Maoist rebels cut off routes yesterday to Nepal's capital Kathmandu in their first blockade of the city since they launched their insurgency to overthrow the constitutional monarchy eight years ago. Children played on normally busy roads into the city of around 1.5 million people that were mostly empty. But the capital's airport functioned normally and residents and tourists were moving around the city. "No vehicle owners are prepared to put their vehicles into service (outside of the city) because of fears of being attacked by the Maoists," Hira Udas, chief of the Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs Federation, said. The Maoists said they would continue the blockade indefinitely until their demands were met. "We are going to impose an effective blockade that will continue indefinitely," Subash Tang, a district Maoist leader, said. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba met with the National Security Council, police and army officials to discuss how to end the blockade. The blockade was seen by analysts as a show of strength by the rebels. The Maoists are seeking release of jailed militants, details of missing activists and a probe into alleged custodial killings of rebels by security forces. They also want the government to no longer call them terrorists. Armed police and army personnel were on guard along highways. The blockade upset people who depended on selling food to truckers. "There's no sense in blocking the road which has affected people like us who make ends meet by selling tea and homemade cookies," said tea vendor Bhim Narayan Maharjan. Tour operators feared the new unrest could hurt the flow of visitors to the nation. Police at a checkpoint through which all vehicles pass to the capital said traffic had virtually halted. But army vehicles escorted 28 passenger and goods vehicles from Kathmandu to the southern border area near India and would take the vehicles back to the city with provisions, an army official said. **PHOTO CAPTION*** A police officer keeps watch on the Prtihvi Highway during a blockade on the outskirts of Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004. (AP)