Kathmandu is at a standstill today as pro-democracy protesters rise up against King Gyanendra and his absolute rule of Nepal, gained when he seized control of the government last February. General strikes have paralyzed parts of Nepal, high-ranking government officials were arrested for the first time today and five protesters have been shot dead by police since the uprising started two weeks ago.

What better way to gain an up-to-the-minute understanding of the problems in Nepal than through a local weblog? United We Blog! is a project of mainstream journalists in the country who are posting information they believe their employers won’t publish. For example, a post today explains why Gyanendra’s gesture of meeting with former prime ministers is hardly a concession to protesters.

The blog seems to be well-read, with several comments from Nepalese following each post. Whether a collection of comments from people with computers reflect the views of ordinary Nepalese is open to question, but undoubtedly there is some value to blogs like this one.

(PHOTO: RAJ KUMAR SHRESTHA/UNITED WE BLOG!)