In the central region, the
team visited nine districts of the region: Dhanusha, Mahottari,
Sindhuli, Sarlahi, Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Makwanpur and Chitwan.
The team held substantial discussions with the representatives
of political parties, civil society, local administration,
security departments, journalists, human rights activists,
lawyers, and other stakeholders. It visited media offices,
studied publications, and had indepth discussions with media
owners.
The monitoring team comprised: senior journalist,
Som Nath Ghimire, coordinator; and members former president
of FNJ, Suresh Acharya; member of FNJ, Nirmala Sharma;
member of SAFMA, Keshab Khanal; and National representative
of FNJ, Gagan Bista.
Major objectives of
the Monitoring Mission
As the royal proclamation was announced on February 1, the
state of emergency was also declared restricting fundamental
rights that caused a serious crisis of press freedom, democracy
and human rights. Due to the restrictions on press freedom,
the whole civil society remained unaware and confused. The
media and journalists outside Kathmandu are mostly affected
after February 1. Considering this fact, the monitoring team
set out to the central region aimed at analyzing the situation
and finding out the facts.
Situation common to
all the districts
- The role of free press has been obstructed through written,
verbal instructions and psychological pressure.
- After the royal proclamation, almost all publications
were stopped for two weeks.
- Army personnel cordoned off some of the newspapers,
radio and FM stations while the royal proclamation was
still on air and yet to be completed. They interrogated
the media persons, and raided and locked media offices.
- Journalists are regularly threatened and terrorised.
- Practicing journalism outside Kathmandu is becoming
more and more difficult
- Many publications would be closed if the situation does
not change.
- FM stations have sacked journalists working on news
programmes.
- Trend of hiding information has been increased. In many
districts, corruption and irregularities have become rampant.
No one dare to write against the corruption in police
and army administration.
- The opportunities of advertisements are curtailed. State
has been trying to impose economic blockade of the media.
- Attempts are made by the official machinery to obstruct
unity and coordination among journalists.
- State behaves differently with journalists in different
places. Many examples of revenge-taking attempts are found.
- All journalists across the region are committed not
to encourage and support any terrorist activities.
District Wise Situation
Chitwan
- When the royal proclamation was being announced, the
army personnel entered into the premises of FM stations
(Kalika and Synergy) and ordered to stop the transmission.
Only after 28 hours, the transmission was allowed to be
resumed without any news programme.
- During the royal announcement, the army personnel entered
into all newspaper offices of Chitwan and ordered to stop
their publications till the next notice. Local dailies
like Chitwan Post, Pardarshi and Bargikrit could not be
published till February 26. Similarly, none of the weeklies
could be published for a week. On the initiation and request
of journalists, a meeting was held on February 7 at district
administration office. All the editors and publishers
attended the meeting. The meeting concluded with a written
agreement to publish newspapers on the condition of excluding
everything against royal proclamation and what may encourage
and support terrorism.
- Narayan Adhikari, Chitwan correspondent of Rastriya
Samachar Samiti (RSS), and Basanta Parajuli, reporter
of Gorkhapatra, were arrested and released after 17 days.
They were under detention on the charges of being involved
in the activities against the royal proclamation. A delegation
led by Janak Aryal, the FNJ president Chitwan, met CDO
and security officer and demanded release of all journalists
unconditionally. The delegation also urged not to torture
the journalists.
- The district police office has issued warrants of Suresh
Chandra Adhikari, executive member of FNJ Chitawan. In
the third week of February, an armed group raided Adhikari's
home and manhandled his wife.
- As per the order of Supreme Court, Dil Bahadur Adhikari
of Chitwan Pithuva was released. But immediately after
the release, a group arrested him from the court premises.
District police office summoned Tika Dutt Timilsina, editor
of a newspaper and warned him not to publish such news.
- Royal Nepal Army, police and local administration often
ask journalists not to publish any news item regarding
general strike, 'band', blockade and its impact.
- On March 28, three daily newspapers' editors were issued
additional conditions and regulations to be followed before
publishing news.
- On March 28, a Major from Bharatput barrack called journalists
and pressurised them to publish a news about a wall painting
by an unidentified group. However, the identification
of the group was not clear, none of the newspaper covered
the event. Only RSS, quoting army sources, published that
news.
