KATHMANDU, NEPAL, April 9, 2006: HPI note: This report is a comprehensive analysis by Arunava Biswas of Nepal’s political situation. Following is the introduction:
As violence and protests mount against Nepal’s monarchy, the streets of Kathmandu are resounding with a question: Does this Himalayan kingdom need a tyrant king? A commoner in Kathmandu said, “Earlier we had put our faith in the King, now the people doubt the King’s actions.” Fourteen months after King Gyanendra dismissed Nepal’s elected government and seized total power, the monarch of this beautiful but desperately poor country appears increasingly isolated, helpless as protesters against his rule fill the streets of Kathmandu and the death toll mounts from a Maoist insurgency. Protests against the monarch have escalated in recent weeks. The King has not publicly commented on the demonstrations, but analysts say his response has been to resort to heavy-handed methods that many people feared he would employ when he suddenly assumed the throne nearly five years ago. Last February, Gyanendra took absolute control of Nepal, dismissing the elected interim government that shared power with him and declaring a state of emergency. He put Nepal into virtual lock down: cutting phone lines, enforcing strict censorship and suspending many civil liberties. Dozens of politicians, student leaders and activists were detained. Now rising anger against him fuels the debate over what role he should play in this country of 26 million people. King Gyanendra has two enemies – the Maoist insurgency, which marked its tenth anniversary on February 13, and the political parties that have rediscovered their confidence after his coup. Analysts agree the chaos could see the King stripped of his power and even his throne.
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