80 politicians detained in Nepali crackdown

President of the Nepal Bar Association, Shambhu Thapa (C) scuffles with riot police after arrest at New Baneswor. He along with others was breaking a protest ban in Kathmandu yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Opposition parties ousted when King Gyanendra sacked the government and seized power 14 months ago had called for a four-day general strike starting Thursday and a mass demonstration in the capital Saturday.

About 35 political leaders were arrested in their homes at dawn Wednesday by plain-clothes police officers, activists said, and around 50 people were arrested in the morning at a rally held in defiance of a ban on public meetings.

"At least 35 leaders were arrested this morning. Depending upon the situation they might be held or released by Wednesday evening," a police officer told AFP on customary condition of anonymity.

The United Nations human rights body is monitoring the situation and will be visiting arrested leaders and protesters, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"Monitoring teams will be visiting places of detention throughout the day to determine the number of people held and the conditions and also the reasons given by authorities for the arrests and detention," said Kieran Dwyer, spokesman for the United Nations Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

On Monday the Nepal representative of the UN body urged the royal government to allow peaceful protests.

In January the government launched a similar crackdown that successfully stymied planned anti-royal protests. The crackdown resulted in a wave of international criticism for Gyanendra.

Protesters at the demonstration Wednesday morning were defiant as they were arrested ahead of the mass protests being organised by an alliance of seven sidelined political parties.

"We know that this is banned but we are supporting the seven-party movement and we will defy the restrictions," said Shambu Thapa, president of the Nepal Bar Association, just before being detained.

Around 150 professionals gathered early Wednesday in defiance of the ban, and 47 were detained before their protest got under way, eyewitnesses said.

"Among those arrested were 13 journalists, five college professors, 13 lawyers and three doctors," said Balaram Baniya, secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, who spoke to AFP from police custody.

The strike and Saturday's planned protest will go ahead despite the arrests, said Shovakar Parajuli, a secretary of the Nepali Congress Party.

"Our plan will go ahead as scheduled and we won't be rattled by the government's crackdown," he said.