Press freedom still under cloud, three journalists killed in last one year

Three journalists were killed while media persons failed to see the sign of relief from the continued attacks and intimidation from various political groups, armed outfits and state agencies last year.

The murdered journalists are Shanker Panthi, correspondent of Naya Satta daily published from Butwal, Birendra Kumar Sah, correspondent of Avenues Television, Kathmandu and Pushkar Bahadur Shrestha, Editor of two local newspapers-New Highway and New Season - based in Birgunj.

Kanchanpur-based journalist Prakash Singh Thakuri has gone missing from Mahendranagar since July, 2007.

According to statistics published by Freedom Forum, Friday, 42 incidents of attack on journalists were recorded in the period of one year from 14 April 2007 to 12 April 2008. 76 incidents of threat on journalists were recorded, 82 journalists were manhandled and 31 had to come across misbehavior from armed groups, security personnel and political party.

During the period, 18 publications (Dailies and Weeklies) and radio stations were forced to remain shut down, in different periods, including Nepal Samacharpatra, The Himalayan Times, Annapurna Post and HBC FM in Kathmandu.

Likewise, 50 journalists working in various media institutions were dismissed from their job owing to the partisan interference and interest and 52 others were arrested by security personnel from various protests and demonstrations staged to exert pressure on the government and agitating groups.

On the occasion of releasing the report, the Forum and International Press Institute Nepal Chapter jointly honoured Gorkha district reporter of Kantipur daily Damodar Neupane for actively reporting the atrocities of Maoists in the district. nepalnews.com ia May 02 08