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| India-Pakistan |
| Nepal Maoists take to moral policing |
| 2008-09-29 |
| (PTI) Nepal's ultra-leftist Maoists have become the new moral policeman, who have targeted restaurants, bars and massage parlours seen as the hub of crime in the capital. Bam Dev Gautam, Nepal's Communist Home Minister, has targeted the 'night life' in Kathmandu, particularly in Thamel which is a popular destination for the tourists. He has vowed to "regulate the night business", and end the "sex business flourishing at Thamel" and other parts of Kathmandu that the minister believes has led to surge in crime. We want to regulate night business as there are reports of teenage boys and girls being involved in sex trade in the name of cabin restaurants and dance bars in Kathmandu, said Gautam. We may consider a proposal, if the restaurant operators come with clear suggestions, to open even red light area or night life centres but these should be regulated, he stressed. However, bar and restaurant owners fear the crackdown by the police is discouraging tourism, which is a key income-earner for the impoverished nation. These dance bars operating in Kathmandu's tourist hub Thamel mainly caters the needs of Indian tourists, though locals and other visitors are equally lured to these entertainment centres. "The government should allow business up to 2 am as the decision has also hampered the tourism business," says Gopi Lamichhane, owner of 'Water Town Dance Bar' of Jyatha, which employees 50 staff, including 35 girls. It is difficult to run business these days as customers have considerably declined over the past two days, he said. We never show naked dance as alleged by the police, Lamichhane stressed, adding we mainly perform Nepali folk and modern dance. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Didn't take em long. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-09-29 11:03 |