Nepal under reign of terror as king unleashes army to crush revolt

[muriel_volestrangler]

Maoists and restless politicians threaten his throne. Now the autocrat is turning to torture and murder, reports Ed Douglas from Kathmandu

Demonstrations against the king continued this weekend throughout Nepal, ahead of the municipal elections called for 8 February. These have been boycotted by all mainstream parties, which see them as a propaganda stunt and are demanding that the king return power to parliament first. Attacks by Maoist rebels last week, including the assassination of Bijaylal Das, a candidate in Dhanusha district, have further undermined the elections. Only one in three wards has attracted even one candidate.
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King Gyanendra now has two enemies - the Maoist insurgency, which marks its tenth anniversary on 13 February, and the political parties that have rediscovered their confidence after his coup. Analysts agree the chaos could see the king stripped of his power and even his throne. 'Last year there were many who welcomed the king's move,' said Rajendra Dahal, editor of the newspaper Himal khabarpatrik. 'But now the same people are opposing the king's government. It's a complete turnaround.'

The king's deepening unpopularity is a consequence, Dahal says, of his autocratic style, the country's woeful economic performance and his failure to make any progress in resolving the civil war with the Maoists. The rebels now control much of Nepal beyond the Kathmandu valley and urban centres. Almost 13,000 people have been killed, two-thirds of them by the security forces. Dozens have died in the past week.

The Royal Nepalese Army's influence has mushroomed, with the security forces drawing more government revenues and intimidating opponents. 'Nepalis don't know the reality of the king's relationship with the army,' says Dahal. 'Maybe the king is under the control of the army now.' Nepal's army and police both contribute personnel to UN peacekeeping missions. Both have routinely used illegal detention and murder throughout the 10-year conflict with the Maoists. According to the Nepalese human rights organisation Huron, 599 people have 'disappeared' at the hands of the state, and the whereabouts of only 130 have later been made public.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1697365,00.html