Maoist blockade forces government to ban travel without armed escorts
Maoist blockade forces government to ban travel without armed escorts
Nepal Monday banned travel on the nation’s major roads without armed escort while trucks and buses were stranded by lengthy security checks before entering or leaving the capital, a police official said.
More than 700 buses, trucks and cars were waiting for security escorts at the main entry point to Kathmandu, Nagdhunga, repeating a scene from the past two days after the start of an 11-day Maoist strike to block supplies to and from the capital.
The Nagdhunga checkpost is 14 kilometers (8 miles) south of the city.
The Maoists, who have been fighting to topple the monarchy in an insurgency that has claimed more than 11,000 lives since 1996, called the strike in a bid to protest King Gyanendra’s power grab two months ago.
On Sunday, the government announced an overnight curfew on some of Nepal’s main highways, banning traffic between 9:00 pm and 3:00 am local time.
“Vehicles have not been allowed to operate without escorts by security personnel,” the police official said.
“The security personnel are checking the highways for obstacles and other disturbances and after they complete the inspection, the vehicles will be allowed to move forward,” he said.
Many drivers and passengers have avoided road travel completely despite the need to make a living because they fear retribution if they defy the frequent Maoist-called strikes or blockades aimed at disrupting the country’s economy.
The latest blockade comes after the king sacked a four-party coalition government on February 1 and assumed absolute power citing the inability of the politicians to stem the Maoist insurgency through talks.
The blockades have led to sporadic violence in the countryside controlled by the rebels and near the capital controlled by the government.
