Monday when they attacked an army patrol near Dakaha village east of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, a police officer said Tuesday on customary condition of anonymity.
Soldiers fought the rebels for more than three hours, seizing weapons and ammunition from them, he said. The army reported no casualties.
The rebels, fighting for nine years to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with communist rule, have responded to King Gyanendra's February 1 takeover of the country with a blockade of the country's highways.
They have set off crude bombs, laid obstructions and forced the army to shift its focus to protecting commuters rather than fighting the rebels.
Separately, the rebels detonated several bombs before dawn on Monday in the town of Nepalgunj, about 500 kilometers west of Kathmandu, hitting several government buildings, police officials in the area said on Tuesday.
The officers declined to be named. The targets included at least five schools in and around Nepalgunj, one of the country's major cities.
A crude bomb exploded at the entrance of a medical college, wounding three people, police said. In many schools, students walked in on Monday to find live bombs in their classrooms, police said.
The rebels also hit a power station, interrupting electricity in at least three districts in the area. The battle is increasingly being fought along Nepal's highways, where the rebels are trying to obstruct traffic and choke off the cities.
The Prithvi Highway, which is crucial to the capital, is the worst hit. One of the few main arteries in resource-strapped Nepal, it connects Katmandu and cuts through the heart of the country, running south to India.
Its closure means essential supplies, such fuel, cannot move in. In the vast mountainous hinterland, fuel supplies were not reaching outlying areas because of the blockade, news reports said.
The Prithvi Highway blockade is also causing massive losses to businesses, mainly exporters who say they cannot move out their handicrafts and other exotic Nepali goods intended for Indian, American and European buyers.
Sphere: Related Content
KATHMANDU: Maoist rebels set off a dozen bombs west of Nepal's capital, hitting schools, government buildings and a power station, while fighting with government forces in the east killed 12 guerrillas, police said Tuesday.
At least three civilians were wounded in the explosions on Monday, police said. The rebels lost 12 fighters in a shootout Monday when they attacked an army patrol near Dakaha village east of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, a police officer said Tuesday on customary condition of anonymity.
Soldiers fought the rebels for more than three hours, seizing weapons and ammunition from them, he said. The army reported no casualties.
The rebels, fighting for nine years to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with communist rule, have responded to King Gyanendra's February 1 takeover of the country with a blockade of the country's highways.
They have set off crude bombs, laid obstructions and forced the army to shift its focus to protecting commuters rather than fighting the rebels.
Separately, the rebels detonated several bombs before dawn on Monday in the town of Nepalgunj, about 500 kilometers west of Kathmandu, hitting several government buildings, police officials in the area said on Tuesday.
The officers declined to be named. The targets included at least five schools in and around Nepalgunj, one of the country's major cities.
A crude bomb exploded at the entrance of a medical college, wounding three people, police said. In many schools, students walked in on Monday to find live bombs in their classrooms, police said.
The rebels also hit a power station, interrupting electricity in at least three districts in the area. The battle is increasingly being fought along Nepal's highways, where the rebels are trying to obstruct traffic and choke off the cities.
The Prithvi Highway, which is crucial to the capital, is the worst hit. One of the few main arteries in resource-strapped Nepal, it connects Katmandu and cuts through the heart of the country, running south to India.
Its closure means essential supplies, such fuel, cannot move in. In the vast mountainous hinterland, fuel supplies were not reaching outlying areas because of the blockade, news reports said.
The Prithvi Highway blockade is also causing massive losses to businesses, mainly exporters who say they cannot move out their handicrafts and other exotic Nepali goods intended for Indian, American and European buyers.
Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, February 20, 2005
AP Wire | 02/20/2005 | Nepal rebels attack highway convoy
Posted on Sun, Feb. 20, 2005
NEELESH MISRA
Associated Press
CHARAUNDI, Nepal - Communist rebels attacked a highway convoy on Sunday, wounding two Nepalese soldiers and a civilian after the insurgents erected roadblocks, planted bombs and shot at motorists.
The roadblocks in Charaundi, some 55 miles southwest of the capital, Katmandu, were the latest attempt by rebels to control the roads linking the capital to the rest of the country. The rebels often halt traffic on the roads for days at a time, cutting off supplies to Katmandu.
The insurgents threatened to block major roads to protest King Gyanendra's Feb. 1 decision to dismiss the government, suspend civil liberties and form a new Cabinet under his own chairmanship. The moves caused an international outcry.
The king said the move was necessary because the previous government failed to control the intensifying insurgency.
Thousands of vehicles were stranded for hours Sunday waiting for security forces to clear the highway. Army officers allowed traffic to resume only after road had been cleared of mines.
"We have been foiling their attempts to blockade Katmandu. This is one of the battles for us," Brig. Gen. Dipak Gurung, the chief army spokesman, told The Associated Press. "It's a seesaw battle, but we are succeeding."
But militants hiding in a wooded area alongside the highway fired at a passing convoy, wounding three people, including two soldiers.
"We were traveling on the top of the bus, when they started firing from both sides of the road. The bus stopped and we quickly got inside, but more bullets came through the window," said Krishna Poudel, 18.
Elsewhere in the troubled Himalayan nation, a group of 300 insurgents pretending to be a wedding procession killed one police officer and wounded five others, an official said.
Saturday's attack was in Mahendranagar, about 200 miles southeast of Katmandu. Soldiers rushed to the area, but the rebels had fled.
The rebels, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, want to replace Nepal's monarchy with a communist state. The insurgency has left more than 10,500 dead since it was launched in 1996.
