On September 13, the Chief Representative of JICA Nepal Office was injured when a stone was pelted at him by a group of demonstrators as he passed by them by his car in Kathmandu. His car is also damaged.

The right of peaceful demonstrations is considered to be a part of the freedom of expression that is the fundamental of democracy. However, when it becomes an act of violence, it is nothing more than a criminal offense.

As many of the people of Nepal know, Japan has assisted Nepal's democratic progress and development as its sincere friend. And it is JICA that has played a key role to that end.

It is extremely regrettable that its representative was injured in this incident. The Government of Nepal has been promoting the foreign tourism and foreign direct investment (FDI). However, the fact that an incident like this took place in the midst of such efforts goes against it.

"We have alerted Japanese nationals residing in Nepal to avoid similar incidents. At the same time, we hope that Nepal will continue to be a peaceful and attractive country for foreigners," said a press release issued by Embassy of Japan.