Press Caught in a Cross-fire

After the dissolution of the parliament, the state of human rights and freedom of the press has been deteriorating in Nepal. Journalists faced greater risks as political instability and Maoist insurgency continued in the country during 2003. Threats from both the government troops and Maoist rebels increased after the ceasefire between them collapsed in August.

Security forces launched a major crackdown against journalists, especially those considered to be pro-Maoist or those who defied censorship. The media came under greater restrictions and censorships. The period following the breakdown of the peace process was marked by arbitrary arrests and the illegal detention of media workers. In most cases, no charges were filed against the journalists arrested by government troops. On September 13, 2003, Sitaram Baral, assistant editor of the weekly Janaastha, was detained by security forces. On his release five days later, Baral reported ‘mental and physical torture’ during interrogation and had to be hospitalised.

While most journalists were released after a period of brief detention, some continue to remain missing. Dhan Bahadur Magar, a former employee of the pro-Maoist newspaper Janadesh, was arrested on November 18, 2003. His whereabouts remain unknown. Similraly, Bhai Kaji Ghimire, publisher of the monthly Samadristi, arrested on December 3, is still missing.

Maoist rebels also targeted journalists in the year 2003. On September 7, 2003, suspected Maoists brutally murdered Gyanendra Khadka, a journalist with the state-owned news agency, the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), by slitting his throat. Khadka was the first Nepalese journalist to be killed after the ceasefire between the government and the rebels broke down.

By October, at least 42 journalists had been detained by the security forces, 3 had disappeared and Maoists had killed one and driven out several others from their homes for writing against them, according to Taranath Dahal of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists. However, the struggle for democracy and freedom of press continues to go on side by side in Nepal.

Nepal: Attacks on the Press

February 15, 2003
Editor Kapil Kafle of the newspaper Nepal Samacharpatra disclosed that his correspondent in the western district of Accham had been kept confined to his Thapa Gaon village for the past three months. Maoists accused correspondent Deepak Bahadur Thapa of writing against their movement and said that he would face danger if he attempted to leave the village.

February 24, 2003
Reporter Rabin Prasad Thapalia of the weekly newspaper Ruprekha, published in Nuwakot district, told journalists in Kathmandu that he had received death threats from the Maoists. He showed two letters that the rebels had sent him after his article about widows of government security officers killed in a Maoist attack appeared in the newspaper in September 2002.

The first letter, dated January 10, 2003, complained that his article ‘termed us terrorists and praised the role of the army’ and gave him one month to submit a detailed criticism of the article to the Maoist headquarters and to issue a public apology or face death.

Thapalia said he published an apology in Ruprekha under pressure from worried relatives. But that did not satisfy the rebels, who sent the second letter giving him 15 days to criticise his article ‘word for word’ and repeating the death threat. Thapalia did not respond to the second letter.

August 25, 2003
Past and present members of the Working Committee of the Nepal Press Union met in Kathmandu and demanded the immediate enforcement of the Working Journalists Act. The meeting also decided to struggle for press freedom jointly with the Federation of Nepali Journalists and Press Chautari Nepal.

August 28, 2003
Ramahari Chaulugian, a reporter for the weekly Sanghu, was kidnapped near the newspaper's office in a suburb of Kathmandu the day after Maoists broke a ceasefire agreement with the government, signaling a new round of attacks on journalists. The Federation of Nepalese Journalists appealed to the government ‘to immediately release Chaulugian who was arrested by the security forces’.

August 30, 2003
Resham Birahi, the central counselor of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), was threatened by Maoists and told not to disseminate reports against their party or their activities. ‘The ongoing war is a decisive one. So do not write as you feel like against us,’ Birahi quoted the Maoists as saying.

September 7, 2003
Gyanendra Khadka, a journalist with the state-owned news agency, the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), was brutally murdered in the eastern district of Sindhupalchowk by suspected Maoists. According to RSS, the rebels seized Khadka from a school where he taught part-time, took him to a field, tied him to a pole and slit his throat.

Khadka was the first Nepalese journalist to be killed since the ceasefire between the government and the rebels broke down in August. About 30 journalists who gathered to peacefully protest his killing were detained briefly by police for defying a ban on demonstrations.

September 9, 2003
Subhashankar Kandel, editor of the weekly Janadharana, was reportedly picked up by plain-clothed security forces from his home in Balaju Banasthali in the northern part of Kathmandu Valley. According to local journalists, Kandel was interrogated about books on communism, Maoism and Leninism found in his home. He was held in army custody until his release on October 3.

September 13, 2003
Security forces detained Sitaram Baral, assistant editor of the weekly Janaastha, in Kathmandu for four days. Local journalists said Baral was blindfolded and subjected to ‘mental and physical torture’ during interrogation. He was hospitalised after his release.

Premnath Joshi, editor and publisher of the English-language monthly Shangrila Voice, was similarly picked up from his home in Kathmandu the same day and taken to an undisclosed place. No charges were filed against him and his whereabouts remain unknown.

September 21, 2003
Security forces arrested Nwaraj Pahadi, editor of weekly Antarang, in the western district of Lamjung. According to the daily Space Time, he was arrested for publishing a report alleging corruption in the Middle Marsyangdi Hydropower Plant.

September 27, 2003
Binod Sajana Chaudhary, a pro-Maoist journalist working for the weekly Nepalgunj Express, was shot dead by security forces in the western district of Kailali. According to Maoist sources, Chaudhary was collecting information for a story when he was stopped by security personnel in plain clothes. He was allegedly shot at point blank range even after he showed them his press identity card.

October 24, 2003
Yogesh Rawal, a reporter for the daily Rajdhani, was arrested by the Armed Police Forces (APF) in Tikapur, in the western district of Kailali. Rawal, who is the secretary of a local Amnesty International (AI) group and a member of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, was detained along with 22 soccer players. The players were reportedly released after one hour, while Rawal remains in custody.

According to Rawal's father, police raided his house on October 25 and seized two books on human rights. AI believes that he might have been arrested in connection with his journalistic writings.

October 30, 2003
Chief Justice Kedar Nath Upadhayay urged the government at a book launching ceremony to frame a Right to Information Act to ensure the citizens' right to information which would strengthen democracy. The president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Taranath Dahal, said on the occasion that proper mechanism should also be developed to disseminate information regarding the activities and decisions of the Royal palace.
Dr Ramkrishna Timalsena, author of the book Right to Information: Philosophy, Law and Practice, said lack of proper channels to disseminate information to the press from the government agencies had badly affected the press community in Nepal.

November 18, 2003
Security forces arrested Dhan Bahadur Magar, an employee of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and a former employee of the pro-Maoist newspaper Janadesh, which no longer exists. His whereabouts remain unknown. Magar had previously been arrested in 2002 and remained in custody for four months, as a result of articles he wrote in support of the Maoists. His 2003 arrest is seen as part of the crackdown by authorities on journalists considered to be pro-Maoist.

December 3, 2003
Bhai Kaji Ghimire, publisher of the monthly Samadristi, was arrested by security forces while on his way to work in Kathmandu. No charges were filed against him and his whereabouts are unknown.