[11:00pm] The situation I witnessed while returning from my office to home was disheartening. At least there were 10 such places where the demonstrators have put on fire and other disturbances. It was not more than 2km and it is impossible for any four wheeler to pass the road.
At Tinkune, there were policemen clearing the road but at Jadubuti, there were two such disturbance. If we have failed to chant press in time, we would have surely hit by bricks by the demonstrators who were there in the dark.
At Herbs Production and Processing Center, a car was burning in the parking area. We waited there till my photojournalist friend took a few photographs. The burning car could even burn the office but as we were moving, a group of army arrived who were reporting the fire over their walkie talkie.
At Manahara Bridge, a similar fire was burning just in front of a petrol pump. At Lokanthali, the temporary police post was vandalized and thrown on the road with the wire they used to protect the post thrown on the road.
At Kaushaltar, the wall of the bus stop was vandalized and with the brick, a wall was created on the middle of the road. Between Ghatthaghar and Kaushaltar, there were two places with such disturbance. At Ghattaghar, it was the similar scene.
I can assume that the similar condition is all around the capital as I heard a number of firing sounds when I was in the office. It’s turning bloody and dirty and I can only hope it will end soon.
[9:00pm] THE STATE IS TURNING RUTHLESS; the demonstrations going bloodly.
At Tinkune, just outside Kantipur Publications, a group of demonstrators were chanting slogans and had just lit a tyre on the road while a group of policemen walked towards them from Baneshwor side. As the policemen advanced, the demonstrators started entering into sideways. The police then fired two rounds of rubber-bullet blankly on them from about 200m (it was all without any warning or so..).
Then I received a telephone from one of my friends in Ghatthaghar who was reporting an incident that happened just after the curfew ended at 8:00pm. The demonstrators were chanting slogans during the blackout when a group of security men including police and army started beating onlookers who had just come out of their houses to look around. Around 10 were badly injured (one of my friends received bad injury on the head and has been rushed to hospital).
[8:15pm] One more onlookers has been killed by security forces. The death toll during onging protest has reached three with the death of Shiva Hari Kunwar, 22, of Walting VDC-7, Kavre. He was shot at when he was looking at the rally organized to protest the killing of Bhimsen Dahal at Banepa. Three others has been injured and the condition of ninth grader Mukesh Kayastha is critical and has been brought to capital for further treatment.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Kamal Thapa organized a press conference and warned people of ‘real curfew’ from Monday. To read the National News Agency news on Thapa’s press conference, click on more at the bottom of this enty.
Similarly, from my office window, I can see a group of people rallying with torch on hands and demanding black-out. Police arrived in two trucks and two vans to disrupt the rally at Tinkune just outside my office and although the major portion of the city is blackened, the torch rally outside my office ended in five minutes.
Kamal Thapa’s Press Conference News On RSS
Scroll Below for Earlier Updates
Kathmandu, April 9: Home Minister Kamal Thapa has said that the government is ready to move ahead by holding a dialogue and through consensus and collaboration with the pro-constitutional political parties.
Speaking at a press conference organized at the Home Ministry here today, Home Minister Thapa said the seven political parties have organized the so-called movement and general strike at the call of the terrorists.
The government would not at any cost compromise with violence, murder and terror, Home Minister Thapa said and added that the terrorists have been carrying the ill-intention of displacing the state power through the use of the seven parties’ flag, banner and name.
The terrorists’ ill-intention would never be successful and the government would ultimately defeat the terrorists, Thapa said and added, “It is essential for the seven parties’ leadership to understand that the so-called movement is now being guided by the terrorists.”
Though the general strike and demonstration has had adverse effect on public life the government has been observing patience and was compelled to issue the curfew order so as to arrange effective security measures.
The Home Minister also expressed gratitude to the people who cooperated with and supported the security measures.
Issuing a curfew order is not a matter of liking and hobby for the government, but the life and property of the people have been protected as a result of it.
The government would immediately withdraw the curfew order as well as the prohibitory order if the seven parties declare that they have renounced the collaboration with the terrorists and if there is improvement in the subsequent situation.
Stating that the leaders and cadres of the seven political parties should understand it clearly that this movement is not a movement for political change like in 1990, Thapa said the cadres of the parties should question their leaders about the significance and objective of the movement.
