CINA

Pro-democracy demonstrations launched by the agitating SPA have been gaining momentum with large public participation across the country.

Expressing solidarity with the ongoing pro-democracy movement, various sectors including civil servants, lawyers, artists, teachers, doctors, business entrepreneurs, and disabled persons, among others, have joined the SPA’s mass movement.

As the authorities continued to arrest demonstrators today, security personnel opened fire at protesters in Kathmandu and Itahari.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets defying curfew orders in Chitwan today.

The SPA has said that the movement would not stop unless “autocratic monarchy” is brought to an end and complete democracy is restored in the country.

A meeting of the Mass Movement Central Coordination Committee of the SPA held in the capital today called on national and international organizations to begin a search for those who went missing during the SPA demonstrations.

Asking for pardon over the inconvenience due to the general strike, the SPA also requested the general public to encourage the movement. 

Thousands attend peaceful gathering at Gongabu

Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the SPA’s peaceful gathering at Gongabu, the area which had remained tense for the last few days due to the brutal crackdown by the police.

Leaders of the SPA addressed the gathering which was peaceful compared to the previous days. The leaders expressed their commitment to take action against those security personnel who used excessive force to quell the demonstrations at Gongabu.

Addressing the gathering, Nepali Congress leader Ram Sharan Mahat said that the SPA would not make any compromise with anyone unless people’s sovereignty is restored.

Nepali Congress-Democratic leader Prakash Man Singh said that the mass movement, “which has gained new height,” will not be stopped unless “autocratic monarchy” is brought to an end.

Thousands of people following the meeting took to a peaceful rally which went through Samakhushi, Bashundhara, and Balaju defying the government prohibitory orders.

In Kirtipur, protesters, throughout the day, organized pro-democracy demonstrations. The protesters brought traffic along the major roads to a halt by putting up obstacles. Rallies were taken out from various corners of the town this afternoon and converged into a mass gathering at Naya Bazaar.

Curfew lifted, mobile phones resume

The government lifted the night curfew imposed within the Ring Road over the last few days, with effect from tonight.

The government also resumed mobile phone services halted for the last few days to quell the SPA-called general strike and political showdown that began from April 6.

Demonstrations in Pokhara

Thousands of activists participated in peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations in Pokhara today. The rally, which began early in the morning, went through major thoroughfares and converged at Mahendrapul, where Bhimsen Dahal, a pro-democracy protester was shot dead by police during demonstrations on April 8.

The SPA also renamed the area as Bhimsen Chowk.

Activists from nearby villages gathered in Pokhara after the authorities lifted the curfew imposed for the last four days.

http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=71045

IHT, AP reported this..

Nepalese police open fire on protesters, wounding three

CNN..

Nepal police 'fire on lawyers'

NepalNews..

Police arrest over 200 development workers

BBC News - Police open fire on Nepal lawyers

The Hong Kong based magazine Asia Times published following article yesterday..

King Gyanendra, it's time to bow down

PS..

Even eKantipur is a kind of bourgeois media in Nepal, but..

Govt pressurises cable operators to black out Kantipur TV

In a shameless attack on the free media, the royal government has pressurised all cable TV operators in the Kathmandu Valley to black out Kantipur Television from their network.

LATEST NEWS by THE TIMES OF INDIA [Friday, April 14, 2006 12:09:33 amPTI]..