wanderingken.com

Finally, I’ve broke down, purchased a pro account on Flickr, and put effort into uploading photos from my not-so-recent time in and around Kathmandu. Those of you who know me well are of course aware that I spent a few months in 2005 lending technical hands to literacy workers in Nepal. For those of you who don’t know me well, I guess you’ve just learned something new…

So, have a browse at the photos, if you like. You’ll find the most recent uploaded shots in the Everest and Kathmandu valley sets.

This shot is my favourite, looking down on the gokyo valley and ngozumpa glacier. Note the early morning frost.

A message I received today from the Canadian Embassy in Nepal:

The Government of Nepal has imposed another day curfew in Kathmandu (and parts of Kirtipur and Bhaktapur) from 11:00 to 18:00 on Monday, April 10th. Day curfews are expected to continue in the days ahead. Curfew timing may change. The indefinite night time Curfew in/around Kathmandu from 23:00 to 0300 remains unchanged. Curfew are also in place in several towns across the country. There is a curfew in Pokhara today (10-Apr-06) from 09:00 to 20:00. Curfew will likely be imposed in Pokhara in the days ahead. Curfew timing may change. Canadians in Nepal are urged to respect the curfew.

Yikes. I’m not sure if I wish I was back in Kathmandu or not. Seems almost exciting, if you can avoid being shot, as these protests may finally force king Gyanendra into political isolation and remove him from power. United we Blog! for a Democratic Nepal, who has folks on the ground in Kathmandu and across Nepal. These folks are full of excitement, suggestingthat latest demonstrations are the beginnings of a People’s Revolution akin to the events of 1990 that forced a constitutional monarchy.

In terms of the protests, Yahoo News is reporting that about 1500 protesters defied the curfew by gathering in Kirtipur and blocking a road with boulders, to which Nepalese “security forces” responded with tear gas. This is the third consecutive daytime curfew. Yahoo news also suggests king Gyanendra’s government has, in the last week, arrested numerous protest organizers, cut mobile telephone service, and, of course, banned public assembly — an eery flashback to tactics Gyanendra employed during his infamous royal takeover last February.

I suppose we’ll see who’s going to back down first — though if Gyanendra actually did kill his brother’s entire family in order to gain the kingship, one would suspect he’s not planning to relinquish control any time soon.

The political situation in Nepal has been rather unstable for years, and one could no doubt fill an entire weblog with scintilating commentary on the twists and turns of Nepal’s political landscape. Perhaps some day I will. (Quick preview of various topics: Did the crown prince really kill himself and his entire family? What do they mean by “black substance”? The king shut down the telephones on democracy day? What, the king “escaped” across the street to the Indian embassy? Hey, why is that Chinese diplomat in Kathmandu?)

But I digress, as the news today is scintilating, and uncomfortable enough for now, with CBC news reporting Nepal’s king Gyanendra has temporarily quelled citizen protests by imposing an all-day curfew (that means stay inside) in Kathmandu and threatening to shoot any violators (that means anyone outside). Both the CBC story and BBC news report the king’s actions are motivated by recently growing protests of his centralized power, protests which have recently become violent to the point of tear gas and 1 demonstrator shot dead in western Nepal. Perhaps the king is afraid of a Maoist attach, as BBS news also reports.

King Gyanendra initially claimed he would return power to the political parties after 3 years — enough time for him to destroy the Maoist insurgency which the incumbent political parties had failed to quell. Unfortunately, this plan seems to be back-firing as quickly as Gyanendra troops are firing on non-Maoist protesters, and as a result, critics claim Maoist anti-monarchy rhetoric is as appealing as ever. For their part, the previously sacked political parties are either unwilling to wait 3 years for their promised return to power, or, more likely, believe the king has no intention on ever relinquishing his current control. Instead, they appear intent on forcing Gyanendra’s hand now.

I suppose we’ll have to stay tuned for more details, as current events are pointing toward more and more confrontation…