Fresh protests shake Nepal

Despite a peace pact signed between Nepal's coalition government and the Maoist guerrillas, fresh violence erupted on the streets of capital city and outer districts, causing the United Nations to express grave concern.

For five continuous days, students have been battling security forces, demanding that the government withdraw a new, controversial education bill that gives an advantage to teachers appointed on a temporary basis.

Besides Kathmandu, violent protests have erupted in key towns like Nepalgunj, Janakpur, Rajbiraj and Biratnagar with students pelting security personnel with bricks and ransacking education offices in some areas.

The protests began last week after Nepal's parliament, restored after nearly four years, approved of an education bill that plans to hold a special examination for temp teachers on the job for five years so that they can obtain a teaching licence and get permanent employment.

The timing of the bill couldn't have been more inauspicious. It came on the eve of a nationwide examination for conferring the teaching licence.

Aspiring teachers readying to take the examination protested the decision, saying it would ensure permanent employment for nearly 18,000 temp teachers and prevent new entrants from getting jobs.

Faced with protests, the government postponed the exam Friday without prior information. People who had been journeying for nearly a week from remote villages to reach exam centres went berserk at the postponement, demonstrating on roads and vandalising education offices.

Their cry was taken up by the student unions, that have played a major role in causing the fall of King Gyanendra's government earlier this year. On Wednesday, five days after the turbulence began, demonstrators said they would continue the stir till the bill was withdrawn.

In addition, they are now also demanding the resignation of home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula and education and sports minister Mangal Siddhi Manandhar.

The violent scuffles between protesters and security personnel, reminiscent of the confrontations during King Gyanendra's reign, when 21 demonstrators were killed, have been causing international concern.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Kathmandu said it was concerned about the violent demonstrations and the excessive use of force by police.

"Our monitoring teams have witnessed stone-throwing and other forms of violence by demonstrators. which have resulted in injuries to police and damage to property," OHCHR spokesman Kieran Dwyer said.

"The monitoring teams have (also) witnessed police beating demonstrators repeatedly over the head with batons in a similar manner to the use of excessive force during the April (anti-king demonstrations). Police should only use appropriate force."

(IANS)

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