Thousands rally in Nepali pro-monarchy protests
[KATHMANDU] Thousands of Nepali royalists marched in the capital Kathmandu on Friday (May 30), demanding the restoration of the monarchy and chanting slogans in support of the king deposed 17 years ago.
The Hindu-majority nation became a secular republic in 2008 after parliament abolished the monarchy as part of a peace deal that ended a decade-long civil war in which more than 16,000 people were killed.
The protests are the latest in a string of rallies, as support for the restoration of the monarchy and a Hindu state has grown amid dissatisfaction over political instability, corruption and slow economic development.
'King, come and save the nation', the marchers shouted in unison, beating drums, blowing horns and waving Nepal's national flag.
'I am here to fight against this corrupt system,' said Prem Bahadur Magar, 58. 'We need a constitutional monarchy and a Hindu nation to preserve our national identity.'
Magar travelled to Kathmandu for the rally from his home, about 200 km away.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Sign Up
Sign Up
Riot police stood guard but there were no immediate reports of any violence.
'Seventeen years ago, I came to the streets to protest and overthrow the monarchy,' he said. 'But now, I feel sorry for that. Now I realise that the king was far better than these corrupt leaders.'
The rally comes a day after the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) – the party of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli – held marches to mark the Himalayan nation's Republic Day.
There were also royalist marches on Thursday.
CPN-UML party supporter Bijay Lama, 34, said the return of the king was 'just a daydream', saying that most in the nation of some 30 million people wanted the republic to remain.
'If a few thousand people call for the return of the monarchy, this is simply not possible', Lama said, during the rally on Thursday.
In March, two people were killed and more than 100 arrested during pro-monarchy protests, with security forces using live fire and tear gas to disperse the rally.
The last king of Nepal, Gyanendra Shah, expressed sorrow at the violent demonstrations the following month – while lending tacit support.
Shah was crowned in 2001 after his elder brother king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah and his family were killed in a palace massacre. His coronation took place as a Maoist insurgency was raging in far-flung corners of Nepal.
Shah suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament in 2005, triggering protests in which the Maoists sided with Nepal's political establishment – leading to the eventual end of the war. AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Times
14 minutes ago
- Business Times
Europe: Shares flat amidst inflation data, trade jitters
EUROPE'S benchmark stock index ended little changed on Tuesday, as investors ceded ground under the dual pressure of softening economic indicators and persistent global trade anxieties. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed flat at 548.42 points. Stocks in Germany rose 0.7 per cent, while those in France gained 0.3 per cent. London's FTSE edged up 0.1 per cent, while Spain's IBEX dropped 0.5 per cent. On the macroeconomic front, cooling inflation across the bloc - now comfortably below the European Central Bank's target - added to expectations for an aggressive pivot towards monetary easing. The ECB has cut interest rates seven times since last June, and money markets have all but fully baked in a 25-basis-point rate cut on Thursday, slated to pare the region's interest rate to 2 per cent. Traders are bracing for further dovish action, anticipating at least 55 basis points, or two more quarter-point cuts, including Thursday's, by year-end. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up 'This (the data) indicates that price growth in May removes some pressure from the ECB on its dual mandate, and that has reinforced to markets that they are correct with pricing in further rate cuts,' said Daniela Hathorn, senior market analyst at Meanwhile, the Netherlands' 10-year bond hit a session-high of 2.745 per cent amidst a concerted sell-off as a political rupture sent shockwaves through the Netherlands. This followed the collapse of the Dutch government as far-right leader Geert Wilders' incendiary decision to withdraw his party from the ruling coalition could plunge the country into a snap election. Elsewhere, the Swiss benchmark index ticked up 0.3 per cent. May's inflation data surprisingly tipped into negative territory, marking the first consumer price deflation in over four years. The omnipresent spectre of global trade tensions continued to cast a long shadow, exacerbated by persistent legal wrangling surrounding US President Donald Trump's tariffs. The administration's appeal to pause a second court ruling against certain tariffs only deepened the uncertainty surrounding their implementation. Reinforcing these fears, the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) slashed its global growth forecasts, specifically noting the escalating and disproportionate economic drag exerted by Trump's trade war on the US economy. A