Nepal authorises use of deadly force to stop protests of Olympic
torch on Everest
NEPAL: Nepalese soldiers and police guarding the slopes of Mount
Everest are authorized to shoot to stop any protests during China's
Olympic torch run to the summit, an official said Sunday.
Chinese climbers plan to take the torch to the summit of Everest -
the world's highest peak on the border between Nepal and Tibet - in the
first few days of May. During that time, other climbers will be banned
from the mountain's higher elevations.
Police and soldiers "have been given orders to stop any protest on
the mountain using whatever means necessary, including use of weapons,"
Nepal's Home Ministry spokesman Modraj Dotel said, adding that the use
of deadly force was authorized only as a last resort.
The troops will first try to persuade protesters to leave and will
arrest those who don't. If demonstrators defy all nonviolent means of
restraint, troops have the option of using their weapons, such as in
cases where a large group cannot be corralled. It was unclear if the
protesters would have to attack or become violent before force was
authorized.
Twenty-five soldiers and policemen have already established several
camps on the mountain, Dotel said, adding that more troops could be sent
if needed.
The torch relay - the longest in Olympic history - was meant to
highlight China's rising economic and political power.
But activists have seized on it as a platform to protest China's
human rights record.
It has drawn particular ire from those denouncing China's rule in
Tibet following a a crackdown on demonstrations in the Himalayan region
in March.
Katmandu, Sunday, AP |