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Nepal capital deserted, protesters gather outside Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:08 PM IST
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By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Anti-monarchy protesters gathered outside the city limits of the Nepali capital Kathmandu on Thursday where a strict curfew has been imposed to block a pro-democracy rally. Security forces have orders to shoot violators. Activists have said they will bring out hundreds of thousands on the street to force King Gyanendra to restore multi-party democracy. The city of 1.5 million people was deserted except for police and troops on patrol but about 200 people carrying red banners of protest had gathered in the suburb of Kalanki, a few hundred yards outside city limits, witnesses said. A squad of riot police was on hand, but had made no move to break up the gathering, they said. Groups of people also gathered at other places outside the city and said they intended to march into the prohibited zone. "If the king has the guts, we challnge him to come out and face us without the curfew," said Keshav Joshi, an activist in the northern suburb of Dasundhara. "He is a coward and protected by the curfew. The people are not with him." The gates of Narayanhity Palace, the king's city residence, were closed and an armoured car with a machine gun on top was on patrol. All shops on the usually busy Durbar Street leading to the palace were shuttered and guests were barred from leaving hotel premises. "I can't even see a dog on the street," said Manohar Acharya, a resident of the New Road business district. Unlike previous times when curfews were imposed, journalists too have been told to stay indoors. The ban came into effect at 2 a.m. (2015 GMT Wednesday) and will last until 8 p.m. (1415 GMT). Diplomats, including ambassadors, and even government ministers were also not allowed outdoors. Police were carrying out emergency services. At least eight people have been killed and hundreds wounded in police action against demonstrators since a seven-party alliance launched crippling protests against King Gyanendra 15 days ago to demand the restoration of multi-party democracy. Tens of thousands have attended protests every day in Kathmandu, but many more have demonstrated in district towns. A general strike, part of the campaign, has prevented the movement of goods and people across the impoverished landlocked nation. CURFEW DEFIED The latest deaths came in the town of Chandragadi, 600 km east of Kathmandu, where security forces opened fire on protesters on Wednesday, killing two people. Witnesses said dozens of others were wounded and more might have died. On Thursday, several hundred people took out a procession in the town of Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, where a curfew had also been imposed, witnesses said. There was no violence. The government freed the two top political prisoners in the country on Wednesday, but there was no other sign the king was considering meeting any of the demands of the alliance. One of them, Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), immediately called for continuing the campaign. "The movement will continue in an effective and forceful manner," Nepal said. "We will continue until full sovereignty is returned to the people." Analysts said the king needed to do more than freeing political prisoners. "This is too little too late," said Lok Raj Baral, executive chairman of the Nepal Centre for Contemporary Studies, a private think tank. "The arrests and release of political leaders are not significant. How the demands put up by the opposition are fulfilled will determine the course of events." Gyanendra sacked the government and assumed full power in February 2005, vowing to crush a decade-old Maoist revolt in which more than 13,000 people have died. He has offered to hold elections by April next year, but activists say he cannot be trusted and should immediately hand over power to an all-party government. India, which shares a long, porous border with Nepal, is leading international pressure on the king to restore democracy. A special envoy sent by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called on the king on Thursday, but there were no immediate details on what was discussed. © Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.
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