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The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Bulletin #23: Update from the NDD

(On February 5, 2005, dozens of pro-democracy activists in Kathmandu started an e-update to inform the world about the crisis in Nepal following the imposition of military rule by King Gyanendra on February 1, 2005)

Pro-democracy demonstrations held across Nepal; at least 700 arrested

14 March 2005: The Nepal Democracy Desk has received reports from human rights activists and journalists of pro-democracy demonstrations today in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Janakpur, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Chitwan, Hetauda, Birgunj, Dang, Nepalgunj, Doti, Dailekh, Pyuthan, Palpa, Jhapa, Siraha, Saptari, Udaypur, Tanahu, Butwal and Kavre. At least 700 democracy activists have been reportedly arrested from these places.

The biggest number of arrests occurred in Janakpur, an eastern terai city of Nepal, from where, CPN-UML estimates that about five hundred of their cadres were rounded up and detained by the security personnel. There were also reports of the use of violence by the police against demonstrators in several towns.

Expectedly, the security forces were mobilized in massive numbers throughout the capital and reportedly also in other major towns to quell any attempts by the political parties to demonstrate against the King’s coup.

From Kathmandu, about one dozen activists of Nepali Congress including its senior leader Bal Bahadur Rai were arrested. According to CPN-UML, another dozen of their leaders and cadres including three member of Upper House - Mr. Lal Bahadur Bishwokarma, Bir Bahadur Singha and Mahesh Mani Dixit were among those arrested from the capital, while five people were arrested from Nepali Congress Democratic, including a member of upper house Mr. Akkal Bahadur Bista.

Report from Dhangadhi

In Dhangadhi, in far western area of the country, there have also been pro-democracy demonstrations and arrests. Five major political parties including the Nepali Congress, the Nepal Communist Party (UML), Nepali Congress (Democratic), Jan Morcha Nepal and the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) organized joint demonstrations opposing the royal coup and demanding the establishment of “full democracy", popularly understood to mean a democratic republic.

Among the leaders arrested in Silgadhi, the headquarters of Doti District, were Mohan Bahadur Bam (National Assembly member), Bharat Khadka (former District Development Chairperson), Yagyaraj Pathak (Nepali Congress District Chairperson), Ram Upadhyay (NC District Secretary), Nepali Congress members Ram Rokaya and Parbati Chand. Two students belong to the Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Student Union were also among those arrested.

The security personnel also arrested two local leaders of CPN (UML) - Harka Bahadur Singh (District Secretary) and Gauri Oli, District Committee Member.

Naresh Ale and Ramesh Malla belonging to Janmorcha Nepal were among the others arrested from Silgadhi today.

Security personnel arrested three political leaders from the demonstrations: Naranarayan Shah, the District Joint Secretary of Nepali Congress (Democratic) and Man Bahadur Bista, the District Joint Secretary of the same party. Chandrabada Shrestha, belonging to Janmorcha Nepal was also arrested from Dhangadhi today.

INSN is the International Nepal Solidarity Network, which has activists in over a dozen countries around the world who are working to bring democracy to Nepal. Visit their website for regular updates related to the Nepal crisis.

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