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# Protesters defy curfews in Nepal ### Three killed after troops open fire during demonstrations Police fire tear gas in a bid to disperse protesters.
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Pro-democracy protesters in Nepal defy curfew and riot (1:58) |
Students rally against the king (1:49) |
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### YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Nepal Police Riots or Create Your Own Manage Alerts | What Is This? KATHMANDU, Nepal (Reuters) -- Fresh protests against the king erupted across Nepal on Monday, in defiance of curfews in some places, with thousands of activists taking to the streets on the fifth day of a campaign seeking the restoration of democracy. The latest series of demonstrations are the most intense since King Gyanendra sacked the government and took control of the impoverished nation 14 months ago. Three protesters were killed by troops over the weekend, more than 100 have been wounded and 1,000 people detained, political parties said. On Monday, about 5,000 people sat on a road in the ancient town of Kirtipur outside Kathmandu, defying a curfew and cheering activists who made speeches against the king. The residents had placed huge boulders on the road to prevent soldiers easily accessing the area and breaking up the assembly. "I think the king should back out," said Hirakaji Maharjan, 50. "The question is whether he does it on his own or is forced." In Kalanki, also outside Kathmandu, riot police beat up protesters with batons to break up a rally of about 500 people. Police also fired tear gas to disperse stone-throwing protesters in several places outside Kathmandu. "People are getting killed anyway. I am not afraid of death," 20-year-old Ashok Rana said, standing next to smoldering tires on the road in Kalanki. Six soldiers in green camouflage stood atop an armored personnel carrier nearby, pointing machine guns at the crowd. "The king has pushed the country into a deep ditch," said Raj Kumar Chhetri, 17, another protester. "There is violence and curfew. People don't have drinking water or electricity. This is as good as getting killed. I am not scared of getting killed," he said. Casualties could mount as the government has vowed to get tougher with the demonstrators, analysts said. But it was not yet clear if the protests were on a sufficient scale to force the king to give in or open talks with political parties, they said. The latest round of protests -- backed by a general strike -- was originally due to end on Sunday, but the parties said they were extending it indefinitely to put pressure on the king to end his absolute rule. The government responded by imposing a curfew in the capital and surrounding areas on Monday for a third day, warning people to keep off the streets for seven hours from 11 a.m. (0515 GMT). State-run mobile phone services remained disrupted on Monday, in an apparent attempt by the royalist government to scuttle coordination among protest organizers. A big pro-democracy rally planned in Kathmandu for Saturday failed to materialize after the government imposed a curfew and deployed armored personnel carriers in the city. The protests lack a charismatic leader or figurehead, with most of the country's ageing political leaders either detained or in hiding coordinating the campaign. The parties also lack widespread popular support, with many people accusing them of corruption and misrule when they ran the country. Some Kathmandu residents said support for the parties was growing as the protests gathered pace, but others said the general strike, which has completely shut the country down, was taking its toll on their popularity. "People are tired of the king. They are also tired of the parties. So the seven parties must do some good work," said Shyam Singh Pariyar, a newspaper vendor. Maoist rebels, who have been fighting to topple the monarchy since 1996, are supporting the campaign under a loose alliance with political parties. Their revolt has killed more than 13,000 people in one of the world's poorest countries, wrecking its aid-and-tourism dependent economy and forcing thousands to flee the violence in the countryside. Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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