After the royal massacre
Can Nepal’s fragile democracy survive the turmoil that has followed the slaughter of King Birendra and nine other members of the royal family?
THE murder of a king and his family by his son, now that regicide has passed out of favour as a method of advancement, must be a profound shock to his subjects and a titillating horror to the rest of the world. For Nepalis, the killing of King Birendra and nine other members of the royal family on June 1st is that and something more: a reminder that a decade after the restoration of democracy Nepal is still unsettled about its form of government.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “After the royal massacre”
From the June 9th 2001 edition
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