At least 50 demonstrators were arrested from a protest rally organised by various teachers’ unions at Dilli Bazaar, Kathmandu, in support of the ongoing pro-democracy movement of the seven opposition political parties.

Hundreds of teachers staged demonstration at Dilli Bazaar and defied the government’s prohibitory orders in the afternoon. Within few minutes, the riot police intervened into the rally and arrested over 50 teachers.

The teachers chanted slogans demanding trade union rights and immediate restoration of democratic rights. They clashed with the police for some time but nobody was injured in the incident.

Meanwhile, the government freed six Home Ministry officials who were arrested while demonstrating at the ministry premises in Singh Durbar in support of the seven-party movement on Tuesday.

19 other Home Ministry officials and Nepal Rastra Bank employees arrested from the separate rallies were released on the same day. nepalnews.com mk Apr 19 06

Maoists have set free 19 security persons abducted during their raid on the district headquarters of Sarlahi, Malangwa, early this month.

Quoting Maoist leaders, a local journalist told Nepanews that that all 19 security personnel were released Wednesday from an undisclosed location in Sarlahi in the presence of human rights workers and journalists.

However, chief district officer Bhojraj Adhikari still remains in Maoist custody. The rebel leaders said he is safe with them, according to the journalist. The Maoists had released one security man few days ago.

Nearly two dozen people including 16 security personnel were killed when Maoists launched simultaneous attack on security bases and government officials in Malangwa on April 5. nepalnews.com mk/by Apr 19 06

Local authorities in Kathmandu and Lalitpur today issued 18-hour curfew orders in the capital starting from 2 a.m. Thursday.

The district administrations of Kathmandu and Lalitpur stated this through separate public notices this evening.

The curfew orders came in view of a planned mass protest of the seven opposition parties on Thursday. nepalnews.com mk Apr 19 06

By Dr. Alok K. Bohara

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s special envoy Karan Singh’s message, as some vernaculars put it, “restore democracy or risk losing power” could not have come at a better time. Nothing is guaranteed in politics, but based on everything we know about the major actors involved, a resolution leading to an election to constituent assembly (CA) seems inevitable. With the whole world watching and the people awaken, the King Gyanendra has no option left.

In politics, timing is everything and the King had his moment a week ago. Now, the future course of Nepal, including that of the King’s, belongs to the people. It is time to think carefully about the constituent assembly (CA). This author believes that the election for CA needs to exclusively deal with the issues of restructuring of the state. Unless we separate the issue of monarchy from the rest of the state related agenda such as federal structure, proportional representation system, social justice, and the economic power sharing between the regions and the center, the election for the CA cannot be transparent and agenda oriented. The political parties and the Maoists need to present to the people their vision for new Nepal.

King Gyanendra’s cold and uncaring New Year message last week had just stunned everyone. The ambiguous and empty call for a dialogue without any clarity and focus was rejected immediately by the Seven Party Alliance (SPA), and the response of the agitating masses was equally forceful in size, intensity, and coverage. The long-standing demand for a constituent assembly (CA) is a forgone conclusion, and a creation of a new liberal democratic Nepal is simply inevitable. This author proposes a two-step approach to hold such elections: 1) referendum for monarchy and 2) CA election.

There are two possible mechanisms: 1) house revival, formation of an interim government, and an election for constituent assembly or 2) formation of an interim government and a direct election for constituent assembly.

Under both scenarios, the constituent assembly becomes a common denominator. To make it fair and free, the UN could be invited to conduct this election.

First, a direct national election is to be held to decide the question of monarchy. This gives everyone a chance to assess and evaluate the importance of monarchy within a context of a single issue. This direct election can also be used to decide the issue of the country’s religious status. The assertion that the institution of monarchy is somehow venerable must be put to test, and the timing could not have been more perfect.

Then in the second round of the election for constituent assembly, the voters can focus on arties and candidates. With the issue of monarchy settled one way or the other, the voters will have a better idea about the parties’ and the Maoists’ standing on important issues such as, regional federal structure, mixed proportional representation electoral system, and social justice.

