Nepal king cancels NY trip for UNGA

Activists throw rocks at riot police who fired tear gas during a protest by political parties defying the ban on anti-King demonstrations in the restricted area in Kathmandu yesterday. For the third consecutive day of protest, several thousand demonstrators representing the seven political parties who marched in the restricted area, were dispersed by riot police firing tear gas. PHOTO: AFP

"He is not going to go now," a top government official told Reuters. "This is taking into account the current situation in the country." He did not elaborate.

The decision came three days after Nepal's Maoist rebels unilaterally announced a three-month ceasefire in their deadly war to overthrow the monarchy, which has killed thousands.

Days before the guerrillas announced the ceasefire, Nepal's seven main political parties said they would consider joining hands with the rebels to launch joint protests against King Gyanendra for sacking the government earlier this year and taking power.

The king dismissed the land-locked nation's multi-party government on Feb. 1, saying it had not been able to control the Maoist rebellion.

More than 12,500 people have died in the Maoist revolt since 1996 and hundreds more have disappeared.

The kingdom's political parties have opposed the king's first trip to the United Nations saying he was not the true representative of the nation, wedged between India and China.

The king met UN General Secretary Kofi Annan in Indonesia in April. In July, Annan sent his envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to Nepal who advised the king to quickly restore democracy.

Analysts said the widespread international disapproval against the assumption of power could have forced King Gyanendra to cancel his visit.

"The cancellation is because of the legitimacy question raised by political parties at home and the hostility he was going to face there from the international community," said Yubaraj Ghimire, editor of Samay, a weekly magazine.

Meanwhile, at least 30 people were arrested and nine injured in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu yesterday in a third straight day of major protests against King Gyanendra's rule, police said.

"In the scuffle between the protesters and riot policemen, at least six student leaders and three police were injured and 30 others arrested Tuesday afternoon," the Kathmandu Valley police office told AFP.