--- Sphere: Related Content
NEELESH MISRA
Associated Press
CHARAUNDI, Nepal - Communist rebels attacked a highway convoy on Sunday, wounding two Nepalese soldiers and a civilian after the insurgents erected roadblocks, planted bombs and shot at motorists.
The roadblocks in Charaundi, some 55 miles southwest of the capital, Katmandu, were the latest attempt by rebels to control the roads linking the capital to the rest of the country. The rebels often halt traffic on the roads for days at a time, cutting off supplies to Katmandu.
The insurgents threatened to block major roads to protest King Gyanendra's Feb. 1 decision to dismiss the government, suspend civil liberties and form a new Cabinet under his own chairmanship. The moves caused an international outcry.
The king said the move was necessary because the previous government failed to control the intensifying insurgency.
Thousands of vehicles were stranded for hours Sunday waiting for security forces to clear the highway. Army officers allowed traffic to resume only after road had been cleared of mines.
"We have been foiling their attempts to blockade Katmandu. This is one of the battles for us," Brig. Gen. Dipak Gurung, the chief army spokesman, told The Associated Press. "It's a seesaw battle, but we are succeeding."
But militants hiding in a wooded area alongside the highway fired at a passing convoy, wounding three people, including two soldiers.
"We were traveling on the top of the bus, when they started firing from both sides of the road. The bus stopped and we quickly got inside, but more bullets came through the window," said Krishna Poudel, 18.
Elsewhere in the troubled Himalayan nation, a group of 300 insurgents pretending to be a wedding procession killed one police officer and wounded five others, an official said.
Saturday's attack was in Mahendranagar, about 200 miles southeast of Katmandu. Soldiers rushed to the area, but the rebels had fled.
The rebels, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, want to replace Nepal's monarchy with a communist state. The insurgency has left more than 10,500 dead since it was launched in 1996.
--- Sphere: Related Content
Reuters | Media group seeks release of Nepal journalists
Sat February 19, 2005 3:14 PM GMT+05:30
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - An international media watchdog urged Nepal's royalist government on Saturday to lift strict censorship and free six journalists detained since King Gyanendra took power this month.
Nepal has come under intense pressure from rights groups after King Gyanendra's surprise move on Feb. 1 to sack the government, take charge of the country, declare a state of emergency and impose media censorship.
Kathmandu also banned media reports critical of the king and army officers have been stationed at newspapers and radio and television stations to monitor coverage. At least six journalists are under arrest and many others are on the run.
"All these six journalists should be released immediately," Christopher Warren, chief of Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists, told reporters. "The military should immediately cease its search for other journalists."
Warren, in Nepal to assess the condition of the media, said many newspapers had been forced to close down and independent FM radio stations were barred from broadcasting news, resulting in job losses for about 600 journalists.
He said some journalists, including Tara Nath Dahal, chief of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), were in hiding to avoid arrest.
"The clampdown on freedom of expression and the attempt to stifle democratic forces is against fundamental human rights and must be strongly resisted," Warren said.
Political parties say hundreds of party activists, human rights workers, trade union members and student union leaders are either in jail or under house arrest in an attempt to prevent any protests against Gyanendra's move.
India, Britain and the United States have led global condemnation of Gyanendra's power grab and warned him that they might stop crucial military aid needed to crush a bloody Maoist revolt that has killed more than 11,000 people since 1996.
Earlier this month, French media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said that Nepal had a poor record of protecting media rights. In 2004, it was for the third consecutive year the country with the largest number of journalists arrested in the world. Sphere: Related Content
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - An international media watchdog urged Nepal's royalist government on Saturday to lift strict censorship and free six journalists detained since King Gyanendra took power this month.
Nepal has come under intense pressure from rights groups after King Gyanendra's surprise move on Feb. 1 to sack the government, take charge of the country, declare a state of emergency and impose media censorship.
Kathmandu also banned media reports critical of the king and army officers have been stationed at newspapers and radio and television stations to monitor coverage. At least six journalists are under arrest and many others are on the run.
"All these six journalists should be released immediately," Christopher Warren, chief of Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists, told reporters. "The military should immediately cease its search for other journalists."
Warren, in Nepal to assess the condition of the media, said many newspapers had been forced to close down and independent FM radio stations were barred from broadcasting news, resulting in job losses for about 600 journalists.
He said some journalists, including Tara Nath Dahal, chief of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), were in hiding to avoid arrest.
"The clampdown on freedom of expression and the attempt to stifle democratic forces is against fundamental human rights and must be strongly resisted," Warren said.
Political parties say hundreds of party activists, human rights workers, trade union members and student union leaders are either in jail or under house arrest in an attempt to prevent any protests against Gyanendra's move.
India, Britain and the United States have led global condemnation of Gyanendra's power grab and warned him that they might stop crucial military aid needed to crush a bloody Maoist revolt that has killed more than 11,000 people since 1996.
Earlier this month, French media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said that Nepal had a poor record of protecting media rights. In 2004, it was for the third consecutive year the country with the largest number of journalists arrested in the world. Sphere: Related Content
Friday, February 18, 2005
AP Wire | 02/18/2005 | Nepal cuts phone lines to thwart protests
NEELESH MISRA
Associated Press
KATMANDU, Nepal - The royal government plunged Nepal into a communications blackout Friday - the country's annual celebration of democracy - cutting phone service to thwart opposition activists trying to organize nationwide protests against the king's seizure of power earlier this month.
In the capital, Katmandu, the call for demonstrations to recognize Democracy Day went largely unheeded. The fate of protests in other parts of the Himalayan nation was not immediately known because of the severed phone service.
The holiday marks the 1990 end of royal rule in Nepal and the shift to a multiparty democracy.
