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New violence as Nepal anti-king protests unabated
Tue Apr 11, 2006 2:36 AM ET168
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By Y.P. Rajesh and Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepali troops opened fire and baton-charged protesters who burned tires, chanted slogans and clashed with government forces on Tuesday before a fresh curfew took hold on the sixth day of mass protests against the king.

Tuesday's protests came as international pressure increased on King Gyanendra to end his crackdown, which has killed three people and wounded hundreds of demonstrators.

The street campaign is the most intense since 58-year-old Gyanendra sacked the government and grabbed power 14 months ago.

Some analysts say it is only a matter of time before the king runs out of options. They say five days of protests and clashes, in many places where shoot-on-sight curfews were in force, showed more ordinary people were coming out openly against him.

But sources close to the palace said the king, whom some analysts describe as a stubborn ruler, was unlikely to relent.

Riot police opened fire at a meeting called in the western tourist resort town of Pokhara to mourn a protester shot dead by the army there on Saturday, wounding two people, witnesses said.

In a Kathmandu suburb, about 500 youths burned tires on the road, chanting "We want Democracy" and "Gyanendra leave the country". Riot police charged at them with batons and beat them up, wounding at least two people before the crowd was dispersed.

But groups of protesters gathered in another suburb nearby. The situation was tense there before a fresh, five-hour curfew was due to take hold from 12 p.m. (0615 GMT).

The latest series of demonstrations and a nationwide general strike began last Thursday in an attempt to force Gyanendra to step down and hand power to an all-party government.

The campaign, backed by Maoist insurgents, had been due to end on Sunday but was extended indefinitely as stringent security measures prevented big rallies against the king.

U.S. REBUKE    Continued ...

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.


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