Nepal's newly-appointed foreign minister has called for international support for King Gyanendra's seizure of power as the only way to stop Maoist rebels. Ramesh Nath Pandey told the French News Agency Friday that free elections and democracy can never take hold in Nepal until the rebels are defeated. King Gyanendra dismissed the government Tuesday, declared a state of emergency, and suspended civil liberties. The army has also taken over the media and a number of political leaders have been jailed. The king blamed the former government for failing to stop Maoist rebels. The nine-year old uprising has killed more than 11,000 people. The United Nations' top human rights official has sent a letter of protest to King Gyanendra, and U.N. labor officials have called on the king to respect the rights of union members.
