So Much for Peace.

I arrived at school on time and noticed that all the students were walking away from the building. A few of them ran over to me "Today is a holiday, you can go home!" I walked into the building to ask the principal what was going on, I was unaware of any holiday this week. Principal Shiva welcomed me and said quickly "you should leave now and get back to Thamel, there will be a battle today in Kathmandu, The Maoists are angry and plan to fight." Apparently there was a major disagreement within the Parliament last night and some decisions were made without consulting the Maoist party, and so they have decided to go against the newly signed peace treaty and fight. I left the school and got a bus, which was unusually overcrowded. I only made it a few blocks before we hit a barricade. The Maoist army had blockaded all the roads in the city and throwing stones and smashing any vehicle that tried to pass. People unloaded from the bus and started running frantically through the crowds trying to get away from the violence. In the distance I could hear constant gunshots. People were chanting and the communist flag was being raised by large groups. I pushed and ran through the crowds trying to get to a safer place. In front of me a large line of the Nepali army marched towards the main intersection where the blockade began, all of them armed with automatic rifles. I walked quickly away from the commotion and made it back to Thamel safely some time later. Though it was not the Thamel I was used to, it was a barren ghost town. All the shops and stores were closed and gates drawn, and only a few people wandered the streets. Not a single vehicle was seen in any direction. Back at the Monastery I learned that the army has imposed a daytime general strike and a curfew until further notice. The Maoists are acting in a way that will jeopardise their peace agreement and their place in the Parliament. After a few hours Al, Huff, and I walked down into Durbar Square to see if things have calmed down. And other than a heavy military presence, things were pleasantly quiet. Though there still seemed to be quite a bit of a commotion near the palace area. All Businesses continue to be closed and all roads are shut down. Things were looking so good for Nepal, and it seems it may go back into civil war.