NEPAL: Maoist rebels kept vehicles off roads leading to Nepal's capital Kathmandu for a second day yesterday as their unprecedented blockade of the city triggered fuel rationing and pushed food prices up.
The guerrillas' call for an indefinite blockade - and an implied threat to attack vehicles that violate it - has disrupted the supply of food and goods to the city of 1.5 million people.
The Maoists have not physically stopped movement of vehicles in and out of Kathmandu since the blockade began on Wednesday. The army is guarding the roads and there has been no violence. But still residents fear they could launch deadly hit-and-run attacks, and that has kept all but a handful of vehicles that have army escorts off the roads. The few armed convoys cannot meet the city's demands of cooking oil, rice, sugar and vegetables, grocers said.
"I have rice stocks for 10 days. But the prices of vegetables have gone up and gas cylinders are being rationed," said Mr Manju Shrestha, who owns a large grocery store. The city showed few signs of panic-buying, but fuel wholesalers were rationing supplies.
The rebels called the blockade to demand the release of detained guerrillas, an inquiry into the alleged killings of activists and information about thousands of missing comrades. - (Reuters)