(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 13 June 2006 CEHURDES press release: CEHURDES welcomes the new media commission Kathmandu, June 13 – The Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) – a Kathmandu-based freedom of expression monitoring group – welcomes the high-level Media Commission formed by the new democratic government of Nepal. On Monday, […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a 13 June 2006 CEHURDES press release:
CEHURDES welcomes the new media commission
Kathmandu, June 13 – The Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) – a Kathmandu-based freedom of expression monitoring group – welcomes the high-level Media Commission formed by the new democratic government of Nepal.
On Monday, the council of ministers constituted the commission, under the chairmanship of Senior Advocate and member of the National Assembly, Radheshyam Adhikari. Adhikari had been in the forefront of the fight for free media in Nepal from the legal field.
The mandate given to the Adhikari commission includes recommending the government make timely amendments to all media-related laws, reform the dissemination of information by the government and restructure the entire media sector. Major media-related organisations, including the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), have been included as members in the commission.
CEHURDES welcomes the new media commission that has been constituted in the wake of the persistent fight for free media launched by the independent media community in Nepal over the last several years. The new government that has been formed in the aftermath of the people’s movement in 2006 has taken a number of decisions including the scrapping of the controversial media ordinance that posed a grave threat to independent media.
CEHURDES hopes that the new commission will be able to identify problems being faced by the Nepali media community in carrying out its duties free of fear or favour. As Nepal is considering drafting a new constitution, we do hope that recommendations made by the commission would go a long way in ensuring free and independent media in the country.
CEHURDES also urges the new commission to take up the issue of journalists who lost their jobs during the royal regime and were displaced in the wake of insecurity. They deserve immediate support from all sides, including the government, on a priority basis.
We offer our full support and cooperation to the new commission.
