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Katmandu Protests: 12/21/05

Protests over Military Killings Persist

Katmandu, Nepal, December 21, 2005: Nearly a week after the death of 12 civilians in Nagarkot at the hands of enraged solders in the Royal Nepalese Army, students and other activists continue to demonstrate and protest, urging authorities to hold accountable the people responsible for the killings.

Demonstrations at Tri-Chandra College

Rallies at Tri-Chandra College broke down when riot police were deployed to curb the student-led activities. Students blocked traffic near the college for 3 hours, burnt tires, and chanted slogans admonishing the police for their brutality.

The police in the area responded to the student agitators by charging at them with batons and covering the protesters with teargas. Both the students and the police threw stones and bricks at each other.

About a dozen students were hurt in the fray, including Saroj Thapa, the president of the Free Student Union. Some police also sustained minor injuries.

Mourning in Nagarkot

Student organizations associated with the Seven Party Alliance arranged a vigil in Nagarkot to grieve for the civilians who died from soldier gunfire last week.

Mourners from various colleges gathered at the site of the mass killing. The crowd of about 1,000 was addressed by the president of the Student Union of Bhaktapur College, Prajapati Parajuli, the central president of All Nepal National Free Students' Union, Khim Lal Bhattaria, and its treasurer, Lochan KC, the central president of Nepal Student Union, Mahendra Sharma and one of its central members, Damodar Bhusal, the general secretary of All Nepal National Free Students' Union (United), Prakash Paudel, and a central member of the Nepal Student Forum, Biki Yadav.

Although the function was organized by student activists, it was also attended by locals from Nagarkot.

Prajapati Parajuli chaired the event, and on the way to and from Nagarkot, students chanted slogans.

Rally in Katmandu

In Katmandu, a protest march over the murders in Nagarkot was organized by the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN).

The demonstrators joined together in Tripureshwor and proceeded to Basantapur, where the march was converted to a mass meeting. A few prominent individuals delivered speeches at the meeting, including general secretary of NEFIN, Dr. Om Gurung, human rights activist, Malla K Sundar, member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Parsuram Tamang and finally, an eyewitness to the killings, Nawaraj Kattel.

More than 1,000 activists turned out for the march, though it was reported that the relatives of the victims who were invited could not attend because they were confined to their homes by security personnel.

Dr. Om Gurung was the chairperson for the meeting, and Lakki Tamang, public relations secretary of NEFIN, was the moderator.

- COCAP Human Rights Monitoring Team