(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES has condemned the brief detention of a journalist working with an FM radio station and the threat by the government against another FM radio station in western Nepal. Plain-clothed police personnel entered the newsroom of Sri Nagar FM radio station in the western district of Palpa on the afternoon of 28 January […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES has condemned the brief detention of a journalist working with an FM radio station and the threat by the government against another FM radio station in western Nepal.
Plain-clothed police personnel entered the newsroom of Sri Nagar FM radio station in the western district of Palpa on the afternoon of 28 January 2006 and took journalist Narayan Timilsina into custody. Even though it was a public holiday, they drove him to the District Administration Office of Palpa, where he was interrogated for nearly two hours by officials, with regard to a news item aired by the FM station. Timilsina was then released. He was also made to sign an affidavit saying that the FM station would not air any such material which may be deemed “objectionable” by the local administration.
Sri Nagar FM station manager Jagadish Bhattarai told CEHURDES over the phone that he was also being threatened indirectly by the local administration and that he was feeling unsafe. Bhattarai said the local administration was unhappy with a news bulletin involving a Maoist statement regarding the upcoming municipal polls.
The royal government has announced that the municipal-level elections will be held on 8 February despite calls for a boycott of them by the seven party opposition alliance and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) rebels.
In a separate incident, on 27 January the District Administration Office (DAO) of Baglung in western Nepal warned Dhaulagiri FM radio station in the same district not to air any programmes “that are not based on fact and encourage ‘anti-social’ elements.” The DAO alleged that the FM radio station was airing “baseless” news items without verifying them. The DAO also warned that it will take action against the FM station “in accordance with the law, if its programmes were found to be encouraging ‘anti-social elements’ and not based on truth”. CEHURDES has obtained a copy of the letter by the DAO to Dhaulagiri FM.
Dhaulagiri FM has refuted such allegations and said that it airs news only after verifying it and quotes authentic sources.
CEHURDES sees both the incidents as yet another example of the repressive attitude of the authorities towards independent media in the country. The organisation calls upon the authorities not to intimidate, harass or issue threats to journalists and media organisations, including FM radio stations, simply for carrying out their job, which is to inform, educate and entertain the people.
CEHURDES is concerned about the safety of journalists associated with Sri Nagar FM in Palpa and calls upon the government to ensure the safety of the journalists working there. Similarly, the organisation also calls upon the local authorities in Baglung to withdraw their threat to Dhaulagiri FM and allow journalists to carry out their professional duties in an environment free of fear and intimidation as guaranteed by the country’s constitution.
