More than 7,000 people have been killed since the Maoists went into the jungle in 1996, and Amnesty International and other groups have recorded charges of widespread human-rights abuses on both sides. The army and security forces have killed and tortured civilians, human-rights groups say, while the rebels have executed local officials and teachers, blown up government aid centers and public works projects, and financed themselves with bank robberies and extortions.
King Gyanendra's extensive holdings -- some of which were reported not to have paid taxes -- include tea plantations, hotels and a cigarette factory.
Last October, Gyanendra dismissed the government in a proclamation assailing its "incompetence" and appointed his own prime minister. He cited Article 127 of the Constitution, which outlines the monarch's "power to remove difficulties."
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