If we were to hold just one election, the issue of monarchy will overshadow the entire election process for CA, and the people will have missed an opportunity to debate important agenda.

The special envoy of the Indian Prime Minister has his work cut out for him, and the trip has come at a time when King Gyanendra himself does not have too many moves left. It may well be too little too late. At the same time, a giant democracy like India, on its way to becoming a respectable super power and perhaps with a dream to be a permanent member of the Security Council of the UN, would not want to sit back ideally, and allow a friendly neighbor to disintegrate in chaos. With an unknown entity like the Maoists lurking behind the scene, the risk was too great for a country like India to risk a potential collapse of a neighbor.

Similarly, it becomes the duty of everyone involved in this movement to avoid bloodshed and killings. Rejecting extremism, violence, and deaths should be everyone’s business, and this peaceful movement has been exemplary in that regard. Against this backdrop, this mission of the Indian Prime Minister Singh should be welcomed by all of us. Finding a political solution is a noble cause, and there is nothing shameful about it. War weary Nepalis need a break. Without any prejudgment, we should let the Indian Prime Minister’s mission take its course with a hope that the proposed solution, to be agreed upon by the SPA, is fair, transparent, and rewarding to the liberal democrats. King’s autocracy must end once and for all.

(Dr. Bohara is a professor of Economics at the University of New Mexico, USA. Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected] )

(Editor’s Note: Nepalis, wherever they live, as well as friends of Nepal around the globe are requested to contribute their views/opinions/recollections etc. on issues concerning present day Nepal to the Guest Column of Nepalnews. Length of the article should not be more than 1,000 words and may be edited for the purpose of clarity and space. Relevant photos as well as photo of the author may also be sent along with the article. Please send your write-ups to [email protected])

Nepali Congress (NC), one of the major constituents of the seven party alliance (SPA) has appealed for wider public participation in the agitation programme scheduled for Thursday when the alliance plans a show of strength by attracting the maximum number of demonstrators along the 27-km Ring Road.

Interacting with journalists on Monday, NC Spokesman Krishna Prasad Sitaula said, “Our appeal is to all those people who belong to one association or another and have issued statements backing the current movement. They would do well to turn up flaunting their own banner on the appointed day.”

Sitaula also said that parties have made a strategy to bring at least one person from each family in the rally.

Urging civil servants to lock up their offices and join the demo, Sitaula also said that parties are requesting people from nearby villages to walk to the rally in Ring Road on that day.

An appeal has also been issued to transporters’ unions, airlines professionals including pilots and cabin crew working in the civil aviation sector, among others, asking them not to cooperate with the regime and thus contribute to the cause of restoring democracy.

Situala further said that parties would defy any measures taken by the government to foil Thursday’s rally.

In an attempt to foil the rally, the government issued a prohibitory order on Sunday banning protest, procession and sit-ins within Ring Road and 200 meters from the Ring Road.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the United Valley Mass Movement Committee (UVMMC), apart from issuing a call to all to take part in the Thursday’s demonstration on the Ring Road, has also urged the people to come out of their houses at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and raise slogans against regression for at least 10 minutes. nepalnews.com pb Apr 18 06

One protestor was killed and over 100 injured when security forces intervened pro-democracy demonstrations in various parts of the country on Monday, the 12th day of the general strike called by the seven party alliance (SPA) demanding restoration of complete democracy bringing an end to the autocracy.

One CPN-UML activist Hiralal Gautam was killed and about half-a-dozen protestors injured, two critically, after security personnel opened fire against demonstrators who were organizing a protest rally in Nijgadh of Bara district.

In the capital, protestors defied the government’s prohibitory orders by organizing rallies, gatherings and sit-ins in various parts of the Valley on Monday.

At least 90 protesters were injured at Chabahil-Chuchepati area as riot police baton-charged demonstrators, teargassed them and fired rubber bullets to disperse the protestors for defying the government’s prohibitory order.

The injured have been admitted to nearby Om Hospital and Research Centre and Medicare hospital. Police have taken into custody dozens of protestors from the protest rally. The NC said over a dozen of its workers were rounded up.

