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Nepal protesters storm into city | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 84127 United Kingdom 04/22/2006 04:14 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | According to the latest bbc news bulletins, the police and army are being "swept aside".! Nepal protesters storm into city Thousands of protesters are streaming into the centre of Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, breaking through a security cordon and defying a day-time curfew. The protesters have been stopped four kilometres from the royal palace. A stand-off with troops is developing. Demonstrators are chanting slogans as they dismissed King Gyanendra's vow to restore democracy as inadequate. Opposition leaders were considering a response to the king's offer, but some say it is "too little, too late". A new eight-hour, day-time curfew was imposed on Saturday in Kathmandu and neighbouring areas of the capital. But thousands of protesters ignored it, breaking through a cordon of soldiers to get as far as they could into the city centre. A BBC reporter in the capital said the demonstrators were trying to reach Martyr's Square, in central Kathmandu. One protester, Subhash, told the BBC: "We are protesting to get rid of our king. Maybe he can have a ceremonial post like in the West, but he must go". 'Fool the people' After more than two weeks of protests and at least 14 violent deaths, the beleaguered monarch gave a nationwide speech on Friday to announce that he intended to restore power to the people. "Executive power of the kingdom of Nepal, which was in our safekeeping, shall from this day be returned to the people," he said. He called on opposition parties to put forward their candidate for prime minister. Nepalese viewers watch the king's televised address Spotlight on opposition Death of a protester Nepalis tell their story But Krishna Prasad Sitaula, a spokesman for the Nepali Congress, said the king had not "addressed the road map of the protest movement" and demonstrations would continue. Subash Nemwang, of the Communist Party of Nepal, said it looked like "another attempt by the king to fool the people and... save the regime". Misjudged speech If the king thought his speech would end this crisis, he appears to have badly misjudged the mood of his people, the BBC's Nick Bryant reports from the Nepalese capital. Leading members of the opposition parties complained it had failed to address some of their most basic demands, not least the creation of a constituent assembly to decide the future of the monarch. HAVE YOUR SAY There is a time to be peaceful and a time to fight Jason Ruprich, Denver, United States Send us your comments Along with the demonstrations, the general strike that has brought most parts of the country to an economic standstill is also continuing. Great hostility is now being directed against King Gyanendra, partly because of his stubborn intransigence but mainly because of his bloody tactics, our correspondent says. The tenor of these protests has shifted dramatically in a few days from a pro-democracy movement to an anti-monarchy movement and many will not be satisfied until the king has given up his throne, he adds. India, which holds considerable influence over Nepal, said the king's move "should now pave the way for the restoration of political stability and economic recovery". The EU also welcomed the move, saying it hoped it would "open the path to a peaceful process in Nepal". US state department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "We expect the king to live up to his words... We urge the parties to respond quickly by choosing a prime minister." [link to news.bbc.co.uk] |
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