CINA

At least one protestor was killed and 12 others injured when security forces opened fire at a peaceful protest demonstration of nearly two thousand people in Nijgadh of Bara district today.

Hiralal Gautam, 25, of Nijgadh died while being rushed to a hospital in Birgunj, reported our correspondent Shankar Acharya.

With Gautam’s death, the number of people who have lost their lives in the ongoing movement for democracy has reached six.

Similarly, four protestors were injured when Royal Nepalese Army soldiers opened fire at a group of protestors in Chitwan district this afternoon.

According to reports, the soldiers opened fire as a group of protestors tried to stop a truck carrying goods. The soldiers were escorting the truck.

Two protestors were injured when police fired rubber bullets at a demonstration in Chabahil of Kathmandu today.

Pro-democracy protesters in the capital today defied the government prohibitory orders and demonstrated in the restricted areas.

Protests continued for several hours at Gongabu, Chabahil and Balkhu.

Meanwhile, civil servants today demonstrated inside the Singha Durbar premises.

Women from Sankhamul and Buddhanagar today took to the streets drumming dinner plates as a symbolic support to the SPA demonstrations. Similar rallies of women were taken out at Anamnagar and Maitidevi.

In Patan, the SPA took out rallies appealing to the city dwellers to join the pro-democracy demonstrations. The rally passed through Patandhoka, Lagankhel, Natole and Pulchowk.

Police arrested at least a dozen women who took out a rally demanding democracy and end to autocracy at Bhotahity. They have been kept at Mahendra Police Club.

Employees of Education Department hold sit-in

Meanwhile, employees of the Higher Secondary Education Council and Department of Education today halted office work to stage a sit-in protest showing solidarity with the ongoing pro-democracy movement.

Supporting the ongoing SPA agitation, employees of the Higher Secondary Education Council, Education Human Resource Development Center and Formal Education Center and CTEVT staged a sit-in demonstration in front of the Education Department. 

In the meantime, a protest gathering of University Teachers’ Association of Central Campus, Kirtipur, appealed to the security personnel to back the SPA-launched movement.

Employees of the Vice Chancellor’s Office of Tribhuvan University and the Office of the Controller of Examinations also locked up their offices to express solidarity with the ongoing movement.

SC employees join movement

Employees of the Supreme Court (SC) also held demonstrations in support of the ongoing mass movement. Binding black arm bands, the SC employees staged a sit-in protest in the premises of the Court for an hour this afternoon. The protest was also observed by joint secretary-level officials.

Similar pro-democracy demonstrations were held by employees of the Agricultural Development Bank and Transport Management Office.

NepalNews..

UML activist shot dead in Bara during demonstration

A meeting of the Joint Movement Central Coordination Committee (JMCCC) held in the capital today decided, among other issues, not to pay tax to the royal government.

Stating that the SPA-called nationwide protest demonstrations have gained new height, the JMCCC said it will stage a 'huge demonstration' in the capital on April 20.

The parties called on all "to boycott any products and services of those businesses and industries belonging to the royal family and its family members."

The SPA also appealed to all Nepalis abroad in foreign employment not to send remittances during the pro-democracy protest period.

Appealing for the continuous support for the ongoing agitation, the seven parties requested friendly countries, donors and the international community not to lend any financial aid to the "unconstitutional royal regime."

In the meantime, former prime minister and president of Nepali Congress-Democratic Sher Bahadur Deuba today appealed on all not to pay any tax to the government in defiance of the "unconstitutional decision imposed by the autocratic regime."

Meanwhile, anti-government demonstration has intensified in the Kathmandu Valley with massive public participation.

Police opened fire at Balkhu in the capital and in Arghakhanchi district today injuring more than one and half dozen demonstrators.

At least six pro-democracy protesters were injured in the police shooting at Balkhu while 12 sustained injuries in Arghakhanchi. Five of the injured in Arghakhanchi are in serious condition.

Massive demonstrations were staged at various parts of the valley including at Gongabu, Chabahil, Sat Dobato, Bhaktapur.

