King feels the heat, meets India, US envoys

The King also held talks with the Chinese Ambassador Sun Heping and the US Ambassador James F Moriarty today, said diplomatic sources. Gyanendra’s meeting with Mukherjee comes when the pro-democracy movement has been growing in size.

The indefinite strike entered its 11th day on Sunday. After the SPA rejected the king’s invitation for dialogue on April 14, the only option he has seems to be to reinstate the dissolved parliament and let it elect an all-party government, a top leader of the SPA said. SPA today launched a ‘‘non-cooperation movement’’ and asked people not to pay taxes to the royal government, as police fired at protestors in various parts of the country, injuring at least 18.

The coordination committee of the SPA democracy appealed the donor community not to provide financial assistance to the autocratic government.

‘‘As part of a non-cooperation movement against the royal government, we call upon the taxpayers not to pay any kind of taxes to the government and also for consumers not to pay anything for water, electricity, telephone or other services,’’ it said in a statement and appealed people to take part in a massive protest demonstration on April 20.

The SPA told people to pursue the principle of ‘‘no representation, no taxation’’ and also appealed to Nepalese abroad not to send their remittances to the government, said Nepali Congress central member Arjun Narsingh KC. They also asked labourers to boycott production works in the industries, in which royal family members are involved.

Security forces today arrested at least 24 journalists and fired rubber bullets at pro-democray activists in Kirtipur and Balkhu areas, injuring at least 18 people. The SPA also said the Maoists can join the movement if they are committed to the 12 point agreement and if they adopt peaceful means. The massive demonstration of Thursday will be held in Kathmandu. —With PTI