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| Saturday, 04 September 2004 |
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Curfew eased in tense Kathmandu KATHMANDU, Friday (AFP) Nepalese authorities briefly lifted a curfew early Friday to let people carry out essential tasks after a quiet night following riots that left two dead. But there was no sign of an end to the restriction imposed on the capital Wednesday to halt violence sparked by the murder of 12 Nepalese hostages in Iraq. State-run radio announced the home ministry had relaxed the curfew for three and a half hours from 6:00 am (0015 GMT). But the chief administrators of Kathmandu and nearby Lalitpur districts said it would be reimposed until further notice to maintain law and order. A home ministry official said there were no incidents overnight in the districts under curfew. Security has been deployed to protect mosques and important public establishments. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has appealed to people to stop all acts of violence and Islamic leaders deplored the shattering of religious harmony after a mosque and Muslim-run businesses were ransacked. Meanwhile Muslims in Kathmandu planned to hold Friday prayers at home as the city lay under an indefinite curfew after mobs protesting the killings of 12 Nepalis by an Islamist militant group in Iraq ransacked the main mosque. Authorities said the curfew imposed on Wednesday would continue to ensure there was no new violence in the Hindu kingdom. "We will hold our prayers in small groups in our homes," Arif Sheakh, a mosque management committee member, told Reuters. "This is the first time in my life when I saw such protests. I hope we can hold our prayers in the mosque soon," Sheakh, 35, said. Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka said the government would repair the mosque to try to win the confidence of Muslims, who make up 3.5 percent of Nepal's 25 million people. The country has no history of significant anti-Muslim protests. "The situation is gradually coming under control and there was no trouble. The curfew will continue on Friday," Kathmandu district administrator Baman Prasad Neupane said, adding it would be relaxed briefly to allow residents to stock up supplies. |
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