One Year after the Royal Coup in Nepal, Nepalese expatriates plan and pro democracy groups plan a Global Action for Nepal on Feb 1

In Vancouver, a Public Rally Starts at 4pm at the Vancouver Art Gallery, followed by a Candle-light Vigil at 5:30pm More information is available at (604)879-9909, (604)506-9259 and www.pdfnepal.com

On February 1, 2005, King Gyanendra of Nepal assumed absolute power and suspended all civil and human rights. Restrictions on the movement of people within Nepal and from the outside were imposed. Since then the King has ignored all international appeals to respect Nepali people’s aspirations for democracy and human rights, and continues to unleash his military brutality against the people. The Royal Nepali Army (RNA) has also been instrumental in setting up vigilante groups such as “Village Defense Committee”, which have been burning down people’s homes, chopping their limbs, forcing their captives to eat flesh of their own, and at times brutally beating innocent civilians to death.

During this one year:
• More than 6,000 political and human rights activists, journalists, lawyers, trade unionists, women’s rights activists and students were arrested, tortured and held in inhuman conditions,
• More than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed despite four months long unilateral ceasefire declared by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

With overt and covert military, financial, political and logistical support from countries like China, India, Britain and the USA, the King has been carrying out a ruthless counter-insurgency, which has only escalated violence and violation of human rights.

Currently, the King is also trying to legitimize his hold on political power by orchestrating municipal elections in areas close to army barracks (in which
the King could not even buy enough of his supporters as candidates, for the nominations were filed for less than one-fourth of the total seats!). All the major parliamentary political parties have been saying NO to this illegitimate ploy by mounting resistance.

After formation of a broadest alliance including the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the alliance of the seven parliamentary political parties, hundreds of thousands of people are taking to streets holding mass meetings, rallies, sit-ins, and shut-downs throughout Nepal in their bid to overthrow the monarchy forever.

Unable to contain the resolve and resistance of the people, the King unleashed another reign of terror in the early morning hours of January 19 when his army fanned out to arrest 200 opposition leaders, student, youth and human rights activists, journalists, and
senior civil society leaders. A curfew has been imposed in several parts of the country, and a fresh ban declared on public meetings, assemblies, and rallies in Kathmandu. This latest desperate act of the Royal Junta only shows that it has lost its political battle and is trying to hang on to power at any cost.

On this first anniversary of the Royal coup, we under the banner of Canadian Network for Democratic Nepal (CNDN) utterly condemn the autocratic rule and express our solidarity with the people's resistance movement in Nepal and join our voices with those of all
democratic people in Nepal, friends of Nepal, and people of Nepali origin around the globe, in demanding an immediate handover of all political powers to the people through an early, free and fair election of a Constituent Assembly.

Rallies for Nepal are being held by supporters of Democracy worldwide, including in Washington DC, New York and in many European and Asian cities.

Related Links
Chaos in Nepal Continues
Nepal Insurgency has Claimed 11000 Already
Nepal: A State Under Seige
Nepalis in Vancouver Rally for Democracy