Responding to a query on the occasion, Minister Thapa said the government has been carrying out its role in a responsible manner and within the existing law and regulations and urged the media sector to disseminate information only after taking note of the circumstances involved.
The government is concerned over the incidents that took place at Chitawan and Pokhara, but misleading news have come out in connection with both the incidents.
He said, “security personnel in Pokhara were compelled to fire after their warning was ignored in course of the demonstrations”.
Likewise, the security personnel fired at Chitawan in order to control the agitators that went vandalizing one government office after another and there was also a huge explosion. Three women sustained bullet injuries in the incident, he said. RSS
[5:30pm] News from various districts say that people rallied for the democracy. In Lekhnath Municipality, more than 7000 rallied and police has to fire tear-gas shells and rubber-bullets to control the situation. UML’s Dinanath Dhakal was badly injured by the bullet while a-dozen other were injured by baton charging.
In Nawalparasi, government employees joined the protest programs while in almost all cities administrative works came to a halt after the employees protested with a black band around their arms.
The Seven Party Alliance (SPA) in a meeting this afternoon has decided to give continuity to the ongoing protest until the regressive force comes to its knees. According to their program, the nation would witness a blackout and torch rally from 8:15pm to 8:30pm this evening.
[2:00pm] Updates by Blogger Tilak Pathak Two were injured while police fired ten rounds of rubber-bullet in Lake Side, Pokhara. Police have fired hundreds of rounds of fire to disperse the demonstrators who have succeeded in vandalizing Pokhara Municipality Ward No 3 Office.
In Kathmandu too, people have defied curfew orders and vandalized central offices of Nepal Sadbhawana Pary (Mandal) and Home Minister Kamal Thapa’s Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Demonstrations continued at Kirtipur, inner areas of Naya Bazar (where Pathak lives), Tinkune Koteswor and various parts of the nation.
In Butwal, people have controlled all government offices and overwritten all instances of ‘His Majesty’s Government’ with ‘Nepal Government’. Similarly, people have controlled all government offices in Janakpur and Bharatpur (Chitwan).
The demonstrations have been going on all the day at Kirtipur despite curfew orders.
[12:00 noon] In Butwal, Gopal Prasad Pandey, the central secretary of Tribhuvan University Teachers’ Association, BR Ghimire (president of Rupendehi Journalists Association) and Karna Bahadur Karki (former central vice-president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists) were arrested early morning. In a rally organized to protest the arrests, 18 other journalists and three others were arrested.
Shiv Prasad Munakarmi, the president of TUTA appealed for the imeediate release of Pandey. “We demand immediate release,” he told UWB! on phone. “Otherwise, we will come out with a strong step.”
Tulsi Chhetri, a woman who sustained injuries in Saturday firing at Chitwan died this morning at Bharatpur Hospital.
[9:00am] – The state imposed a 13-hour curfew for today – from 7:00am to 8:00pm. The army and police had already taken their position early in the morning.
Bhimsen Dahal, who was killed yesterday in Pokhara, is from Kavre district – adjacent to Kathmandu Valley. The people of Nala, Dahal’s village, are demonstrating in Banepa today. Political parties have also planned a ‘condolance meeting’ at Banepa.
The state has denied curfew pass to Kantipur Publications and may be to other vibrant private media. The government wants to imtimidate media.
United We Blog 
Comments
125 responses to “General Strike Day IV Updates”
Yeah, I’m a little surprsied by Hari Sharma too. What’s his point?
“People are dying of hunger because they can’t work?” Really. And where are they dying of hunger? In Kathmandu?
If anyone was dying of hunger, it was people in Western Nepal, one of the world’s poorest regions. That’s where the Maoists sprung out from, if you know your history well.
Its all well and good to have a ‘libertartian’ outlook and worship private property and Hayek and Mises and Friedman. But as a practical matter, it does nothing when you consider that three fourths of Nepal is still dirt poor. How are you going to make them better off?
I’m sorry, but your ideas are too impractical to use in a place like Nepal. “Private property” is one reason the country’s so poor. You had the zamindari system and all these guys were given huge tracts of land in which they did nothing productive. Smoked their hookahs and exploited the labor but did nothing.
