11 May 2005
IFEX MEMBERS DECRY CONTINUING CRISIS
Amidst a bloody conflict between government forces and Maoist rebels in Nepal, journalists continue to face unprecedented restrictions and attacks from both sides, according to new reports by IFEX members.
The Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) says more than 20 journalists have been killed over the last six years, half of them since 2003. Dozens of other journalists have faced threats, intimidation and physical harassment. Since April 2004, at least 51 journalists have been arrested and subjected to harassment while in detention. Eleven remain in detention.
During the state of emergency, which was declared on 1 February 2005 and lifted on 29 April, security forces were stationed in the editorial rooms of news media and ordered to vet all news content, says CEHURDES.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says in the three months since King Gyanendra sacked Nepal's Parliament and seized control of the country, his forces have dismantled much of the country's once-thriving independent news media.
Authorities have employed coercive financial tactics, cutting off government advertising revenue and using the state's regulatory muscle to pressure the country's largest news outlet. An estimated 1,200 radio journalists remain unemployed as a result of the government's decision to shut down news reporting on FM radio.
Despite the lifting of the state of emergency, sweeping bans on news reporting remain in place and the government continues to harass and intimidate journalists, says CPJ. The government is drafting regulations that would ban FM stations from broadcasting news related to politics. It has also left in place a vaguely worded ban on any reporting that "directly or indirectly supports destruction and terrorism."
Meanwhile, the Nepalese press is struggling with the effects of a government decision to stop publishing ads in private media. Advertising from government agencies accounts for 25 percent of the media's revenues nationwide, according to a report by "Nepal News".
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is sending a team of human rights experts to Nepal this month to establish a monitoring mission that will report violations to the international community. Headed by Ian Martin, the mission aims to set up an office in the capital, Kathmandu, and up to five regional field offices to ensure rapid responses to reports of violations.
Visit these links:
- CEHURDES: http://www.cehurdes.org.np/summary_of_nepal_report_2005.html
- CPJ Letter to King Gyanendra: http://www.cpj.org/protests/05ltrs/Nepal09may05pl.html
- CPJ Report: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2005/nepal_05/nepal_05_main.html
- IFJ: http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/nepalcrisis.html
- List of Journalists Detained in Nepal: http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/arrestedjnepal.html
- Index on Censorship: http://tinyurl.com/79ec7
- UN Mission to Nepal: http://tinyurl.com/9gczq
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