Taking democracy for granted?
[At least 13,000 people have been killed since the Maoists launched an armed movement against the Napali monarchy in 1996] ...but these guys don't! Reuters Foundation AlertNet is reporting from KATHMANDU that Nepali police beat pro-democracy activists with rattan canes and fired tear gas on Saturday to break up the largest anti-king protest in the capital since a campaign was launched 10 days ago. The police charged when about 8,000 demonstrators marched into the city from a western suburb, chanting slogans against King Gyanendra and demanding the restoration of democracy. — Reuters Foundation AlertNet King Gyanendra, who sacked the government and seized absolute power 14 months ago, repeated promises in a Nepali New Year message on Friday to hold elections by April 2007. But he did not respond to demands to let a representative government take charge and end a crackdown on political parties. Nepal, the world's only Hindu kingdom, launched multi-party democracy in 1990 after a ...