Curfew remains as Nepal protests go on

Security forces were deployed for a second night to maintain a curfew in the Nepalese town of Tikapur, as deadly protests continued over plans for a new national constitution.

On Tuesday, police shot and killed a demonstrator when fresh clashes erupted in two southwestern towns. The renewed violence followed a day when as many as nine people were killed, including an 18-month-old baby.

Police fired into a crowd of about 150 protesters who were throwing stones in the nearby town of Gau, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the capital Kathmandu.

"Police were forced to use tear gas and fire (shots), a protester was hit and he died on the way to hospital," district chief, Madam Bhujel, told AFP.

In Tikpaur, hundreds of protesters damaged buildings and defied a night-time curfew, imposed to maintain order.

Tensions escalated after members of parliament struck a deal on a new constitution, which was meant to cement peace after a 10-year insurgency led by former Maoist rebels. Progress was hastened following Nepal's devastating earthquake in April this year.

The plans would see the country divided into seven provinces, which critics say would limit their political representation.

Baby among the victims

On Monday, the 18-month-old son of a paramilitary officer was killed when protesters opened fire on his home. Nine people were killed in total, including several police officers, one of whom was burned to death.

The toddler's father, Netra Bahadur Saud, described how his son was playing in front of him when he heard bullet fire. "Within seconds, my son fell to the ground with head injuries...my son was innocent. Why was he killed?" he demanded to know.

More than 40 police officers were injured during Monday's protests in Tikapur.

A spokesman for Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, urged Nepalese authorities to "create a climate where minority or dissenting views or beliefs are respected." He called for security forces to "only employ force as a last resort" in accordance with international law.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi phoned his Nepalese counterpart to appeal for "social harmony" to be maintained, in a rare intervention by its powerful neighbor.

mm/lw (AFP, Reuters)