(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a CEHURDES statement: Five journalists arrested in Kathmandu, Maoists threaten a reporter in eastern Nepal Kathmandu, June 29 – Nepal Police have arrested five journalists while they were trying to enter Singha Durbar, the main government secretariat, to stage a sit-in protest in front of the Ministry of Information and […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – The following is a CEHURDES statement:
Five journalists arrested in Kathmandu, Maoists threaten a reporter in eastern Nepal
Kathmandu, June 29 – Nepal Police have arrested five journalists while they were trying to enter Singha Durbar, the main government secretariat, to stage a sit-in protest in front of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), demanding total press freedom in the country. Singha Durbar houses the MoIC.
The Nepal Press Union (NPU) had organised the protest. Those detained include NPU president Murari Kumar Sharma, vice president Bindu Kanta Ghimire, central committee members Kiran Pokhrel and Shital Koirala, and the president of the Nuwakot branch of NPU, Shiva Devkota.
By late Wednesday, police had not released them.
The Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) condemns the arrest of journalists while exercising their right to peaceful protest. It also demands their immediate and unconditional release.
In a separate incident, Maoist insurgents have threatened Umesh Gurung, a reporter with the state-owned Radio Nepal in the eastern district of Ilam and editor of the local weekly “Sutradhar Shree”. Talking to CEHURDES on Tuesday, Gurung said the rebels asked him to quit his job with the radio station and join their “people’s war” within two months.
Gurung said earlier he was placed under house arrest by the Maoists for several weeks. He said he managed to escape their district headquarters and is currently living in the eastern town of Biratnagar.
CEHURDES condemns the Maoist act of threatening reporter Gurung while he is carrying out his professional duties. CEHURDES would like to urge the rebels to withdraw their warning against Gurung and allow him to function freely and without intimidation.
CEHURDES also urges the rebels to release journalist Som Sharma, whom they abducted two and half months ago from the same district. Sharma’s whereabouts remain unknown.
In yet another incident, Maoists have threatened Kishore Karki, the editor and publisher of “Blast Times” newspaper, published in the eastern town of Dharan, and his colleagues, warning that they would take action against them. They have accused the newspaper of criticising their activities.
CEHURDES is of the opinion that such activities are clearly against the internationally recognised journalists’ right to work freely and without intimidation, under whichever circumstances. CEHURDES would also like to remind the insurgents of their public commitments, made from time to time, saying that they are fully committed to press freedom and people’s right to freedom of expression.
