Just had a small conversation with my cousin in Nepal using the MSN messenger, and thought I should share it. According to her, things are looking quite normal, all the tempos / taxis / buses are in operation inside the valley. Most of the offices are open, the scenerio doesn't seem very unusual except for the heavy military presence in most of the chowks.

Pasals, stores, gas stations are all open re !

Thanks to VSAT, I guess it was out of reach for K G to shutdown.

but it is supposed to be nepal bandth today....
maosit had announced nepal badth for three days. what happened? nepalese didn't obey this time? or is it coz of the communication gap? if it is coz of communication gap then i think lack of communication is good for nepal, at least for this time.

hey kg4mvp,

I'm sorry to doubt the accuracy of your statement, but remember there is no means of communication in Nepal ? How did your cousin get on the internet ? I have family members and friends who work for ISPs and are directly connected to a VSAT.. i cannot contact them nor can i even check my email from a server which is in Nepal .. for that i just need to go through the VSAT, and not the telephone lines . Please explain how your cousin used MSN in these very challenging and trying situations ? Did she use a satellite phone ?

cheers,
nepaliKOchoro

nepali choro,
Yes, I did have a conversation with the cousin who works at the UN office there and told me that she was able to get online using the VSAT. I assume the UN must have been using the ISP located outside the Nepal. But, yes, I did have the conversation, only about 45 minutes ago.
Peace.

This thread misled me. But here is a page with the latest from kathmandu including the names of the cabinet ministers...

http://www.nepalchildren.org/latest

how much it cost have vsat internet in nepal?

Opposition leaders were out of sight and believed to be under house arrest.

Witnesses said security men dragged away G.P. Koirala, leader of the Nepali Congress, and Madhav Kumar Nepal, head of the Nepal Communist Party-United Marxist and Leninist Party, Tuesday when they emerged from their homes to try to speak to reporters.

Opposition leaders were out of sight and believed to be under house arrest.

Witnesses said security men dragged away G.P. Koirala, leader of the Nepali Congress, and Madhav Kumar Nepal, head of the Nepal Communist Party-United Marxist and Leninist Party, Tuesday when they emerged from their homes to try to speak to reporters.

FYI

Press release from HURPEC

News Release:
Nepal: Royal Coup led to State of Emergency and uncertainty! International organizations condemns!!


After the Royal Coup today by the King Gyanendra shacking the coalition government of the Sher Bahadur Deuba, the King has declared the State of Emergency making house arrest of the former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other political leaders, and cutting the telephone and internet lines, and shutting down the public medias. The king has also suspended several provisions in the constitution including the freedoms of press, speech and expression; the freedom to assemble peacefully, the right to privacy, the constitutional protection against news censorship, and the right against preventive detention.

"This move is just an another step of the King to re-establish the Autocratic Monarchial System that was dismissed by the 1990 People Movement", HURPEC International President Milan Karki said, "We have been opposing the King's move and saying that it was always unconstitutional and anti-democratic since October 4, 2002 take over the King Gyanendra".

?The King of Nepal is just a constitutional King, and he doesn?t have any such power to sack the government on his own decision. But, by doing so, the King has shown it?s dictating policy and his will to establish his direct rule?, president Karki said further, ?We, the Human Rights Activists always want democracy and human rights in Nepal, and we never accept the Direct Rule of the King which is just anti-democratic?.

?We, the HURPEC International asks the King Gynendra for immediate and unconditional release of all the Political Leaders who are in house arrest, and restore Human Rights and People?s Democracy in the Nation?, HURPEC International has said in a Press Statement today. ?The international community has now crucial role to protect the civilians and restore people?s rights and democracy in Nepal?, HURPEC International states.

After the Royal Palace Massacre of 1 June 2001, Nepal has fallen into serious political crisis and during the period of last three years, over 9,000 people have been killed on the way of Maoist Insurgency and the anti-war by the State Forces. The Human Rights of the people is in severe crisis.

Last week, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour had criticized the human rights abuses by the State Forces and said, "A climate of impunity prevails in this country as a result of which the rule of law, the fundamental glue of any society, is being worryingly eroded". Criticizing against Royal Coup, High Commissioner Ms. Arbour called on King Gyanendra to "ensure that the democratic institutions of the state are reinstalled without delay".

Similarly, the Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and International Commission of Jurists have expressed their serious concern over the Royal Takeover and said, ?The international community must make it immediately clear to the king that by assuming power he is directly responsible for protecting the people of Nepal and safeguarding their fundamental human rights?.



News Released by:

HURPEC International

Head Office

25 Trailwood Drive, Unit: 1805

Mississauga, On L4Z 3K9, Canada

Phone: (905) 568 - 7289

Email: office@hurpec.net

URL: http://www.hurpec.net

Nepal's King Gyanendra (C) talks to newly appointed ministers after a swearing-in ceremony in Kathmandu February 2, 2005. Nepal's King Gyanendra unveiled a 10-member cabinet under his leadership on Wednesday, a day after he sacked the prime minister for failing to hold elections or end an escalating civil war with Maoist rebels. REUTERS/Stringer

Nepal's King Gyanendra (R) swears in the newly appointed ministers in Kathmandu February 2, 2005. King Gyanendra unveiled a 10-member cabinet under his leadership on Wednesday, a day after he sacked the prime minister for failing to hold elections or end an escalating civil war with Maoist rebels. REUTERS/Stringer

New ministers look at King Gyanendra as he swears in a 10-member Cabinet heavily dominated by his own supporters Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005. One day after he dismissed Nepal's government declared a state of emergency and virtually cut his nation off from the world. Gyanendra will head the Cabinet. (AP Photo/Binod Joshi)

I found this very good news site updating every 5 minutes
- http://www.newsnow.co.uk/newsfeed/?name=Nepal