Nepal's Opposition Extends Protests; Curfews Continue
Bloomberg
April 10 (Bloomberg) -- Nepal's opposition said it will extend its protests against emergency rule after hundreds of thousands of people defied curfews to join rallies, prompting the government to vow a crackdown on demonstrators.
The seven-party alliance said rallies will continue until the people's rights are restored, Nepalnews.com reported. A four- day general strike ended yesterday with demonstrators clashing with security forces in the capital, Kathmandu, and in cities across the country.
``The government has maintained maximum restraint so far,'' Nepalnews.com cited Interior Minister Kamal Thapa as saying late yesterday. ``We will no more remain a silent spectator.''
Nepal's opposition and rebels fighting to replace the monarchy with a communist republic organized the protests, the latest mass demonstrations to demand King Gyanendra lifts emergency rule he imposed in February 2005. The United Nations and the U.S. have led condemnation of the arrests of hundreds of political leaders, students and journalists since last week.
Curfews from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., first imposed two days ago, will continue today in areas of Kathmandu, the authorities said, according to Nepalnews.com. Nighttime restrictions have been in place in the city of more than 1 million people since April 5.
Police fired rubber bullets and used tear gas to break up demonstrations in areas of Kathmandu and outside the capital, Nepalnews.com said. Two of the largest rallies staged yesterday in Kathmandu and Chitwan in central Nepal were to protest the deaths of at least two demonstrators the opposition said were killed by security forces.
Dozens of people were injured yesterday by rubber bullets fired by security forces in Kathmandu, Nepalnews.com reported.
Law and Order
Thapa, who appealed to people to maintain law and order, accused the rebels of leading the protests and being responsible for violence in recent days.
Rebels yesterday said they will take control of main highways in the country and ensure people stop paying taxes to press demands for political changes, Agence France-Presse cited Pushpa Kamal Daha
l, the rebel leader known as Prachanda, as saying in a statement.
The rebels last week declared a unilateral cease-fire in the Kathmandu valley around the capital to coincide with the strike. Government ministers dismissed the truce as a ploy to allow rebels to rearm.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, in an April 5 statement, appealed to all sides in Nepal ``to work towards ending the conflict through a reciprocal cease-fire agreement.''
New Constitution
The alliance has reached an agreement with rebels to press for a return to democracy and curb the powers of the king. The opposition wants parliament reinstated, an all-party government formed, talks with the rebels to begin and the creation of an assembly to draw up a new constitution.
King Gyanendra imposed emergency rule when he fired the government for failing to end a 10-year insurgency that has cost the lives of 13,000 people in the Himalayan country of 27 million people. The insurgency, coupled with bad weather cutting agriculture production, means Nepal's economic growth is forecast to shrink to 2 percent in the 2006 fiscal year from 2.3 percent last year, the Asian Development Bank said last week.
Nepal's gross domestic product shrank to 2.3 percent in 2005 from 3.5 percent in 2004, the Manila-based ADB said in its Asian Development Outlook 2006. The bank said GDP growth may reach 3.4 percent in the 2007 fiscal year.
Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries with 40 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Agriculture accounts for 40 percent of gross domestic product and provides a livelihood for 80 percent of Nepal's population.
The economy depends on tourism for foreign exchange. The country, located between India and China, is home to Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, and eight other of the world's 14 peaks higher than 8,000 meters (26,248 feet).
To contact the reporter on this story:
Paul Tighe in Sydney at ptighe@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: April 9, 2006 23:12 EDT
April 10 (Bloomberg) -- Nepal's opposition said it will extend its protests against emergency rule after hundreds of thousands of people defied curfews to join rallies, prompting the government to vow a crackdown on demonstrators.
The seven-party alliance said rallies will continue until the people's rights are restored, Nepalnews.com reported. A four- day general strike ended yesterday with demonstrators clashing with security forces in the capital, Kathmandu, and in cities across the country.
``The government has maintained maximum restraint so far,'' Nepalnews.com cited Interior Minister Kamal Thapa as saying late yesterday. ``We will no more remain a silent spectator.''
Nepal's opposition and rebels fighting to replace the monarchy with a communist republic organized the protests, the latest mass demonstrations to demand King Gyanendra lifts emergency rule he imposed in February 2005. The United Nations and the U.S. have led condemnation of the arrests of hundreds of political leaders, students and journalists since last week.
Curfews from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., first imposed two days ago, will continue today in areas of Kathmandu, the authorities said, according to Nepalnews.com. Nighttime restrictions have been in place in the city of more than 1 million people since April 5.
Police fired rubber bullets and used tear gas to break up demonstrations in areas of Kathmandu and outside the capital, Nepalnews.com said. Two of the largest rallies staged yesterday in Kathmandu and Chitwan in central Nepal were to protest the deaths of at least two demonstrators the opposition said were killed by security forces.
Dozens of people were injured yesterday by rubber bullets fired by security forces in Kathmandu, Nepalnews.com reported.
Law and Order
Thapa, who appealed to people to maintain law and order, accused the rebels of leading the protests and being responsible for violence in recent days.
Rebels yesterday said they will take control of main highways in the country and ensure people stop paying taxes to press demands for political changes, Agence France-Presse cited Pushpa Kamal Daha
l, the rebel leader known as Prachanda, as saying in a statement.The rebels last week declared a unilateral cease-fire in the Kathmandu valley around the capital to coincide with the strike. Government ministers dismissed the truce as a ploy to allow rebels to rearm.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, in an April 5 statement, appealed to all sides in Nepal ``to work towards ending the conflict through a reciprocal cease-fire agreement.''
New Constitution
The alliance has reached an agreement with rebels to press for a return to democracy and curb the powers of the king. The opposition wants parliament reinstated, an all-party government formed, talks with the rebels to begin and the creation of an assembly to draw up a new constitution.
King Gyanendra imposed emergency rule when he fired the government for failing to end a 10-year insurgency that has cost the lives of 13,000 people in the Himalayan country of 27 million people. The insurgency, coupled with bad weather cutting agriculture production, means Nepal's economic growth is forecast to shrink to 2 percent in the 2006 fiscal year from 2.3 percent last year, the Asian Development Bank said last week.
Nepal's gross domestic product shrank to 2.3 percent in 2005 from 3.5 percent in 2004, the Manila-based ADB said in its Asian Development Outlook 2006. The bank said GDP growth may reach 3.4 percent in the 2007 fiscal year.
Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries with 40 percent of the population living below the poverty line. Agriculture accounts for 40 percent of gross domestic product and provides a livelihood for 80 percent of Nepal's population.
The economy depends on tourism for foreign exchange. The country, located between India and China, is home to Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, and eight other of the world's 14 peaks higher than 8,000 meters (26,248 feet).
To contact the reporter on this story:
Paul Tighe in Sydney at ptighe@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: April 9, 2006 23:12 EDT
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