Troops shoot on crowd, killing three
Soldiers opened fire on the crowd for the second day running. 14 people have been killed since the start of the strikes. The king today declared an 18-hour curfew .
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) The 15th consecutive day of strikes against King Gyanendra in Kathmandu ended tragically with three dead and 40 wounded. Thousands of people gathered on the outskirts of the capital and entered the city, violating the day curfew. They were met by hundreds of police who fired to disperse the crowd. According to hospital sources, 12 injured people were in very critical condition.
Also yesterday, soldiers opened fire on demonstrators in Jhapa district in the east of the country, killing four people. Since the start of the protests, the death toll has risen to 14.
An eyewitness told AsiaNews that a crowd of 50,000 people was marching peacefully in the streets of Chandragarhi city yesterday afternoon, when soldiers opened fire. "There was no provocation from the demonstrators and when the soldiers opened fire, panic broke out."
Sandeep Kumar, a health worker said that nearly 200 people had been admitted to hospital. "Most of them have been wounded very grievously and 15 of them are in real danger. Bullets have pierced their vital organs. Only prayers and miracles can save them. I find it contradictory that the king should invite opposition leaders to talk while his soldiers open fire on the crowd."
Last week, King Gyanendra invited political parties to dialogue with a view to returning to a multi-party democracy, and he held talks with four former prime ministers: Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Marich Man Singh Shrestha. But Ramesh Bista, a local political observer, said the king's overtures cannot remedy the situation. "It is a useless but astute political move. The king wants to draw the sympathy of all the people who have been badly affected by the strikes and protests."
Meanwhile, the opposition has announced it will press ahead with protests and strikes today. Doctors, university professors and officials are joining the protests even if they know they may face repercussions at work. Today, the government declared an 18-hour curfew in Kathmandu and other areas to prevent today's rallies. Not even ministers and diplomats, including ambassadors, are allowed to go out, and security forces have the order to shoot on sight anyone violating the curfew.
This morning, demonstrators gathered on the outskirts of the city, saying they wanted to march onto the forbidden areas. A group of anti-riot police is lined up and watching them, but so far has shown no sign of moving to disperse the protesters.
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29/05/2006
