A Nepal update

IN Media Freedom | 11/02/2005
Reporters Sans Frontiers estimates that the crackdown on press freedom could put 1000 journalists out of work


Internet and international telephone services have now been restored in Nepal. But the  Nepalese army is continuing to prevent privately-owned newspapers from appearing normally while around 1,000 journalists, especially those working for the dozens of FM radio stations, could lose their jobs as a result of the crackdown on the news media imposed by the king on 1 February, Reporters Without Borders warned today.

The press freedom organization said it was horrified by the impact of  the six-month ban on all independent news and information. "The abusive use of the press law is a clear violation of the international undertakings given by Nepal, which has ratified the UN`s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights," it said.

The daily Kathmandu Post reported that about 1,000 journalists have had to stop work and could lose their jobs. Nepal has a total of 41  FM stations employing hundreds of journalists and technicians. Stations such as Hits FM and FM Adhyatma Jyoti each have more than 10 reporters. And the biggest stations, such as Kantipur FM, have at least 90 correspondents throughout the country.

Some stations such as Kantipur FM and Annapurna FM, which is based in the central town of Pokhara, have already been forced to lay off journalists, while the audio news agency Communication Corner, which distributed programmes to some 14 radio stations, has had to close.

The government previously banned news programmes on FM radio stations in January 2001, but the Supreme Court quashed the order in July of the same year. After communications were re established yesterday, fresh reports circulated about the devastating effect of the king`s1 February coup d`etat on press freedom. The army is continuing to close newspapers. On the evening of 7 February, for example, soldiers raided four weekly newspapers in the capital to prevent them coming out. A radio journalist quoted on the BBC News website spoke of "psychological terror" being employed by the army against the news media.

A military officer is running the weekly Janaastha. The weeklies Taza Khabar, Samata, Punarjagaran, Drishti and Yugsambad have all reportedly been closed or are under the army`s direct control.Voice of America quoted Rajendra Dahal, the editor of a bi-monthly published by the Himal Media press group, as saying, "if our censorship or self-censorship is not sufficient in theeyes of the authorities, we are threatened, accused or arrested." As an ironic protest against the censorship, Himal Media`s publications have run editorials on archery and classical dance.

The news website nepalnews.com is online again after being blocked for a week but is "publishing no news going against the letter or spirt of the royal proclamation." The site said its "international coverage" section has also been suspended. The army has meanwhile asked 30 ISPs to be more effective in their blocking of Maoist sites based abroad.

The family of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) president Tara Nath Dahal is still being harassed by the army. Most members of the FNJ leadership, including Gopal Budhathoki, are in hiding. As a protest against the censorship, Budhathoki earlier this week brought out the weekly Sanghu, which he edits, with a blank editorial page.

Many Nepalese human rights activists known for defending imprisoned journalists have been arrested, threatened or placed under house arrest. Reporters Without Borders is particularly concerned about Subodh Raj Pyakurel and the entire team of INSEC, an NGO with which Reporters Without Borders issued a report about torture and arbitrary detention in Nepal in November 2002.

IANS adds: In its search for "safe" stories ever since King Gyanendra declared an emergency Feb 1, the media has rediscovered Charles Sobhraj who has been serving a life term in a Kathmandu prison since last year. With curbs on the media, the Nepalese media has had to rethink its editorial policy. Nepal`s dailies have been racking their brains to come up with politically correct articles locally to fill up the pages and at the same time continue to hold the reader`s interest. Perhaps that`s why Sobhraj - who has been in prison here after being found guilty of murdering an American tourist in 1975 - is back in the news.

With the court of appeals having started hearing the case, the media has been looking up to it for its daily dose of arresting news."Appellate court may not uphold Sobhraj`s conviction," said a headline in the Himalayan Times daily Friday. He was back in the headlines Wednesday. "Sobhraj`s lawyer moves UN rights panel," the daily said.
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