Meanwhile, King Gyanendra attended a military parade to celebrate the anniversary. Many residents of the capital city also participated.
Earlier, Gyanendra said in a message to the nation that he took control of the country on Feb. 1 only to save democracy from communist rebels and corrupt politicians.
An official in Washington said overnight that the monarch had assured the U.S. government that he will begin restoring democracy within 100 days. The official said Washington would consider suspending its security aid for Nepal if the king fails to follow through on that pledge.
Britain was considering similar action, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Friday during a tour of India.
"We are very keen to see the restoration of a representative government and democratic freedom as essential steps toward a sustainable peace process," Straw told reporters in New Delhi. "We don't believe there is any future from the current situation."
Gyanendra sacked the interim government, suspended civil liberties and imposed emergency rule, justifying the move as necessary to combat guerrillas who have fought since 1996 to replace the constitutional monarchy with a communist regime. Political leaders, students, human rights activists, journalists and trade unionists have been detained in the emergency.
For days following the royal takeover, Nepal's communications links to the outside world were virtually severed. Landline phone links later resumed, though mobile phone service has remained disconnected.
Landline phone service was shut off again Friday.
Critics have criticized the king's moves as a setback for democracy, with the United States, Britain and other nations recalling their ambassadors this week.
Gyanendra rejected the criticism in a written message to his nation Friday, saying his takeover was made necessary by the rebels and by corrupt and squabbling politicians.
He said that "terrorist activities" - typically meaning rebel attacks - and "politics far removed from the common man" had put the country's democracy at risk, adding to "growing disillusionment with democracy itself."
"It is clear to our countrymen that we ourselves had to take steps to extricate the country and multiparty democracy from this morass," he said.
His comments were echoed by some residents of Katmandu.
"The king did the right thing. These politicians are so corrupt and so inefficient. They needed this. That's why you see no support for the rally today," said Damodar Chowdhary, a 22-year-old taxi driver.
Activists from the opposition Nepali Congress guided journalists to protest sites, but hardly any demonstrators showed up. Eventually, eight activists emerged from a narrow lane and started shouting slogans against the king in a busy Katmandu market.
"Death to autocracy! Down with the autocratic king!" they yelled. But within minutes, they fled as a column of police in blue raced down the lane with truncheons and shields, followed by police cars with loud sirens. All of them were arrested.
The Royal Nepalese Army had tightened security on Friday, fearing attacks by Maoist rebels, spokesman Brig. Gen. Dipak Gurung said, although except for an attack on a jail, the rebels have refrained from major assaults since the king's takeover. More than 10,500 people have been killed in Nepal's insurgency since it started in 1996.
---
Associated Press writers Binaj Gurubacharya in Katmandu, Nepal, and George Gedda in Washington contributed to this report. Sphere: Related Content
Associated Press
KATMANDU, Nepal - The royal government plunged Nepal into a communications blackout Friday - the country's annual celebration of democracy - cutting phone service to thwart opposition activists trying to organize nationwide protests against the king's seizure of power earlier this month.
In the capital, Katmandu, the call for demonstrations to recognize Democracy Day went largely unheeded. The fate of protests in other parts of the Himalayan nation was not immediately known because of the severed phone service.
The holiday marks the 1990 end of royal rule in Nepal and the shift to a multiparty democracy.
Meanwhile, King Gyanendra attended a military parade to celebrate the anniversary. Many residents of the capital city also participated.
Earlier, Gyanendra said in a message to the nation that he took control of the country on Feb. 1 only to save democracy from communist rebels and corrupt politicians.
An official in Washington said overnight that the monarch had assured the U.S. government that he will begin restoring democracy within 100 days. The official said Washington would consider suspending its security aid for Nepal if the king fails to follow through on that pledge.
Britain was considering similar action, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Friday during a tour of India.
"We are very keen to see the restoration of a representative government and democratic freedom as essential steps toward a sustainable peace process," Straw told reporters in New Delhi. "We don't believe there is any future from the current situation."
Gyanendra sacked the interim government, suspended civil liberties and imposed emergency rule, justifying the move as necessary to combat guerrillas who have fought since 1996 to replace the constitutional monarchy with a communist regime. Political leaders, students, human rights activists, journalists and trade unionists have been detained in the emergency.
For days following the royal takeover, Nepal's communications links to the outside world were virtually severed. Landline phone links later resumed, though mobile phone service has remained disconnected.
Landline phone service was shut off again Friday.
Critics have criticized the king's moves as a setback for democracy, with the United States, Britain and other nations recalling their ambassadors this week.
Gyanendra rejected the criticism in a written message to his nation Friday, saying his takeover was made necessary by the rebels and by corrupt and squabbling politicians.
He said that "terrorist activities" - typically meaning rebel attacks - and "politics far removed from the common man" had put the country's democracy at risk, adding to "growing disillusionment with democracy itself."
"It is clear to our countrymen that we ourselves had to take steps to extricate the country and multiparty democracy from this morass," he said.
His comments were echoed by some residents of Katmandu.
"The king did the right thing. These politicians are so corrupt and so inefficient. They needed this. That's why you see no support for the rally today," said Damodar Chowdhary, a 22-year-old taxi driver.
Activists from the opposition Nepali Congress guided journalists to protest sites, but hardly any demonstrators showed up. Eventually, eight activists emerged from a narrow lane and started shouting slogans against the king in a busy Katmandu market.
"Death to autocracy! Down with the autocratic king!" they yelled. But within minutes, they fled as a column of police in blue raced down the lane with truncheons and shields, followed by police cars with loud sirens. All of them were arrested.
