Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ)

(FNJ/IFEX) – On 28 August 2006, Bhola Mahato, the former chairman of Hariharipur Village in Dhanusha, an eastern district of Nepal, threatened media workers against reporting news about the village. According to the daily newspaper “Nepal Samacharpatra”, a few days earlier it had published news on the difficulties that the people of the Dom community […]

(FNJ/IFEX) – On 27 August 2006, Lakpasange Sherpa, a local journalist with the “Blast Times” and “Sankhuwasabha Post”, was roughed up by a man identified as Kishor Shrestha, who posed as a Maoist leader, at the Sindhua bazaar in Sankhuwasabha, an eastern district of Nepal. According to the “Kathmandu Post”, Shrestha seized and broke Sherpa’s […]

(FNJ/IFEX) – Dhruva Kumar Rawal, secretary of FNJ Nuwakot branch and editor of the monthly “Gatishil”, and Raju Mitra Khanal, correspondent of the daily newspaper “Gorkhapatra” and sub editor of the weekly “Naya Ruprekha”, were harassed and detained for nearly 15 minutes by Maoists for having taken photographs of plain-clothed Maoists without their permission. The […]

(FNJ/IFEX) – A group of about 20 students damaged and took away the sign board of “Rajbiraj Today” newspaper and “Satyapan Weekly” at around 11 a.m. (local time) on 22 August 2006, in Rajbiraj, a town in eastern Nepal. According to Rajesh Yadhav, executive member of FNJ’s Saptari branch, the attack was in relation to […]

(FNJ/IFEX) – On 18 August 2006, a group of Maoists detained ten journalists, including FNJ-Parsa Chapter President Shatrughan Nepal, and other individuals, among them the chief district officer (CDO) for Bara district and half a dozen security officials, for three hours. The group was taken under detention in the Tawoli area of Laxmipur village, 18 […]

(FNJ/IFEX) – On 13 August 2006, soldiers mistreated, threatened, and tried to seize the camera of Lahan-based journalist Subhak Mahato, sub-editor of the weekly “Nawa Jagriti”, in the Golbazaar area. The incident took place when Mahato tried to take pictures of a group of armed Nepalese Army soldiers and Maoist cadres shaking hands. According to […]

(FNJ/IFEX) – The following is an FNJ press release: Seven Party Alliance and Maoists express their commitments to press freedom The Seven Party Alliance and the Maoists, in their written suggestion to the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee, stressed the need to guarantee freedom of the press and expression. The Nepali Congress, in its proposed draft […]

(FNJ/IFEX) – On 2 August 2006 at about 10:00 p.m. (local time), Maoists sent a threatening message to Ram Saran Bajgain, executive editor of the Kavre-based “Chesta Weekly” newspaper and a member of FNJ’s Kavre branch. Bajgain was called to appear at the Maoists’ People’s Court to provide clarification regarding a news item that was […]