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Royal slayings unhinge Nepal
Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times, KATMANDU, Nepal -- In a bizarre day of ceremonial solemnity and mob violence, Nepal's capital Monday experienced the coronation of one monarch, the funeral of another and hours of rioting by angry demonstrators who stoned police and shouted condemnation of the new king and his unpopular son. The day's rapid events appeared to end three days of uncertainty about the future of Nepal's constitutional monarchy, but they also left the Himalayan country of 22-million in a state of rising tension. The government declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew, at least two protesters died in rioting, and many Nepalis remained convinced that a dark political conspiracy was behind the murder Friday of their beloved, long-reigning monarch, King Birendra, 55, and his family. The new king, Gyanendra, 54, was crowned Monday morning in a brief ceremony, just three days after Birendra, his older brother, was slain in his palace, and just seven hours after King Dipendra -- the alleged assassin of most of the royal family who, as Birendra's eldest son, became monarch after the murders -- was declared dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. After his coronation, Gyanendra rode through the streets to his palace in an open carriage drawn by six white horses and surrounded by a mounted honor guard. But almost immediately, demonstrators began surging toward the palace, throwing stones at riot police who responded by firing tear gas and warning shots. At least two demonstrators were reported killed, and a shoot-to-kill curfew was declared at 4 p.m. Loudspeakers ordered people into their homes, and army sharpshooters took up positions around the palace. In the downtown area known as Thamel, a neighborhood of bustling cafes and curio shops that is normally a magnet for foreign tourists, the streets were filled with Nepali demonstrators throwing rocks at police and burning tires. "We do not like the new king, and we are not satisfied with what the government has done," said Deepak Bista, 33, a curio shop owner in the crowd. "We loved our king, and we want to know clearly what happened to him. Everybody in Nepal feels the same way." Government officials initially said that Dipendra had killed his father, his mother and six other relatives in a drunken rage, and then shot himself in the head, because his parents refused to let him marry the woman he loved. But on Sunday, officials changed the story, declaring that the killings had been an accident, and that Dipendra, 29, was not to blame. Late Monday, Gyanendra spoke on national television and announced that an investigation into the murders would begin immediately. Nepal is a parliamentary democracy, but its monarch remains an important symbolic and political figure, and the growing public suspicion about the murky palace slayings has created concern about Nepal's political stability. The anxiety has been aggravated by two ongoing political problems in this decade-old democracy: a paralyzing dispute between Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and parliamentary opponents who have demanded his resignation, and a rural insurgency by Maoist guerrillas that has been rapidly gaining strength in the impoverished countryside. Monday evening, in a reprise of the solemn state funerals Saturday of Birendra, his queen and six other family members, the body of Dipendra was cremated beside the same Hindu temple as his relatives, with Hindu priests lighting the torch and Nepali dignitaries tossing flowers at the pyre. But the atmosphere was starkly different from the rites two days ago. On Saturday, the eight royal corpses were borne slowly through the streets on garlanded litters, as tens of thousands of Nepalis watched the four-hour procession and wept in grief. Monday night, with the public mood swiftly changed from mourning to anger, Dipendra's body was swiftly carried in a convoy of army trucks from a military hospital to the Pashupathi Nath temple. Under the military curfew, the streets were deserted except for police and army troops lining the procession route, and the stench of tear gas and burning tires filled the air. Another royal died of his wounds Monday, bringing the death toll to 10. Despite the dignity of Monday morning's coronation, where dozens of military and civilian officials paid homage to the new king by tossing coins at his feet, popular anger at the circumstances of the royal succession has left the monarchy under a cloud, with conspiracy theories circulating wildly. Much of the animosity and suspicion has focused on Paras Shah, the 28-year-old son of Gyanendra and the presumed new heir to Nepal's throne. Shah is widely described as a gun-toting thug, and the Nepali press has reported his involvement in numerous violent incidents. Monday, demonstrators accused him of being behind the palace murders and demanded that he be hanged. Shah reportedly was in the palace on the night of the killings, and many people here believe he may have supplied the weapons that killed the royal family. At least three members of the royal family survived the massacre and are recovering from their wounds in hospitals. Nepali analysts and local journalists said that until their accounts of the events are made public, suspicion of a palace conspiracy and coverup will continue to mount. Gyanendra is not well known. Some analysts said they think he would make a strong king, but others noted that he has a reputation for corruption and that the notoriety of his son will cast doubt on his reign. The toll in NepalDEAD: King Birendra Queen Aishwarya Crown Prince Dipendra (king's son) Prince Nirajan (king's son) Princess Shruti (king's daughter) Prince Dhirendra (king's brother) Princess Shanti (king's sister) Princess Sharada (king's sister) Princess Jayanti (king's cousin) Kumar Khadga (Sharada's husband) INJURED: Princess Shova (king's sister) Kumar Gorakh (Shruti's husband) Keytaki Chester (king's cousin) Princess Komal (king's brother Gyanendra's wife) Source: Nepal Home Page
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
