Maoists close Nepal schools

Nepal continues to suffer serious unrest

By Sushil Sharma BBC reporter in Kathmandu

A strike called by Maoist students has shut more than 26,000 schools and colleges across Nepal.

The two-day closure marks the extension of an indefinite strike called by the students in the capital, Kathmandu, earlier this week.

They are protesting against what they describe as the "commercialisation" of education.

Millions of students are affected by the action, which has shut every educational establishment in the country.

'Terrorists'

The students are calling for an end to the privatisation of schools and drastic reforms in the education system.

Last week, the government announced a number of educational reforms - some of which addressed the Maoists' demands.

But the Maoist students described them as hollow.

The army was unleashed a year ago

They have offered to end the strike if the government opens a dialogue with Maoist rebels fighting to establish a communist republic in the kingdom.

But the government insist the Maoists should first renounce violence.

The authorities regard the underground Maoist communist party and all its sister organisations, including the student's wing, as "terrorists".

A state of emergency was declared a year ago and the military were deployed to tackle the Maoists.

Since the insurgency began in 1996, it has cost more than 7,000 lives - most of them in the last year.