(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the intervention by police in a peaceful demonstration in a remote western district and apparent attempts by armed security personnel to intimidate staff at a western Nepal newspaper. On 19 February 2006, National Democracy Day, police wielding batons charged a group of opposition party activists as they were carrying out a […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the intervention by police in a peaceful demonstration in a remote western district and apparent attempts by armed security personnel to intimidate staff at a western Nepal newspaper.
On 19 February 2006, National Democracy Day, police wielding batons charged a group of opposition party activists as they were carrying out a peaceful rally at the district headquarters of the remote, northern district of Mugu. They also fired into the air to disperse the crowd, though nobody was injured. A scuffle later broke out between the police and demonstrators in which over a dozen activists affiliated to the Nepali Congress (Democratic), the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist – Leninist) and Nepali Congress political parties were injured.
CEHURDES deplores this police action against a peaceful rally. The incident is in clear violation of the right to peaceful assembly guaranteed by the country’s constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Nepal is a party.
On the same day but in a separate incident, plain-clothed and armed security personnel visited the offices of the daily newspaper “Abhiyan”, published from the far western town of Mahendranagar. The security personnel entered and inquired about the daily’s editor, Khem Bhandari, who was out of the office on assignment.
No reason was given for their entry and query. Bhandari has been detained twice by the local administration since the royal takeover of February 2005.
CEHURDES condemns the raid on the office of “Abhiyan” and demands an official investigation into the incident. CEHURDES calls upon the authorities to desist any activities aimed at harassing or intimidating journalists. CEHURDES is concerned about the growing number of press freedom violations in the country and renews its call to authorities not to target media or media personnel for exercising their right to keep people informed.
