The formerly peaceful mountain nation of Nepal is in a “vulnerable stage,” according to King Gyanendra, the king who ascended to the throne last June after most of the royal family was slain in a drunken rage by his brother, the crown prince, who later killed himself.The natural beauty of the world’s grandest peaks is marred by political turmoil that has spilled blood everywhere from the streets to the palace. Since the death of the royal family, Maoist rebels have intensified their efforts to overthrow the corrupt constitutional monarchy and construct a “people’s republic.”

On Feb. 19, the Nepalese government deployed large numbers of troops after having been staggered by more than a week of violence. The day also marked a national holiday called Democracy Day with an appeal for unity from the king.

“We are confident our countrymen will be able to unite in overcoming the hardship facing our nation,” the king said in a traditional message. He then added, “During this vulnerable stage, shortcomings in the political and administrative sectors could lead to the further deterioration in the situation.”

As for the deployment of troops, “We’ve deployed a massive number of troops,” said Defense Secretary Padam Kumar Acharya, but he refused to further define “massive” with digits.

The army has been officially fighting the rebels since November, but due to their lack of progress, the government is now working to extend measures of the state of emergency that has been in place for the past three months. The extension gives the army sweeping search-and-detention powers.

The Maoists’ rebellion intensified after the death of the hugely popular King Birendra, in whose killing they see a conspiracy hatched by “imperialist and expansionist” forces.

More than half of the 23 million Nepalese live under subsistence levels and only a third are able to read or write. Fighting the rebellion has put further stress on the impoverished nation’s budget. The government has re-channeled much of its resources to fight the insurgency and is pleading with international donors to help bail out the economy.

While government officials have acknowledged that the presence of the rebels is a sign that radical change must take place, Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of the main opposition United Marxist Leninist Communist Party of Nepal, claims that all the government offers are “patchwork solutions [that] will not resolve the insurgency.”

He further stated that the nation simply isn’t able in its present state to make all the necessary changes.