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Protester killed in Nepal police firing+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)KATHMANDU, April 9_(Kyodo) _ Police opened fire at a crowd of protesters in eastern Nepal on Sunday, killing one person and wounding three others, government officials said. The rally was held in Kavre district, about 40 kilometers east of Kathmandu, to protest the killing of a protester in the resort town of Pokhara on Saturday, reports from the scene said. Protests and rallies were held across Nepal on Sunday, the final day of the four-day strike called by seven major political parties to protest King Gyanendra's direct rule. Protesters clashed with police in many places and an unspecified number of people, including police officers, were injured. In Kathmandu, protesters defied curfew orders and clashed with security forces in the streets. The government clamped a 13-hour-long curfew in all cities of the Kathmandu valley, starting 7 a.m. on Sunday. Government officials said some 200 arrests were made nationwide on Sunday, while the political parties accused the government of repression of protesters. An alliance of the seven political parties, agitating over the seizure of executive powers by King Gyanendra last year, said in a statement on Sunday the protests would continue until "total democracy" is achieved in the country. Home Minister Kamal Thapa said the protests and demonstrations had turned violent because Maoist insurgents were involved. He alleged that the rebels were trying to topple the government by putting the political parties in the front. "We have an open revolt of the rebels in the streets, and the government would take harsh measures to tackle it," Thapa said. |