In Patan, an anti-government rally that began from Mangal bazaar passed through major corners of the city before converging into a mass gathering at Patan Dhoka. Demonstrations were also held at Bhimsenthan, Tangal, Lanagkhel, Mahapal, Gabahal, demanding restoration of democracy and the release of all the political detainees.

In Gongabu, peaceful demonstrations began from early in the morning. The rally passed through major parts of the area, demanding establishment of complete democracy in the country.

Similar rallies were taken out at Bashundhara, Suryabinayak and Kausaltar in Bhaktapur.

Demonstrators in Kalanki organized a pro-democracy cultural programme from early this morning. The demonstrators sang pro-democracy songs and recited poems.

"The king's message is just the formality and it has not addressed the burning problems plaguing the nation at present. The peaceful agitation will continue," said K.P.Oli, senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist.

In a new year message the king today renewed his call for talks with all political parties and said that general elections should be conducted without any delay.

"We believe that there is no alternative to multiparty democracy in the 21st century and the verdict of the ballot alone is legitimate, the King said, adding, "... we, therefore, call upon all political parties to join in a dialogue, which we have always advocated, to bear the responsibility of and contribute towards activating the multiparty democratic polity," the king said.

"There is so much violence and bloodshed going on and people are protesting all over the country demanding restoration of people's sovereignty but he is acting as if nothing has happened," Oli said.

Thousands of people have come into the streets demanding restoration of democracy across the country over the past week as the alliance intensified its protests to pressurize the king to give up power.

At least four people have died, hundreds arrested and many others injured as the protestors and the security forces were engaged in violent clashes during demonstrations nationwide.

"No one should have confusion in what the king is trying to do. It is very clear that the king is firm in his own roadmap and he doesn't want to talk with open mind," said Minendra Risal, spokesman of the Nepali Congress-Democratic Party.

On Thursday, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan through a statement issued by his spokesman in New York said that he "is more than ever concerned about the deteriorating situation."

Annan also reiterated his call for an inclusive national dialogue of all Nepalese political forces and for King Gyanendra to take "courageous steps" to find a way avoid further bloodshed.

"It is quite clear that the Nepalese people want a swift end to the conflict and instability and the immediate restoration of democracy. The loss of life and denial of legitimate rights should end without delay," Annan said.

International pressure has been mounting on king to reach out to the political parties as the United States, India, European Union and Japan expressed concern over the deteiorating political situation in Nepal last week.

The US embassy in Kathmandu closed down its visa section and reduced staffing in its mission citing security reasons. The move came after a wave of violent protests in the country.

US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack earlier this week said that King Gyanendra's failure to bring the parties back into a process to restore democracy has compounded the problem.

"As a friend of Nepal, we must state that King Gyanendra's decision fourteen months ago to impose direct palace rule in Nepal has failed in every regard. The demonstrations, deaths, arrests, and Maoist attacks in the past few days have shown there is more insecurity, not less," said Sean McCormack in a statement.

"He has failed to recognize the spirit of people's sentiment who have taken to the streets to get back their sovereignty. We will continue our movement unless complete democracy is restored," said Krishna Prasad Sitaula, spokesman of the Nepali Congress party.

Meanwhile, CPN-Maoist Chairman Prachanda today said the king's address has shown "feudal stubbornness" by ignoring the burning issues of the country and people.

“Now it is clear that the Nepali people's wish for democracy and peace will be fulfilled only after taking the ongoing movement to the pinnacle of success,” Prachanda said.

The Maoist leader also reiterated his commitment to work as per the understanding reached with the seven parties and develop common programmes.

Pro-democracy demonstrations continue

Pro-democracy demonstrations were held across the country on the ninth consecutive day of the indefinite nationwide general strike called by the seven-party alliance, on Friday.

A huge pro-democracy rally was taken out in the Biratnagar Sub-Metropolis organized by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Morang branch. Doctors, engineers, lawyers, civil society leaders and other professionals participated in the rally.

In Urlabari, Morang, the SPA activists organized a cycle rally. Demonstrations also were held in Babiyabirta and Jante of the district.

