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Political Crisis in Nepal; Protester Charged with Disorderly Conduct

Aired April 20, 2006 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The remote mountain nation of Nepal caught between heaven and earth, also caught in the throes of a bloody political crisis. CNN's Dan Rivers is in the capital city of Kathmandu where citizens are willing to die for democracy.

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DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tucked into the shadows of the towering Himalayan Mountains between India and China, Nepal is an ancient kingdom teetering on the edge of collapse. In the last 10 days, more than 2,000 have been injured and several killed as protesters press the king to restore democracy.

For centuries these people have been ruled by the Nepalese royal family who they believe are divine, but now they're chanting "down with the king."

(on camera): This is the fault line between the state and the people. On this side are the king's security forces who are standing firm, and on the other side is this huge crowd made up of a broad coalition of political parties. The atmosphere is incredibly tense and this lot want to get into the city.

(voice-over): The protesters are united against the king but they're divided in their goals: those who want communism, and those who want democracy. For years, Maoists, influenced by China, have been growing in strength and numbers and agitating for communist rule.

In fact, it was because of their growing power that the king swept away Democratic reforms about a year ago. And then there are those here in the capital, Kathmandu, who simply want democracy back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This too much for now. We cannot tolerate now, because we need freedom and he must listen to our voice because this is not old people. We have new generations. We are asking for a republic.

RIVERS: But what brought Nepal to the brink reads like a Shakespearian tragedy. The current king, Gyanendra, came to the throne five years ago after a bloody massacre at the palace, the crown prince slaughtering almost every royal before killing himself leaving Gyanendra to take the crown. But Gyanendra also inherited a violent Maoist insurgency, armed rebels determined to overthrow the royals. Since then, the king has slowly dismantled democracy. He dissolved the parliament and took all control for himself because he claimed the politicians were failing to deal with the Maoists.

Today, a general strike has left people lining up for fuel and food. At the Buddhist temples, the monks are praying for peace. The tourists watch on helplessly. They only want out as soon as possible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In my opinion, it could be the last days of the king. The situation's very scary.

RIVERS: Many here are asking, are we witnessing the violent end of what has been centuries of a single family's royal rule here in the kingdom of Nepal?

Dan Rivers, CNN, Kathmandu, Nepal.

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LIN: The crisis in Nepal didn't happen overnight. Here's a CNN fact check.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most people know Nepal as the land of Mount Everest, conquered 53 years ago next month by the team of Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Nepal is also one of the world's poorest and least developed countries. It's about the size of Arkansas. Roughly a third of its people live in poverty.

It's the only place in the world where Hinduism stands as the official state religion. In 1990, Nepal introduced democracy under its long-serving monarchy. Eleven years later, things started to fall apart.

The young Crown Prince Dipendra massacred the reining royal family. Official findings say a family disagreement over the choice of a bride led to 11 people being killed, including the king and queen and Dipendra himself.

A year later, a new king dissolved the country's parliament, alleging it was inept. Last year, he declared a state of emergency and assumed full powers, he said, to combat Maoists insurgents. With the lure of Mount Everest, Nepal was drawing about 500,000 tourists annually. But with all the instability, tourism numbers have dropped along with needed revenue.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE).

LIN: This just in to the CNN Center. Remember we showed you earlier the protester out at the White House appearance of the Chinese president and the president of the United States. We have learned more about this woman from the U.S. Secret Service.

Her name is Wenyi Wang. She's 47 years old. She was on a temporary press pass which was scheduled to expire at the end of the day. And she went through all of the usual security protocols which is to provide a passport or a driver's license and have a cursory security check before she's allowed onto the White House grounds.

She was removed and she is charged with disorderly conduct under a D.C. statute. But there's a possible additional charge, a federal charge, something called willing intimidation and disruption of a federal official. All right, but this is being worked out at U.S. Attorney's Office. She has not been charged with that federal crime yet.

Now, talk about keeping a lot of balls in the air. Imagine running a marathon and juggling the entire time. Find out why two guys decided to combine juggling and jogging into joggling. Straight ahead on LIVE FROM.

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LIN: OK, yes, they are my guests coming up. Imagine the concentration it takes to run the Boston Marathon -- not to mention the stamina, the fitness and the determination. Now imagine running while doing something else. Like juggling, for example.

That's exactly what Zach Warren and Michal Karpal did on Monday. They were trying to set a world record, but each was also trying to raise money to help others. They're here to tell us all about it.

