Nepalese student leader beaten
A Nepalese student leader, Jlhapat Rawal, has been beaten by agents of Nepal's state security service. Mr. Rawal was in the headquarters of the Communist Party of Nepal - United Marxist Leinists (CPN - UML) on 27 April when the building was raided by agents of the Nepalese government, according to a party press release. They ransacked offices before dragging Mr. Rawal from the building's and beating him.
The CPN - UML is the country's second largest political party, it took 30% of the vote in the last elections for the nation's lower house, representing 68 constituencies. The party has been operating in strained circumstances since 2002 when the Nepalese king abolished parliament and decided to rule the country by royal decree.
The CPN - UML and the country's largest party, the Nepalese Congress Party (NCP), have joined forces to campaign for a swift return to democracy in Nepal. Their methods have included mass protests and general strikes. The king is currently promising fresh elections by the end of the year.
Nepal's democracy was founded in 1990 when the royal family relinquished absolute sovereignty over the country's affairs. The 1990s saw a growth in the popularity of the Communist Party of Nepal - Maoist (CPN-M) which pursued a guerilla war against successive administration.
During 2004 the CPN(M) strengthed its insurgency and now controls half the country. King Gyanendra, who came to power after his brother was shot by Prince Dipendra in the Royal Palace, hoped to crush the Maoists using unlimited executive power. The strategy has failed so far and the collapse of civil rights in the kingdom has strengthened opposition parties and the rebels.
Send this article to a friend