The Royal Nepalese Army had tightened security on Friday, fearing attacks by Maoist rebels, spokesman Brig. Gen. Dipak Gurung said, although except for an attack on a jail, the rebels have refrained from major assaults since the king's takeover. More than 10,500 people have been killed in Nepal's insurgency since it started in 1996.
---
Associated Press writers Binaj Gurubacharya in Katmandu, Nepal, and George Gedda in Washington contributed to this report. Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Dozen Rebels, Three Soldiers Killed in Fighting in Nepal - from TBO.com
"KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) - A clash between government troops and communist
rebels killed at least 15 people overnight in eastern Nepal, officials
said Tuesday, in the latest violence since the king imposed emergency
rule and vowed to bring the insurgency under control."
Thousands of soldiers were sweeping through the rebels' stronghold in the western mountains, destroying bases and ammunition dumps in an operation to flush out the insurgents.
The fighting comes two weeks after King Gyanendra dismissed the government, suspended civil liberties and declared an emergency. The king said the move was necessary to restore order and combat the communist insurgency, which has claimed more than 10,500 lives since 1996.
But he has come under increasing international pressure to restore democracy. Neighboring India said the king's power grab divided the country, undermining its fight against the rebels, and the United States, Britain, France and Germany have recalled their ambassadors.
The dozen rebels were gunned down overnight near Jante village, about 310 miles east of the capital, Katmandu. Three soldiers were killed and another one was reported missing in the clash, said the Royal Nepalese Army headquarters in Katmandu.
The government has said it would use force to resolve the conflict if the rebels refused to settle the issue peacefully.
"Our objective is to resolve the problem whether it is by talks or through an armed solution. The government will not hesitate to use any means to resolve the problem," Tulsi Giri, told reporters Monday after the king appointed him vice chairman of his new Cabinet.
The guerrillas, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting to turn Nepal into a communist state. They have said that the king's imposition of emergency rule on Feb. 1 has ended any possibility of peace talks.
K. Natwar Singh, India's External Affairs Minister, said the king had sparked a confrontation between the monarchy and political parties - a fray that would benefit only the Maoist rebels. India worries that an unstable Nepal could send refugees or militants spilling across the border.
Singh urged the monarch to release scores of political prisoners, restore press freedom and take steps to restore democratic rule, according to a ministry statement.
"We have to deal with whatever government is in office, but our sympathies lie with the democratic forces in that country," Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said Monday.
The United States recalled its ambassador for a week to discuss next steps in the crisis, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
"We remain deeply troubled by developments in Nepal," Boucher said, adding that the king needs to "restore and protect civil and human rights, promptly release those detained under the state of emergency and move quickly toward the restoration of civil liberties."
Britain, France and Germany were among European nations were also recalling their ambassadors.
AP-ES-02-15-05 0212ES Sphere: Related Content
rebels killed at least 15 people overnight in eastern Nepal, officials
said Tuesday, in the latest violence since the king imposed emergency
rule and vowed to bring the insurgency under control."
Thousands of soldiers were sweeping through the rebels' stronghold in the western mountains, destroying bases and ammunition dumps in an operation to flush out the insurgents.
The fighting comes two weeks after King Gyanendra dismissed the government, suspended civil liberties and declared an emergency. The king said the move was necessary to restore order and combat the communist insurgency, which has claimed more than 10,500 lives since 1996.
But he has come under increasing international pressure to restore democracy. Neighboring India said the king's power grab divided the country, undermining its fight against the rebels, and the United States, Britain, France and Germany have recalled their ambassadors.
The dozen rebels were gunned down overnight near Jante village, about 310 miles east of the capital, Katmandu. Three soldiers were killed and another one was reported missing in the clash, said the Royal Nepalese Army headquarters in Katmandu.
The government has said it would use force to resolve the conflict if the rebels refused to settle the issue peacefully.
"Our objective is to resolve the problem whether it is by talks or through an armed solution. The government will not hesitate to use any means to resolve the problem," Tulsi Giri, told reporters Monday after the king appointed him vice chairman of his new Cabinet.
The guerrillas, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting to turn Nepal into a communist state. They have said that the king's imposition of emergency rule on Feb. 1 has ended any possibility of peace talks.
K. Natwar Singh, India's External Affairs Minister, said the king had sparked a confrontation between the monarchy and political parties - a fray that would benefit only the Maoist rebels. India worries that an unstable Nepal could send refugees or militants spilling across the border.
Singh urged the monarch to release scores of political prisoners, restore press freedom and take steps to restore democratic rule, according to a ministry statement.
"We have to deal with whatever government is in office, but our sympathies lie with the democratic forces in that country," Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said Monday.
The United States recalled its ambassador for a week to discuss next steps in the crisis, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.
"We remain deeply troubled by developments in Nepal," Boucher said, adding that the king needs to "restore and protect civil and human rights, promptly release those detained under the state of emergency and move quickly toward the restoration of civil liberties."
Britain, France and Germany were among European nations were also recalling their ambassadors.
AP-ES-02-15-05 0212ES Sphere: Related Content
Monday, February 14, 2005
VOA News - US, EU Recall Ambassadors from Nepal
By David Gollust
Washington
14 February 2005
The State Department says the U.S. Ambassador in Katmandu, James Moriarity, is being recalled for at least a week of consultations on what the United States and other countries can do to support democracy in Nepal.
The action came in a coordinated diplomatic move with European Union governments to protest the February 1 state of emergency declaration by King Gyanendra that has been followed by the arrest of a number of opposition politicians and others, and media censorship.
At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States remains deeply troubled by developments in Nepal and said this view is widely shared among nations of the international community.
