Nepal faces mounting international criticism over crackdown

NEPAL: A crackdown on anti-royal protesters has sparked a new wave of international criticism against Nepal with the United States, European Union, India and Japan all voicing concern.

A four-day general strike called by opposition parties ousted when King Gyanendra took direct control 14 months ago paralysed Nepal for a second day Friday.

The opposition parties have vowed to go ahead with plans for a major rally in Kathmandu on Saturday, despite a ban on public meetings and mass arrests.

More than 300 people have been arrested for defying the ban, activists said, and arrests continued Friday morning with a dozen people taken away at a protest in the capital, an AFP reporter said.

"The arrests and harassment of pro-democracy activists violate their fundamental civil rights," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said in Washington. Powerful neighbour India called the arrests "counter-productive," and called on the royal government to free the hundreds of activists detained in recent days.

"We urge the immediate release of those arrested and a return to the path of dialogue and reconciliation," an official government statement said Thursday.

The European Union and Japan rasied similar concerns, calling on Gyanendra's government to allow peaceful protests, stop the arrests and free those already detained.

Rights group Amensty International called on the goverment to halt the arrests.

"Targeting leaders of the peaceful political opposition is not only wrong, it is dangerous," said Purna Sen, Amnesty's Asia-Pacific Director.

"Squeezing the space for legitimate political activity heightens the risk of violent confrontation and human rights abuse," Sen said.

UN chief Kofi Annan on Wednesday urged the Kathmandu authorities not to deny citizens their right to peaceful protest and expressed concern as the arrests started.

Last November, Nepal's rebel Maoists formed a loose alliance with the sidelined political parties, further isolating King Gyanendra, the world's last Hindu monarch.

Since the rebels began their "people's war" in 1996, at least 12,500 people have been killed.

Meanwhile anti-royal protesters vowed to pursue a strike Friday that paralysed Nepal with sporadic violence and mass arrests as authorities launched a crackdown on rallies against the king's absolute rule.

Highways were deserted across the country and traffic in the capital Kathmandu was sparse on Thursday, the start of a four-day general strike that was met by a ban on demonstrations, a night curfew and heavy security.

Demonstrators said one protester died in southeast Nepal after being beaten by police, but police denied the claim and said the man had died of a heart attack.

The strike was called by opposition parties ousted when King Gyanendra took full control of Nepal 14 months ago and has the support of rebel Maoists who have formed a loose alliance with political leaders to restore democracy.

The royal government acted to minimise the impact by urging citizens to ignore the strike call and arresting political leaders and protesters who defied the ban on public rallies.

Police in the capital said late Thursday that some 200 people had been arrested at demonstrations, but political activists said that at least 300 had been detained while a UN rights body put the tally at 160.

"Our teams have been monitoring demonstrations in the city but have not been able to cover all demonstrations and all arrests. We can verify from our own monitoring over 160 arrests on Thursday," said Kieran Dwyer, spokesman for the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Despite the tough stance taken by authorities, an opposition leader told AFP that the strike and protest would continue.

"Our movement will not stop until complete democracy is restored in the country and we are confident that people will actively participate in our protests," said Shovakar Parajuli, secretary of the Nepali Congress Party.

Elsewhere in Nepal, 13 people - six policemen, five Maoists and two civilians - were killed in clashes between rebels and security services, officials said.

KATHMANDU, Friday, AFP