General strike shuts down Nepalese capital

Jun 26, 2008, 7:00 GMT

Kathmandu - A day-long general strike called by four fringe parties Thursday crippled normal life in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu.

The strike was called by four parties that are not represented in the constituent assembly to protest the government decision to hike prices on petroleum products.

The parties are demanding a roll-back of fuel prices and transport fares.

The strike completely shut down the main markets, financial and education institutions and brought normal traffic to a grinding halt.

Strike supporters manned the main intersections of Kathmandu, forcing vehicles that had defied the strike to stop operations.

Police said at least half a dozen vehicles were vandalised by the strike supporters for not complying.

Police also said they had arrested at least eight people involved in vandalism and one protestor was injured in clashes with police.

The strike is the latest to hit the Nepalese capital since the beginning of the month.

Earlier this week, public transport went off the road in a move to pressure the government to raise fares, saying they could no longer provide passage to commuters in the face of rising oil prices.

The transport finally resumed operations on Thursday after the government agreed to their demands.

Petrol pumps have also remained shut since the beginning of the week, with their operators accusing the government of not providing enough fuel for sale.

The Nepalese government has come under growing criticism for not dealing with the situation, which has caused hardship to the people.