Nepal bars protests near Tribhuvan Intl Airport in Kathmandu

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Kathmandu, Feb 12 (IANS) The local administration in Kathmandu has banned all forms of protests involving more than five people at the premises of Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and its surrounding areas, starting from Friday.

Citing certain groups planning to organise protests at the international airport, the District Administration Office (DAO), Kathmandu, issued a prohibitory order barring protest activities — including hunger strikes, sit-ins, gherao, rallies, demonstrations, and assemblies involving the gathering of more than five people — within the entire premises of Tribhuvan International Airport and the surrounding areas for a month.

The restricted area includes all roads from the main entrance gate of the airport to the airport compound, the domestic terminal area, the international terminal area, the parking area, and all other locations within the airport perimeter.

The DAO said the move was taken considering that the international airport and its surrounding areas are highly sensitive.

“The protest programme — including hunger strikes, sit-ins, gherao, rallies, demonstrations, and assemblies — may lead to vandalism, arson, and other unruly and undesirable activities by agitated crowds,” the DAO said. “It may also lead to clashes, confrontations, mob violence, or disturbances, thereby seriously affecting essential services, public service delivery, public transportation, public property, and overall peace and security.”

However, the DAO made it clear that the local administration remains fully committed to upholding every citizen’s constitutional right to freedom of expression, to assemble peacefully without arms, and to participate in protest programmes, in accordance with the Constitution of Nepal, in other areas.

The DAO has urged organisers to provide prior notice when planning protests in other areas. It also warned that if any damage or loss is caused to government, public, or private property, the loss will be assessed in accordance with the law, and the amount of such compensation will be recovered from the organisers themselves.

–IANS

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