The US and the royal government in Nepal made separate but identical appeals to the seven-party alliance (SPA) to avoid joint action with the Maoists.

While the US conveyed its appeal to G P Koirala, the seniormost leader of the alliance, through its ambassador in Kathmandu James F Moriarty, the government appeal came in the form of a warning by Home Minister Kamal Thapa on Tuesday afternoon—nine days before the four-day countrywide general strike called by the SPA for restoration of democracy is to begin.

The Maoists, following a 12-point understanding with the SPA, has already issued a general appeal to the public to support the peaceful strike.

‘‘We have credible information that the Maoists would infiltrate the protest programmes so the government is determined to deal with terrorists,’’ Thapa told journalists today. The government dismisses Koirala’s assurance that the protest will be peaceful. In fact, the SPA takes Thapa’s warning as an indication of the government’s programme to arrest pro-democracy leaders and activists across the country coupled with possible suspension of mobile phone services to disrupt coordination among the political parties.