Police on Saturday has intervened in the peaceful demonstration being organized by the Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) in Kathmandu and took into custody four journalists.
Central committee member of FNJ, Surya Thapa, journalists Dipak Dahal, Fanindra Dahal and Tikaram Yatri were arrested while they were taking part in a peaceful demonstration that initiated from Media Village at Sinamangal. Nearly a dozen journalists and professionals including general secretary of FNJ, Mahendra Bista, former president of Nepal Engineers Association Yuvaraj Sharma and general secretary of the Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) Rajendra Aryal were injured in the baton-charging by police. FNJ had organized the rally in protest of use of excessive force by security personnel in peaceful demonstrations in various parts of the country over the past week.
All four journalists were freed after a couple of hours this afternoon.
In a separate incident, police took into custody 18 journalists, artists and professionals as they were taking part in the ‘Face to Face programme at the street’ organized by the Reporters’ Club of Nepal at Putalisadak on Saturday morning. Chairman of the Club, Rishi Dhamala, journalists Purushottam Dhakal, Navaraj Chalise, artist Manoj Gajurel, among others, were detained.
FNJ, CEHURDES and other media groups have condemned the arrest and attack against journalists by the royal regime and have called upon the government to respect people’s right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. nepalnews.com by Apr 15 06
Senior civil society leaders being detained at the Duwakot Armed Police Barracks in Bhaktapur have rejected the call for dialogue by His Majesty King Gyanendra saying that “merely repeating once again the empty call for dialogue will do nothing to resolve the political problems of today.”
In a joint statement issued on Friday, 24 prisoners of conscience at the Duwakot Armed Police Barracks including former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana, rights activist Padma Ratna Tuladhar, former Justice of the Supreme Court Laxman Aryal and senior journalist Kanak Mani Dixit said, “In his New Year’s message this morning, King Gyanendra yet again irresponsibly sought to denigrate the people’s high ideals and expectations.
“Today, the royal regime is conducting a macabre exercise to crush the People’s Movement. In order to discourage the suppressive instincts of this regime, and to prevent the attempt at violently thwarting the people’s will, we call on the international community, including the United Nations and all countries which wish the Nepali people peace and progress, to respond positively and appropriately in our hour of need,” they said.
“On the occasion of the Nepali New Year 2063 B. S., we salute all citizens demonstrating against the illegal royal regime, on the path to establishing a free, democratic system of government in the country,” the civil society leaders said. “The moment to make the final strike to achieve the goals of the movement has arrived, and we are confident that citizens will emerge from each and every dwelling to join the demonstrators on the
streets,” they added.
In his message on the occasion of Nepali New Year, His Majesty King Gyanendra called upon all political parties to join in a dialogue to bear the responsibility of activating the multiparty democratic polity and contribute towards the same. “There is no alternative to democracy in the 21st century and the verdict of the ballot alone is legitimate,” His Majesty said. nepalnews.com by Apr 15 06
A Nepali woman was killed in a blast carried out by terrorists in Sri Nagar in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir on Friday, media reports said.
20 years old Deepa Joshi was one of the seven persons killed in the blast, Nepal 1, a private TV channel based in New Delhi, said quoting her family sources in Kathmandu. Deepa’s mother was also injured in the blast.
They were on their way to a Hindu temple, the report said without any further details. nepalnews.com mk Apr 15 06
Demonstrations have been organised in various parts of the country as the people’s movement enters into the tenth day on Saturday.
Leaders of political parties, students, youth organizations, women groups, professionals, trade unions, government employees, journalists and lawyers flunked into streets demanding restoration of peace and democracy. There are reports of clashes between the security forces and the agitators in various places.
In Kathmandu, demonstrations have been organised in New Baneshor, Maitidevi, Thamel, Kirtipur, Kalanki, Koteshor, Jorpati, Ganganbu, Ason, Banasthali, Mangal Bazaar, Sita Paila, Kshetrapati, Kaushaltar, Kuleshor, Bhotahity and other places. Similarly places like Suryabinayak, Thimi, Gatthaghar of Bhaktapur also remained tensed with protests for whole day. Thousands of people joined the agitations chanting anti-king slogans.
Red Cross volunteers have been deployed in Bhaktapur for first aid treatment of the injured demonstrators on the spot.
Demonstrators have burnt two tempos and two taxis in Kathmandu on Saturday saying they defied the general strike called by the seven parties. Other 19 vehicles have been damaged in the capital.
Similarly, there are reports of demonstrations organised in different parts of the country with more people joining the protests. Thousands of people took out protest rallies in the towns like Hetauda, Bharatpur, Kohalpur, Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Sindhulimadi, Tansen, Mahendranagar, Butwal, Biratnagar, Itahari, Dharan, Damak, Janakpur, Birtamode, Kakarvitta, Lahan, Malangawa, Banepa, Panauti, Pokhara, Dhulikhel. Hundreds of the demonstrators have been arrested and dozens were injured during the clashes with the security forces.
