King's offer of democracy fails to end demonstrations in Nepal
ED BLACK
IN KATHMANDU
KING Gyanendra of Nepal's bid to end violent demonstrations that have torn apart the Himalayan kingdom, left 14 dead and hundreds injured appeared to have failed last night after tens of thousands of protesters marched on the royal palace.
Police fired teargas and rubber bullets and launched baton charges to protect the monarch as the demonstrators defied a shoot to kill curfew the day after the king made a belated offer to restore democracy. Political parties said about 150 people were wounded after crowds burst through a security cordon in the centre of Kathmandu.
It was only the intervention of a heavy tropical thunderstorm in the middle of the afternoon that sent demonstrators seeking shelter. Army helicopters hovered overhead as mobile telephone networks were shut down to prevent crowds communicating.
Meanwhile, many Western tourists hurried to leave the country, heeding warnings from their own governments that it was not safe to stay.
The turmoil followed 16 days of unrest and came the day after the king addressed the nation in a televised speech offering a return to multi-party democracy and calling on an alliance of the seven main opposition political parties to name a prime minister.
His moves were dismissed by the opposition, Maoist guerrillas and the thousands of people who moved in enormous whistling, shouting waves through Katmandu's streets, defying a day-long curfew. "Down with Gyanendra! Gyanendra out, out!" many chanted as they moved toward the sprawling palace compound.
"The proclamation has no meaning," said the former prime minister, Girija Prasad Koirala, of the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the alliance.
The alliance of seven parties rejected the king's promise to return sovereignty to the people, and instead issued him with a 24-hour ultimatum to reinstate parliament. There is even speculation that the political parties might press ahead with forming a government without consulting him.
Yesterday's developments left the monarch increasingly isolated among his own people but appeared to be at odds with the generally warm welcome Friday's speech received from the international community.
The chaos has worried the international community, which fears the political crisis could spark renewed humanitarian troubles in Nepal, already one of the world's poorest countries. Many also worry that a political vacuum could give the Maoist rebels - who have seized control of much of the countryside in a bloody, 10-year insurgency - a route to power.
Yesterday began with an imposition of another curfew, but in Chabahil, on the eastern outskirts of the capital, protesters of all ages took to the streets, lighting fires and smashing up road signs. The atmosphere seemed celebratory, with security forces doing little to enforce the noon curfew.
"The king's speech means nothing," said Saroj Thapa, a 29-year-old computer specialist, as he waved a red flag.
"Today you will see history being made. People will march on the palace and tear it down. We will remove the king with our own hands if we have to. You should see for yourself."
Around him, protesters burned effigies of the once revered king, chanting for him to be hanged as they began to move towards the heavily guarded royal palace. The picture was even more menacing on the ringroad, which was blocked by chopped-down trees, concrete blocks and burning tyres that sent black smoke billowing into the sky.
In neighbourhood of Thapathali, soldiers and police fired rubber bullets and live ammunition as protesters tried to head toward the palace, injuring at least four people.
Thousands also marched from the tourist areas of Thamel, less than a kilometre from the palace, only to be repulsed by teargas.
At the Norvic Hospital, in Kathmandu, the hallways were jammed with injured people calling for care. Umesh Dhakal, of the Nepalese Red Cross Society, said 243 people were hurt in the clashes, with 39 requiring hospital treatment. Many had been hurt in stampedes as they tried to flee the fighting.
The protests and general strike called by the seven-party alliance and the Maoists have paralysed much of the country and spawned shortages of essentials. As a result, some Nepalis have had enough of the violence and are urging political parties to work with the king to restore peace and end the daily cycle of curfews and protests.
"We just want to be able to get on with our lives, to move about freely, get to work and buy the food we need," said Ram Shrestha, a 34-year-old tourism worker. "The people want peace. It does not matter if the king's gesture is too little too late. It is a start. I want to see the politicians forget about their own ambitions and work for the good of Nepal itself. They need to make sacrifices now or there will be more bloodshed."
On Friday, King Gyanendra was forced to cave into international pressure to promise elections after seizing power 14 months ago in an attempt to quell a Maoist insurrection that has seen over 13,000 deaths in the last decade.
In a joint statement, the alliance called the king's plan "meaningless and inappropriate" and urged the public to intensify the pressure for democracy. Alliance leaders say the king's offer fell short of a key opposition demand - the return of parliament and election of a special assembly to write a constitution. Most opposition leaders want a constitution that would make the king a ceremonial figure or eliminate the monarchy entirely.
The Maoist leader also dismissed the plan. "The sea of people on the streets proves that the Nepali people want to get rid of the feudal regime forever," said guerrilla leader Prachanda.
But European diplomats urged the opposition to consider the offer. "The parties don't think he [the king] has done enough, but we think it is a basis on which we can build and move forward," said British ambassador Keith George Bloomfield.
In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters the United States welcomed Gyanendra's proposal to "now turn to the political parties to form a government, to select a prime minister, to hold elections. That's extremely important."
At home, though, King Gyanendra is becoming increasingly unpopular.
The crisis began when he seized power in February 2005, saying he had to crush the insurgency that had made holding elections impossible.
The chaos has increased since a general strike called by the parties and the Maoists began on April 6.
As the violence continued yesterday and the country descended into further bloody chaos, Britons were being advised not to travel there unless it was essential. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) described the political situation as "tense and unpredictable".
The British embassy in Kathmandu estimates that there are about 500 British nationals in Nepal who may need help if the situation deteriorates further.
Bur an FCO spokesman said that, at present, airlines were continuing to operate flights into and out of Nepal and there were no specific threats against foreigners.
As dusk descended on Kathmandu's rubbish-strewn streets last night, the army and police forces appeared to be back in control, with the curfew just about holding.
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