Zach from New York and Michal in Toronto. All right, you guys, now, I've got to ask you -- OK, do that and run. How do you do that? Zach?

ZACH WARREN, MARATHON JUGGLER: You just -- a lot of practice, I guess.

LIN: Years and years and years? Michal, you're pretty good. Zach dropped twice, by the way, in the commercial break. I just wanted to let you know.

MICHAL KARPAL, MARATHON JUGGLER: Good, good. Good to hear it.

LIN: All right. So you did it. Were you juggling, Zach, the entire time at the Boston marathon?

WARREN: Yes.

LIN: You never once stopped?

WARREN: Yes.

LIN: You didn't trip?

WARREN: Yes, all 26, 22 miles. I did -- we did both drop. We probably dropped about half a dozen times. LIN: How do you do that and not trip, Michal?

KARPAL: You just -- you don't trip. You go back and you have to pick it up and start off where you dropped the ball.

LIN: Uh huh. Intense concentration. But you're doing it for a good cause. Zach, your cause is really interesting. What is this about a mini circus in Afghanistan?

WARREN: Yes. Well, I worked with this children's circus in Afghanistan last summer. I was just really moved by their work. They basically use laughter to help children heal from the traumas of war. And they do some really powerful work. So I thought I'd raise some money for them by doing something circusy, like juggling. What's circusy like juggling?

LIN: And Michal, your charity, you're actually helping -- you're raising money through this running and juggling -- joggling -- through -- to help build a cancer research center. It's named after this little 14-year-old girl who died from Hodgkin's lymphoma. Did you know her?

KARPAL: I didn't know her personally. I wanted to run for a cancer charity. My father-in-law had passed away of cancer the same year that Lee Ann (ph), the girl, did. And I was running the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, pushing a baby in a stroller. I set a world record doing that -- whoa!

LIN: Ooh!

KARPAL: And once I did that, I wanted to hook up with a kid's charity, as well. So that's when I found the Forresters (ph) and they're the family of Lee Ann (ph). And I really become friends with them, and I've stuck with them and kept doing crazy things to try and raise money.

LIN: How much have you raise so far?

KARPAL: I've raised about $4,000.

LIN: Four thousand dollars. And Zach, what about you for the mini circus in Afghanistan?

WARREN: I've raised about $11,000 in supplies and funds so far, and I'm trying to go for $20,000 more.

LIN: That's amazing!

WARREN: So I'm seeking support from anyone who is interested in helping a circus in Afghanistan.

LIN: Hey, what were people saying along the route of the marathon in Boston to you guys?

KARPAL: We got a lot of hey, high five, or that's awesome or how do you... WARREN: People...

KARPAL: Yes.

WARREN: People were just frantic. People were like, oh, my god, they're juggling!

KARPAL: And then some people had chants, like "joggler, joggler!" Yes, and a lot of people had read about it, and "The Boston Globe" had an article. So they -- they were actually -- people going, look, there they are, the jogglers! And so it was really interesting.

LIN: Are there other jogglers out there?

WARREN: As far as I know, there are. There are lots of them. In fact, the International Sport and Juggling Federation...

LIN: There's a federation for jugglers?

WARREN: There's, in fact, a federation. And they're -- I think they're seeking so make juggling an Olympic sport.

LIN: And is it federally tax supported, by chance?

KARPAL: Should be.

LIN: It should be, there you go. So, Michal, what's next? Are you going to keep this up?

KARPAL: Well, first of all, Zach and I are -- I'm hoping for a rematch. Perhaps at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I'll have the hometown advantage. This time around, my company, Captivate, is near Boston. But I'd like to run against Zach in my hometown of Toronto.

LIN: Oh yeah?

KARPAL: See what happens on a flatter course.

LIN: Zach, are you going to take him up on that challenge?

WARREN: I think so, I think so. It depends how things go for me in Afghanistan. I go back in five weeks and then I come back. If I'm in good shape, I think I'm going take him on.

LIN: Stay safe, all right? Stay sane. And keep up the good work, so to speak. The jogglers. This is not last that you're going to hear from t them.

KARPAL: Thank you.

LIN: Good sports, too, to keep it up during the segment.

Straight ahead, entertainment news with A.J. Hammer of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." A.J., what's on tap? A.J. HAMMER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, I'm trying to figure out if I can juggle my Blackberry and my bottle of water. I feel very ill-equipped, Carol.