Reports from Rajbiraj said thousands of people participated in an anti-government demonstrations

Meanwhile, security personnel arrested more than 100 demonstrators, including 53 women and 14 journalists, from a peaceful rally at Baglung bazaar, the district headquarters Baglung today. The authorities, however, released all of them in the evening.

In Arghakhanchi, normal life was crippled throughout the day as vehicular movement remained disrupted, industries and other organizations remained closed due to the general strike. Thousands of villagers took out anti-government rally at the district headquarters Sandhikharka.

Reports coming in said similar pro-democracy rallies were organized in Dhankuta, Ilam, Sindhupalchowk, Janakpur, Panchthar, Kaski, Jhapa, Taplejung, Dhading, Dhangadhi, Parbat and other districts.

14 NGO activists arrested

Police intervened in a peaceful demonstration organized by various NGOs in the capital on Friday morning and arrested 14 NGO activists.

Police intercepted in the demonstration that began from Naya Baneshwar and was headed for Purano Baneshwar this morning.

Bhagawati Nepal, Sharmila Karki, Dr Netra Timsina, Shanti Adhikari, Bhola Bhattarai, Rajendra Lamichhane, among others were arrested by the security personnel today.

Issuing a statement, the NGO federation has condemned the police intervention in a peaceful demonstration. It has also demanded immediate release of all the political detainees arrested during the ongoing protests. 

 

BBC News - Nepal parties reject king's offer

 

 

IHT, NYT..

 

Nepal's youths see a future, but will it work?

 

The Nepalese New Year dawned Friday, with Nepal's young lashing furiously at the past.

"We will not ask the king to leave the throne - we will go and take the throne and put it on display," Gagan Thapa, 29, the political symbol of young Nepal, told a crowd of thousands on the outskirts of the capital on Thursday. The vast majority, dressed in baseball caps and jeans and looking well below the age of 30, roared in approval.

A brassy anti-monarchy call-and-response echoed through the warren of terraced lanes.

"We will burn the crown," Thapa shouted.

"Burn the crown, burn the crown!" the crowd hollered back.

The irrepressible protests that have gripped Nepal over the last several days demanding the end of palace rule and the reinstatement of Parliament are in large measure a function of demography and its discontent.

Young Nepal has been at the forefront of the recent rambunctious, often violent pro-democracy protests that have left four people dead.

Whether Nepal descends into further tumult or sees the dawning of a new political age in the Nepalese calendar year of 2063 will depend on whether they can be appeased.

With his country's crisis mounting by the day, King Gyanendra seemed to make the slightest of nods in that direction. In a brief statement read on state- owned television shortly before midnight, he called for general elections "with the active participation of all political parties committed to peace and democracy."

But the king said nothing about when elections would be held nor, more importantly, whether he would consent to elections to review the Constitution, something the country's coalition of political parties and the Maoist rebels insist on.

[The political parties rejected the king's call on Friday and vowed instead to continue with their protests, The Associated Press reported from Katmandu. "The king has failed to address the protests and the movement for democracy. He is only using the offer for dialogue to try prolong his rule," said Krishna Sitaula of the Nepali Congress party, the largest party in Nepal.]

Nearly 60 percent of Nepal's 23 million citizens are under 24. They came of age after democracy came to Nepal in April 1990, and they have tasted the fruits and failures of electoral politics. They have seen a Maoist rebellion put much of the countryside through the wringer.

In February 2005, they saw their king suspend Parliament and install prime ministers of his own choosing in a bid, as he said, to defeat a bruising Maoist insurgency. For 14 months, they have lived under the king's direct rule.

This past week, he banned protests in the capital and for six days imposed a daytime curfew.

That order has not stopped young people from defiantly pouring out into the streets. They have been taking the lion's share of police beatings: On just one day this past week, of the 59 people admitted to Katmandu's main teaching hospital for treatment of their injuries, only 13 were over the age of 30.

Consider the verdict of Shashi Sigdel, a 22-year-old medical student, on the shift in attitudes toward the king.

