NEPAL - Maoists detained at various prisons inside the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday kicked off their hunger strike calling on the government to meet their four-point demand. They also announced different protests programs for the next five days to put pressure on the government to heed to their demands.

According to Himal Sharma at the Nakkhu Prison, Lalitpur, the Maoists' four-point demand include the annulment of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Control and Punishment) ordinance, release of all political detainees, punishment for war criminals and making public the whereabouts of those disappeared by the State.

He said the Maoists would stage rallies inside the jail premises on May 15, organize a warning assembly on May 16, stage a sit-in program at the main gate of the respective prisons on May 17, take out torch rallies inside prison premises on May 18 and announce more programmers on May 19 if there demands were still not met.

Six Maoist prisoners are taking part in the hunger-strike program at Nakkhu Jail under Sharma's coordination, whereas the Maoist prisoners at the central jail are organizing protest programs under the coordination of Bhanubhakta Acharya and Rajan Poudel.

Neither the Maoists nor the police could confirm the exact number of prisoners taking part in the hunger strike in different jails inside the Valley.