Outraged by killings, Nepali rioters attack mosque BINAJ GURUBACHARYA ASSOCIATED PRESS
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators ransacked a mosque and clashed with police in the capital today to protest the killing of 12 Nepalese hostages by Iraqi militants. Hours after the rioting broke out, the government imposed a curfew in Kathmandu. "We want revenge," protesters shouted as they stormed the Jama mosque — the only Muslim house of worship in the capital. They broke windows and set fire to carpets, furniture and parts of the building, which was empty at the time. Police fired tear gas in an unsuccessful attempt to disperse the mob. In other parts of Kathmandu, protesters blamed the government for not doing enough to secure the release of the 12 Nepalese contract workers, who were slain by their Iraqi captors. The angry mob stoned buildings and blocked traffic by burning tires on main intersections. The offices of many agencies that send workers abroad were also attacked. The government responded by imposing an indefinite curfew in Kathmandu, saying the lives and property of residents had to be protected. A gruesome video posted on a website Tuesday showed militants slitting the neck of one Nepalese worker and shooting 11 others. They had disappeared soon after entering Iraq from Jordan on Aug. 19. Nepal condemned the killings as a "heinous crime against the innocent civilians." "This barbarian act of terrorism to kill innocent civilians without asking for any conditions for their release is against the minimum behaviour of human civilization," the government said in a statement. Guerrillas in Iraq have taken more than 100 foreigners hostage in recent months, often demanding that their home countries withdraw troops from the U.S.-led coalition or pull out their citizens doing civilian work. Some have demanded that a hostage's employer promise to halt all business here. Nepal, which has no troops in Iraq, has long banned its citizens from working in Iraq because of security concerns. However, many people from the poor Asian nation take jobs abroad, and 17,000 Nepalese are believed to have slipped into Iraq, with many working as armed security guards for foreign contractors. Nepal's ambassador to Qatar, Shyamananda Suman, who handles the country's affairs in the Persian Gulf region, said his government tried to make contact with the militants holding the 12 Nepalese. "There were no demands from the kidnappers to negotiate, and then all of a sudden we hear that they killed them," Suman said. "We wanted to get in touch with the kidnappers, but there was no way to do so. I talked to the media and appealed to the kidnappers to set them free or at least to know their demands, but all that went in vain."
› Buy the Saturday Star and get Sunday to Friday FREE! |