An anti-monarchy activist is arrested during a protest in Kathmandu. (AFP)

Kathmandu, April 6: Putting pressure on King Gyanendra to restore multi-party democracy in Nepal, the US has indefinitely postponed the military training programme for the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) personnel.

A spokesperson at the US embassy in Kathmandu, Constance Jones, said the programme was postponed due to administrative reasons. She did not elaborate and would not say when the programme would be re-scheduled.

The training programme was supposed to have begun earlier this month. The US Pacific Command has been training the RNA personnel twice a year during the last decade.

However, it is believed that the programme was deferred after the Bush administration?s decision to join India in suspending all forms of military aid to the RNA. India, US and Britain have called for the restoration of democracy and the lifting of the state of emergency in Nepal.

The US also has said it would not supply the last consignment of small arms to the RNA. India, too, has not supplied ammunition for its rifles which are used by the RNA soldiers.

BBC blackout

The government stepped up its crackdown on the media by blacking out the transmission of the BBC World Service through the state-owned Radio Nepal.

The service began in November 2004 after BBC signed a contract with Radio Nepal to broadcast its world and Nepali service.

The contract was signed by the state radio at the instance of the Sher Bahadur Deuba government. Under the contract, Radio Nepal relayed the BBC services on its popular FM station in Kathmandu.

After the blackout, the FM station now plays instrumental music.

Officials of the communication ministry said the blackout is in accordance with the government?s decision not to allow news bulletins over FM stations. They claimed that Radio Nepal was merely blacking out news and current affairs content from the BBC broadcasts. The government had barred 52 FM radio stations in the country from airing news and current affair programmes immediately after the royal takeover on February 1.

The government claimed that none of these FM stations had licence to broadcast news and current affairs programme. As a result of the government?s decision, more than 2000 journalists employed in these FM stations were retrenched. The officials said that the government could not stop the BBC service along with other FM stations on February 1 as the contract had to be legally examined.