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Massacre strike shuts down Kathmandu

Dec 17 (Reuters) - A general strike called by Nepal's opposition parties to protest at the massacre of 11 civilians by a soldier shut down much of Kathmandu Friday as police patrolled the streets.

Few vehicles moved and most shops and businesses closed in response to the strike call after the killings Wednesday near the capital of the kingdom where King Gyanendra seized power in February.

The opposition seven-party alliance, which has been waging a loud campaign for the restoration of democracy, has blamed the royalist government for the massacre in a village east of the capital.

"It's a black mark on the king's face. I want to hold the world's Hindu emperor who has been running the military regime responsible for it," said ex-premier G. P. Koirala, head of the largest party the Nepali Congress.

There was a large police presence on the streets of the capital after the killings sparked protests Thursday against the army, which has been accused by rights groups of abuses while fighting a Maoist uprising.

Nepal's insurgent Maoists criticised the army for the massacre Friday in a statement received by e-mail.

"Our party thinks that the Nagarkot incident is the height of army terror. The army terror and insanity shown at the festival is a huge crime against humanity," said Krishna Bahadur Mahara, spokesman for the Maoist party.

"The autocratic regime is fully responsible for the crime and our party condemns the incident," Mahara said.

Human rights groups inside and outside Nepal have said that both the Maoists and the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) have committed grave human rights crimes in the decade-long insurgency that has claimed at least 12,000 lives.

State-run radio said at least 68 strikers were arrested Friday while opposition parties put the number at more than 100.

"During the day-long general strike, at least 68 strikers were arrested in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur (eastern outskirts of the capital) for trying to create disturbances at different places," the radio announced late Friday.

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