For those who haven't been following the situation in Nepal, the government imposed a curfew designed to further restrict the freedoms of its opposition. The ongoing strife has been painted by the government as largely controlled by Maoist guerillas, however there is a substantial movement for peaceful change.
A group of civil society activists has been jailed, and the Friends of Nepal blog is publicizing the case for their release.
The 25 civil society activists, doctors and journalists who defied the curfew on 8 April at the Teaching Hospital and jump-started the current agitation and were arrested have been shifted to a detention centre in Duwakot. The group includes prominent human rights activists Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Kapil Shrestha and Malla K Sundar, constitutional expert Laxman Aryal, medical doctors Madhu Ghimire and Sundar Mani Dixit, as well as Himalmedia publisher Kanak Mani Dixit.
Additional information at the Chaubise blog, which is monitoring the situation, and has a statement from one of the detainees that has since been released. Further information at Friends of Nepal, which will no doubt post updates when they are available.
Nepal is out of my range of experience, but so far the reaction of the royals seems to be taken right out of the handbook on "How Not to Deal Well with a Pro-Democracy Movement and/or Simultaneously Inflame the Maoist Rebels and Help Them Reach Recruiting Targets."
Spread the word.
Posted by binky at April 20, 2006 04:46 PM | TrackBack | Posted to International AffairsUPDATE: Here are some more sites to watch:
United We Blog! For a Democratic Nepal.
BBC News South Asia page.
Kathmandu Post (look at these photos)
Posted by: binky at April 20, 2006 03:51 PM | PERMALINK