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Press
Release, 27 January 2006
| CEHURDES
condemns attacks on media property, government's detention of journalists |
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The
Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) - a Kathmandu-based
freedom of expression monitoring group - condemns the government's various
recent acts of intimidation against journalists. CEHURDES also condemns
the attacks on the office of a pro-government media organisation and the
vehicle of a newspaper.
On
26 January, the local administration of Parsa district issued an order
to detain Shiva Patel, editor of the weekly "Madhesh Darpan," published
from the southern town of Birgunj, and Prabhu Hajara, a Birgunj-based correspondent
of the weekly "Dristi," published from Kathmandu, for a period of 90 days.
Both were picked up from their residences that same day. Both Patel and
Hajara are known for writing and reporting critically on local as well
as national political issues, including the royal takeover of 2005.
In
Kathmandu, police detained Bhimsen Rajbahak, publisher of the weekly "Budhabar,"
also on 26 January and released him after nearly eleven hours. He was covering
the general strike called by the opposition parties when he was taken into
custody.
In
Nuwakot district, police detained freelance journalist Shiva Devkota for
nearly three hours while he was covering the strike. Devkota is also the
chairman of the Nuwakot district unit of the Nepal Press Union.
On
the same day, a group of persons vandalized the vehicle belonging to the
daily "Annapurna Post" in Bhaktapur as it was being driven back to Kathmandu
after completing a delivery of newspapers. The vehicle was damaged and
the driver, Pradip Lama, and his helper, Prithvi Bahadur Thapa, sustained
injuries.
In
yet another incident, Rastriya Patrakar Mahasangha, Nepal (RPMN) - a pro-government
media group - has said opposition activists vandalized its Narayangadh-based
branch office in Chitwan district, also on 26 January.
CEHURDES
has noted all these incidences with concern and condemns the detention
of journalists and the attacks on media vehicles and offices.
CEHURDES
believes that Patel and Hajara were detained under the Public Security
Act with the intention to intimidate and harass them. CEHURDES is concerned
about their safety and demands that both be freed immediately from their
illegal detention.
CEHURDES
also condemns the brief detention of Rajbahak and Devkota. We urge the
authorities not to repeat such actions in future and to no longer target
media personnel under any pretext.
CEHURDES
also condemns the attack on the "Annapurna Post" vehicle, driver and assistant
and the attack on the office of RPMN. CEHURDES demands that the government
discover the culprits in both incidences and bring them to trial. CEHURDES
would like to recall that it is the duty of the government to ensure safety
of journalists and security to media property.
CEHURDES
also urges all political activists to not target media personnel or media
property, regardless of the perspective those media may present.
| Source:
Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) 2006 |
 |
Press
Release, 23 January 2006
| Press
hard hit in government crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations |
|
Reporters
Without Borders has condemned the censorship and police violence against
journalists that have accompanied the government's crackdown on the opposition's
efforts to stage pro-democracy demonstrations in the past few days.
"Unable
to stifle the demonstrations against his autocratic rule, the king is responding
with more and more violence against the press," Reporters Without Borders
said. "In the space of 48 hours, at least five journalists have been physically
attacked, two have been arrested and censorship has been stepped up against
the Indian media. We pledge our entire solidarity with the journalists
who continue to fulfil their duty to report the news despite the crackdown."
The
security forces seized control of Kathmandu and other major cities on 20
and 21 January 2006 in order to enforce a curfew called to prevent pro-democracy
rallies. At least four journalists were injured in police charges. Satya
Ram Parajuli, the editor of the monthly "Majdoor Aawaj", had an arm broken
by a policeman. Damodar Dawadi of the weekly "Naya Bikalpa", Kamal Pariyar
of the daily "Jana Sangharsha" and freelance journalist Diwakar Pant were
also injured.
An
army patrol arrested Khem Bhandari, the editor of the regional dailies
"Mahendranagar Post" and "Abhiyan", in the western town of Mahendranagar,
as he was returning home on 21 January. Two days earlier, reporter Dwarika
Upreti of "Roadmap Weekly" was arrested by police outside the weekly's
office in Kathmandu. After being held for a few hours in a police station,
he was transferred to a police barracks in Maharajgunj.
On
20 January, a policeman fired at Khuman Singh Tamang, a correspondent of
the daily "Kantipur" in Kavhrepalanchok, west of the capital, as he was
taking photos of student leaders detained by the police. Tamang was not
injured.
Soldiers
seized video-cassettes from the correspondents of the Indian TV stations
CNN-IBN and Star News TV in Kathmandu on 20 January. Footage they had shot
of soldiers inside the home of the secretary-general of the opposition
CPN-UML was then erased. Journalist Parul Malhotra described their actions
as "unfortunate and ridiculous."
The
local authorities in the southwestern border city of Nepalgunj began on
20 January to censor Indian newspaper articles about the pro-democracy
demonstrations. Civil servants were ordered to tear out the relevant pages
out of the newspapers before they were distributed in Nepalgunj.
In
Kathmandu, the communication and information ministry forced cable TV operators
to stop broadcasting the Indian TV channels Star News and Aaj Tak, which
was nonetheless still available in some parts of the capital. The ministry
said some the news reports posed a danger for Nepal's security.
| Source:
RSF/IFEX 2006 |
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