US slams arrest of political leaders in Nepal
Dated 20/1/2006
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Kathmandu: The United States has condemned the arrests of political leaders and civil society activists in Nepal, ahead of a demostration by pro-democracy seven-party alliance, scheduled to be held today.
''These arrests and harassment of peaceful democratic forces was a violation of their civil and political rights,'' Department of State spokesman Sean McCormack said in a statement in Washington.
''The United States calls on the King to release these activists.
Dialogue between the King and the parties and a return to democracy are the only effective ways to address the Maoist insurgency in Nepal,'' the statement said.
The European Union, India and Japan have all expressed concern over the moves, which come just under a year since King Gyanendra threw out Nepal's elected government to deal with a bloody Maoist revolt.
Former Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala was also put under house arrest early today, a Reuters report said quoting an aide.
In a bid to foil today's pro-democracy demonstrations by the seven-party alliance, the royalist government cut telephone lines -- mobile as well as landline -- and detained dozens of leaders and rights activists early yesterday.
The government has imposed a ban on public gatherings in Kathmandu, the capital and neighbouring Lalitpur district.
More than 12,000 people have died in the "people's war" waged by the Maoists since 1996 to topple the monarchy and establish a communist republic.