Kirat and Bhudai,
both of you have done a commendable job here.
fighting of the royalists tactfully and ideologically
Thank you for undertaking the task of leadership in the blog fight in support of the movement,
I am still in Kirtipur since I got here the day before last night, joining the locals in securing the area and calling it free of Royal control.
G-Hangman,
How’s the situation like?
I think this photo is worth sharing
Guys,
I found this really hilarious.
“Meanwhile, Maoists today announced a new nationwide campaign which includes defying curfew orders, capturing highways and breaking royal statues.”
Breaking royal statues? Why hadn’t we thought of that before? Everybody, smash and break…
Manan,
since the idea is out, it will soon spread
and many, hopefully all, kings statues will be gone like Lenin’s was gone in Moscow and St. Petersberg in Russia,
i will try to do that—especially the one in the New Road and Durbar Marg.
Yes, but preserve a few, the old ones, for history’s sake.
However terrible our history may have been, we’ve got to remember it.
And good luck.
manan,
earlier in the afternoon, two of our fellow participants got hit in Kirtipur, they are in serious condition, i pray to their lives
but we are not backing off,
we fought all day and as the day breaks, we will continue our fight,
we are not letting the Royal police and APF enter the central part of Kirtipur Bazar,
we completely damaged the Kirtipur police post yesterday.
things are not in anyone’s control,
the movement is taking its own course,
nobody controls us, we do not know where SPA leaders are, we are our own leaders,
there are banners here and there, but they do not have any say over us,
we are doing whatever we can,
break down any government building or fight off the KG’s gun men,
find every way to hurt and finish off the KG’s terrorism
that is in everyone’s mind right now
G-Hangman:
Again I applaud your brave efforts and prey that this movement will be successful so that a more peaceful and prosperous Nepal will emerge.
Like I mentioned eariler I think it would be really effective if Kamal Thapa’s house and Tulsi Giri’s house were attacked. It would bring the conflict tho their face!
By attack I mean a peaceful protet.
You should know, you are an inspiration to people all over the world. Also to us in Norway. Even if this country and its inhabitants are “rich” by most standards, unemployment are increasing, there are more beggars in the streets every day, old people die poor and alone, etc, etc, and the biggest party is “FrP” (“Progress Party” – 35% on the latest poll, and it is a rasist/fascist party)- we need changes here, too.
Real democracy. That means more than voting every other year. That means participating, every day.
In the twentieth century, what happened in october 1917 was a great, worldwide inspiration.
In the twentyfirst century, what is happening in april 2006 (2062) is an inspiration on the same scale.
Long live the April revolution!
Ganatantra Nepal!
“we completely damaged the Kirtipur police post yesterday.”
“we are doing whatever we can,
break down any government building or fight off the KG’s gun men”
Hey G-hangman,
What on earth are you doing man? Break down all you can? Listen brother, you have the right to protest but you don’t have the right to crush down public property. That is not your property but ours. If you have something against G, why don’t you go for his palace? By this I meant his private palace.
But, you should leave the public property which belongs to us all. Moreover, destruction of offices is not the rational way to achieve freedom. Think…think…and think….
hari sharma
http://unitelibertarians.blogspot.com
ya i think hari sharma has a little bit of problem with the idea of “government’s role”….he seems fascinated by capitalism…he idolizes friedman and other supply side economists..tries to ape some neo-cons at cato institute…i guess it helps a bit to read wall street journal and listen to bill o reily…his is a utopian dream….he thinks free-market will solve everything…
but his economic principles ( which i believe he has read a lot in a promising liberal arts college somewhere in new england) holds only in paper.. mr sharma..i think someday you will go and work in imf or world bank…write some cool economic model……..get a bunch of data …and run a regression, OLS, 2SLS..whatever…and from your swanky lil cubicle in the 17th floor of DC, you will preach some policy issues which will be experimented in some third world country …..you will get publised in american economic review, quarterly journal of economics, or journal of political economy….
your CV will read 10 page long with all the seminar and publication…after touring all those sub-saharan african or south-east asian countries, which will still be engulfed in poverty despite incorporating your policy issues..you will run another regression and say that its because of bad governance or other “institutional” issues…
what you dont give a shit about is people lives are at stake….you will become larger than life..but, at the end of day, what the fuck…..you still wont have solve the conundrum…
so stop being so utopian only in head..be practical…
Mr.Hari Prasad Sharma…shut your mouth up! Do not give lecture about freedom and eat cake in the US. Come here and dare to talk about freedom. I will give you a first hand experience of what freedom is like when you cannot walk freely on street or to the vegetable market. Tell me where is the freedom where you cannot demand compensation for the loved ones lost due to the state’s bullet. Tell me whether you will have freedom if there is a repressive regime. As much as through peaceful means, freedom comes from protests as well… Do understand and better internalize it…
Hey, fidel, maybe you shouldn’t be calling us “Quires.”
