Nepal's army says the suspension of Indian and British military aid following King Gyanendra's seizure of absolute power will hurt the battle against the Maoist insurgency. An army spokesman Brigadier General Dipak Gurung told reporters in Kathmandu Nepalese troops are the ones fighting for democracy in the country. He said that if India and Britain stop their military assistance, it will indirectly benefit the Maoists, who want to replace the monarchy with a communist system in Nepal. There has been no official reaction from the king, who fired the government and suspended civil rights after imposing a state of emergency on February 1. India and Britain announced the aid suspension on Tuesday, saying the king must restore democracy, release political prisoners and lift curbs on the media.