Nepal: Maoists Protest in Kathmandu

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | November 5th, 2009 | Trackback

Nepal has more tourists visiting now than it has had in more than a decade, but the opposition Maoist party may put a damper on peak season with a series of anti-government protests in Kathmandu. They hoped to paralyze the capital city and surrounding valley by blocking all roads leading into Kathmandu Valley and shutting down the international airport on Nov. 10, but called off the airport closure after their leader Prachanda met with foreign diplomats who stressed how damaging it would be to Nepal’s economy. Officials placed the army and police on high alert to prevent violence. The Maoists fought a 10-year insurgency before agreeing to a peace accord and winning the national election in 2008, but withdrew from the government when Prachanda’s attempt to fire the army head was overruled. A Maoist spokesman said the protests would be peaceful, but violence is possible and mass gatherings should be avoided. A large demonstration is planned for Kathmandu’s Singh Durbar area Nov. 12-13.

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