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Nepal palace reopens as a museum [video 1 min 22 sec]

It is a sign of Nepal's huge changes that the red ribbon opening the museum was cut by a Maoist former rebel - the Prime Minister, Prachanda.

Speaking to VIPs from a small podium on the lawn, the pink palace towering behind him, Prachanda recalled seeing pictures of the last-but-one king, Birendra, in the years when he visited villagers' homes during the Maoist guerrilla war.

Prachanda described Birendra as a "liberal" king whom Nepalis still respected, and said his killing in a palace massacre in 2001 - an event he described as "dreadful" - must be reinvestigated.

The museum has been sensitively assembled in the rooms where the monarchs, including Birendra's brother and successor, Gyanendra, lived and worked...

Read entire article at BBC