Nepal: Mission told to ensure safety of Lankans

Manjula Fernando

COLOMBO: The Foreign Ministry has informed the Sri Lankan mission in Nepal to ensure the safety of the Lankan students who are caught up in the situation in Nepal.

Opposition groups in Nepal are staging protests against King Gayanendra. The death toll among protesters has risen to 10 during a fortnight of general strikes and pro-democracy rallies. A curfew was clamped on Kathmandu last night.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Himali Arunatilleke said the Sri Lankan mission is already in touch with the students and their parents here.

"We have five students in Kathmandu and some in the Medical College in Pokhara. They have been advised against leaving the college premises due to the security situation," she said adding that they have been assured by the Sri Lankan mission there that the students have enough food supplies in the hostel and "there was nothing to worry about".

Most of the students in Kathmandu have left for Sri Lanka and only five are said to be remaining. Those in Pokhara are unable to leave the city to the Airport in Kathmandu due to the riots.