NEPAL: Three reported dead as Nepali police and troops enforce curfew to block protests in Kathmandu

Record ID: 838432

  • Title: NEPAL: Three reported dead as Nepali police and troops enforce curfew to block protests in Kathmandu
  • Date: 21st April 2006
  • Summary: TOURISTS GETTING ONTO TOURIST BUS
  • Embargoed: 6th May 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nepal
  • City:
  • Country: Nepal
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADLI9BSOQDJCKYU2SFRHFUFR7Y
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  • Story Text: Nepali police and troops patrolled deserted streets of the capital Kathmandu on Thursday (April 20) as a curfew imposed to block a massive anti-monarchy protest went into effect.
    All roads of the city of 1.5 million were empty of traffic, police pickets had been set up at every major intersection and troops were on patrol.
    As police patrolled the streets, the Indian Prime Minister's special envoy Karan Singh had an audience with Nepal's King Gyanendra, who sacked his government and assumed full powers 14 months ago.
    King Gyanendra imposed the curfew to block those rallying to oppose his rule.
    Later on Thursday, Singh said King Gyanendra was expected to make an announcement soon to help defuse the volatile pro-democracy campaign.
    Speaking on his return to New Delhi, Singh, who is related to the Nepali monarch by marriage, gave no details.
    "Now the ball is squarely in the court of the king. I am hopeful that very shortly some sort of announcement will be made by him which will help considerably defuse the situation," the envoy told reporters on his return from Kathmandu.
    Giant neighbour India has expressed worry because of the long, porous border it shares with Nepal.
    Central Kathmandu was quiet on Thursday. But Nepali police opened fire on pro-democracy protesters to prevent them from marching into the capital, killing at least three people and injuring dozens, witnesses and a doctor said.
    Three bodies with gunshot wounds and about 40 injured people had been brought to the Kathmandu Model Hospital, doctors said.
    Earlier, witnesses said police had opened fire to push back thousands of protesters attempting to enter the city from the western suburb of Kalanki in violation of a curfew, imposed to prevent a protest rally against King Gyanendra's absolute rule.
    "Police opened indiscriminate fire," said Kundan Aryal, a human rights group volunteer who helped take wounded to the Model Hospital.
    "They used batons and fired rubber and live bullets. They chased the fleeing protesters. It was a massive firing."
    At least eight people have been killed previously and hundreds wounded in police action against demonstrators since a seven-party alliance launched crippling protests 15 days ago to demand restoration of multi-party democracy.
    The parties had planned a huge rally for Kathmandu on Thursday and had vowed to defy a strict curfew despite warnings that violators would be shot.
    "The king is afraid of the people, that's why he has imposed a curfew," said Gaura Prasai, a 47-year-old housewife at one of several protest gatherings on the outskirts of the capital.
    "Unless we break the curfew, he is not going to give in."
    In the Maharajgunj district, women with children in their arms joined a crowd of about 10,000 protesters, and residents threw water from balconies to cool down the demonstrators on a hot sunny day. No violence took place there.
    The centre of the city of 1.5 million people was deserted except for police and troops on patrol.
    The gates of Narayanhity Palace, the king's city residence, were closed and an armoured car with a machine gun was on patrol. All shops on the usually busy Durbar Street leading to the palace were shut. and guests in hotels were barred from leaving.
    Unlike previous curfews, journalists too were told to stay indoors this time. The ban took effect at 2 a.m. (2015 GMT Wednesday) and was to last until 8 p.m. (1415 GMT).
    Diplomats, including ambassadors, and even government ministers were not allowed outdoors. Police were carrying out emergency services.
    Tens of thousands have attended protests every day for the past two weeks 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.
    The government released its top two political prisoners on Wednesday, but there was no other sign the king was considering meeting any of the alliance's demands.
    One of those freed, Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), immediately called for the campaign to continue.
    "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 took full powers 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 2007, but activists say he cannot be trusted and must immediately hand over power to an all-party government.
    Meanwhile, tourists were allowed to leave for the Tribhuvan International Airport on Thursday to catch their flights home, leaving the Himalayan kingdom they hoped would have provided a tranquil holiday environment.
    Tourist police verified their documents and allowed them to board special tourist buses that carried banners proclaiming their status.
    Nervous hotel staff opened the gates as the bus left with a police escort onto the deserted streets.
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