Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and redistributed to the poor. When their demands were not
met, they declared war on the government. The People's War
was aimed at overthrowing the government, doing away with
the monarchy, and establishing a people's republic.
THE ROYAL MASSACRE
During this time of political instability and a declining econﾭ
omy, in June 2001, the nation was shocked by the massacre of
King Birendra and eight members of the royal family. Although
an official investigation concluded that the king's son Prince
Dipendra had killed his family members in a drunken rage
before committing suicide, the general public remains skeptiﾭ
cal. King Birendra reigned for almost 20 years and was highly
respected for being liberal and turning over the government
to a multiparty democracy. After Birendra's death, his younger
brother, Gyanendra, inherited the throne. Known as a hardﾭ
liner and a businessman, King Gyanendra dissolved the multiﾭ
party government and assumed full executive powers in order
to fight the Maoists in 2005.
The civil war disrupted the majority of rural activities that
had been established with the new constitution. The governﾭ
ment controlled the main cities and towns while the Maoists
seized control of small villages. Civilians were affected most
by the violence, with attacks being made on them by governﾭ
ment troops and Maoist rebels. Besides attacking police staﾭ
tions and district headquarters, the Maoists placed bombs
in schools, blockaded roads and passenger vehicles (limiting
the movement of commerce and necessary products), and
attacked people who defied the ban on working. At the same
time, the government suspended many constitutional rights
and freedoms by banning all provocative statements about the
monarchy, imprisoning journalists, and shutting down newsﾭ
papers. Although the Royal Nepal Army was not involved in
the war at first, after the Maoists attacked an army barracks,
the army assaulted the insurgents and anyone they thought was