"My grandfather used to think he is a God," Sigdel said. "My parents used to think he stands between God and the devil. Me, I think he's the devil. That's the generation gap."

On Thursday, the government restored cellphone service, snipped for nearly a week, and lifted curfew in the capital. The ban on protests in Katmandu and several other cities continued - as did the protests.

The Royal Nepalese Army has been dispatched to some of the demonstrations. But so far, they have largely refrained from open confrontation with the demonstrators. Of the four people killed in the demonstrations, at least two died by army fire.

Pro-democracy demonstrations have been commonplace since the royal takeover of February 2005, but none have been as intense, sustained or violent as the ones unfolding over the past week. The Maoists have given their blessings to the protests, having signed a peace deal of sorts last fall with a coalition of Nepal's seven largest political parties.

Thousands of ordinary Nepalese, including lawyers, journalists and other professionals, with no explicit links to political parties, have been arrested over the past week. The palace has accused Maoists of infiltrating the ranks of the protesters.

The young people who have been on the front lines of these protests are the children of parliamentary politics in Nepal. Democracy brought more than elections to this Himalayan kingdom. It ushered in new schools and colleges. Roads were built connecting the countryside to the capital. A feisty independent news media was born.

Many of those who joined the recent demonstrations, if they even had any memory of the pro-democracy movement of 1990, had never joined a political protest before.

Ila Sharma, 39, remembered watching her neighbors light torches and march in the street in the spring of 1990. Last Saturday, she joined a protest march. The same day, she watched television videotape of the police beating protesters. She has not been able to stop protesting since.

Sharma said she had lost what little faith she once had in the king. "We are amply disillusioned," Sharma said.

The young Nepalese are a thorn in not only the king's side, but also the sides of the politicians who gave the call for these protests and saw them spreading well beyond expectations over the course of the last week.

In interview after interview, protesters said they would not allow their politicians to strike any power-sharing deals with the palace.

At the close of his speech, Thapa climbed down from his stoop and said he hoped the politicians who head his party, the Nepali Congress, would heed the message of the young.

He was quickly buttonholed by his fans. "Our destination is a republic," Rajesh Sapkota, 21, a college student demanded. "You have to convey this message to the leaders. We want to be clear about democracy."

Thapa assured the protesters their wishes would not be sidelined.

"We thought years ago that a republic was unthinkable," he told them. "Now it's possible."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/14/news/nepal.php

 

 

Al Jazeera..

UN warns Nepal over repression

 

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]..

At least a protester was killed and more tham two-dozen others injured when the police shoot at peaceful demonstrations in Nawalparasi district today.

According to our correspondent Narayan Sharma, six of the injured are in serious condition.

The deceased has been identified as local resident Bishnu Pandey.

In Kathmandu, dozens of activists were injured and several others arrested in the police action.

The agitating seven-party alliance (SPA) was scheduled to organize a peaceful mourning ceremony at Khulla Manch, also known as Sahid Manch, to mark the martyrdom of Umesh Chandra Thapa, Tulasi Chhetri, Darshan Lal Yadav and Shiva Hari Kunwar who were shot dead by security men during the pro-democracy demonstrations.

Though the government authorities lifted daytime curfew imposed in the valley from today, the prohibitory orders, which bans from holding public gatherings, remains still in place.

The policemen arrested more than half dozen activists including Nepali Congress’ Shashank Koirala and UML's Prakash Jwala from a rally at Thamel. The rally was taken out from Gongabu, wherein over 100 protesters were injured, some critically, in police action on Tuesday.

Over a dozen demonstrators were arrested from Maha Bouddha.

Protest demonstrations were organized at Kirtipur, Ghattekulo, Kalanki, Chabahil, and Patan since this morning.

The protesters torched two government motorcycles at Ghattekulo on the seventh day of the SPA-called indefinite general strike today.

Student leaders Bimal Pun and Anil Thapa were arrested from Bhaktapur this afternoon.

Similarly, policemen intervened in a rally at Tinkune and arrested more than 30 protesters including UML leaders Pradip Gyawali and Suresh Karki, NC's Padhma Narayan Chaudhari, and Samyukta Bam Morcha's Prabhu Narayan Chaudhari.

