Here’s something you won’t read about in inspiring new books on Varieties of Activist Experience. One recent disclosure suggests that the 2006 street riots which marked the beginning of the end of the Shah monarchy only succeeded because the Royal Nepalese Army ran out of bullets. Apparently, the previous year’s embargo had affected ammunition procurement. The preferred alternative — going through the black market — evidently consumes more time and money.
TNN, ‘W□□□□□□□s throws new light on Nepal king’s surrender’. Times of India, 5 September 2011.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/W□□□□□□□s-throws-new-light-on-Nepal-kings-surrender/articleshow/9871594.cms
Remember that said w□□□□□□□s trove only refers to US embassy cable. We still don’t know the quantum of light arms sales from China or Pakistan to Nepal over this period. Speculating that they “ran out of bullets” makes good headline but is simply speculation at this time.
Edited the post to reflect the fact that just one contributing cause of the monarchy’s collapse is documented. In any case, while other factors were certainly involved, this is not “simply speculation”: it’s two first-hand accounts recorded in internal government correspondence. Previous discussion has focused on rumour that the RNA chiefs “would not” shoot, whereas now it seems that “could not” is a distinct possibility. (And pardon me for censoring a word in your comment, but I don’t want the wrong sort of traffic coming here.)