The protestors have burnt one milk tanker and one passenger bus in Tanahu. The protestors also destroyed the house of Bharatpur municipality mayor.
Hundreds of children took out rally in Kalaiya. Staffers of 10 INGOs in Pokhara also joined the agitation organised by the Kaski Chamber of Commerce.
In Hetauda, the protestors defied the imposition of curfew. The local administration had announced curfew in the town from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Over 100 demonstrators have been arrested.
Al most all major towns remained deserted on Saturday as the parties announced to tighten the general strike. The roads on Kathmandu saw only the ambulances, vehicles of security forces and humans rights organizations. Markets, offices, industries, educational institutions remained closed.
Major highways have been blocked in several places. Dhading-Malekhu road section has been blocked at different places by felled trees.
The demonstrations have been intensified as more people poured into major cities and district headquarters from villages. Similarly, the police atrocities have been increasing.
On Friday, the seven parties called on the people for more demonstrations and closure of all industries, offices and markets till the restoration of democracy. nepalnews.com Indra Adhikari Apr 15 06
Latest reports say at least half a dozen demonstrators including former Nepali Congress MP from Chitwan, Mrs. Sabitri Bogati Pathak and NC activist Khiman Singh Rayamajhi, have been injured when security personnel fired teargas shells and resorted to baton charging to disperse a rally being participated in by thousands of opposition supporters and activists at Sanepa area Saturday afternoon.
Police used force as thousands of activists tried to enter Sanepa within the Ring Road. They had earlier gathered at Kalanki and chanted in favour of democracy and against the direct rule of the king. The government has banned all type of protests and demonstrations within the Ring Road area. Huge rallies were organized in various parts of the capital and adjoining Kavre district on Saturday.
Earlier, reports said police also fired rubber bullets at the demonstrators. But the news report could not be confirmed.
Details are still awaited. nepalnews.com by Apr 15 06
Over ten thousand people gathered at Kalanki Chowk in the outskirts of the capital, Kathmandu, to demonstrate against the royal government on the 10th day of the general strike carried out by the seven opposition parties Saturday.
Protest rallies that marched past Balkhu, Naikap and Sitapaita areas converged into a mass meeting at Kalanki Chowk. They chanted slogans against the government crackdown in the recent demonstrations across the country. Security presence was heavy during the protest but no clash took place unlike in previous days.
Vehicular traffic came at a complete standstill in and around Kalanki from early morning while marketplaces remained closed. The general strike also affected the normal life throughout the Kathmandu Valley.
Similar demonstrations were carried out in Gongabu, Kirtipur, Chabahil, Bhotahiti and various other places. At least a dozen activists were arrested from a demonstration organized by Democratic Nation Youth Organisation, the youth wing of the CPN (UML), at Bhotahiti in the afternoon.
Likewise, four journalists including general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Mahendra Bista, were severely beaten up by the police during rally organized by the FNJ to protest the arrest and manhandling of journalists.
Similarly, 19 persons including journalists and artistes were arrested from an interaction program organized by the Reporters Club Nepal at Putalisadak. The program was organized on the road, defying the prohibitory orders issued by the local authorities.
The seven-party alliance on Friday decided to intensify the nationwide strike from today, partially relaxing for a couple of days. nepalnews.com mk Apr 15 06
– By Dr. Alok K. Bohara
The curse of the Murphy’s Law does not seem to leave the shadow of King Gyanendra. In his New Year message to the nation on Friday, he chose not to act like a caring monarch, and instead went on a path to behave like a desperate ruler looking for a bargain. The royal duty of a monarch would have been to seize this opportunity to hear out the people, the international community, and friends and put an immediate end to this bloodshed and violence waging all across the country.
It is his loss in fact to deny himself of an opportunity to give back what he had taken from them in February of 2005. Like in a chess game, it looks like he has one move left, which will determine the future of monarchy in Nepal. Unfortunately, he chose not to use it, and instead called for a dialogue with the political parties, prolonging the street conflict, police brutalities, suffering, and polarization.
The political parties should call his bluff and enter into a dialogue with one unconditional demand – the House revival. The rest of the future political deliberations, including the interim government, negotiation with the Maoists, and the arrangement to produce a better constitution, should all be determined by the revived House. Nepali people have suffered enough, and avoiding conditions to prevent the country to spiral out of control should be the prime responsibility of the people’s representatives. Taking a high road by the political parties seems to be a better choice at this juncture.
The political parties should call his bluff and enter into a dialogue with one unconditional demand – the House revival. The rest of the future political deliberations, including the interim government, negotiation with the Maoists, and the arrangement to produce a better constitution, should all be determined by the revived House.
It is no secret that the February 1 move of King Gyanendra has been a total failure. The only question now is how he is going to salvage what’s left. The only move he can make is the House revival and save the country from a total collapse. This should have been the essence of his message while some of the institutions are still intact.
