BBC: Gathering anger against Nepal's king

[leftchick]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4923938.stm

<snip>

For the past few days, the tide appears to have turned against King Gyanendra.

What started out as a political protest by a seven-party alliance, and then translated into a show of people power as Nepalis stormed the streets across the country, has finally crossed another frontier.

Professionals, lawyers and now bureaucrats - including from the all-powerful home ministry - have joined the struggle, some in spirit and others more substantially.

The one institution above all others that has remained loyal to the king has been the Royal Nepalese Army.

But as flak-jacketed soldiers patrol the corner of every street in the Nepalese capital, they are acutely aware of the public mood.

[elehhhhna]

1. Thay hate him because he survived the palace shootings and

became King only a few years ago.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. "Survived the shootings" is one way to put it

"Had the royal family murdered" is another.

[elehhhhna]

3. Doubtful, imo. The son (Crown Prince) was a bit wacko, and I don't get

the impression that this King was happy about the promotion. HIS Son is evidently a truly hated figure so it sounds like they're ready the throw off thye whole Royalty business. Once the Crown Prince guns down 3/4ths of the Royal Fam., it's time for a different form of Government, eh?

[leftchick]

4. it sure seems that way....

<snip>

"There is only one issue before us - restore democracy.

"There is not a single person here who does not support that," he said waving his hand at the crowd.

"I grew up believing in the king and what the monarchy represents," says Lakshmi, who was attending the rally with her children.

"But the king has let us down. He is so removed from reality that he has to step aside.

"I don't think they should grow up in a Nepal which is an absolute monarchy," she says looking down at her little son and daughter.

[struggle4progress]

5. Nepal forces to shoot curfew violators on sight

KATHMANDU, NEPAL: Soldiers and police patrolled the streets of Nepal's capital on Thursday to enforce an 18-hour curfew imposed to keep anti-king protesters off the streets, a day after security forces shot dead four pro-democracy demonstrators in the country's east.

District administration officers said the 2 am-8 pm curfew was necessary to prevent opposition parties from staging a huge rally, planned for Thursday, to demand that King Gyanendra loosen his grip on power.

Security forces have orders to shoot curfew violators on sight. Diplomats, journalists and human rights monitors have not been issued passes allowing them onto the streets as they have in the past.

Opposition leaders were meeting on Thursday at an undisclosed location to decide if the rally should go ahead despite the inevitable risks attached to breaking the curfew. <snip>

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1497165.cms

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. Police 'fire' on Nepal protesters

The Nepalese security forces have opened fire on protesters in the capital, Kathmandu, killing at least three people, hospital sources say.

The violence comes as tens of thousands of people defy a shoot-on-sight curfew to rally against the absolute rule of King Gyanendra.
...
Doctors at a Kathmandu hospital have told the BBC that two people have been killed.

Witnesses say dozens of people have been injured. The BBC's Charles Haviland says the wounded are lying in the street with no ambulances able to attend to them.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4924610.stm