KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepali security forces shot dead a protester during demonstrations that have caused shortages of fuel and essential supplies and cast a shadow over upcoming elections, police said on Wednesday.
Police opened fire late on Tuesday after anti-governmentprotesters began throwing stones in Siraha, a town in thesouthern Terai plains bordering India that are home to halfNepal's population.
"First we tried to control the mob by bursting tear gasshells and then fired shots in the air," said Prem Chettri, apolice officer at the scene in Siraha. "But they wereundeterred and tried to attack the police, forcing us to openfire."
The protesters are demanding greater autonomy for the Teraiand its ethnic Madheshi people, who have closer linguistic andcultural links with northern India than with Nepal's hillpeople.
It is the second death since Madheshi groups called anindefinite strike and began blockading roads last week todemand greater power and government job allocations.
Nepal imports all its fuel and many essential goods fromIndia, and the blockade has choked supplies between the borderand the capital Kathmandu.
Long queues have formed outside the few petrol stationsremaining open in the capital and food prices have risen.
The unrest has also raised doubts over the government'splans to hold a national election in April.
Dozens of protesters were also wounded in the violence andin other clashes with police elsewhere in the Terai. Roads arelargely empty of traffic, while schools and shops remainclosed.
The government and the protest leaders met on Tuesday butdid not reach an agreement to end the trouble, both sides said.
(Reporting by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Jonathan Allen andAlex Richardson)
