Nationwide Pro-democracy Demonstrations in Nepal; hundreds arrested!

Pro-democracy activists demonstrated in almost all the major towns and cities of Nepal today, 8 March 2005. According to the BBC Nepali Service, and Nepal Democrcay Alliance contacts in different parts of Nepal, demonstrations took place, among other places, in Kathmandu, Chitwan, Dhangadhi, Pokhara, Ilam, Siraha, Saptari, Biratnagar, Janakpur, Dhankuta, Rupandehi, Rautahat, Jhapa, Banke, Nawalparasi, Sunasari and Bardiya. Interestingly, pro-democracy and anti-monarchy demonstrations also took place in many villages in the southern terai districts of Nepal, where the government security personnel rarely venture for fear of being attacked by the Maoist rebels. In New Delhi, pro-democracy activists affiliated to CPN(UML) and Nepali Congress burnt the effigy of Gyanendra, and the UML-affiliated Nepali migrant and student organizations collected signatures demanding restoration of democracy, which were then handed over to the Nepal Embassy.

Demonstrators in all the places were reportedly not only pro-democracy but distinctly anti-monarchy as well, with the main slogans of: "We Shall Get Full Democracy," "Down with the Murderer King Gyanendra," "Gyanendra Thief, Quit the Country."

Hundreds of demonstrators are reported to have been arrested by the security personnel. The government has not published the names of those arrested, which in effect increases the risk of some detainees being tortured or "disappeared." These risks are heightened even more due to the severe suppression of free media and systematic intimidation of human rights defenders by Gyanendra Shah and the Royal Nepal Army after the February 1 royal-military coup. These demonstrations were jointly organized by the five major parliamentary political parties (and their sister organizations, notably the women's fronts) of Nepal - Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Lenininist), Nepali Congress (Democrcatic), Jan Morcha Nepal and Nepal Sadvabana Party (Anandidevi). Combined, these five parties had garnered over 90 percent of the total votes cast in the last parliamentary elections.

These five parties have announced that they will struggle jointly until "full democracy" is attained in Nepal. The younger generation leaders and cadres in all of these parties have been openly advocating the overthrow of the monarchy that has repeatedly clamped down on democracy since the last 50 years.

The demonstrations today were organized despite severe repression by the royal-military government of Gyanandra Shah, who has been dubbed internationally as a "despot" after his February 1 military coup.

Gyanendra had deployed thousands of security personnel in all the major towns and cities to prevent these demonstrations. He had also unleashed the security personnel to raid the houses of pro-democracy leaders in the last few days to arrest them and thus prevent them from organizing the demonstrations planned for today.