(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 22 November 2005 CEHURDES press release: CEHURDES welcomes CPN (Maoist)’s commitment to respect press freedom Kathmandu, Nov. 22 – The Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), a Kathmandu-based press freedom group, welcomes the commitment expressed by the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN, Maoist) rebels to respect freedom […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 22 November 2005 CEHURDES press release:
CEHURDES welcomes CPN (Maoist)’s commitment to respect press freedom
Kathmandu, Nov. 22 – The Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), a Kathmandu-based press freedom group, welcomes the commitment expressed by the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN, Maoist) rebels to respect freedom of the press, among other freedoms.
The chairman of the CPN (Maoist), Prachanda, said his party has expressed a commitment to fully respect the norms of human rights and press freedom in the context of taking the peace process forward.
The statement came as the Maoists are observing a three-month-long unilateral ceasefire.
In a statement issued on Tuesday (Nov. 22), Prachanda said his party has made public its commitment to democratic values including a competitive multiparty political system, civil liberties, rule of law and fundamental civil rights. He also vowed that his party is committed to conducting its activities in future on the basis of these principles.
Like many analysts, CEHURDES hopes that this may be a major ideological departure on the part of the Maoists after nine years of ‘people’s war.’ Over 12,000 people have been killed and properties worth millions of dollars have been destroyed during the insurgency.
Given its past track record, the Maoists’ commitment to honour human rights principles and press freedom needs to be considered with caution. Early this year, three months after the royal takeover (of Feb. 1, 2005), unidentified gunmen shot and killed Khagendra Shrestha, editor of ‘Dharan Today’, a newspaper published from the eastern town of Dharan. The Royal Nepalese Army blamed the rebels for being responsible for Shrestha’s murder but there has been no response from the Maoists as yet.
The rebels brutally killed the Dailekh district correspondent of state-run Radio Nepal, Dekendra Raj Thapa, last year. Local Maoist leaders announced in western Nepal after several months that they had executed another staff member of the state-run Radio Nepal, Dhan Bahadur Rokka Magar. Neither of their bodies has been recovered.
They have also killed Nawaraj Sharma ‘Basanta’ of ‘Karnali Aawaj’ newspaper in Kalikot district and Gyanendra Khadka in Sindhupalchok district despite public commitments made by Maoist leader Prachanda and spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara that journalists will not be targeted.
There have been several incidences of the rebels abducting, intimidating and harassing journalists across the country. The Maoist insurgents released Som Sharma, a reporter with local “Ankha” newspaper, in July this year after 56 days of captivity. They offered apology but later briefly detained three reporters in the region who were on a reporting assignment.
Maoist insurgents looted transmission equipment from Ghodaghodi FM radio station at Attariya in the far-western district of Kailali in May this year. That was the only FM radio station operating in the far-western region. The rebels have yet to return the transmission equipment they had forcibly taken.
At a time when the Nepalese press is facing censorship, intimidation and harassment from the royal government, the announcement from the Maoist side that they will respect press freedom has come as a respite. But their words will be trusted only when they translate them into action.
CEHURDES would like to appeal to the Maoist leadership to conduct independent investigations of cases of killing, abduction, intimidation and harassment of media personnel by its cadres and punish the guilty. We would also like to request that the Maoists strictly instruct their rank and file not to target media personnel under any pretext and promptly investigate cases of violation of press freedom by its members.
We would also like to call upon the Nepal government to refrain from all activities aimed at curtailing press freedom and freedom of expression and create an environment conducive to the rebels joining the political mainstream.
We believe that the long-running armed conflict in the country can be resolved through negotiated settlement and by respecting human rights principles, including respect for press freedom and freedom of expression.
