A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

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 #25: Update from the NDD

(On February 5, 2005, dozens of pro-democracy activists in Kathmandu formed the Nepal Democracy Alliance and began circulating e-updates to inform the world about the crisis in Nepal following the imposition of military rule by King Gyanendra on February 1.)

At least 32 pro-democracy youth activists arrested from Kathmandu;
five arrested from Dhangadhi

March 17, 2005, Kathmandu / Delhi:

Student and youth organizations affiliated with the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Jan Morcha Nepal and Nepali Congress (Democratic) organized pro-democracy demonstrations in Ason, Bangemudha, Mahabouddha and Indrachowk in Kathmandu today. They shouted slogans calling for the restoration of full-democracy and denounced the royal-military coup by Gynanendra Shah. They also distributed pamphlets in different parts of Kathmandu.

The police arrested at least 32 demonstrators. The Nepal Democracy Alliance confirmed the arrests of the following pro-democracy activists from these demonstrations today:

Prakash Pokharel - Secretary, All Nepal
National Free Students Union (United)
Bharat Shahi - Nepal Student Union (Democratic)
Pramod Rijal - Tarun Dal, Nuwakot
Hirakaji Maharjan - President, Prajatantrik Rastriya Yuva Sangh, Lalitpur District
Hari Rai - Central Committee Member, Prajatantrik Rastriya Yuva Sangh
Laxmi K.C., Tarun Dal

Purushottam Luitel
Santosh Kattel
Padam Palung
Dhruva Lal Pradhan
Yam Prasad Kandel
Uttam Kuikel
Ramesh Bhandari
Tejendra Khanal
Narayan Acharya
Rajkumar Lama

The whereabouts of those arrested is unknown.

Similarly, Nepal Democracy Alliance also received reports from a journalist based in Dhangadhi of the pro-democracy demonstrations by the students and youth in Dhangadhi today. Among the demonstrators arrested by police are:

Yagya Dhungana - Central Committee Member, ANNFSU
Purna Kunwar – President, Nepal Student Union, Kailali District
Pushpa Kumar Shahi – President, Nepal Student Union (Democratic), Kailali District
Laxman Shahi - President, NSU (Democratic), Dhangadhi Multiple Campus
Krishna Rawal – Student activist

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.