"The king needs to restore and protect civil and human rights," he said. "He needs to release those detained under the state of emergency, and move quickly toward the restoration of civil liberties and multi-party institutions. That is the point we are trying to make. We will consult with our ambassador, and others will consult with their ambassadors, about how best to achieve those goals, how we can support those goals.
King Gyandenra said he made the emergency declaration, his second in three years, because the government had been unable to restore peace and effective democracy in the Himalayan state, which has been beset by violence by Maoist insurgents.
The State Department has said the actions by the King would only undermine the struggle against the insurgency.
Spokesman Boucher said the United States calls on all those in Nepal committed to the country's future to engage in meaningful political discussions leading to national elections.
He said those among the Maoists who wish to be part of the country's future leadership should abandon armed struggle and join the political mainstream through dialogue and peaceful means.
The State Department has designated the Maoist rebel's political front, the Communist Party of Nepal, a terrorist organization and the United States provided Nepal with limited military aid.
But it has also been critical of the Katmandu government's poor human rights record.
The State Department's most recent report on human rights worldwide accused Nepalese authorities of numerous serious abuses, including cases of the disappearance of persons in custody, and instances of the use of torture to extract confessions. Sphere: Related Content
Washington
14 February 2005
The State Department says the U.S. Ambassador in Katmandu, James Moriarity, is being recalled for at least a week of consultations on what the United States and other countries can do to support democracy in Nepal.
The action came in a coordinated diplomatic move with European Union governments to protest the February 1 state of emergency declaration by King Gyanendra that has been followed by the arrest of a number of opposition politicians and others, and media censorship.
At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States remains deeply troubled by developments in Nepal and said this view is widely shared among nations of the international community.
"The king needs to restore and protect civil and human rights," he said. "He needs to release those detained under the state of emergency, and move quickly toward the restoration of civil liberties and multi-party institutions. That is the point we are trying to make. We will consult with our ambassador, and others will consult with their ambassadors, about how best to achieve those goals, how we can support those goals.
King Gyandenra said he made the emergency declaration, his second in three years, because the government had been unable to restore peace and effective democracy in the Himalayan state, which has been beset by violence by Maoist insurgents.
The State Department has said the actions by the King would only undermine the struggle against the insurgency.
Spokesman Boucher said the United States calls on all those in Nepal committed to the country's future to engage in meaningful political discussions leading to national elections.
He said those among the Maoists who wish to be part of the country's future leadership should abandon armed struggle and join the political mainstream through dialogue and peaceful means.
The State Department has designated the Maoist rebel's political front, the Communist Party of Nepal, a terrorist organization and the United States provided Nepal with limited military aid.
But it has also been critical of the Katmandu government's poor human rights record.
The State Department's most recent report on human rights worldwide accused Nepalese authorities of numerous serious abuses, including cases of the disappearance of persons in custody, and instances of the use of torture to extract confessions. Sphere: Related Content
A temple worker stretches a prayer flag across the symbolic Buddha portrait on the brass plated wall of Swayambu temple during "Basant Panchami," a festival to mark the beginning of the spring season in Katmandu, Nepal. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)
(February 13, 2005)
Sphere: Related Content
Friday, February 11, 2005
Daily Times - Pakistan | Nepal vows to foil blockade
* Urges rebels to seize chance for peace
KHATMANDU: Security forces scoured western Nepal on Friday for 145 prisoners sprung from jail by Maoists, as the army vowed to foil a road blockade threatened by the rebels to protest King Gyanendra’s seizure of power 11 days ago.
The prisoners were freed when hundreds of Maoist rebels stormed the jail in the western Kailaliat region late Wednesday in their first big offensive since the king assumed absolute powers in the Himalayan outpost on February 1.
“An intense search is under way for the 145 escaped prisoners in the area,” a security official said.
Five soldiers and at least one rebel died in the attack reported late Thursday in the kingdom, which has been under emergency rule since the monarch sacked the government and declared emergency rule.
“Hundreds of Maoist rebels tried to attack various government offices,” including those of the police and district administration, “but were bravely repulsed by security forces,” the security official told AFP.
“Several hundred rebels first controlled the jail and set free 168 inmates including 60 Maoist rebels and ran away with some arms and ammunition,” he said. Twenty-three of the prisoners had been put back behind bars, he said.
The official said the Maoists suffered heavy casualties but only one body was found because the rebels had carried away their dead. The militants routinely take away the bodies to avoid their identification and their network being uncovered.
Military experts say Nepal’s armed forces are ill-equipped to tackle the increasingly deadly Maoist insurgency that has claimed more than 11,000 lives since 1996 in the Hindu kingdom sandwiched between China and India.
Meanwhile, Nepali King Gyanendra’s assumption of power has opened the way for direct talks with Maoist guerrillas, the home minister said on Friday, urging the rebels to seize a chance for peace after years of war.
Dan Bahadur Shahi, making a first appeal to the rebels who hold swathes of countryside, said the new government was ready to discuss anything, including the constituent assembly the rebels are demanding to decide the role of the monarchy.
“We have kept our options open, let us first come to the table, we will discuss every aspect, including a constitutional assembly,” Shahi told the news agency in an interview in his expansive office in the fortified Singha Durbar, the seat of government.
“Our first priority is peace, peace talks,” said Shahi, handpicked by the king to lead the powerful interior ministry which, together with the military, is in charge of tackling the rebellion that has killed more than 11,000 people in nine years. agencies Sphere: Related Content
KHATMANDU: Security forces scoured western Nepal on Friday for 145 prisoners sprung from jail by Maoists, as the army vowed to foil a road blockade threatened by the rebels to protest King Gyanendra’s seizure of power 11 days ago.
