Tourists organised a candle rally in Pokhara on Monday evening to protest the police beating of a Japanese visitor on the same day, reports said.

Kantipur stated the tourists came out to the streets to protest the atrocities against them. The rally started at around 7:30 p.m., with chanting of slogans against the police action. The rally started from Lakeside, passed through different parts of the city and ended at Hallan Chowk. Other tourists, who did not take part in the rally, applaud from the road sides.

The daily quoted a British professor Charles Brown as saying the objective of the rally was for the establishment of peace and complete democracy in Nepal. He called on the Palace to initiate dialogue with all political forces for the restoration of peace here.

Dozens of foreigners took part in the rally. Tourism entrepreneurs and local residents also joined the protests.

The tourists said their programmes have been badly affected by the imposition of curfew and the general strike.

This is the first instance of foreigners staging protests against general strike and curfew in Nepal. nepalnews.com ia Apr 11 06