LIN: It's going to take a little practice.

HAMMER: Just a tough act to follow there. Well, coming up, one Oscar winner making her Broadway debut, while there's another one who's taking Broadway to the big screen. I'll tell you about that and about the more sights and sounds for your cell phone, when CNN's LIVE FROM continues.

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LIN: Julia Roberts makes her Broadway debut and Tom Hanks announces plans to bring a popular musical to the big screen. A.J. Hammer of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" has those stories plus some news on Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton. A.J., you sort of have a little bit of everything.

HAMMER: A little bit of everything today, variety is the name of the game. We're talking about Julia Roberts first, taking huge bows for her Broadway debut in the play "Three Days of Rain." It was a star-studded evening in New York City last night. Oprah Winfrey showed up, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and James Gandolfini, just a few of the celebrity heavyweights that were at the opening. The Oscar-winning Roberts zipped down the carpet after taking the stage.

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JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: You can't really compartmentalize it. This is actually making me the most nervous.

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HAMMER: After spending the past year and a half out of the spotlight raising her twins, Roberts returned to a sold-out performance. Her name on the marquee definitely proving powerful. The show's three weeks of previews, standing room only. And currently, it's the hottest ticket in town. Tickets going for as much as $250 a seat.

Now despite all of the excitement, I'm sad to report that the superstar woke up to some not so nice reviews this morning. Critics not too pleased with her or the play. And Carol, that upset me because I love Julia Roberts. She's America's sweetheart. She makes everybody smile with her smile.

LIN: Yes, and she's the mother of two 17-month-old twins. So hopefully she's not reading her reviews.

HAMMER: I hope she doesn't. My guess is she's been around this game long enough to know better. I want to tell you about another Oscar winner who is getting involved with Broadway. This is a whole different way, though.

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HAMMER: You recognize that music. Tom Hanks throwing his production muscle behind the musical "Mamma Mia" to bring it to the big screen. Hanks and the dancing queens scheduled to swing into theaters late next year. The stage show has been an enormous hit. Listen to this: it's earned $1.6 billion worldwide. Yes I said billion. It first took the stage in London back in 1999. And the money has been rolling in ever since. Hanks, of course, Carol, i9s going to next be seen in the highly anticipated drama "The Da Vinci Code." That will be in theaters on May 19th.

LIN: Can't wait to see that. But if the movie doesn't get you up and the singing, well how about this new ring tone, is it going to do the trick?

HAMMER: It should do the trick. Ringtones a huge business too, a billion dollar business as well. And Grammy winner Mariah Carey is now writing 20 original voice and music ringtones for fans to download to the cell phones.

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HAMMER: The deal here is that the multi-platinum selling singer is going to partner with Pepsi and Motorola for a big promotion. Now along with the ringtones, you'll see her in a bunch of Pepsi commercials this summer and you can also listen for the ringtones coming this summer.

LIN: Do you think it's about the money? I mean, is this something new where artists like Carey are writing original music for ringtones as opposed to just downloading a clip of one of their hits?

HAMMER: I think this is going to be trend we're going to be seeing for some time to come. Artists have been lending pieces of their songs for ringtones. But now the idea of people doing original tunes is a whole new thing. And if Mariah is kicking it off after the couple of years she's just had, we can expect it to definitely be a big trend. This particular Pepsi Cool Tones promotion will eventually include more than 10 ringtones from several different musicians. So everybody's going to be getting in the act.

And you know, your cell phone not just for taking phone calls anymore. Party A-lister Paris Hilton lending her likeness to a series of mobile video games. You'll never be able to escape her. So between taking your calls and text messaging, you'll be able to hang out with Paris. There are no details yet of what the game's going to be, other than it will be geared towards teenagers. But Carol, if you would like the game, I'm sure you can download it.

LIN: Oh goody, goody, I can't wait A.J. And I thought cell phones were just for taking pictures.

HAMMER: Yeah, right.

LIN: So what's coming up on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT?" HAMMER: Well tonight we'll be talking about why televisions is such a crime. The fascination with real-life crimes turning into T.V. shows and movies. We just can't get enough of it. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" is going to investigate that at 7:00 and 11:00 p.m. Eastern on "Headline Prime." See you then.

LIN: Very cool, nice picture of you A.J. on that promo, too.

HAMMER: Thank you, we worked on improving that.

LIN: All right, more LIVE FROM straight ahead.

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