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Nepal protesters continue to challenge curfew
Clashes have broken out in Nepal as thousands of anti-royal protesters try to get past police and reach the centre of Kathmandu in defiance of a curfew.
Police baton charged crowds massed on the capital's ring road and a BBC correspondent heard shots fired.
More than 100,000 people defied a curfew on Saturday to demonstrate in the city centre for the first time.
Opposition parties have said the protests against King Gyanendra's absolute rule will continue.
Sunday's restrictions began at 0315 GMT (0900 local) and would last until 1415 GMT (2000 local), state radio and television announced.
Security forces have erected barbed wire cordons to block off central Kathmandu, including the palace.
The mobile phone network remained cut off.
Despite the curfew, thousands of people were on Kathmandu's ring road, determined to get into the heart of the capital, the BBC's Nick Bryant reports from the Kalanki neighbourhood of the capital.
He saw police charge and fire what appeared to be rubber bullets at a crowd who were hurling rocks.
A young girl caught up in the protest was beaten and had to be carried away bleeding.
However, reports from other districts say the mood is calm.
People are going about their daily business, even chatting with police officers patrolling the streets.
People's demands
Protests have been building for more than two weeks against King Gyanendra, who sacked his government and assumed direct powers in February 2005.
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4935410.stm
More than 100,000 people defied a curfew on Saturday to demonstrate in the city centre for the first time.
Opposition parties have said the protests against King Gyanendra's absolute rule will continue.
Sunday's restrictions began at 0315 GMT (0900 local) and would last until 1415 GMT (2000 local), state radio and television announced.
Security forces have erected barbed wire cordons to block off central Kathmandu, including the palace.
The mobile phone network remained cut off.
Despite the curfew, thousands of people were on Kathmandu's ring road, determined to get into the heart of the capital, the BBC's Nick Bryant reports from the Kalanki neighbourhood of the capital.
He saw police charge and fire what appeared to be rubber bullets at a crowd who were hurling rocks.
A young girl caught up in the protest was beaten and had to be carried away bleeding.
However, reports from other districts say the mood is calm.
People are going about their daily business, even chatting with police officers patrolling the streets.
People's demands
Protests have been building for more than two weeks against King Gyanendra, who sacked his government and assumed direct powers in February 2005.
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4935410.stm
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4936198.stm
The streets of Nepal refused to calm down. Gunfire, tear gas and the liberal use of police batons on demonstrators had become part of daily life in the country's capital Katmandu as well as in the cities of Pokhara, Chandragadi, and elsewhere. All-day curfews had little success in keeping enraged Nepalese off the streets.
The country's monarch, 58-year-old King Gyanendra, had to act -- and on Friday, he announced that he was "returning the sovereign power of the country to the countrymen" and asked the country's seven leading political parties to appoint a prime minister.
But a television address that the king had hoped would placate his people and convince the demonstrators to go home had much the opposite effect. Instead, the king's speech made it clear that he hadn't been listening. Long before the king's partial concession, the protests had begun taking on a distinctly anti-monarchy tone with "Gyanendra go now" chants becoming commonplace. The parties' demands are correspondingly far-reaching -- that the king reinstate the democratically elected parliament he dissolved four years ago and that a national referendum be allowed which would re-examine the constitution and, more importantly, decide on the future of the monarchy itself.
On Friday evening, just hours after the king's speech, the Nepalese rejected the king's half offer and the protests continued through the weekend. Over 250 protestors were injured on Sunday as tens of thousands of marchers flaunted a curfew and attempted to march on the king's palace in Katmandu. A similar number were injured on Saturday. And on Monday, the demonstrations continued, despite an extension of the curfew for a fifth day. Organizers say they are targeting Tuesday for a huge protest on the ring road surrounding the Katmandu city center.
Indeed, it looks like the unrest in the Himalayan country has advanced much too far to be pacified by mere half-measures. The only true supporters King Gyanendra has left are incorrigible traditionalists who worship him as a Hindu deity, an incarnation of Vishnu, "The Preserver." But for most who have taken to the streets the last two weeks, Gyanendra is merely a monarch struggling to hang on to power -- and who is willing to unleash the police against his subjects and accept 14 deaths and more than 2,300 wounded to do so.
More
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/spiegel/0,1518,412718,00.html
The incumbent King came to power after the heinous killing of King Birendra and other members of his family. He has taken an active part in administering the country with assistance from Ministers in Cabinets appointed by him. Administration of the country without the consent of the people has been opposed by the seven-party opposition alliance plus the revolutionists belonging to the Maoist party. Disregard of the demand for democratisation of the government and the administration added fuel to the fire and the movement finally threatened the monarchy itself. Revolt against the King and his government took a serious turn during the last couple of weeks. King Gyanendra tried to control the lingering movement of the people and used the police and the armed forces for preventing agitation and movement against his rule. Lots of people have since been killed and injured.
The rights and interests of common people of the Kingdom of Nepal remained side-tracked for a long time. The royal family ruled the country for centuries. The class differences among the people, who follow the precepts of Hindu faith, had always been there. The Brahmins among the people monopolised the upper echelon of the society. Members of other castes were found peacefully working under the ruling class obtaining set income and meeting their needs. The members of the lower class of people followed the instructions of the King and the members of the Brahmins without much of concern. Introduction of constitutional monarchy by King Birendra had created hopes in the minds of the people for achievement of democratic rights through peaceful means. The present king, however, sought to rule the Kingdom by wielding absolute powers. This provoked even bitter political rivals to unite against the king.
Social realities have encouraged the people at large to look for a change in the administration of the Kingdom. They raised demands for changes in the polity and the administration side by side with their demand for safe ownership of land and property. The people chose politicians from time to time for providing leadership to the country with the consent of the King. The Kingdom, however, remained in the category of least developed countries and socio-economic development could not be augmented. Part of the blame has now been put on the royal family, and the movement for changes in administration has taken a furious turn than at any time before.
Reforms in the administration of the Kingdom of Nepal are needed for meeting demands of the people. The major powers in the world including the government of the USA and those of neighbouring countries of India and China sent messages and even delegates to persuade King Gyanendra to meet the demands of the people. Necessary measures have now to be taken to adopt constitutional provisions for reinstituting constiutitonal monarchy in Nepal. The Himalayan kingdom, endowed with lots of natural beauty and bounties, should be administered democratically. Restoration of peace and discipline will hopefully once again encourage visitors, specially foreign tourists and investors, to return to picturesque Nepal and contribute to its economic uplift.
http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/article_27310.shtml