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

Heavy Gunfire in Kathmandu: 4/11/06

COCAP Report - April 11, 2006: Kathmandu

 

Despite the restriction of curfew pass from the side of government, COCAP Monitoring team has collected the latest news of the general strike by phone calls to its member organizations. Similarly COCAP HR Monitoring team has mobilized its members in the riot field after curfew time. Reportedly, there is monitored heavy gunfire in the protest in Gongabu and few other places of Kathmandu.

 

Soon after the Home Minister, Kamal Thapa accuses the Maoist infiltration in the Seven Party protest, police personnel are found to be involved to be firing instead. Today, There is gun firing from the house of AIG Ratna Sagar Moktan. The police personnel Nakul Chhetri, Shankar Paudel, Narayan Karki, Dinesh Tamang, Nanda Prasad Tamang ect were reported to be involved in firing. Thy have fired more than 150 round of bullets and caused 10 persons seriously injured.

 

Around three dozens of protesters are reported to have been wounded in Gongabu area due to police gunfire to the protester in blind manner. The police personnel are reported to have used SLR, LMG and other powerful weapons. Policemen fired several rounds of rubber bullets at protesters from the house of a security man at Gongabu. The police beat up the protesters even after arresting them. The security personnel also fired dozens of teargas shells to disperse the protesters.

 

The eastern focal point of COCAP, NESPEC, Udayapur, has reported that the protest in the are is in rise. Last evening, the house of the existing chairperson of District Development Committee, Udayapur, Bhoj Raj Sigdel, has been totally destructed totally. Similarly the agitating people have destroyed the pillars made by pro- royalists to welcome the King. There is reported to be heavy protest rally led by women and students.

 

Report from Pokhara says that Police indiscriminately opened fired at a rally taken out by thousands of protesters today. Two women Parbati Poudel and Bishnu Bhattarai were injured in the shooting. The police opened fire after tear gas failed to bring the demonstrations under control. The rallies were taken out from Shrijana Chowk, Sabha Griha Chowk and Prithvi Chowk.

 

(On Behalf of COCAP Monitoring Team)