Nepal under lock-down

It was the ineffectualness of the government and the divisiveness within the Nepali body politic that the King claimed as justification for his taking over the reins of government for the next three years and indefinite suspension of all fundamental rights.

However, the unrest that has rocked Nepal since the "monarchic coup" has proved the hollowness of the claim that the government needed to be dismissed in order to unify the country and bring stability.

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In the first place, there seems to be little connection between suspending democracy and fighting the Maoist insurgents -- why democracy and fundamental rights need to be suspended in order to counter the Maoists remains unclear. In fact, one unwelcome conclusion that can be drawn in consequence of the King's actions is that he is preparing to launch a bloody offensive against the insurgents and does not wish to be restrained by niceties such as concern for human rights or public opinion, both inside the country and out.

Nor has the sacking of the coalition government united the people of Nepal. Indeed, with ex-PM Koirala echoing sacked PM Deuba's appeal for broad opposition to the suspension of democracy and calling for the public to take to the streets in protest, the climate of anxiety and instability has increased markedly since the King's take-over.

Democratic space in the country seems to have been shut down in the aftermath of the take-over. Contact with the outside world continues to be cut off so that it is very hard to get news of what the situation is, senior politicians continue to remain under house arrest (some have even allegedly been taken away to undisclosed locations), and all fundamental rights remain in suspension.

We fear for what will happen next and urge the new government under the King to restore democracy and fundamental rights as soon as possible, or at the very least, to open Nepal up to the outside world to ensure that abuses are not committed under the cover of the present darkness.