(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 27 July 2003, at approximately 3:30 p.m. (local time), Amar Lama, managing editor of the weekly newspaper “Tajakhabar”, was killed by four unidentified gunmen. The incident occurred in Naya Bazar, Kritipur town (approximately 10 kilometres south of Kathmandu). Lama had recently assumed the position of managing editor for the newspaper. He was […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – On 27 July 2003, at approximately 3:30 p.m. (local time), Amar Lama, managing editor of the weekly newspaper “Tajakhabar”, was killed by four unidentified gunmen. The incident occurred in Naya Bazar, Kritipur town (approximately 10 kilometres south of Kathmandu). Lama had recently assumed the position of managing editor for the newspaper. He was abducted from the newspaper’s office at approximately 1:45 p.m. when he went to drop off an article for the 28 July edition of his column “Janamat”. Unidentified individuals posing as police officers indicated to Lama that they wanted to speak to him outside the office.
According to eyewitnesses, Lama attempted to escape from his kidnappers. The “Kathmandu Post” daily newspaper reported that a local shopkeeper saw four men chasing Lama in the middle of the town. The assailants reportedly caught him and beat him before shooting him at point-blank range. According to police reports, the bullet pierced his head and blood was trickling out of his ears.
Lama was the sole survivor of the “Dashdhunga” incident. On 17 May 1993, two leaders of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist, CPN-UML), General Secretary Madan Kumar Bhandari and Organisation Department Head Jiva Raj Ashrit, were killed when their car, which Lama was driving, fell into the Trishuli River. Lama was associated with the CPN-UML at the time.
The Chitwan District Court sentenced Lama to life imprisonment for murder and confiscated all of his property. Lama was released following a Supreme Court order, after spending approximately five years in prison.
After his release from prison, Lama joined the Nepali Congress Party (NC) and ran the Jaya Nepal Cultural Academy, a sister organisation of the NC. Lama was also a singer and had released several musical recordings.
CEHURDES condemns Lama’s murder and calls on the authorities and security forces to guarantee the security of all citizens, including journalists and free expression activists.