His inability to see the political steps and the growing pain of the Nepali people is going to cost us dearly. Under his leadership, Nepal has become more insecure, more unstable, more vulnerable, and more fractured. Even his staunch supporter like the US ambassador has given up any hope of seeing any logical judgment from King Gyanendra. The sad unfolding drama will have its conclusion, and all we can hope is to minimize unintended consequences.
The post February report card is as follows.
The country is internationally more isolated than ever. · The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has stopped receiving any military support. In the eyes of many observers, the RNA has now become the primary target of human rights violations. · The security forces have been forced into becoming agents of civilian brutality, and are likely to be a target of investigation if the brutality escalates further. India and the US have both withdrawn their support for the king and his regime. The political parties have been forced to make a pact with the Maoists. · The Maoists have entered the urban centers scoring victories at will. The demonstrating crowds are massive and widespread now than ever.
The Maoists could not have written a better script, and thanks to King Gyanendra, they are laughing all the way to the bank. They would have never imagined achieving all of these, especially without giving much in return.
The only lesson from this chapter is this: Nepali people will not tolerate any assault on democracy and freedom. This indeed is the triumph of democracy loving people of Nepal. The Maoists should also learn a lesson from this, and should abandon the path of violence and be a mainstream political force to chart the future of a new liberal democratic Nepal. Let’s hope to have a happy new year.
(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])
The Kathmandu District Election Office (DEO) has initiated the collection of names of eligible voters for the electoral list and updating the same in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the Kirtipur Municipality areas including the 57 Village Development Committees (VDCs) in the district from Friday.
Accordingly, works like preparing the list of households, updating the voters’ list, deleting from the voters’ list the names of persons who have expired and including the names of citizens who have reached 18 years of age till April 13 would be carried out, reports state run The Rising Nepal daily.
The Election Commission has made arrangements for a District Voters’ List Collection and Updating Programme Implementation and Coordination Committee under the convenorship of the Chief District Officer for conducting the programme of collection of the voters’ list and its updating in a smooth and systematic manner.
Under the programme, Nepalese citizens who have reached 18 years of age are required to visit the Ward Offices of the VDCs and Municipality of which they are permanent residents and submit an application for inclusion of own and their family members’ names in the voters’ list or for making corrections in case of any errors.
The ward members of all the VDCs and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Kirtipur Municipality have been appointed as the Assistant Name Registration Officers for that purpose.
This information was given out at an interaction programme organised by the District Election Office, Kathmandu here today.
The number of voters in the one Metropolitan City, one Municipality and 57 VDCs in the Kathmandu district is 511,564. nepalnews.com pb Apr 14 06
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries have agreed in principle to grant the US and South Korea the status of observers in the regional grouping.
“The standing committee responded positively to the request by the United States and Korea seeking observer status in SAARC,” report quoted an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) as saying.
The fifth special session of the SAARC standing committee comprising foreign secretaries of member-states also finalised details of Afghanistan joining SAARC and also the four-point guidelines for observer status to China and Japan.
The SAARC council of ministers, which is expected to meet in Dhaka — the capital of Bangladesh — in July, would approve the draft of a joint declaration to be signed by Afghanistan to become a full member of the regional body and also the guidelines for observer status. The declaration will be signed at the Delhi summit.
Afghanistan will join the next SAARC summit in India’s capital New Delhi in 2007 as a full member and China and Japan as observers.
As per the provision of SAARC, an observer country will be able to attend the opening and closing session of the SAARC summit as well as the Council of Ministers’ meeting and other ministerial meetings.
The 13th SAARC summit held in Dhaka last November agreed to grant full membership to Afghanistan and observer status to China and Japan.
The standing committee also approved the draft of SAARC Vision (2005-2015) after certain amendments.
SAARC, which was formed in 1985, initially consisted of seven member-countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. nepalnews.com pb Apr 14 06
King Gyanendra has called upon all political parties to join in a dialogue to bear the responsibility of activating the multiparty democratic polity and contribute towards the same.
In a message to the nation on the occasion of the New Year’s Day 2063 today, the King said the democratic norms and values demand the commitment that the goals set forth by the Constitution-1990 can be achieved only through constitutional means.
He added that it is his desire that with the active participation of all political parties committed to peace and democracy, a meaningful exercise in multiparty democracy be initiated through the exemplary democratic exercise like the general elections.
King noted that there is no alternative to democracy in the 21st century and the verdict of the ballot alone is legitimate.
The King further said, “We are in favour of sustainable peace and the people’s right to vote. Democratic norms and values demand a commitment that the goals set forth by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990 can be achieved only through constitutional means.”
The King said, “Democracy demands restraint and consensus as all forms of extremism are incompatible with democracy. While facing the challenges confronting the nation democracy also emphasises acceptance of the preeminence of the collective wisdom in charting a future course.” nepalnews.com pb Apr 14 06