4/15/2002
Fighting Death Toll May Reach 300
Nepal´s king on April 14 appealed for peace and unity in a New Year message to his nation, three days after more than 300 people were believed killed in the increasingly bloody communist revolt to topple him. ´All Nepalese... must...unite in widening the base of mutual confidence and understanding through democratic exercise,´ King Gyanendra said in a message broadcast to the nation marking the Himalayan Hindu kingdom´s new year. ´Continued violence and destruction of development infrastructure in the country has left our economy in shambles,´ said the king, who assumed the throne last June when the crown prince killed King Birendra and other relatives in a palace massacre before shooting himself. The tiny impoverished nation is under emergency rule as King Gyanendra and his government try to crush Maoist rebels seeking to create a one-party communist state and who control about a quarter of the country. Authorities fear more than 300 people died in two of the bloodiest attacks of the six-year rebellion on April 14, including dozens of policemen forced to strip before being executed. Some were reportedly beheaded. About 100 bodies have been recovered and officials said the area around Dang in Nepal´s remote western region was littered with many more.
Fighting Death Toll May Reach 300
Nepal´s king on April 14 appealed for peace and unity in a New Year message to his nation, three days after more than 300 people were believed killed in the increasingly bloody communist revolt to topple him. ´All Nepalese... must...unite in widening the base of mutual confidence and understanding through democratic exercise,´ King Gyanendra said in a message broadcast to the nation marking the Himalayan Hindu kingdom´s new year. ´Continued violence and destruction of development infrastructure in the country has left our economy in shambles,´ said the king, who assumed the throne last June when the crown prince killed King Birendra and other relatives in a palace massacre before shooting himself. The tiny impoverished nation is under emergency rule as King Gyanendra and his government try to crush Maoist rebels seeking to create a one-party communist state and who control about a quarter of the country. Authorities fear more than 300 people died in two of the bloodiest attacks of the six-year rebellion on April 14, including dozens of policemen forced to strip before being executed. Some were reportedly beheaded. About 100 bodies have been recovered and officials said the area around Dang in Nepal´s remote western region was littered with many more.
