(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 2 September 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels issued death threats against journalist Bijaya Mishra in Siraha, eastern Nepal, for failing to report on the arrest of a local CPN-Maoist leader. Mishra, a local correspondent for the daily “Kantipur”, was told that he would “suffer the same fate as journalist Dekendra […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 2 September 2004, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels issued death threats against journalist Bijaya Mishra in Siraha, eastern Nepal, for failing to report on the arrest of a local CPN-Maoist leader. Mishra, a local correspondent for the daily “Kantipur”, was told that he would “suffer the same fate as journalist Dekendra Thapa.” Thapa was killed on 11 August in Dailekh district (see IFEX alerts of 20 and 17 August and 12 July 2004).
In a separate incident, a junior police officer assaulted photojournalist Bhim Gurung, of the daily “Gorakhapatra”, in Patan, Lalitpur district. Gurung was photographing a visit by King Gyanendra and Queen Komal to Krishna temple when he was assaulted.
CEHURDES condemns these actions against journalists and urges the Nepal Police chief and CPN-Maoists to respect press freedom, freedom of expression and citizens’ civil liberties.