The policemen arrested Tek Bahadur Chokhyal of NC-D and Bishweshwora Dahal of UML and several others at Naya Baneshwor, while some one dozen demonstrators were arrested from Ratna Park.

In Bhaktapur, the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party today staged a mass gathering protesting against the excessive use of force by the government on the peaceful demonstrations.

Meanwhile, the government authorities today barred some 103 political activists, who have been detained at the Women's Training Centre, Jawalakhel, from organizing a blood donation programme for the injured pro-democracy demonstrators.

The authorities stopped the activists from organizing the programme citing "orders from above."

Police open fire at artistes’ rally

Police opened fire to quell peaceful anti-government protest demonstrations by cinema artists and litterateur at Purano Baneswor today.

Police charged baton and resorted to blank firing when more than 200 demonstrations came out of the Gurukul theatre centre and assembled at Purano Baneshwor to express solidarity with the ongoing movement in the country.

The protests started from Gurukul in the afternoon where senior comedians Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya staged their 1991 hit historic "Panchyat ko Shraddha" in mockery of the Nepalese authorities.

Nikil Upretti, Kiran Manandhar, Dr. Tulsi Bhattrai, Hari Govinda Luitel, Dr. Durga Prasad Bhandari, Desh Bhakta Khanal, Raamesh Shrestha, Satya Mohan Joshi and Dr. Manjil Upretti were among others participated in the programme.

Police arrested ten people from the demonstrations.

Pro-democracy activists continued to hold anti-government demonstrations across the country today.

In Gaighat, the district headquarters of Udaypur, dozens of demonstrators were injured in police baton-charge. Government employees also halted their works and joined the SPA demonstrations in the district.

In the far western district of Kanchanpur, a large number of people participated in a pro-democracy rally.

Anti-government rallies organized by various transport entrepreneurs, FNCCI, hotel entrepreneurs, civil society members and professionals were taken out also in Mahendranagar.

http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=70972

NepalNews..

One demonstrator shot dead in Nawalparasi, over 50 injured

IHT, AP..

Police open fire on protesters in Nepal

Security personnel continued to use rubber bullets, teargas shells and batons to quell the demonstrations organized by the agitating seven-party alliance (SPA) in various parts of the country including in the capital on Tuesday.

Reports of several injuries and arrests are coming in from across the country.

On the sixth day of the SPA-called nationwide indefinite general strike, political activists today continued to take out protest rallies defying curfew orders.

In the Kathmandu Valley, the SPA activists staged demonstrations at Koteshwor, Bashundhara, Gongabu, Chabahil, Kapan, Jorpati, Bashundhara Chowk, Mahankal, Thamel, Chhetrapati, Ason, New Road, Bangemuda, Kalanki, Sita Paila, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur and Madhyapur Thimi, among other places, by defying curfew orders since this morning.

Over a dozen demonstrators sustained head injuries when policemen baton charged a peaceful rally at Panga, Kirtipur. Thousands of activists participated in the rally.

More than two dozen activists were injured in police firing at Gongabu. 65-year-old Toya Nath Poudel and former Gongabu VDC chairman Prakash Adhikari were among those injured.

A medical staff at the Emergency Ward of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj told ekantipur over the phone that over 150 injured protestors were brought there today. 59 of them have been admitted.

“Five of them are in the operation theatre now (8:45 pm) and four others who are in very critical condition are under regular observation,” a doctor told ekantipur over the phone.

Tension in Gongabu

Policemen fired several rounds of rubber bullets at protesters from the house of a security man at Gongabu injuring dozens of activists.

The police beat up the protesters even after arresting them. The security personnel also fired dozens of teargas shells to disperse the protesters.

In yet another incident, policemen severely beat a child Aftahab after entering a motor garage at Banashthali.

In Bhaktapur, Nepali Congress aligned-Nepal Students Union’s Resham Dangol, Rajendra Wagle of UML aligned ANNFSU, were among six injured during scuffles with police. Nine activists were arrested.

