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World
Posted to the web on: 21 April 2006 Tyres burn in Nepal capital, protesters on street Reuters
KATHMANDU - Anti-monarchy protesters in Nepal burned tyres and threw logs and barbed wire across the streets of the capital Kathmandu on Friday as a curfew imposed to prevent a march on King Gyanendra’s palace came into force. Black smoke rose from several places in the city of 1,5 million people as protesters, angry at the king’s sacking of the government last year, tried to block the movement of police and troops. The protests started two weeks ago but an Indian envoy said he hoped there would be a "major announcement" by the end of the day to help bring the crisis to an end. "I do not want to preempt or predict what the announcement may be," envoy Karan Singh told reporters in New Delhi. "But we are hoping that there will be some major step in reinstating democracy. I think it will defuse the crisis." The 11-hour curfew in Kathmandu began this morning, but was only being enforced within the city limits. On the Ring Road surrounding Kathmandu, tens of thousands marched, waved party flags and chanted slogans demanding the king leave the country. Riot police, troops with automatic weapons and armoured cars stood at major intersections to prevent protesters from entering the city. Yesterday police opened fired on tens of thousands of demonstrators trying march into the city from the outskirts. At least three people were killed and up to 100 injured. Political parties have vowed to try to march to the palace on Friday. "So many people have come out on the street despite the curfew and crackdown," said Krishna Prasad Sitaula, a leader of the Nepali Congress, the country’s largest political party. "It’s an indication that our movement has succeeded. Only the result has to be announced. We will continue this until the result comes in favour of the people." Gyanendra sacked the government and took full powers in February last year, vowing to crush a decade-old Maoist revolt in which more than 13,000 people have died. A seven-party alliance has been agitating since April 6 to force Gyanendra to restore multi-party democracy. In all, 12 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in police action against protesters since then. He has vowed to hold elections by April nex t year, but the alliance says he is not to be trusted. Local reports say the king is likely to appoint a former prime minister, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, to the post again in an effort to appease the protesters. But Bhattarai has apparently indicated he will only take the position if it is acceptable to the seven-party alliance. Thursday’s crackdown on the protesters appeared to have focused even more anger on the monarch. "This way the king cannot rule," said Goma Parajuli, a woman selling vegetables from a basket as residents flocked to stalls and markets in the capital to stock up on food. Some protesters taunted armed police who stood nearby. "You live on the people’s taxes," shouted one man. "You can’t kill the people." Away from Kathmandu, demonstrations involving 100,000 people and above have also been staged in district towns, bringing the landlocked kingdom to a standstill.
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