US slams arrest of political leaders in Nepal
The royalist government of the Himalayan kingdom ordered the arrests and cut mobile phone services.
The United States condemned Nepal's crackdown on political parties and civil society ahead of a planned rally against the King and called for the release of more than 100 activists who have been rounded up.
The royalist government of the Himalayan kingdom ordered the arrests and cut mobile phone services on Thursday in a bid to thwart the mass rally scheduled on Friday.
The European Union, neighbouring India and Japan have all expressed concern over the moves, which come just under a year since King Gyanendra threw out Nepal's elected government to deal with a bloody Maoist revolt.
"The United States condemns the decision by the King of Nepal to detain political party leaders and civil society activists in advance of political demonstrations scheduled for January 20," US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
"These arrests and harassment of peaceful democratic forces is a violation of their civil and political rights," he said.
The United States, he said, called on King Gyanendra to release the activists.
"Dialogue between the King and the parties and a return to democracy are the only effective ways to address the Maoist insurgency in Nepal," McCormack said.
More than 12,000 people have died in the "people's war" waged by the Maoists since 1996 to topple the monarchy and establish a communist republic.