Reuters report said that the White House has pressed allies for their most robust trade proposals by Wednesday. Furthermore, a highly anticipated call between Trump and his Chinese counterpart is due this week. Media stocks fell 1.1 per cent, extending their decline from the previous session. Basic resources lost 0.8 per cent, in tandem with copper prices. Among individual names, healthcare stocks were the biggest drag on the index, with GSK dropping 2.1 per cent after Berenberg downgraded its rating to 'hold' from 'buy'. British water utility Pennon Group fell 6.6 per cent after it swung to an annual pretax loss. UBS gained 5.3 per cent after Jefferies upgraded the bank's stock to 'buy' from 'hold'. The energy sector rose 1 per cent- the most among sectors as oil prices jumped nearly 1 per cent. REUTERS
Business Times
8 hours ago
- Business Times
Dutch PM Schoof resigns, hours after far-right leader Wilders exits coalition
[AMSTERDAM] Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced his resignation on Tuesday (Jun 3), most likely ushering in a snap election, hours after anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders quit the right-wing coalition for failing to back tougher migration policies. Ministers from Wilders' PVV party will leave the Cabinet, while the others will continue for now as a caretaker government. Any election is unlikely to be held before October, and the fractured political landscape means formation of a new government may well take months. Anger over migration and the high cost of living are boosting the far right and widening divisions in Europe, just as it needs unity to deal effectively with a hostile Russia and an unpredictable and combative US president in the form of Donald Trump. 'I have told party leaders repeatedly in recent days that the collapse of the Cabinet would be unnecessary and irresponsible,' Schoof said after an emergency Cabinet meeting triggered by Wilders' decision. 'We are facing major challenges both nationally and internationally that require decisiveness from us.' BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Schoof said he would hand his resignation to King Willem-Alexander later on Tuesday. Wilders had said he saw no other option than to quit the coalition, as it had not backed the stricter migration policies he had demanded. He said he would lead the PVV into a new election and hoped to be the next prime minister. The other parties in the coalition have the option to try to soldier on as a minority government, though they are not expected to. 'The most obvious outcome will be new elections after the summer: end of October, November,' said political scientist Joep van Lit at Radboud University in Nijmegen. It remains to be seen whether right-wing voters will see the turn of events as Wilders' failure, or rather decide that he needs a bigger mandate to overcome other parties' resistance, van Lit said. Simon Otjes, assistant professor in Dutch politics at Leiden University, said the PVV must have calculated that the next election would be seen as a referendum on immigration policy, 'because they know they would win that'. REUTERS
Business Times
12 hours ago
- Business Times
Singapore stocks climb on the prospects of Trump-Xi talks this week; STI up 0.1%
[SINGAPORE] Local stocks ended Tuesday (Jun 3) higher as investors anticipated possible trade talks between China and the United States, with the confirmation that tariffs on some Chinese goods will be extended till Aug 31. The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.1 per cent or 3.79 points to 3,894.38. In the broader market, gainers beat losers 313 to 192 as 1.1 billion securities worth S$1.3 billion changed hands. Regional indices were mixed on Tuesday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index jumped 1.5 per cent. South Korea's Kospi ended largely flat. Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.1 per cent, while the Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index dropped 0.3 per cent. Hopes that US President Donald Trump will speak with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping – possibly this week – gave investors anticipation for a positive outcome. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up In a note, Maybank analysts said: 'Political analysts have suggested that China could have the upper hand as its grip on chip supply chains and rare earths could boost its leverage.' However, lingering uncertainty over the US' deficit and trade continued to weigh on the greenback even as Treasuries yields rose. The top gainer on the STI was marine vessel manufacturer Yangzijiang Shipbuilding , which surged 4.3 per cent, or S$0.09 to S$2.21. The index was dragged by DFI Retail Group , which slipped 2.2 per cent, or US$0.06 to US$2.65. This comes after the group last Friday announced its divestment of 22.2 per cent – or about 315.3 million – of Robinsons Retail's outstanding shares for an undisclosed sum. The group was a significant minority shareholder in Robinsons Retail. The trio of local banks were in the red on Tuesday. DBS fell 0.1 per cent or S$0.06 to S$44.80. UOB retreated 0.6 per cent or S$0.22 to S$35.33, while OCBC slipped 0.4 per cent or S$0.07 to S$16.16.
