Nepal In New Crisis
The world's premier trekking destination is in turmoil as the King dismisses the government and takes control of the state. The Foreign Office advises travellers to exercise 'extreme caution'.
Posted: 3 February 2005
by Jon
If you're planning a trip to Nepal this spring, you'll be keeping
close eye on the latest political events in the world's premier
trekking destination where a state of emergency was declared earlier
this week.
In a radical move, King Gyanendra has sacked the government and
taken full control of the troubled state, forming a new ten-man
cabinet under his direct leadership. The king's actions appear to be
a response to the failure of the elected government to end the
ongoiing Maoist insurrection which has gathered strength after the
ending of a ceasefire in 2003.
The Maoists had refused to negotiate with the government, accusing
it of being a mere puppet of the king and one of the aims of seizing
control appears to be to open negotiations with the insurgents. Some
reports say that he has called on the rebels to hold talks or 'risk
alternate steps'.
One consequence of the takeover is that Nepali web sites like
nepalnews.com
have been closed down and it's hard to get a clear picture of the
current situation in the country. Yahoo however is reporting that a
Maoist call for a national strike has been largely ignored in
Kathmandu. The international airport was also shut but according to
some reports has now re-opened.
The Maoist insurgents now control most of rural Nepal, however
they have repeatedly pledged not to target tourists and trekkers and
while the unrest has had a serious impact on visitor numbers, most
trekking routes have remained safe. Insurgents often demand
'voluntary' financial donations, but the reliance of Nepal on tourism
for foreign income appears to have made them reluctant to do any
more.
The British Foreign
Office is advising travellers to 'exercise extreme caution and
vigilance, especially in Kathmandu, until the situation becomes
clearer'. You should also contact your tour operator to check whether
flights are still operating if you're about to travel to the
country. Previous unrest hasn't impacted directly on trekkers on main routes in the Everest and Annapurna areas, however that may change.
For more detailed news and reports, we suggest the News
Now Nepal newsfeed.
Discuss this story
|
