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Thousands of Protesters Arrested in Nepal as Mass Pro-Democracy Demonstrations Continue
For the past week, tens of thousands of protesters have filled the streets of Nepal. King Gyanendra has placed severe restrictions on civil liberties since consolidating power in February of 2005. We go to Kathmandu to speak with a Nepali journalist who was beaten by police and we speak with two activists who have been following the latest developments.
For the past week, tens of thousands of protesters have filled the streets of the Nepal's capital Kathmandu. Nepalese Maoist rebels have united with the seven major parliamentary opposition parties to call for the ouster of King Gyanendra and the restoration of democracy.
Gyanendra has placed severe restrictions on civil liberties since consolidating power in February of 2005. This week's protests were held despite a government-imposed day-time curfew and shoot-on-sight orders.
On Thursday, senior UN human rights commissioner Louise Arbour, said she was "shocked by the excessive use of force by security forces in Nepal, as well as the extensive use of arbitrary detention."
On Wednesday, phone service was cut off throughout the country. Vast repression and abuse have been reported, and thousands of Nepalese have fled in fear of further instability.
On Thursday, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at 70 lawyers who rallied outside the Supreme Court building. UNICEF has cited concerns that children are being injured during protests, many of them at the hands of police. Overall, thousands of demonstrators, have been arrested, including more than two dozen reporters who were detained Wednesday. Many of the journalists arrested have reported severe beatings by military and police.
On Thursday, we reached one of these journalists. Akhliesh Tripathi is the editor of E-Kantipur, an online news service in Nepal. Tripathi began by describing what happened to him a few days ago.
* Akhliesh Tripathi, editor of E-Kantipur , an online news service in Nepal.
For more on the latest in Nepal we are joined by two guests:
* Ashok Gurung, originally from Nepal, Ashok has returned to the country frequently as an NGO consultant. He is currently the Director of the India China Institute at New School University in New York and specializes in international development management.
* Mary Des Chenes, an anthropologist and human rights activist who has worked in Nepal over the past 20 years. She is editor of the Kathmandu-based journal "Studies in Nepali History and Society."
More
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/14/147237
Gyanendra has placed severe restrictions on civil liberties since consolidating power in February of 2005. This week's protests were held despite a government-imposed day-time curfew and shoot-on-sight orders.
On Thursday, senior UN human rights commissioner Louise Arbour, said she was "shocked by the excessive use of force by security forces in Nepal, as well as the extensive use of arbitrary detention."
On Wednesday, phone service was cut off throughout the country. Vast repression and abuse have been reported, and thousands of Nepalese have fled in fear of further instability.
On Thursday, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at 70 lawyers who rallied outside the Supreme Court building. UNICEF has cited concerns that children are being injured during protests, many of them at the hands of police. Overall, thousands of demonstrators, have been arrested, including more than two dozen reporters who were detained Wednesday. Many of the journalists arrested have reported severe beatings by military and police.
On Thursday, we reached one of these journalists. Akhliesh Tripathi is the editor of E-Kantipur, an online news service in Nepal. Tripathi began by describing what happened to him a few days ago.
* Akhliesh Tripathi, editor of E-Kantipur , an online news service in Nepal.
For more on the latest in Nepal we are joined by two guests:
* Ashok Gurung, originally from Nepal, Ashok has returned to the country frequently as an NGO consultant. He is currently the Director of the India China Institute at New School University in New York and specializes in international development management.
* Mary Des Chenes, an anthropologist and human rights activist who has worked in Nepal over the past 20 years. She is editor of the Kathmandu-based journal "Studies in Nepali History and Society."
More
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/14/147237
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