In an attempt to foil the rally, the government issued a prohibitory order on Sunday banning protest, procession and sit-ins within the Ring Road and 200 meters from the Ring Road.

Demonstrations and torch rallies were also taken out at Bhimsengola, Bouddha, Kapan, Maharajgunj, Balaju, Ason, Sitapaila, Kirtipur, Patan, Kupandol, Thimi, Sitapaila and Kalanki.

Clashes in front of the CPN-UML office at Balkhu left some of the agitators injured. Protestors vandalized two taxis and a motorbike there. Police arrested four leaders, Ram Chandra Tiwari, Deepak Khatri, Rishi Tiwari and Dev Timilsena from the protest programme.

In Buddhanagar and Ghattekulo, women took out a rally banging steel plates.

Civil servants of various ministries also joined the pro-democracy movement and organized protest programme inside the ministry premises on Monday. The employees of Supreme Court also joined the stir by organizing sit-in at the court premises for one and half an hour.

In Itahari, at least fifty demonstrators and half a dozen policemen were injured during the clash between security forces and the protestors. Even the Nepal Red Cross volunteers, who were involved in the treatment of the injured, were manhandled by the police.

Meanwhile, the police manhandled journalists reporting on the police intervention in a torch rally. Half a dozen journalists were injured.

In Simara, two dozen protestors were injured after police intervened in a protest rally.

In Kalaiya, at least 24 agitators were injured when police intervened in a rally and beat up protesters. The police also fired four rounds of rubber bullets. Around 300 women staged a rally carrying plates, brooms and ladles.

Meanwhile, security forces escorted some vehicles along the highway.

A report from Narayangarh said four agitators were injured when security forces fired bullets at them at Ratnanagar municipality. The RNA men who were escorting vehicles from Hetauda, opened fire at Tandi Bazaar while clearing the Mahendra Highway. A security source said the forces opened fire after agitators stoned the RNA vehicle.

In Birgunj, over a dozen activists were injured when police intervened in a demonstration. Police also beat up civilians at Mina Bazaar, Ghantaghar and Adarsha Nagar.

In Ramechhap, the agitating parties staged a massive rally at Manthali. Three agitators were hurt when the police intervened.

Women in Sindhupalchowk also staged a rally.

In Bhairahawa, students burnt an effigy of regression at Buddha Chowk. Employees of the Nepal Electricity Authority, Bhairahwa, staged a pen down strike.

Rallies were also held in Nawalparasi. In Rautahat, people from different walks of life took out a rally at Gaur.

In Pyuthan, the Nepal Ranger Association, Nepal Forest Guard Association, Civil Servants’ Association and Local Development Employees Association staged a sit-in at the District Forest Office premises.

In Lamjung, a rally was led by former Indian and British Army personnel at Besi Sahar. Rallies were also held in Hetauda.

In Lekhnath, the RNA used loudspeakers to warn civilians against taking out rallies saying Maoists had entered the municipality. However, thousands of people staged a rally at Sisuwa.

In Nepalgunj, 20 demonstrators, including UML’s office secretary Hem Raj Giri and district president of People’s Front Nepal Mahendra Bahadur Mahat, were injured in police action. The police also fired blank shots to disperse the crowd in Jumla.

The Panchthar chamber of commerce and industry also organised a protest rally. nepalnews.com pb Apr 18 06

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had sent a letter to the chief of the Armed Police Force (APF) on Monday to send Senior Superintendent of Police Madhav Thapa for questioning in the April 11 incident in Gongabu, where security forces opened indiscriminate rubber bullets firing and lathi charged demonstrators.

In a letter sent to the APF Inspector General, Sahabir Thapa, the national rights watchdog has requested him to send SSP Thapa within 48 hours.

The NHRC also said it would also take up the issue with the home minister.

The NHRC had asked SSP Thapa to be present at its office in person on Sunday. However, in a letter to the NHRC, the APF headquarter said that he couldn’t appear before the office due to “hectic security meetings”.

