(FNJ/IFEX) – A group of around 50 local youths led by a local Maoist cadre beat Dharma Poudel, “Kathmandu Post” correspondent for Taplejung district, on 25 November 2006 at around 8 p.m. (local time) at his residence in Dokhu village. The group, led by Dokhu village committee member of the Maoists Sharan Palungwa, turned up […]
(FNJ/IFEX) – A group of around 50 local youths led by a local Maoist cadre beat Dharma Poudel, “Kathmandu Post” correspondent for Taplejung district, on 25 November 2006 at around 8 p.m. (local time) at his residence in Dokhu village.
The group, led by Dokhu village committee member of the Maoists Sharan Palungwa, turned up at Poudel’s house and repeatedly thrashed him with sticks from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Poudel sustained serious injuries to his right eye and bruises on his neck. His attackers also threatened to take his life if he disseminated news about the incident.
A team from FNJ’s Taplejung chapter and other human rights activists went to Poudel’s house the next day and condemned the attack. A two-member mission team comprised of FNJ central committee members Purna Basnet and Ramesh Bista also traveled to Taplejung to further assess the situation.
Meanwhile, in yet another incident in Chitwan, Maoists harassed three journalists as they reached the Maoist cantonment site at Jutpani, on 25 November.
According to a press statement issued by FNJ’s Chitwan chapter, three journalists – Radheshyam Khatiwada, Shishir Shimkhada and Shaligram Nepal – were denied entry by Sonam, third divisional commissioner of the Maoists, when they went there to collect news on the Maoist camp. “We won’t allow anybody in to take photographs here,” the statement quoted Sonam as saying to the visiting journalists.
FNJ severely condemned the incident and urged Maoists to respect journalists’ right to freedom of expression.