The prisoners were freed when hundreds of Maoist rebels stormed the jail in the western Kailaliat region late Wednesday in their first big offensive since the king assumed absolute powers in the Himalayan outpost on February 1.
“An intense search is under way for the 145 escaped prisoners in the area,” a security official said.
Five soldiers and at least one rebel died in the attack reported late Thursday in the kingdom, which has been under emergency rule since the monarch sacked the government and declared emergency rule.
“Hundreds of Maoist rebels tried to attack various government offices,” including those of the police and district administration, “but were bravely repulsed by security forces,” the security official told AFP.
“Several hundred rebels first controlled the jail and set free 168 inmates including 60 Maoist rebels and ran away with some arms and ammunition,” he said. Twenty-three of the prisoners had been put back behind bars, he said.
The official said the Maoists suffered heavy casualties but only one body was found because the rebels had carried away their dead. The militants routinely take away the bodies to avoid their identification and their network being uncovered.
Military experts say Nepal’s armed forces are ill-equipped to tackle the increasingly deadly Maoist insurgency that has claimed more than 11,000 lives since 1996 in the Hindu kingdom sandwiched between China and India.
Meanwhile, Nepali King Gyanendra’s assumption of power has opened the way for direct talks with Maoist guerrillas, the home minister said on Friday, urging the rebels to seize a chance for peace after years of war.
Dan Bahadur Shahi, making a first appeal to the rebels who hold swathes of countryside, said the new government was ready to discuss anything, including the constituent assembly the rebels are demanding to decide the role of the monarchy.
“We have kept our options open, let us first come to the table, we will discuss every aspect, including a constitutional assembly,” Shahi told the news agency in an interview in his expansive office in the fortified Singha Durbar, the seat of government.
“Our first priority is peace, peace talks,” said Shahi, handpicked by the king to lead the powerful interior ministry which, together with the military, is in charge of tackling the rebellion that has killed more than 11,000 people in nine years. agencies Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Urgent Action to Defend Nepalese Activist
We need your help right now.
February 10, 2005
We need your help right now.February 10, 2005
Dear Linda,
Krishna Pahadi, the founding chairman of the Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES), was arrested at the organization's office in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, on February 9. Krishna Pahadi, the former president of Amnesty International's Nepal section, is well known as one of the country's leading human rights defenders. His whereabouts are unknown and there are serious concerns for his safety.
Please use the link below to contact Nepalese officials immediately.
ACT NOW:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=11529
You can help us spread the word by telling your friends about Krishna Pahadi's case and urging them to take action on his behalf:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/tellafriend/index.asp?pid=124
Thank you for your efforts to protect human rights.
Rosa Del Angel
Amnesty International USA
Online Action Center
Monday, February 07, 2005
BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Nepal to offer talks with Maoists
Monday, 7 February, 2005, 09:07 GMT
Sphere: Related Content
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The new royalist government in Nepal is to offer unconditional peace talks with the country's Maoists rebels, state media have reported.
Some newspapers have pressed the government to lift curbs
The rebels have turned down several calls to resume peace talks that were abandoned in late 2003. Nepal's King Gyanendra sacked the previous government last Tuesday, saying it had failed to tackle the Maoist rebel uprising. The rebels' demands "can be discussed at the negotiating table", the government statement released on state media said. The Maoists have opposed the royal takeover although they had previously said they would only negotiate with the king. 'New boldness' In a separate development, newspapers in Nepal have pressed the government to lift curbs on press freedom, imposed since the takeover. The Kathmandu Post daily published a leader on Monday entitled "Reconsider". It says it will not challenge the new government but asks it to reconsider certain provisions of the emergency. Similar articles have appeared in the Nepali-language paper, Kantipur, in what the BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu describes as a new boldness creeping into the media. The new government has imposed heavy censorship on the media, mostly implemented by the military. Phone lines have been cut and internet services suspended since the takeover. Criticism In a new order on Monday the new government banned criticism of security forces "made directly or indirectly that is likely to have negative impact on their morale", the Associated Press quotes it as saying. It also banned political activities by public servants and said the authorities could seize private property where required. The armed forces say that detentions and the suspension of liberties are necessary to let security forces concentrate on fighting the Maoist rebels. But their actions have been strongly criticised both at home and abroad. On Sunday, 25 human rights groups sent a message to some of the world's top leaders, including UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, US President George W Bush and many other heads of state and government. They said the Nepalese people were living under what they described as an illegal military rule headed by the king and that the monarch's actions violated international practices and legal standards. Some 11,000 people have died since the Maoists began their insurgency in 1996.
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Nepal: The Chinese squeeze
Nepal: The Chinese squeeze
February 07, 2005
February 07, 2005
A couple of hours after having written this article, the news of the royal coup in Nepal flashed on web sites and television channels.
I had started by lamenting "What is going on in Nepal?"
This is all the more true now.
The coup renders a complex situation even thornier. The question touched upon here will certainly be one of the most urgent to be dealt with by the king. It will be an immediate test to judge his new government's sincerity.
While a few children were kidnapped in Bihar, on the other side of the India-Nepal border, the Maoists struck harder than their Bihari comrades. Last week, they kidnapped about 1,000 children along with their teachers from two schools in eastern Nepal.
After getting a 'briefing' on the benefits of the Maoist revolution, the students were released.
However the next day, the Rising Nepal reported the capture of businessmen of Doti district by armed rebels. The rebels wanted to 'register' a Doti District Businessmen's Committee (and collect tribute from them).
On January 21, the Nepali media reported another event which has far-reaching consequences for the region.
