FNJ threatens to stage nationwide protest if journalist Shah not freed immediately 
The Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) has threatened to stage nationwide protest if the whereabouts and condition of abducted Bara-based journalist Birendra Shah were not made public immediately.
Speaking at a gathering of politicians, rights activists and journalists following a protest rally organised by the FNJ in Kathmandu Tuesday, journalists also demanded that stern action be taken against those involved in Shah’s abduction.
A visibly distressed Umrawati Devi Shah, the wife of the missing journalist, had also participated in the rally with her two kids and family members.
She appealed to the Maoists to immediately make public the whereabouts of her husband no matter whatever his condition.
Addressing the gathering, FNJ president Bishnu Nisthuri warned that journalists across the country would go on a nationwide strike if steps were not taken to immediately release journalist Shah. He said that if even that didn’t work the FNJ would then appeal to the half a million journalists associated with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) worldwide to condemn the Maoist act and organise protests.
President Nisthuri also termed the lack of any cooperation from the Maoists to take legal action against the culprit as “height of political duplicity”.
“If press freedom is not ensured and if there is growing intervention against it, the very foundation of a democratic system will collapse,” he cautioned.
He also asked the National Human Rights Commission to seek clarification from the top leadership of the Maoist party over the incident.
Similarly, former FNJ president Tara Nath Dahal said that the latest abduction of journalist Birendra Shah by the Maoists has clearly affirmed that the former rebels are openly trying to flout free press.
Agreeing with Nisthuri, he also warned that the journalist would stage an even bigger protest if Shah as not immediately released.
Press Chautari Nepal president Bal Krishna Chapagain said that by abducting journalist Birendra Shah the Maoists have shown their unruly behavior. He also accused the Maoists of trying to take the steam off the episode by trying to divert the public attention.
Speaking at the protest programme, Nepal Press Union president Samir Jung Shah said that no matter what kind of drama the Maoists stage to deceive the people into believing that they had no hand in the case it would all be meaningless now because the truth is already out.
He also stressed that the state should play a proactive role to ensure the safe release of journalist Shah.
Similarly, Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) general secretary Kundan Aryal said that central leadership of the Maoist party should immediately bring out all the facts behind the incident and should ask for a public apologize.
26 days have passed since journalist Shah has gone missing after being reportedly abducted by local cadres of the CPN-Maoist in Bara. Although the Maoistd have been denying their hand in the incident, the parliamentary panel and various media and rights organisations have concluded that the Maoists have a clear involvement in the abduction of journalist Shah and has named Maoist cadres Lal Bahadur Chaudhari, Hareram Patel and others of being involved in Shah’s abduction.
After mounting pressure from national and international organisations including the UN bodies for Shah’s immediate release, the Maoists on Sunday formed a three-member committee to 'investigate' the abduction.
However, there is also growing fear that Maoists might have killed Shah already. In its Tuesday edition The Kathmandu Post quoted a “reliable” local source as saying that the Maoists had already killed journalist Shah.
“The Maoist shot Shah dead the day after he was abducted,” the Post report said.
The special session of the parliament that resumed from Monday after a hiatus of 18 days also saw parliamentarians demanding the government to make public hereabouts of journalist Shah.
On the same day, Umrawati Shah appealed to journalist and human rights bodies to find the whereabouts of her husband. ”I am ready for any kind of punishment or fine but I request the Maoists to safely release my husband,” she said with eyes full of tears and a choking voice.
Bhaiyaram Shah, the journalist’s brother, said, ”Since Lal Bahadur Chaudary of the Maoist party had been threatening my brother from the past some time there’s no doubt that the Maoist cadres were behind his abduction.” nepalnews.com ag Oct 30 07
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