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Nepalese phone service to be reinstated

Nepal's government has released more political detainees and plans to restore some mobile phone services snapped after King Gyanendra imposed emergency rule last month, officials said yesterday.

At least six politicians or activists, including Prakash Sharan Mahat, a former junior minister of foreign affairs, were released Wednesday in Katmandu after weeks of detention, Chief District Officer Baman Prasad Neupane said. Two others were released elsewhere.

Police have detained more than 500 politicians, human rights activists and journalists since Gyanendra, a constitutional monarch, seized power Feb. 1, suspending many civil liberties. Several leaders of political parties have been put under house arrest.

The house arrest rules for some of the political leaders have been relaxed, the Kathmandu Post newspaper said. Madhav Nepal, chief of the Communist Party of Nepal, was seen traveling in a car in Katmandu, although security officials escorting didn't allow him to speak to reporters, it said. Several politicians were released two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, a senior Nepalese telecommunications official said postpaid mobile phone services would resume next week.

"The process will start from Sunday. The subscribers will have to register again, providing all personal details, before their connections are activated," said Madankaji Shakya, a Nepal Telecom official.

Mobile phone services were shut down, apparently to prevent opposition supporters from organizing protest rallies -- now illegal under the state of emergency -- and alerting each other about police presence. But the shutdown has hurt common people because a third of Nepal's phone lines are cellular. On Wednesday, the country's main royalist party, the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, urged Gyanendra to lift curbs on political parties, release all detainees and restore fundamental rights.

Gyanendra said he imposed the emergency because the government failed to quash a Maoist rebellion that has killed more than 10,500 people. The rebels, who claim to be inspired by Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, have been fighting since 1996 to abolish the monarchy and establish a communist state.

The king's actions have provoked an international outcry, with several nations cutting aid that Nepal needs to battle the rebels and fight widespread poverty.
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