(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the 30 December 2005 attack on Bijay Bisfot, editor of the Kathmandu-based weekly newspaper “Sram” (“Labour”). Two unidentified persons entered Bisfot’s office and attacked him without provocation. Bisfot sustained serious injuries on his head and other parts of his body. The assailants fled from the scene immediately. Bisfot was taken to […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the 30 December 2005 attack on Bijay Bisfot, editor of the Kathmandu-based weekly newspaper “Sram” (“Labour”).
Two unidentified persons entered Bisfot’s office and attacked him without provocation. Bisfot sustained serious injuries on his head and other parts of his body. The assailants fled from the scene immediately.
Bisfot was taken to a hospital for treatment. He has been discharged but is still taking medicine and has been advised to rest. Bisfot has accused Nirmal Gurung, president of the Nepal Foreign Employment Agencies’ Association, of hiring goons to attack him. In advertisements carried by the state-run daily newspaper “Gorkhapatra” and other private-sector dailies, Gurung and the Association have refuted this allegation and have instead demanded action against Bisfot himself.
CEHURDES is concerned about the safety of Bisfot and fears further attacks against him and his newspaper. “Sram” is the only Nepali-language weekly that exclusively covers foreign employment and other labour-related issues and is known for exposing scandals in that sector. Reporters with the paper have also been targeted in the past by Kathmandu-based manpower agencies.
CEHURDES has learnt that the Nepali police are under pressure from an organised sector not to investigate the attack on Bisfot. So far, no arrests have been made in relation to the incident.
CEHURDES calls on the royal government to order an urgent police investigation into the case to bring the culprits to justice. If the assailants are left unpunished, such incidences are likely to recur.
CEHURDES also demands that the government take responsibility for Bisfot’s medical treatment, and for his ongoing safety as well as that of the employees and property of his newspaper.
Attacks against journalists under any pretext are unacceptable. Nepali media will not remain silent if such abuses against media personnel continue to be perpetrated by organised gangs allegedly under the protection of higher authorities. CEHURDES is treating the case of Bisfot as a test case and urges the government to give its investigation the highest priority.
