Tuesday, November 29 2005 10:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Criticising Nepal's Royal government for the crackdown on a private radio station and arrest of journalists, the US yesterday (Nov 28, 2005) asked King Gyanendra to 'move quickly' toward restoring multi-party democracy in the country.

"The United States is disappointed and concerned the state authorities' seizure of radio equipment from Radio Sagarmatha on November 27. This is the second time in five weeks such an incident has occurred", a senior State Department official told the sources.

Underscoring that "free media is one of the hallmarks of a democratic nation", the official said "restricting publication or broadcast of news does not create an environment in which free and fair elections can take place".

"The re-establishment of a democratic government united against the Maoist insurgency is the best path to restoring pace and the US calls on the King and the Government to move quickly toward restoring multi-party democratic institutions protecting civil and human rights and reaching out to the political parties in dialogue", the official added.

Nepal's royal government raided Sagarmatha FM station in Lalitpur district last night charging it with aiding terrorism, arrested five media persons and seized transmission equipment to prevent it from broadcasting an interview by Maoist supremo Prachanda given to BBC.