Opposition boycott House,call for better handling of emergency

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KATHMANDU, March 26:The entire opposition boycotted the parliamentary proceedings Tuesday afternoon drawing the government’s attention on the country’s worsening security scenario, and forcing Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat to adjourn the House till Wednesday morning.

Whip of the main opposition CPN-UML Rajendra Pande flayed the governement for failing to maintain law and order situation in the country and strongly demanded that the government issue directives to manage the state of emergency in accordance with the Article 115 (7) of the Constitution.

"The government should be able to ensure law and order situation. It has also failed to live up to its promise (to, among others, issue the order and better handle the emergency situation during the crucial voting to ratify emergency last month). So we are boycotting the House until the government does something," Pande said. "Where is the Home Minister? He had better assure and satisfy the House."

What followed thereafter was the scene, which was more like a reminder of the previous session: All the UML lawmakers present in the House stood up and staged a walk out. Lawmakers of the other opposition parties too maintained a conspicuous silence thereafter, indicating their support to the main opposition UML.

The boycott came an hour after the lawmakers of the National People’s Front (NPF) boycotted the House proceedings for the second straight day demanding that the government informed the House about the killing of at least three of its workers in Baglung by security forces.

Lawmaker Pari Thapa of the smaller left party lambasted the government for failing to maintain law and order situation in the country and demanded that the government informed the House about the killings of three of its party workers in Baglung.

Expressing grave concern on the deteriorating law and order situation in the country as well as in the capital city ahead of a five-day-long nationwide shut down called by the Maoist party, Pradip Nepal and Subas Nemwang of the main opposition CPN-UML also demanded that the Prime Minister informed the House.

Nemwang demanded that the government probe recent incidents in Ilam and Jhapa where at least 18 village development committee (VDC) offices were set on fire by unidentified persons earlier this week.

"This morning rebels hurled a petrol bomb at the vehicle that remained parked inside the resident premises of our comrade Bharat Mohan Adhikari. Where is security and where is the government?" Nemwang said. "Isn’t the attack against Bharat Mohan Adhikary also an attack against Tara Nath Ranabhat?"

Pashupati Shamsher JB Rana of the Rastriya Prajantantra Party (RPP), Hridesh Tripathi of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP), Narayan Man Bijukchhe and Lila Mani Pokharel of the United People’s Front (UPF) also drew the government’s attention on the security situation.

India to set up Technology Institute in Far West: PM

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KATHMANDU, March 26:A day after returning from India after completing his five-day tour, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba informed the parliament Tuesday that the southern neighbour, among others, have agreed to set up a Institute of Technology in the far western region and complete border regulation works by 2003.

The southern neighbour has also agreed to help Nepal construct the East-West Railway alongside the existent East-West Highway. India is to carry out a feasibility study to this effect very soon, according to the Prime Minister.

Presenting a list of his 16-point "achievements" to parliamentarians and journalists, Deuba said that India has agreed to set up an Institute of Technology in the relatively backwater far western region of the country. Deuba hails from mountainous Dadeldhura district in the region.

The two governments have also signed an accord to foster cooperation in the field of science and information technology.

According to him, the two countries have agreed to direct the Nepal-India Joint Border Committee to look into the border problems and complete the border demarcation works by 2003.

"Political solutions would be sought to resolve the border disputes if the joint committee cannot reach a mutually agreeable solution," Deuba said, adding that the two governments have directed the joint committee to speed up the demarcation works in Kalapani area in the far western region.

Nepali surveyors assert that India has occupied Nepal’s Kalapani region since early 1960s, when India and China fought a war. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police of the government of India occupy the disputed territory, and the heated hue and cry in Nepal has failed to yield desired results.

The two South Asian neighbours share the 1800-plus kilometers long border.

The two governments will also work to complete necessary homework within two months to make a dry port in Birgunj that would be connected with Kolkata port in India operational.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the much-delayed Mahakali Pancheshwor Multipurpose Project will be completed by June, according to him.

In the direction towards reviewing the 1950 Nepal-India Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the two governments have agreed to speed up the work at the foreign secretary level. "We have agreed to go ahead with the second round of dialogue between the foreign secretaries," Deuba said.

The governments have also agreed to hold the second round of water resources secretary-level meeting to develop joint venture hydro projects, and look into the issue of inundation along the Nepal-India border in parts of western Nepal and resolve the problems before the upcoming monsoon season.

