(FNJ/IFEX) – The “Nepal Samacharpatra Daily” and pro-Maoist newspaper “Janabidrohi Daily”, published in Biratnagar, were burned by cadres of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) on 15 June 2007 at 5:00 a.m. (local time) in Duhabi, in Sunsari district in eastern Nepal. According to the Federation of Nepalese Journalists’ (FNJ) Morang Chapter, the cadres burned the […]
(FNJ/IFEX) – The “Nepal Samacharpatra Daily” and pro-Maoist newspaper “Janabidrohi Daily”, published in Biratnagar, were burned by cadres of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) on 15 June 2007 at 5:00 a.m. (local time) in Duhabi, in Sunsari district in eastern Nepal.
According to the Federation of Nepalese Journalists’ (FNJ) Morang Chapter, the cadres burned the newspapers for not disseminating news of their activities. A group of MJF cadres stopped a vehicle belonging to the “Nepal Samacharpatra Daily” and then a vehicle belonging to “Janabidrohi Daily”, before warning distributors that, if they did not publish news of their activities, they would burn the vehicle the following day.
The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) has condemned the attack on the newspapers. It is concerned about the increasing number of threats against the media by the MJF and has urged the group to respect press freedom. It has also urged the government to ensure the safety and security of media personnel.