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Nepali capital shuts down as anti-Maoist strikes continue
Police lobbed tear gas shells to break up an anti-Maoist rally during a day-long strike in the Nepali capital on Wednesday in a protest over the killing of a businessman by Maoist former rebels
- Agencies
- Published: 17:01 May 21, 2008
Kathmandu: Police lobbed tear gas shells to break up an anti-Maoist rally during a day-long strike in the Nepali capital on Wednesday in a protest over the killing of a businessman by Maoist former rebels, police and organisers said.
Ram Hari Shrestha, a restaurant owner, was abducted and killed in southern Nepal earlier this month. Maoists said some of their members killed him, but they were not acting on the party's orders. They have vowed to bring the culprits to justice.
Schools and businesses were shut in Kathmandu on Wednesday, as protesters set up road blocks and burned tyres at some intersections to stop vehicles.
"The government must investigate the killing and punish the culprits," Shrestha's wife Ramila said. "The Maoists must publicly apologise."
Shrestha's family and local residents called for a day's strike, which was backed by the main political parties.
Police said some protesters pelted several vehicles with stones for defying the strike. They also clashed with Maoists in some areas.
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