The second round of water resources secretary level talks will be held at the earliest and, now onwards, the top officials would meet at an interval of six months, according to the Prime Minister.

"The two governments have also agreed to review the tax, levy and quarantine duties on the traditional Nepali agricultural products that are exported to India," according to Deuba.

India has also shown interest to resolve the long-festering Bhutanese refugee issue. Deuba’s statement, however, is silent on how would it go about it. There had also been exchanges of views on ways to strengthen the SAARC process and develop the forum as a medium to uplift the socio-economic status of the people in the region.

"Talks were also held to ensure respect and security to the Nepali people living in India or visiting it for several reasons," Deuba added.

Most importantly, India has agreed not to allow its land to be used against Nepal, support Nepal fight the Maoist insurgency, and exchange information on the cross-border movement of Maoists. Interaction programmes were also held with India’s parliamentarians, according to him.

Deuba embarked on the five-day-long trip on March 20, and while in New Delhi and Kolkata, he had one-to-one talks with Indian President K.R. Narayanan, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also met the External Affairs Minister, Home Minister, Defense Minister, Trade and Commerce Minister, Water Resources Minister and the Chief Minister of the West Bengal State, besides other officials.

Attacks on repeater stations badly affect telecom service

By Ram Sharan Sedhai

KATHMANDU, March 26:The unceasing onslaught on the repeater stations of Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) by the Maoist rebels has not only caused damages in millions of rupees, but also has pushed the development of telecom services back consideratly.

And that has not just left over a dozen districts completely disconnected but also rendered it nigh impossible to expand the service especially in the far-flung hill districts, where there is no other means of communication.

The series of attacks has forced the NTC to withdraw its expansion works in many areas which are vulnerable to the attacks, and in the wake of growing attacks even in the capital, the Corporation is facing hard time to carry out its regular works too. It has not only deprived the people of the remote areas where such damages have been caused, but also the people elsewhere who are in need of the service.

According to the latest statistics provided by the Corporation, the rebels have destroyed over 37 repeater stations in 25 districts, which has severed off the areas of telephone connections with rest the globe. The destruction of those repeater stations has entirely cut off connections of 12 district headquarters that of Rukum, Rolpa, Jajarkot, Darchula, Dhading, Rasuwa, Solukhumbu, Jumla, Kalikot, Arghakhanchi, Gulmi and Bajhang.

The series of attacks over the past four years by the rebels has destroyed a total of 4451 telephone lines including 1984 exchange lines and 447 lines based on Marts system.

Of the totally disconnected district headquarters a few lines have been installed in Achham and Lamjung based on Marts and VHF systems recently.

The total loss has been estimated at Rs 200 million so far including that of Mangalsen of Achham, which destroyed the telecom system of the district in an audacious attack on the district headquarters last month.

Besides the loss, it has also equally affected the revenue of the Corporation that it used to generate from the operation of telephone service in those districts and the revenue generated from elsewhere on making calls to those areas. Similarly, it has also affected the revenue that NTC used to get from receiving calls in those areas from abroad.

NTC, the state-run sole operator of telecom services, in fact generates more revenue from the telephone lines in the rural areas than those of urban ones. If the attacks continue unabated, it would badly affect the income of the Corporation. It is estimated that NTC would lose about Rs 10 million in revenue in a year from the destroyed communication facilities so far.

Ratna Kaji Tuladhar, Deputy General Manager of NTC says, "The ongoing attacks on the repeater stations and vehicles has not only caused a considerable loss to NTC, but also hindered the expansion works".

And it would take more than a year to bring the damaged telephone lines back into operation provided there is an environment for carrying out the reconstruction works, he added. We are making efforts to provide telephone service to those areas through alternative technology and are installing VHF system with the equipment the Corporation has, Tuladhar further said.

"We will make efforts to mitigate the impact of the destruction as soon as possible through satellite phone, but as it costs a minimum call charge of Rs 120 per minute and a telephone set costs about Rs 300 thousand, it would not be affordable to the people in the remote areas," said Rupak Haldar, Deputy General Manager, Maintenance.

NTC has distributed about 300 thousand telephone connections so far and an equal number of people are in the waiting list. Given the present situation, the people in waiting list would soon outnumber the total distributed lines, as the Corporation has to channel a huge amount to reconstruct the ravaged utility.

