An estimated 30,000 people have attended a rally in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, called by Maoist rebels. Thursday’s rally was the first to be addressed by the rebels in seven years and comes ahead of proposed peace talks. Rebel leader Baburam Bhattarai told cheering crowds: “Our revolution is not over yet. We have only completed half our task,” the Associated Press news agency reports. The BBC’s Sushil Sharma in Kathmandu says the rally is believed to be aimed as a show of strength by the rebels ahead of the talks. Heavy security was in place with Maoist activists subjected to stringent checks at police posts and bus terminals. The rally took place less than a week after some of the top rebel leaders made their first public appearance since the Maoist insurgency began in 1996. Baburam Bhattarai is the second-highest ranking leader and chief rebel negotiator in talks proposed to be held with the government. The organisers of the rally said it was meant to be a welcoming for the rebel negotiators. Full Story
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