In a swift move the Office of the Dalai Lama's representative in Nepal as well as the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office were shut down. Only after several days did the office of the district chief in Kathmandu disclose the reason for these closures: the Tibetan office was not registered under Article 3 of the Society Act 2034 and was thus functioning 'illegally'.
Wangchuk Tsering, the Dalai Lama's representative in Nepal, reacted cautiously, but had no choice: 'If the government says the offices have to be shut down, then they have to be. We are law-abiding people.'
The TRWO which lost its legitimacy had for decades been the local partner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office in Kathmandu, looking after all refugees arriving from Tibet in transit to India.
The Tibet Information Network, an independent News Agencies wrote: 'According to sources close to the UNHCR, as long as the status of TRWO is uncertain, the UNHCR will find their work in the Tibetan Refugee Reception Centre more difficult.'
Today more than 1,000 Tibetans await proper papers to leave for India. In case Nepal decides not to rescind its decision, the UNHCR would no longer have a legal partner to look after the refugees fleeing Tibet.
Sudip Pathak, president of the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal which is working with the UNHCR, is reported to have met the Nepalese home minister on January 27 to complain about the closure. But to no avail.
India to upgrade Nepal's security apparatus
Though Nepal's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat denied that the decision had been taken at China's behest, Beijing's hand can clearly be seen behind the move.
The Dalai Lama's Office has been functioning for the past 45 years without any major problems (and registration). It is difficult to understand why an organisation recognized by a UN body would be suddenly closed on purely technical grounds.
More than 20 000 Tibetan refugees today live in Nepal and over 2000 Tibetans transit annually through the Tibet-Nepal border to visit Dharamsala or the Buddhist monasteries in India fleeing 'religious persecution' in Tibet.
Several countries immediately reacted, in particular the US to whom Nepal had given a written assurance that the government would allow Tibetans to transit through Nepal and would not deport them to China.
At the moment, Nepal does not seem ready to reconsider its decision as Beijing continues to exercise pressure on Nepal to stop the Tibetan refugees' escape towards a free world.
4 more Nepal ministers arrested
Sun Heping, China's ambassador to Nepal, had declared last year: 'We appreciate it very much that His Majesty's Government of Nepal is committed to the one China policy, understands how sensitive the Tibet issue is to China and never allows any anti-China activities to be carried out on Nepali soil.'
All this does not augur well for India: the increasing control of Beijing over the king's government along with the extreme instability of the regime in Kathmandu should not be taken lightly in Delhi.
Today Nepal needs China's support in its fight against the Maoists; more so after the failure of the peace talks between the Maoists and Kathmandu in August last year.
The Maoists on their side are looking for new sources of income as the scope and the extent of their movement is increasing.
The money of the local population is not enough. They have began to use the trade of ingredients used in Tibetan medicine as a new source of income to purchase the badly required weapons to sustain their guerilla warfare.
The medicinal herb trade is a traditional business both for the Nepalis and the Tibetans. The local government in Lhasa has also encouraged the collection of a caterpillar fungus, the cordyceps sinensis (a powerful tonic to increase one's vigour).
The harvesting of cordyceps is a source of income for Tibetans living near the Nepalese border, but with the demand growing, China is today not able to supply its own domestic market (a kilo can fetch up to $3,500 in Lhasa).
The Nepali villagers have taken up the business and the Maoists support the trade. They have allocated 'concessions' to different villages and once collected the harvest is sold in Tibet. Most of the revenue is used to purchase weapons and ammunitions.
The Kantipur Post estimates that the Maoists have thus earned 'millions of rupees.' The Chinese have been aware of the trade and encouraged it.
Beijing is officially on the Nepali government side in its fight against the Maoists. In 2002, the then Chinese ambassador to Nepal had explained: 'China labels the insurgents as anti-government outfits, and we never call them as Maoists. They misuse the name of Chairman Mao, which impairs the image of the great leader of China.'
However Beijing does not mind an unstable state at India's doorstep.
That should not be the case for Delhi. But was the fact that 14 Indian Gorkha jawans were recently abducted while visiting their family an eye-opener for Delhi?
Maoists release 14 Indian Gorkhas
In a situation full of dichotomies for Beijing, the Chinese leaders have tried to make the best of the complicated state of affairs.
On one side, they are keen to counterbalance the privileged Indian role in Nepal; on the other they have to save their face: for a nation which speaks of its 'peaceful rise' and the social progress of its minorities, the constant flight of the Tibetans towards India does not promote their 'peaceful socialistic' image.
They are also trying to develop the Tibetan region and the herbal medicine is the 'staple' industry, bringing important revenues.
Faced with these contradictory elements, China decided to make a gesture towards Nepal in October 2003.
Radio Nepal announced that four suspected Maoists along with weapons and explosives had been arrested in Tibet. Till this time, it had been widely believed that all the weapons originated from Naxalite groups in India.
A year after the militants were arrested, Nepal's ministry of foreign affairs announced that the Shigatse Intermediate Court had convicted the Nepalese for smuggling arms and ammunition: two of them had been sentenced to death (in early January, their sentence was commuted to life imprisonment).
Probably wanting compensation for their good deed, Beijing extracted from Kathmandu a strong warning to the Tibetans wanting to leave the 'Motherland' and take refuge in India. Now, this has been done.
With one stone, several birds were killed: the Nepalese were pleased that Beijing was doing something to stop the Maoists' sources of income; India was informed about the growing Chinese influence in Nepal and the Tibetans were shown their place in the Chinese scheme of things.
This was also a 'lesson' for the UN agencies which are often accused of giving preferential treatment to Tibetan refugees compared to others (mainly the ones from Bhutan).
