KATHMANDU: More than 1,000 protestors, including 75 scribes,
were detained by Nepalese riot police on Sunday when they defied a ban on
protests in Kathmandu, demanding full-fledged restoration of democracy in the
Himalayan kingdom in separate demonstrations.
Nepali Congress senior leader and former deputy premier Ram
Chandra Poudyal was among the prominent leaders who were taken into custody on
the 17th day of the five-party agitation in the country.
Security personnel also arrested 75 journalists when they organised
a rally demanding press freedom and opposing the alleged police manhandling of
reporters on Saturday.
Federation of Nepalese Journalists organised the
demonstration at Sinamangal in Kathmandu, in which more than one hundred
journalists took part. Yesterday also police rounded up 32 journalists from Kathmandu.
Some of them who were not released yesterday were freed on Sunday.
The five-party workers, who staged demonstrations at Ratnapark,
Bhotahity and Baghbazaar, chanted anti-King slogans and asked King Gyanendra to
return soverign power to the people and form an all-party government.
During the clash with the police, two government vehicles
were also damaged. Nepali Congress (Democratic) led by former premier Sher Bahadur
Deuba also held a separate rally demanding reinstatement of the Deuba
government, which was sacked in October 2002.
Some 100 workers of NC Democratic were also detained.
Students hurled bricks and stones at baton-wielding police
during the rally, injuring more than a dozen people, the police said.
About 500 students had gathered at Pashupati University,
defying a recent ban on public gatherings, to protest against King Gyanendra
for firing an elected government in 2002 and replacing it with one loyal to the
monarchy.
Students began throwing bricks and stones when police
arrived to break up the demonstration, a police officer said on condition of
anonymity.
The police retaliated by firing tear gas and charging the
protesters.
>