The protesters vandalized the Land Survey Office and Land Revenue Office at Surya Binayak, Bhaktapur.

The local residents of Thecho, Lalitpur chased away the security personnel after the latter opened fire at the protesters.

A rally taken out from Patan went through Sundhara, Mangalbazaar, Gwarko, Dhaugal, and Chysal before converging into a mass gathering at Purna Chandi. Two taxis were torched and a trolley bus smashed by the activists at Shantinagar, Baneshwor this morning.

More than one dozen protesters including Nepal Tarun Dal’s Gokarna KC were injured during demonstrations at Chabahil, while a dozen others were injured in scuffles with policemen at Chakrapath Chowk.

Four protesters were injured and arrested later by the police at Sita Paila.

Police fire at a protest rally in Pokhara

Police indiscriminately opened fired at a rally taken out by thousands of protesters in Pokhara today. Two women Parbati Poudel and Bishnu Bhattarai were injured in the shooting.

The police opened fire after tear gas failed to bring the demonstrations under control.

The rallies were taken out from Shrijana Chowk, Sabha Griha Chwok and Prithvi Chowk.

Separately, 24 academics were arrested by the police from a protest rally at Lamachaur.

In Dharan, police fired three rounds of bullets at a protest rally.

A large pro-democracy rally was taken out at Narayanghat, Chitwan this afternoon. The rally defied the curfew orders in the town.

Police in Nawalparasi opened six rounds of fire into the air to disperse the agitating demonstrators, injuring six of them. Several rounds of teargas shells were also fired.

In Banke, almost all the employees of Teaching Hospital, Agricultural Development Bank, Nepal Bank Limited, Banijya Bank, Rural Development Bank, Electricity Authority and Nepal Telecom, halted their work and joined the SPA-called protest demonstrations.

In Biratnagar, protest demonstrations were staged by burning tyres on the roads since early morning.

Protest rallies taken out from Bargathi, Bus Park, Devkota Chowk and Pokhariya went through major parts of the town.

Similarly, All the doctors in Biratnagar stopped their work and joined the SPA’s protest demonstrations.

9 tourists arrested

Meanwhile many tourists held a protest demonstration in Thamel, a major tourist hub in Kathmandu, requesting the government, parties and Maoists to start dialogue immediate dialogue for peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict.

They also requested the government to lift curfew and begin talks with the parties. 

police arrested nine tourists from Thamel for supporting and chanting slogans demanding early restoration of democracy in Nepal.

“Only the restoration of democracy in Nepal at the earliest can restore peace here. And we can enjoy our stay here only if peace is restored,” a tourist said before being arrested by the police. 

http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=70892

BBC News - Dozens injured in Nepal clashes

IHT, AP..

Protesters in Nepal fired on

CNN..

Nepal defies shoot-on-sight curfew

Al Jazeera..

Troops fire on Nepal protesters 

Security personnel used excessive force to quell the demonstrations, firing rubber bullets and baton-charging the protesters. Scores of protesters were injured today.

In the capital, the protestors staged demonstrations defying curfew orders at Kirtipur, Koteshwor, Gongabu, Jorpati, Bashundharachowk, Buddhanagar, Thamel, Chhetrapati, Banashthali, Ason, New Road, Bangemuda, Kalanki, Sita Paila this morning. Demonstrators in Bhaktapur, Madhyapur Thimi and Lalitpur also defied the curfew.

In many places, security personnel entered private houses and indiscriminately charged batons injuring dozens.

Dozens of injured protesters were taken to TU Teaching Hospital and Bir Hospital. One of the injured protestors was hit by four rubber bullets.

The agitating seven-party alliance (SPA) which yesterday said that the ongoing mass movement against “unconstitutional autocratic monarchy” wouldn’t be stopped unless complete democracy was restored in the country, gave continuity to its nationwide general strike today.

At Kapan, thousands of people participated in a rally blowing conch shells. They also torched an effigy of “regression.”

Mass gatherings were organized at Naya Bazaar, Kirtipur since this morning.

