KATHMANDU, Jan 20: Soldiers and armed police enforced a curfew in the Nepali capital on Friday and placed leading politicians under house arrest, thwarting a planned protest against the king, who seized absolute power last year.

Armoured personnel carriers mounted with machineguns were stationed across Kathmandu, while thousands of soldiers and police in green and blue camouflage fanned out to guard almost every street, square and junction.

Police said more than 200 people had been detained for violating the curfew.

Former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and other leading politicians were put under house arrest before dawn on Friday, hours before the rally was due to take place to press King Gyanendra to restore democracy.

The crackdown was effective and the ancient square due to host the demonstration was deserted throughout the day. Police armed with rifles and machineguns sat on temple steps or took shelter from the sun under ornate pagodas.

More than 100 politicians and student activists were also detained on Thursday and mobile phone links cut.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was dismayed by the arrests, while the United States, the European Union, Japan and neighbour India joined in the criticism.

In New Delhi, US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns criticized the king and the Maoists, who are waging a bloody rebellion since 1996.

“The United States is very concerned by the actions of His Majesty the King and arresting and detaining of members of the political establishment in the last couple of days,” he told a news conference.

At Mr Koirala’s house, armed police prevented a Reuters team from entering, or meeting the former prime minister, who is spearheading a multi-party alliance against King Gyanendra. Guards said phone lines to the house had been cut.

“This is an extreme form of dictatorship by the king,” Koirala’s Nepali Congress party said in a statement.

A dozen soldiers marched past ancient temples in the Patan Durbar Square, empty of its usual crowd of foreign tourists.—Reuters