(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the recent harassment of media personnel by Maoist leaders, and an attack on media property by a group of businessmen. On 17 October 2006, a group of businessmen vandalized a van belonging to the private-sector station Kantipur Television, and harassed station staff while they were covering a shutdown strike called by […]
(CEHURDES/IFEX) – CEHURDES condemns the recent harassment of media personnel by Maoist leaders, and an attack on media property by a group of businessmen.
On 17 October 2006, a group of businessmen vandalized a van belonging to the private-sector station Kantipur Television, and harassed station staff while they were covering a shutdown strike called by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).
In a separate incident, the district chief of the Maoists in the eastern Nepali district of Udaypur, Santosh, and other rebel leaders harassed and threatened media personnel and human rights workers when the latter raised certain issues concerning the rebel outfit during an encounter organized by the rebels at their Gaighat district headquarters. The rebels organized the gathering to “discuss current political issues”.
According to reports, when some journalists and human rights workers raised questions about a donation campaign and some other current issues concerning the Maoists, Santosh bluntly stated that a “journalist had to be a Maoist first to understand news concerning the party”. He also accused the media in general of conveying a negative image of his party to the public at large.
Santosh criticised the journalists and activists in harsh terms, claiming that they were speaking ill of the party. Claiming that he did not have to abide by mid-level decisions of his party, he further said that Chairman Prachanda’s decision to close down the “people’s courts” was impractical.
Also speaking at the gathering, Maoist “battalion commissar” Sangam threatened the journalists present, saying: “Think before writing news about the party”.
CEHURDES condemns the attack on the Kantipur Television van by businessmen and the continued harassment of media personnel by the Maoist rebels. CEHURDES calls upon all segments of society to honour and respect the people’s right to information and the right of media personnel to disseminate news in an environment free of fear and intimidation.
CEHURDES renews its appeal to the Maoist leadership to immediately halt the increasing frequency of harassment of media personnel by their cadres across the country.
