Western envoys urge Nepal Maoists to stop protests

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Western diplomats urged Nepal's Maoist former rebels on Tuesday to call off a series of protests, including closing down the country's main airport, that could raise tension and economically disrupt the fledgling republic.

Nepal has been in turmoil since the Maoists quit the government in May in a conflict with the president over the firing of the country's army chief.

Since then they have disrupted parliamentary proceedings and held up the budget, and are planning to force the closure of the country's only international airport in Kathmandu and block all roads to the hill-ringed capital on Nov. 10.

The Maoists say they had been wrongly forced out of office and are demanding that the president apologise and rescind his decision reversing the army chief's sacking.

The showdown has unnerved many and raised fears about Nepal's fragile peace. Diplomats from the European Union countries, the United States and Russia met Maoist chief Prachanda on Tuesday to express their "serious concern".

"They asked the chairman (Prachanda) urgently to reconsider the programme," the British Embassy said in a statement.

They urged Prachanda to "respect the democratic process" and use the parliament as well as other peace mechanisms to pursue their programme of opposition.

"(The Maoists must) respect the safety and right to freedom of movement of the people of Nepal, of foreign citizens, and of the representatives of diplomatic missions and international organisations," it said.

The envoys said the proposed closure of airport and obstruction of tourist infrastructure would do "significant damage" to Nepal's reputation, particularly during the peak tourist season, and to the economy.