Nepalese police have rounded up hundreds of opposition activists in clashes on the streets of the capital.

Security forces fired tear gas as protesters hurled stones and scuffled with officers.

The protesters were responding to calls for huge rallies in Kathmandu to demand a return to democracy, after King Gyanendra took absolute power in 2005.

The calls followed a crackdown on activists on Friday, when protests were stymied by a curfew and mass arrests.

Armed police were posted at the homes of opposition leaders on Saturday.


Five of them, including former Prime Minister GP Koirala, have been placed under 90 days' house arrest. The government says their freedom of movement could have an adverse effect on peace and security.

Hundreds of activists were also held.

The events set the stage for a confrontation on Saturday, says the BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu.

"Showdown in capital today," the Kathmandu Post said on its front page.

Condemnation

The opposition wants its supporters to boycott local elections next month, which it says are undemocratic and aimed at entrenching King Gyanendra's rule.

Nepal's authorities said they had information that Maoist rebels were planning to infiltrate Friday's rally and incite violence.

There was strong condemnation of the arrests from the international community.

"I call on the king urgently to release those arrested, and to find ways to resume dialogue with the political parties," British junior Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells said in a statement.

There has been an upsurge in violence since the Maoists abandoned a four-month unilateral truce earlier this month.

More than 12,000 people have died in Nepal since the Maoists began their fight for a communist republic 10 years ago.

Six police were killed during a Maoist rebel attack in the western town of Nepalganj on Friday.

source :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4634142.stm

Opposition activists clash with police, Over 100 demonstrators arrested in Kathmandu (3:30 p. m.)

Tens of thousands of opposition activists and professionals defied prohibitive orders in the capital, Kathmandu, Saturday-- a day after the day-long curfew imposed to thwart the peaceful mass meeting organised by the seven party opposition alliance.

Activists affiliated to the opposition alliance clashed with police as the latter tried to prevent them from organizing mass meeting and protest rally at Hanumandhoka, Basantapur area Saturday afternoon, a Nepalnews correspondent on the scene said.

According to preliminary reports, Police have taken into custody over 100 leaders and activists as they defied the prohibitive orders and chanted anti-king slogans. The opposition activists unfurled flags of their parties and demanded restoration of peace and democracy in the country.

The opposition parties said police used force and took into custody hundreds of their party leaders and workers.

The authorities have not said anything regarding the latest arrests.

Those arrested at Basantapur include Nepali Congress leaders Mahantha Thakur, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, Mahesh Acharya; UML leaders Yubaraj Gyawali, Jana Morcha Nepal leaders Ghanshyam Poudel and Shahsi Shrestha, Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader Krishna Kishore Ghimire, former president of NC-affiliated Nepal Students Union Gururaj Ghimire, former vice chancellor of Tribhuvan University Navin Prakash Jung Shah, president of Nepal University Teachers Association Dr. Khagendra Bhattarai, among others.

Police Inspector Dinesh beat up journalist Diwakar Pant affiliated with Himal media, according to our correspondent.

Police threw dozens of tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd. They also exchanged brickbats with the demonstrators.

Hundreds of security personnel were deployed in and around Basantapur and police have erected barricades at New Road gate barring movement of vehicles in the busy business district.

The opposition alliance had announced that it would organize protest rally and mass meeting at Basantapur at 2:00 p. m. on Saturday after the government arrested over 100 opposition leaders and rights activists early Thursday and imposed a day-long curfew apparently to foil the huge mass meeting planned by the opposition parties at the same venue on Friday.

Police have also intervened into a peaceful demonstration being organized by artistes, litterateurs and writers at New Baneswore this afternoon. Those arrested from peaceful demo include folk singer Nanda Krishna Joshi, according to reports.

Nepalnews.com by Jan 21 06

Indian news channels are off air; foreign journos misbehaved, threatened


In what is seen as indications of growing intolerance of the royal regime towards independent Nepali and foreign media, private cable operators in Kathmandu have been asked to suspend transmission of two leading Indian news channels, Star News and Aaj Tak, from Friday, reports said.


The authorities have accused that these channels had transmitted materials “that were harmful to security and sovereignty of the country and were provocative in nature.”

Talking to Nepalnews on Saturday, a cable operator confirmed that the Ministry of Information and Communications on Friday sent them verbal orders to shut down the transmission of the channels immediately. He said that they were not told how long it would be closed.

In a separate incident, security forces confiscated the video footage of the residence of CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal in Koteswor on Friday taken by CNN-IBN and Star News crew. The TV crew said they were misbehaved by the security personnel stationed at Mr. Nepal’s residence despite showing their press accreditation and curfew passes.

The UML leader is under ‘house arrest.’

The TV crew handed over the footage when security personnel began to call their seniors and threatened the journalists. Video cassettes with the footages deleted were returned after five hours, according to reports.

The government had banned the transmission of Aaj Tak and a number of other Indian news channels immediately after the royal takeover of February 1, 2005.

The authorities have not bothered to furnish any clarification regarding the incident as yet.

Reports from Nepalgunj said that local administration is censoring Indian newspapers that carry news on Nepal 's latest political developments. News related to protest programmes and arrests of Nepali political activists published in The Hindustan Times and other newspapers were cut out before they were allowed to circulate in the area.

In yet another incident, Khuman Singh Tamang, a district reporter for Kantipur daily in Kavre district east of Kathmandu, escaped an attempt on his life by a policeman on Friday as he was trying to take photographs of detained students leaders at Banepa police post.

A police man nearly shot him with a SMG gun as Tamang was taking photographs, the Kantipur daily said. nepalnews ia Jan 21 06