- On April 1, a news was published in Kantipur daily about
burning down of seven trucks by Maoists on Narayanghat-Muglin
Highway. Kantipur reporters- Prabhakar Ghimire, Narayan
Sharma and Khuman Singh Tamang were interrogated for hours
about that news. CDO, Narayan Sharma and DSP Surendra
Bahadur Shah interrogated them separately. After the journalists
claimed that police was not the right authority to clarify
news publication, they were released on the condition
to be present when asked.
- The media monitoring team tried many times to meet CDO
of Chitwan to convince him not to restrict the journalists.
But he avoided meeting the team.
- Journalists in Chitwan are often called, threatened
and tortured mentally by some unidentified groups.
- Telephone lines particularly of media houses and journalists
can be cut-off any time without any prior notice.
Parsa
In Parsa district 109 newspapers/magazines
are registered. However, seven dailies and some weeklies have
been regularly published. The regular dailies are Prateek,
Aankush, Satya Sandesh, Birgunj Report, Narayani Today, Jana
Pratibimba and Alkapuri. Similarly weeklies are Simana, Sarvakshan,
Pravatbani, Gramin Samacharpatra, Sachetana, Desh Darshan,
Sunday Times, Ghadi Arba, Jana Shristi and Satya Samacharpatra.
- Immediately after the royal proclamation, the local
administration stopped all publications. After one week,
publications were allowed, but on the condition of following
the 'spirit of the royal proclamation'.
- Deependra Chauhan and Mukunda Acharya were interrogated
by army regarding a news about smuggling of hashish. The
news disclosed that army and police were collecting money
in the name of controlling hashish, but after some pursuation
they were compelled to return the extorted money.
- Security officers interrogated Anil Tiwari of Ankush
daily for publishing news on political parties' movement.
Due to the interrogation by security personnel, Gopal
Ask resigned from the post of editor.
- Police misbehaved with a photo journalist Subodh Singh
and journalist Ram Sarraf when they were covering a democratic
movement event.
- After imposing state of emergency, journalists were
unable to publish news on corruption and irregularities.
- The administration verbally restricted publication of
any news or photographs even of peaceful demonstration
led by political parties.
- DSP Bijaya Lal Kayastha instructed some journalists
on March 30 to write news dedicated by 'the situation
in the country'.
- Royal Nepal Army took the transmitter of Radio Birgunj,
which was given back after two hours. The restriction
on news programmes increased the number of jobless journalists.
- The trend of hiding information is increasing and in
the name of state of emergency, journalists are often
threatened.
- CDO Narendra Raj Pokharel claimed before the team that
journalists were not troubled in connection of the news
regarding hashish trafficking. It was only some clarification
offered by the authorities.
- However journalists told the fact finding mission that
they are not allowed to write facts and are regularly
threatened. They stressed on the need of unity and coordination
among the media persons. They also insisted that the journalists
in Kathmandu should give due attention towards suffering
of the journalists working in rural areas.
Dhanusha
- After February 1, the local administration stopped the
publication of all newspapers.
- Next day, a delegation of around 20 journalists demanded
the CDO to remove ban on the media. The CDO briefed on
the limitations under the state of emergency and instructed
the journalists to follow them.
- Journalists told the mission that they go where protest
demonstrations are organised. They cover the story. Take
the photographs. But, when they are back in office, security
personnel warn them not to publish any of the materials.
- Journalists are regularly threatened. Security departments
and local administration often call them for 'clarification'.
- Janakpur Today again published an interview of Indian
Ambassador, which was already published in Himal Khabarpatrika.
The administration immediately called the editor for clarification.
- Janakpur Sandesh again published an article taken from
Khojtalash weekly, which is published from Kathmandu.
The local administration seized that issue.
- After the declaration of state of emergency, none of
the newspaper/magazine from Kathmandu reached Janakpur
for next two days.
- Indian publications were also censored and banned for
some days.
- Human rights activists said that the local media persons
are terrorised. They claimed that journalists do not dare
to publish even their statements.
- On April 8, security personnel severely beat up the
participants of a peaceful demonstration organised by
the political parties. Journalists witnessed the incidents,
but due to the pressure of security department, journalists
could not report the incident.
- On April 10, three people were injured in a bomb blast
hurled at Bhanu Chowk. Journalists were banned to publish
that incident as well. Defying the direction, Rajeshwor
Nepali published the news and he was interrogated by the
security personnel.
- The administration pressurised not to cover news regarding
the murder of Bishnu Pokharel, DSP of national investigation
unit.
- Ashish Sarraf, photojournalist of Janakpur Today, was
arrested while taking photographs of political demonstration.
After detaining him for six hours, all of his photographs
were destroyed.
