Experts: Nepal king may face charges

[FVZA_Colonel]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061120/ap_on_re_as/nepal_king



Experts: Nepal king may face charges
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA

KATMANDU, Nepal - A government commission blamed King Gyanendra on Monday for a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that left 19 people dead earlier this year, and Nepal's prime minister hinted that criminal charges were possible.

Since April's mass protests, which forced Gyanendra to reinstate parliament 14 months after he suspended it and seized complete power, the monarch has since seen his status plummet from demigod to delinquent. Monday's report was an ominous portent for Nepal's centuries-old monarchy, the last Hindu throne in the world.

In the short term, some legal analysts said it could lead to criminal charges against Gyanendra, who since April has been stripped of his powers, command over the army, and his immunity from prosecution.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala indicated as much when he received the report on Monday, vowing to punish those culpable for the crackdown that killed 19 and injured hundreds.

[nealmhughes]

1. Funny, I was at coffee with two Nepali students last month and they told me bluntly:

"The King is gone. We are a democracy now, just like India or France or here in the USA. We may even get rid of him..."

Looks like two small Nepali boys knew about this before the media...in Alabama!

[David__77]

2. Goirala is a royal puppet.

He wants to maintain "ceremonial" monarchy. They need to put the "king" on trial for his repression of the people's movement.

[paulk]

3. what's wrong with a ceremonial monarchy?

In a country as diverse as Nepal, perhaps a symbolic monarchy would help to bring people together.

[David__77]

4. It's a symbol of racism and Hindu chauvinism.

The minority nationalities of Nepal have long been oppressed by the dominant Hindu nationality. Nepal is not a nation-state, but a prison-house of nations. Forever abolishing the monarchy is a necessary first step toward freedom for these minority nationalities and religious groups.

[paulk]

5. the first step was stripping the monarchy of it's power

Racism and Hindu chauvinism aren't going to magically disappear because you remove a symbol.

A symbol which is tied up in the national identity of the country, and is still loved and respected by a majority of Nepalis, (even if the current occupant of the throne is not).