Nepal's king tightened controls on his critics Thursday, with more politicians placed under house arrest and student leaders arrested. The Asian Human Rights Commission, quoting sources in Katmandu, reported upper and mid-level members of political parties had been confined to their homes and student leaders had been taken into custody at the Armed Police Force Headquarters. The group expressed concern the arrests could extend to journalists, academics, lawyers and others critical of King Gyanendra's dismissal of the government and assumption of total control over the country Tuesday. Both the Nepal Bar Association and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists issued statements criticizing the king's action, which the journalists' group called a coup against democracy and peoples' rights. Soldiers had been positioned outside media offices and were reportedly checking all who entered or left the premises. The government Thursday issued a six-month ban on news reports critical of the government, the BBC reported, citing a notice in the main daily newspaper. FM radio stations had reportedly been ordered to play only music. The military ordered Katmandu shop owners to open their shops to give the appearance of normalcy in the capital, the Asian Human Rights Commission said.