In its letter to the APF chief, the NHRC has said that, beside maintaining peace and security, “It’s the duty of the police officer to uphold human rights standards,” according to reports. nepalnews.com pb Apr 18 06

Various human rights organisations working in the country have demanded for the dissolution of the incumbent government and to form a fresh one comprising the seven political parties and Maoists through a national consensus.

They also urged both the warring factions to declare a ceasefire and begin the peace process.

A joint statement issued by seven human rights organisations and members of civil society also urged the government to lift restrictions and curfew in various parts of the country.

They also called on the government to allow journalists to cover news on the strength of their respective identity cards and without demanding specific permits for doing their job.

The rights bodies also urged people not to pay taxes to the incumbent government as called by the seven agitating political parties. The statement further said that the security forces were using excessive force to suppress the pro-democracy movement of the country against the national and international norms. nepalnews.com pb Apr 18 06

Three Maoists were killed and eight others injured when a bomb they were carrying exploded at the Ghodaghodi area of Kailali district on April 11, a press statement issued by Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The statement further said, one local woman was severely injured when Maoists indiscriminately opened fire at Baghkhor area of Jhapa district on April 16.

Likewise, the Maoists looted various kinds of machinery equipment from a Mill at the Mohammadpur area of Bardia district, the statement said. nepalnews.com pb Apr 18 06

Over 25 employees of Home Ministry and four journalists were arrested on Tuesday from protest programme of the employees.

Police arrested 25 employees including four section officers and personal secretary of Home Minister while they are organizing sit-in protest programme at the Ministry at the premises of Singha Durbar.

Talking to Nepalnews, Bhola Pokhrel, general secretary of Civil Servants Organization of Nepal said that they will announce new protest programmes if the government did not release them immediately. He warned to bring all office work to a complete halt if the government failed to release them immediately.

He informed that the employees of various ministries organized demonstrations at the ministry premises to express solidarity to the ongoing pro-democracy movement of the country.

He condemned the incident saying it is against the labour laws and trade union laws. This is the first time civil servants were arrested while expressing solidarity to the pro-democracy movement of the country.

Police also arrested three journalists and one driver who reached there to cover the strike of employees.

Balram Baniya, reporter of Kantipur daily, Bimal Gautam, reporter of Kantipur Television, Raju Timilsina, cameraman and Shiva Ram Thapa, driver of Kantipur Television were arrested from the Central Secretariat complex (Singha Durbar) while they reporting news on the protest organized by civil servants against the government.

They were taken into control when they tried to enter the Home Ministry to cover news, and were taken to Hanumandhoka District Police Office.

Meanwhile, the pro-democracy demonstrations continued in the valley and other parts of the country on Tuesday as well.

Sangita Chhetri was injured when police fired rubber bullets at protestors in Buddanagar area of the capital. She is undergoing treatment at Everest Nursing Home. She was hit by rubber bullets when police fired to disperse demonstrators after they set ablaze a tempo in New Baneshwore for defying the general strike.

According to reports, she was returning home after completing the tuition classes.

Police also arrested 11 employees of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), the central Bank of the country, while they were organizing peaceful protest programme at the Bank. The employees Union of the Bank has warned of further strike if they were not released immediately.

The employees are planning to surround the governor’s office, accusing the Bank administration of calling the police to arrest them. Those arrested have been detained at District Police Office Hanumandhoka.

Demonstrations were held in various parts of capital including Thamel, Gongabu, Soyambhu, Naya bazaar, Jorpati among others. Police arrested more than a dozen demonstrators from various protest rallies.

Reports from out of the valley said demonstrations have been continuing in various parts of the country including Pokhara, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Butwal, Bara, Birjung, Sindhuli, Nepalgunj. One protestor received rubber bullet injuries in Gaighat of Udaypur district.

Employees of various organizations and government offices continued protests on Tuesday as well.

Meanwhile, protestors vandalized 14 vehicles in Bara.

One demonstrator was killed and over 100 injured during clashes between security forces and demonstrators on Monday. nepalnews.com pb Apr 18 06