Nepal's Tiannamen

This essay is part of a (more or less) weekly feature on this blog that presents interesting stories from elsewhere in the world, particularly Africa, that are little reported in the American media. It's part of my campaign to get people to realize there is a lot going on in the world outside the US, Israel and Iraq.

Pro-democracy marches which have turned into anti-monarchy riots have rocked the Kingdom of Nepal.

Last February, King Gyanendra seized power after sacking the elected government and suspending democracy; he had previously been a constitutional monarch. He did so under the pretext that the politicians had failed to suppress a violent Maolist insurgency; though by most accounts, a year of direct rule by the king has only strengthened the rebellion.

What's interesting is that the country's urban elite strongly opposes the Maoists. They fear that the insurgents may impose a Pol Pot-style nightmare on the small Himalayan kingdom. The king gambled that this fear would allow him to seize power and an impose a monarchical autocracy with no opposition. He was wrong.

Two weeks ago, the political opposition started organizing mass pro-democracy protests. However, security forces fired on the peaceful, unarmed protesters and 14 have been killed. The situation quickly deteriorated to the point where the protests transformed from pro-democracy to anti-monarchy. One foreign diplomat even opined, "I am very afraid we are moving into a revolutionary situation."

The popular unrest against the absolute monarch is in stark contrast to the tradition in Nepal. The monarch does not just believe in the divine right of kings. He believes he is a living god himself.

The situation became so grave in Nepal that after long remaining silent, the Bush administration belatedly urged the king to bring back democracy.

The US ambassador warned this week that if he does not give up his autocratic powers, Gyanendra will end up fleeing Kathmandu clinging to a helicopter.

(It might've been more productive if the administration hadn't waited until the country was on the verge of chaos)

Faced with widespread defiance and disgust with his rule, the king was forced into a humiliating climbdown. In a national address, he called the political parties to put forth a candidate for prime minister so that civilian rule and the 1990 constitution could be reinstalled.

However, it remains to be seen if the political opposition will be satisfied by the king's concessions. They've been so emboldened with the massive support they've received in opposing the absolute monarchy, they might not be willing to let the isolated king return to his previous role as constitutional monarch... especially as there are no guarantees he won't pull such shenanigans again.

Already, the political opposition has called for a constitutent assembly to determine the future role of the monarch.


Update: The political opposition has rejected the king's offer and called for a referendum on the future of the monarchy.