Push Continues for Democracy in Nepal; Troops Open Fire, One Killed; Food in Short Supply in Remote Himalayan Capital

[FIRST PERSON-UPDATE 4.18]

"The political situation is getting worse, just inhumane violence. I was in the midst of one the worse clashes. It was very painful to be there. I am ok but tired and with burning eyes. I had been inhaling
tire fire and brick dust for almost 10 days. I have been in the clash sites almost right after I returned from NY. I was supposed to attend a meeting in Malaysia but I cannot leave the country in this state. I have not been able to do any other work than be in the clash sites to lessen the violence.

At this point I am raising money too for health care of those who had been injured. We gave 3 days of our salary from our organizations both Beyond Beijing Committee and HImRights along with matching fund. Once we sent it in the media others are doing the same. But there are just too many injured, disappeared, and arrested."
From the Times of India:

KATHMANDU: Fears that a desperate monarch unable to contain the democratic upsurge may reimpose emergency loomed over Nepal on Monday even as Gyanendra called in ex-prime ministers for a palace meeting to create a veneer of negotiations with political leaders. Most of these leaders had helped the monarch’s father, Mahendra, and brother, Birendra, run their autocratic rule from 1961 to 1990.

Outside the sequestered royal grounds, war raged on the streets. Soldiers fired on protesters at Nijgarh in the Nepalese lowlands, killing one and wounding four others. Police fired bullets, teargas shells and baton-charged demonstrators at least at six places in the Kathmandu valley. . . .Alarmed by growing shortages, the government moved to offer armed escorts to truckers willing to bring goods in to Kathmandu and announced a 3,500-rupee incentive to truckers breaking the virtual blockade.

Full story here. More via Reuters, here.
Via NY Times here.