Mourners tear gassed as new king takes Nepalese throne
Prince Gyanendra took the throne as Nepal’s new king today, hoping to rebuild a monarchy shattered by the massacre of the royal family.
But many Nepalese were unhappy and took to the streets demanding an explanation of the tragedy.
Police fired tear gas to disperse some mourners, causing some injuries, and crowds filled streets of the capital, Katmandu, blocking traffic.
At least four people were hurt, but not seriously, when tear gas shells hit their heads, according to a hospital emergency room doctor.
Thousands lined the path of a sombre royal procession as King Gyanendra rode in a horse-drawn carriage from the old palace where he was enthroned to the new palace that will be his official residence - the scene of the royal killing spree that left the beautiful but poor Himalayan nation stunned and searching for answers.
But there was hardly any applause and few people clasped their hands together in the traditional Hindu greeting of respect as their new monarch passed. As he arrived at the residential palace, a lone supporter shouted, ‘‘Long live the king,’’ but he got no response from the crowd.
Appearing at a palace enthronement ceremony, his head shaven in a traditional show of respect for the dead, Gyanendra sat on his throne, wearing a crown topped with a large cream plume.
He issued a statement promising the Nepalese people a full explanation of the palace killings - a day after issuing a statement that blamed it on ‘‘accidental’’ fire from an automatic weapon, leaving many people here incredulous.
‘‘In this sad hour, I would like to assure the people that the facts on the Friday night incident will be made public,’’ said King Gyanendra, just hours after his nephew, King Dipendra, died in a military hospital.
The council confirmed that King Dipendra, the former crown prince whom officials privately blame for the shooting before turning a gun on himself, had died early today.
Following much disbelief of his statement yesterday that the shootings were an accident, the new king offered a partial explanation, saying today: ‘‘The facts could not be made public in yesterday’s statement due to legal and constitutional hurdles. I will make the facts of the incident public after an investigation.’’
Since Dipendra was technically the king over the weekend, he was above reproach under Nepal’s Constitution and by tradition.
King Gyandendra’s enthronement will be followed by a coronation ceremony to be held on a date that Nepalese would view as auspicious.
The State Council, which oversees royal affairs, met and proclaimed Gyanendra, who had been acting king, as monarch.
Dipendra had reportedly been on life support since the shots rang out in the royal palace. There was no word whether the machines had been shut off or whether he died on his own.
A funeral for the late King Dipendra was expected later in the day - with much of Nepal already shut down for a five-day period of mourning for the slain royal family.
After the shootings, Gyanendra had been named regent, or acting king. He was brother to the slain King Birendra.
The palace shootings were alleged to have resulted from an argument in which Dipendra’s mother, Queen Aiswarya, had rejected his choice of a bride.
On Sunday, hundreds of people burned tyres in the centre of Katmandu, demanding to know the truth behind the killings, many with their heads shaved as a sign of respect.
Senior government and palace officials privately disputed the acting king’s version of events in his statement on Sunday. They reiterated that Dipendra had killed his parents and six other relatives during a family dinner before turning the weapon on himself. Three other members of the royal family were injured.
The shots rang out while the royal family was gathered for dinner on Friday night to discuss the wedding of Dipendra. Sources close to the family said the prince wished to marry the daughter of a former government minister who is a member of the aristocratic Rana family, which ruled Nepal until 1951.
His mother reportedly rejected the idea, preferring an arranged marriage, which is the type most Nepalese have.
On the streets of Katmandu on Sunday, the public doubted the acting King’s explanation that the killings had been accidental.
‘‘How can a gun go off and shoot a dozen people in all different directions?’’ asked Dhan Gurung, a rickshaw driver. ‘‘This is ridiculous.’’
Monarchs have little formal power in Nepal, but public criticism is taboo. The constitution says: ‘‘No question shall be raised in any court about any act performed by his majesty,’’ and even the Parliament is prohibited from discussing the affairs of the royal family.