Police opened indiscriminate fire at a protest rally taken out by the Engineers’ Association, Pulchowk. The policemen also fired several rounds of teargas shells at the boys’ and girls’ hostels injuring nine students.

The police arrested local residents Suman Adhikari and Sunil Adhikari from their house at Balaju, dozens of activists including NC’s Ramchandra Tiwari from Kalanki, NC leader Jhalaknath Wagle from Bashundhara and Rohit Rai of NC-D, among others.

Thousands of activists marched towards Chabahil and defied the curfew before staging a mass gathering. More than one dozen activists were injured in scuffle with the policemen at Patan.

Student leaders Nil Kamal Bhattarai and Rabichandra Upreti were among those injured in Gahanapokhari clash.

Dozens of protestors including NC-D’s Gangaram Kutu and Bishwo Raj Thapa were arrested from protest demonstrations in Bhaktapur.

According to Insec, a human rights watchdog, at least 46 political activists including former mayor of Bhaktapur, Madan Krishna Shrestha were arrested.

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And if I understood it well, it was just once reported on BBC World, the Peoples Militia, the Popular Resistance Committees and the CPN.M will now take a more active part in the uprising... if it is a uprising..

Bhimsen Dahal, who was running a cyber in Hotel Anandban at Prithivichowk was shot by security men. Dahal was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital in an army van soon after he was hit by a bullet. His body is still at the hospital. He is a permanent resident of Kavre district.

Two other protestors who were injured in the firing were taken away by army personnel in a van, human rights activists said.

Eyewitnesses said a soldier guarding the Nepal Telecom Office at Mahendrapul fired the shots killing Dahal and injuring the other two.

SPA activists have been taking out protest rallies and staging demonstrations at several places in Pokhara from the morning. Major thoroughfares like Sabhagriha chowk, New Road, Chipledhunga and Mahendrapul remain tense.

Police fired over a dozen teargas shells at protest rallies at Chipledhunga and New Road.

Hundreds of demonstrators chanted anti-monarchy slogans at various places.

Senior citizens in the city took out a protest rally from the famous Vindhyabasini temple, protesting against monarchy and in favour of republicanism. The rally chanting anti-monarchy and pro-democracy slogans passed through different places before it converted into a corner mass meet at Zero Kimi.

The police tried to intervene the rally at Mahedrapul and Sabhagriha chowk but eventually let it go. “Even we elderly people could not bear with the lack of democracy in the country and decided to take to the streets,” said 80-yr-old Netrapani Gautam.

Subhadra Koirala, 50, said the elderly had joined the street protests to restore the people’s rights, adding, “We will continue with the agitation until the people’s rights are restored.”

Police atrocity to clear way for royal motorcade

Security personnel used excessive force “to clear the road for royal motorcade” in Pokhara Saturday afternoon.

Over an hour before the royal motorcade, the police intervened in a peaceful rally taken out by locals and SPA activists to protest the killing of Dahal. The police charged the protestors with batons, fired a number of shots into the air and dozens of teargas shells at Prithvi Chowk, Pokhara.

A number of children and pedestrians had fallen on the road due to the indiscriminate firing of tear gas shells.

While entire Pokhara remained tense due to clashes between the protestors and security men and due to the killing, the king had gone to No. 3 Battalion of the RNA at Lekhnath Marg at around 11 in the morning and returned to the Ratna Mandir Palace at around 3 in the afternoon

Curfew clamped in Birendranagar

Authorities have imposed a curfew in Birendranagar, the headquarters of the Mid-western Region, from 2 pm to 7 pm on Saturday.

The District Administration Office, Surkhet, issued the curfew order only at 1:30 pm, just half an hour before a protest demonstration by the agitating seven-party alliance.

This is the first time that a day curfew has been imposed in Surkhet.

The curfew which has been imposed in Birendranagar municipality and a few surrounding villages at a very short notice has left thousands stranded.

http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=70660

Demonstrators defy curfew, stage demos; Daylong curfew in Kathmandu, Lalitpur on Sunday

Defying the government imposed daytime curfew, pro-democracy agitators Saturday continued their protest demonstrations in the Kathmandu Valley.