KATHMANDU - PROTESTORS shut down the Nepalese capital Kathmandu with a strike on Thursday over the abduction and murder of two men, allegedly by the youth wing of the country's ruling Maoists.
The one-day strike was called by relatives of the murdered men and supported by opposition parties and student organisations.
Shops and schools across Kathmandu were closed and there was no public transport, as protesters blocked major junctions and smashed the windows of the few private cars that ventured onto the roads.
Nepal's former rebel Maoists came to power after winning elections in May.
Their youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL), has faced persistent accusations of violence and intimidation.
Mr Nirmal Panta, 22, and Mr Pushkar Dangol, 24, were abducted a month ago. Their bodies were found in a district neighbouring Kathmandu on Tuesday.
The Civil Society Struggle Committee, set up by their relatives, accused YCL cadres of being behind the killings.
'We called the strike to warn the Maoist government that their cadre should obey the law', said the committee's coordinator, Kishore Khatri Chettri.
These killings need to be thoroughly investigated and we want the (Maoist) prime minister to apologise', said Mr Khatri Chettri.