Otherwise, we wish you well in re-establishing democracy.
slow down cowboys, dont celebrate anything until you guys defeat maoists and those corrupt leaders. keep it going on man.
Pundit baje,
Are you trying to incite our raged G hangman. How can an attack(sabotage) at KAMAL Thapa and Giri’s house be peaceful ?
Fidel:
When I said attack I meant a peaceful protest. I thought I clarified that.
Hari said up is right.This hangman seems mentalist and will be soon hanging if follow his way.
and this Bhundai queer pundit you should ask your Giriaj first that what is next after andolan?? General people are dying day by day but where is this shit bullet leaders gone?? why even they never hurt abit??? It is infact to say that KAAM GARNE KAALU MAKKAI KHAANE BHAALU
Gyanendra is just the tip of a very large iceberg. I hope all the violence proposed hear does not end up in a two party military rule where Gyanendra may go but so too the democratic forces. With the war between the Maoists and the army, I doubt the rest of us including the demonstrators stand a chance. If the army decides to take things into their own hands with or without Gyanendra in tow, I doubt anyone will stand a chance in the streets. Therefore, these protests have to be carried out strategically and not with blind fury. Even Prachanda had suggested “Is it Gyanendra that controls the army, or is it the army that controls the King?” If it is the latter then all this anarchy will definitely lead to a two military rule, one the army and the other the PLA. In those circumstances, there will be very little room or none at all to shout about, and both sides will be ruthless. Human rights monitoring will be a thing of the past, and democracy a distant memory.
Gita.April 9 2006 8:05 pm.
Pls.dont stop digging until you reach his king conscienced, his not a very bad king ,his just being at the point of no choice to choose just to follow the other kingdom who was manipulating him to do some kind of terrible nigthmares in Nepal. Lets try to figure out what S.K. says, K.G.was Bribe by the most highes sallary of all those on the listed and leaders and king of the world. K.G.Was offered and, He was tempted to Bite the Bait. Now He got slaved by those King who has a Crazy selfish desired to be the only KING in the whole planet.These other kingdom was the one behind the curtains of all these Drama’s, The Maoist leader knows that too, K.G. Ablolished democracy in Nepal He doesnt have a choiced.just to follow His gonna pay the consicquences of what he did, Now K.G. is walking on the thin line snipping some marching powder to ease the pain in his nuts. He didnt realized and figure out that his Kindom is going down, Flat on the ground including the people of Nepal. The other Kindom was Crazy laughing behind his back Cooking his own Flesh including the people of NEPAL as a receipies of their Evil Minded selfish Desire to all the Human Kind.
People of Nepal will be the most poorest country in the whole planet if we dont stopped these planed. “PEOPLES POWER” IS THE BEST ANSWER FOR THAT
Dig it people of Nepal dig it, dig it, Start digging it, Come on dig it. Is there any one of you who has the Gut’s to contribute the facts like S.K. says?
Dear All,
I am glad we all are more or less politically aware for our future and of course for our country. Once and for good Monarchy or Constitutional Monarchy should be removed from our constitution. No matter how you label king’s corporation it’s has always proved to be the deceiver. People should not spare this time. No country can be run without people. I am sure there are procedures to punish all of them who worked hard to supress this people’s movement.
Let’s contribute by whatever means you can to this uprising. Thanks to Nepali people, political parties and of course maoist for their liberal and compromised policy to the country.
“We are no more slaves like Kamal Thapas”
careers for deaf people…
can u provide more information ?…
Big to you thank that contain such resource. Probably all this keeps on enthusiasm. Many thanks for your work
LOL! Realy nice joke 🙂