- The mission felt a lack of unity and coordination among
media persons. All the journalists agreed.
Mahottari
- Media sector in Mahottari district does not have an
institutional set up. Few journalists are active in the
field. However, the monitoring team found that during
the state of emergency they were united.
- In Mahottari district, 18 newspapers/magazines have
been registered. However, only five weeklies are being
published.
- The district has no offset press. Newspapers are printed
in Janakpur and then circulated in the district. The local
journalists have no access to computer and internet.
- Though none of the journalists from Mahottari has been
arrested, but they are afraid of administration and security
department.
- On March 14, security personnel beat up the participants
of the demonstrations organised by political parties.
But, the authorities threatened not to publish the news.
- The local journalists met the political party leaders
and activists, who are in custody.
- After the declaration of state of emergency, the government
officials stopped advertisements.
- They can print the news that is already published in
Kathmandu. Journalists in Mahottari agree that they were
operating in relatively liberal situation in comparison
to other districts. After February 1, the local publications
were stopped for two weeks.
Sindhuli
- Six weeklies are published in Sindhuli district.
- Army personnel censored the publications for one-and-half
months. Afterward, publishers and editors were ordered
to bring their publications to the army barrack.
- The army censorship has been lifted after the month
of Baisakh.
- Journalists are not free of psychological terror.
- Though the administration has not arrested any journalist
in the district so far, journalists Min Kumar Dahal and
Krishna Ghimire have submitted an application to the central
committee of FNJ requesting security.
- The local administration kept the phone lines of Min
Kumar Dahal and Krishna Ghimire cut off for a long time.
- Government advertisements for local newspapers have
been totally stopped.
Sarlahi
- Two out of 29 registered newspapers/magazines are being
published in Sarlahi district. 36 journalists have become
the member of FNJ.
- After the declaration of state of emergency, two issues
of all publications were seized. The publications were
first ordered to stop, but later ordered to restart.
- The editors of local media are given more directions
than to the correspondents of national media run from
Kathmandu.
- The journalists from Sarlahi claimed that they have
succeeded in publishing news of political parties, protest
statements and etc. They also suggested journalists to
be more courageous.
- Interestingly, a weekly newspaper has been registered
in Sarlahi. Probably, Sarlahi is the first district to
have registered a new newspaper during state of emergency.
- Administration's attempt to close newspapers was foiled
by the united effort of journalists.
- Some newspapers left blank space wherever army, police,
national investigation officers and administrative officials
censored the text. Journalist Shanker Shrestha has been
harassed from the very beginning of the emergency. He
is interrogated many times. Journalists have challenged
the order not to publish photographs.
Rautahat
- In Rautahat district, the publication of two local weeklies
is irregular because of their internal problems.
- Journalist Rewant Jha was arrested while reporting on
political parties' movement.
- The local administration has instructed the newspapers
not to publish any matter that can boost terrorists' morale.
Though journalists are not formally interrogated, yet
they are being harassed.
Bara
- In Bara district, two local weeklies were stopped for
two weeks after the February 1 proclamation.
- The administration has ordered not to publish any matter
against the government policy. Despite the administrations'
order not to publish anything regarding terrorists' and
political parties' activities, the local newspapers have
been publishing political parties' events.
- Rabindra Singh was summoned by the administration and
harassed for writing on corruption, which was published
prior to the February 1 move. The monitoring team did
not find any case of interrogation of journalists. After
the interaction between FNJ and administration, the situation
improved.
Makawanpur
- In Makawanpur district, the administrators are found
working under royal Nepal army after February 1.
- Journalists have faced pressures many times and received
threats from the army personnel.
- The journalists from a local daily, a bi-weekly and
four weekly newspapers are directly summoned by the army
officers, interrogated and threatened.
- Manakamana FM of Hetauda has been facing the similar
problems what the other FM stations faced across the country.
- After the royal proclamation, army personnel took the
FM station under their control and permitted the transmission
after two days.
- Journalists Devraj Rimal and Lok Nath Pandey were arrested
for reporting on political parties' demonstrations. They
were released after 24 hours.
- The Royal Nepal Army interrogated journalists Pratap
Bista, Khem Bolakhe, Deepak Adhikari, Utsav Chaulagain
and Sunil Gautam on the accusation of publishing news
against the spirit of the royal proclamation.
- The local media have also been deprived of the government
subsidy. Local journalists demanded permission to publish
news and photographs of the demonstrations.
Presenter
Gagan Bista
on behalf of Central Region Monitoring Team
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