BBC (early Thursday): Nepalese opposition set to strike

[Jack Rabbit]

From the BBC Online
Dated Thursday April 6 00:08 GMT (Wednesday 5:08 pm PDT)

Nepalese opposition set to strike

Opposition activists in Nepal are to stage a four-day general strike in protest against King Gyanendra's seizure of power more than a year ago.

A mass anti-monarchy rally is planned for Saturday despite a ban on public protests in the capital, Kathmandu.

Nepalese authorities cracked down on demonstrators on Wednesday, arresting more 100 people.

A partial night curfew was imposed in parts of Kathmandu from 2300 local time on Wednesday until 0300 on Thursday.

Read more.

A popular strike against the illegitimate power of a tyrant. What a concept.

[struggle4progress]

1. Nepal Police Detain Scores of Activists

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA
The Associated Press

KATMANDU, Nepal — <snip>

Police arrested about 300 activists from different parties early Thursday, the first day of the opposition's anti-monarchy demonstrations across Nepal's capital, a top opposition leader said.

Top students leaders, women's activists and members of the country's seven main political parties were among those arrested, said Khadga Prasad Oli, a top communist leader and one of the organizers of the four-day nationwide strike to pressure King Gyanendra to restore democracy more than a year after he seized control of the government.

On Wednesday, police detained about 75 activists, including several journalists, who defied a ban on rallies in Katmandu.

In an order late Wednesday, officials imposed an overnight curfew in Katmandu and its suburbs in an apparent attempt to prevent protesters from arriving in the capital. <snip>

http://www.bdtonline.com/editorials/feeds/apcontent/apstories/apstorysection/D8GQADJ00.xml.txt/resources_apstoryview


UN Secy General concerned over Nepal situation

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, has voiced concern over what he called a confrontation developing in Nepal following the government imposed ban on protests and arrest of opposition activists.

“While maintenance of law and order is the responsibility of the State, security considerations should not be the basis for denying citizens their right to peaceful protest – a right for which virtually all avenues seem to be closing,” Annan said through a statement released by his spokesman on Wednesday. <snip>

http://news.google.com/news?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&newwindow=1&c2coff=1&tab=wn&q=protest%7Cprotesters&scoring=d&sa=N&start=100