On the morning of the coup, China expressed appreciation for Nepal's closure of the Dalai Lama's office in Katmandu. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman added 'Nepal made the right decision in maintaining Chinese sovereignty.'
A Freudian slip?
Sphere: Related Content
In praise of the king ... Nepalese pro-monarchy supporters drive in procession parading a portrait of King Gyanendra and Queen Komal in Kathmandu.
Photo: AFP
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Nepal pulls the plug on the Internet
By INQUIRER staff: Wednesday 02 February 2005, 18:57
THE DECISION by the king-god of largely Hindu state Nepala to dismiss his government yesterday has meant a clampdown on a number of formerly informative web sites, with little news trickling out of the country because the phones were cut off as well.
King Gyanendra suspended the government of Nepal yesterday and imposed martial law on the country. Normally cheerful Nepalese newspapers, according to reports, carried news dictated by the King, who faces a rebellion by "Maoist" guerillas which has already killed thousands of people.
The King has imposed a virtual news blackout across the state.
It was all a little reminiscent of 1956, when the UK government attempted to impose a news blackout on the Suez crisis, but some brave editors just decided to carry empty white space where stories had been censored.
Indian newspaper The Hindu reported that the country has also cut telephone lines, and suspended a number of elements of the Nepalese constitution, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
The UK and the Indian government both expressed concern at the news.
Mind you, we wonder if it's just a coincidence that Nepal has borders with both China and India. Chairman Mao wasn't particularly noted for allowing freedom of the press or speech. What's for sure is that India is not going to sit idly by if Nepal becomes dangerously unstable. There's too much riding on it. Sphere: Related Content
THE DECISION by the king-god of largely Hindu state Nepala to dismiss his government yesterday has meant a clampdown on a number of formerly informative web sites, with little news trickling out of the country because the phones were cut off as well.
King Gyanendra suspended the government of Nepal yesterday and imposed martial law on the country. Normally cheerful Nepalese newspapers, according to reports, carried news dictated by the King, who faces a rebellion by "Maoist" guerillas which has already killed thousands of people.
The King has imposed a virtual news blackout across the state.
It was all a little reminiscent of 1956, when the UK government attempted to impose a news blackout on the Suez crisis, but some brave editors just decided to carry empty white space where stories had been censored.
Indian newspaper The Hindu reported that the country has also cut telephone lines, and suspended a number of elements of the Nepalese constitution, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
The UK and the Indian government both expressed concern at the news.
Mind you, we wonder if it's just a coincidence that Nepal has borders with both China and India. Chairman Mao wasn't particularly noted for allowing freedom of the press or speech. What's for sure is that India is not going to sit idly by if Nepal becomes dangerously unstable. There's too much riding on it. Sphere: Related Content
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
Crisis in Nepal as king sacks govt || 02 February, 2005
KATHMANDU, Feb 1: Nepal's King Gyanendra sacked the government, declared a state of emergency and assumed power on Tuesday, saying the leadership had failed to hold polls or restore peace amid an escalating civil war with Maoist rebels.
The king took power for the next three years, and placed many politicians under house arrest. "I have decided to dissolve the government because it has failed to make necessary arrangements to hold elections by April and promote democracy, the sovereignty of the people and life and property," the king said in an address on state radio.
He said a new government would be formed under his leadership to "restore peace and effective democracy in this country within the next three years". Shortly afterwards, a state of emergency was declared.
Fixed and mobile phone networks in what is one of the world's poorest nations were apparently shut down and communications links with the rest of the world disrupted. International flights were turned back from Kathmandu airport, and Nepali news Web sites went down, although road links with India remained open.
The airport was opened late on Tuesday and a state-run Royal Nepal Airlines flight arrived in the Indian capital. It was not known when other flights would resume. "There was lot of security on the streets and vehicles were being stopped and checked," an Indian arriving on the flight told India's NDTV.
In Kathmandu, armoured vehicles patrolled the streets and security was beefed up. But Matthew Kahane, UN resident coordinator in Nepal, said the situation seemed calm.
INDIA WORRIED: The strategic Himalayan nation, sandwiched between India and China, is locked in a bitter three-way struggle between the king, the rebels and bitterly divided political parties.
Sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was Nepal's 13th premier in its 14 turbulent years as a constitutional monarchy. Nepal has had no parliament since 2002. -Reuters Sphere: Related Content
The king took power for the next three years, and placed many politicians under house arrest. "I have decided to dissolve the government because it has failed to make necessary arrangements to hold elections by April and promote democracy, the sovereignty of the people and life and property," the king said in an address on state radio.
He said a new government would be formed under his leadership to "restore peace and effective democracy in this country within the next three years". Shortly afterwards, a state of emergency was declared.
Fixed and mobile phone networks in what is one of the world's poorest nations were apparently shut down and communications links with the rest of the world disrupted. International flights were turned back from Kathmandu airport, and Nepali news Web sites went down, although road links with India remained open.
The airport was opened late on Tuesday and a state-run Royal Nepal Airlines flight arrived in the Indian capital. It was not known when other flights would resume. "There was lot of security on the streets and vehicles were being stopped and checked," an Indian arriving on the flight told India's NDTV.
In Kathmandu, armoured vehicles patrolled the streets and security was beefed up. But Matthew Kahane, UN resident coordinator in Nepal, said the situation seemed calm.
INDIA WORRIED: The strategic Himalayan nation, sandwiched between India and China, is locked in a bitter three-way struggle between the king, the rebels and bitterly divided political parties.
Sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was Nepal's 13th premier in its 14 turbulent years as a constitutional monarchy. Nepal has had no parliament since 2002. -Reuters Sphere: Related Content
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