KATHMANDU, Dec 16: A general strike called by Nepal’s opposition parties to protest the massacre of 14 civilians by a soldier shut down much of Kathmandu on Friday as police patrolled the streets.

Few vehicles moved and most shops and businesses closed in response to the strike call after the killings in the capital on Wednesday.

There was a large police presence on the streets of the capital after the killings sparked protests against the army, which has been accused by rights groups of abuses while fighting a Maoist uprising.

Nepal’s insurgent Maoists criticized the army for the massacre in a statement received by e-mail.

“Our party thinks that the Nagarkot (Kathmandu locality) incident is the height of army terror. The army terror and insanity shown at the festival is a huge crime against humanity,” said Krishna Bahadur Mahara, spokesman for the Maoist party.

“The autocratic regime is fully responsible for the crime and our party condemns the incident,” Mr Mahara said.

The opposition seven-party alliance, which has been waging a loud campaign for the restoration of democracy, has blamed the royalist government for the massacre in a village east of the capital.

“It’s a black mark on the king’s face. I want to hold the world’s Hindu emperor who has been running the military regime responsible for it,” said ex-premier G.P. Koirala, head of the largest party, the Nepali Congress.

Human rights groups inside and outside Nepal have said that both the Maoists and the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) have committed grave human rights crimes in the decade-long insurgency that has claimed at least 12,000 lives.

State-run radio said at least 68 strikers were arrested on Friday while opposition parties put the number at more than 100.—AFP