Police Arrest Former PM at Nepal Protest - Los Angeles Times

6:32 AM PDT, September 4, 2005
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA, Associated Press Writer

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Police fired tear gas and used bamboo batons to stop pro-democracy demonstrators from marching into the capital's center Sunday, arresting a former prime minister and dozens of other protesters.

About 5,000 people chanting "We want democracy" marched to protest King Gyanendra's dissolution of parliament and institution of direct rule in the Himalayan kingdom Feb. 1. They tried to march into central Katmandu, where protests are banned, but were driven off by police.

Girija Prasad Koirala, a former prime minister and president of the Nepali Congress, the country's largest political party, was among those detained.

Koirala, 80, briefly lost consciousness during a scuffle with police. Authorities took him to Teaching Hospital, where doctors said his injuries were not serious.

"We condemn the use of such force on a peaceful protest. We will continue to our protests until democracy is restored," said Arjun Narsingh, spokesman for Nepali Congress.

Leaders and supporters of seven major political parties gathered in the Basantapur neighborhood and began marching toward the main market area when riot police charged them.

A few hundred protesters managed to break the police line but were quickly pushed back as several rounds of tear gas were fired at them.

Some injured protesters were treated at Bir Hospital. One of them, Madhav Poudel, said that police had beaten him with batons and that many marchers suffered injuries.

There have been several protests since Feb. 1 demanding that democracy be restored. King Gyanendra said he was compelled to assume absolute power to quell a communist insurgency that has claimed more than 11,500 lives in nine years and to end government corruption. Sphere: Related Content