by Kedar Man Singh
KATHMANDU, Aug 18 (AFP) - Maoist rebels cut off routes to Nepal's capital Wednesday in their first blockade of the city since they launched their insurgency to overthrow the constitutional monarchy eight years ago.
Children played on normally busy roads into the ancient temple-studded city of around 1.5 million people that were mostly empty. But the capital's airport functioned normally and residents and tourists were moving around the city.
"No vehicle owners are prepared to put their vehicles into service (outside of the city) because of fears of being attacked by the Maoists," Hira Udas, chief of the Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs Federation, told AFP.
"Security forces may protect vehicles for one or two days but after some time the Maoists take punitive action for defying their orders."
The Maoists, who have been fighting to overthrow the constitutional monarchy and install a communist republic, said they would keep up the blockade indefinitely until their demands were met.
"We are going to impose an effective blockade from today (Wednesday) that will continue indefinitely," Subash Tang, a district Maoist leader, said in a statement to media.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba met the National Security Council, police and army officials to discuss how to break the blockade.
The blockade was seen by analysts as a show of strength by the rebels who have become increasingly bold in attacking the capital. On Monday, they bombed a luxury hotel in the city but caused no injuries.
The rebels already control vast areas of countryside in the deeply poor mountainous kingdom known as a trekkers' paradise that is sandwiched between India and China.
The Maoists are seeking release of jailed militants, details of missing activists and a probe into alleged custodial killings of rebels by security forces. They also want the government to no longer call them terrorists.
Armed police and army personnel were on guard along highways. The move to cut off Kathmandu followed a series of blockades of towns and villages in which the rebels have attacked vehicles flouting their orders.
Tour operators feared the new unrest could hurt the flow of visitors to the tourist-dependent nation. Foreign bookings have already fallen since Japan, the United States, Britain, France, Germany and other Western nations advised citizens to avoid Nepal earlier this month.
Hotel Association-Nepal (HAN) members demanded the government ensure adequate security for foreign tourists.
"We called on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka on Tuesday to put our demands before them and they have fully assured us of necessary security arrangements," HAN member Prasiddha Pandey, executive director of Hotel Shangri-La group of hotels, told AFP.
Most hotels reported normal bookings and said tourists had Wednesday moved freely around the Kathmandu Valley, but said tour operators had sent e-mails and faxes inquiring about safety of tourists.
Police at a checkpoint through which all vehicles pass to the capital said traffic had virtually halted. But army vehicles escorted 28 passenger and goods vehicles from Kathmandu to the southern border area near India and would take the vehicles back to the city with provisions, an army official told AFP.
"This process will continue so the supply of goods isn't affected," he said.
Kathmandu has a 10-week stockpile of vital items such as food and fuel, the Nepal Consumers Forum said Tuesday.
"The Maoist transport blockade in three districts has halted 2,000 vehicles coming and going out of Kathmandu every day," Udas said.
The blockade follows the suspension Tuesday of operations by many top firms after the Maoists accused them of exploiting their employees. Most of the 24 firms have links with the royal family or multinationals.