30 Maoists killed in latest encounters

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KATHMANDU, March 26:Security forces gunned down 30 Maoists in the latest incidents of clashes in five districts over the last 24 hours, the Defence Ministry said here today.

The security forces also recovered a large amount of firearms and explosives from other parts of the country.

The Defence Ministry said that 13 Maoists were shot dead in an hour-long exchange of fire with the rebels in Khagani area of Rolpa while four others, including a vice-platoon commander, were killed in Bichaur area of Lamjung districts. The security forces also killed two rebels in Tirkhu area of Jumla and another one in Lekhparajul area of Dailekh districts on Monday.

The rebels who were killed in Bichaur area of Lamjung district have been identified as vice-platoon commander Laxya, and others as Dikendra, Sukra and Ishwor. But their real identities were still unknown. Another rebel killed in Dailekh has been identified as Bal Bahadur Regmi who was so-called area commander of the Maoist organisation.

The Ministry further added that six armed Maoists were gunned down in clashes in Sikh Deurali area of Myagdi district on Tuesday. The Ministry has identified them as Nar Bahadur Pun (Nishan), Jagat Khadka, Shrijana Khadka, Man Bahadur BK, Punam Sharma and Puran Subedi.

The security forces also seized a large amount of firearms, explosives, socket bombs, camera, binoculars and Maoist literature.

The statement said that death toll of the rebels in Gumchal area of Rolpa district has reached 69 with four more bodies being recovered in Saldanda and Badachaur areas. A joint team of the security forces raided a Maoist military training centre in the Gumchal area and gunned down 65 rebels there on March 17.

Meanwhile, our reporter in Nawalparasi said that a group of Maoists set an Area Administrative Office on fire in Kawasoti on Tuesday afternoon. The office is just 300 metres away from the area police office. Administrative officer Sagar Mani Pathak said that the rebels had disconnected telephone line before storming into the office.

In yet another incident in the far-flung hill district of Baitadi, the rebels torched eight government offices and a motorbike on Monday. Although details of the incidents were sketchy, officials said the fire gutted most of the government documents.

Tough security to be in place for SLC exams

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KATHMANDU, March 26:The Government is all set to ensure that the upcoming School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations are conducted smoothly and will mobilise security in the strongest terms possible for the purpose, government sources said Tuesday.

The move follows a five-day nation-wide bandh called by the Maoists rebels beginning April 2, which coincides with the first day of the examinations and loud demands in Parliament on Monday that called for unprecedented security arrangements to ensure that nothing impedes the examinations.

"The security for this year’s exams is extensive and adequate," said Jeevan Sharma Poudel, Deputy Controller at the Controller’s Office, Sanothimi, dismissing reports pouring in from various districts that cited uncertainty about the examinations.

The government has, this year, invalidated about 28 centres, vulnerable to Maoists’ attack and shifted them to district headquarters to make the exams safer and successful. Examinations will be conducted in 720 places across the country.

"Mindful of the security situation, the Home and Defence Ministries are doing some kind of exercises to oversee that security is managed successfully," he added.

When queried about the preparedness, a Spokesperson for the Home Ministry, Gopendra Bahadur Pandey told The Kathmandu Post over phone that adequate security arrangements have been made for the SLC examinations this year. "We have directed all the concerned police offices in the district to make tough and adequate security arrangements for the SLC exams."

However, many still cite uncertainty about the exams and look upon the bandh announced by the Maoists rebels as "deeply shocking" and "wholly unacceptable."

"We have raised the issue in Parliament today and will continue tomorrow," Member of Parliament Ram Bahadur Bista said, citing complications about the SLC tests for 1800 students in his district this year. He said that no additional security has been sent to Achham, which he said is still under rubbles following the deadly attack by Maoists last month. "We have repeatedly asked the government to be serious about it but there has been no response as yet," he said.

According to the Controller’s office Achham had ten centres previously but due to security problems, they have been reduced to just three. MP Bista said the three proposed centres would in no case be able to accommodate all the 1570 students at the same time.

There are a total of 2,54,291 students appearing their SLC examinations this year including the regular 2,008,68 and an exempted number of 41,660.

Government inching towards bringing Chinese tourists

By Satyendra Timilsina

KATHMANDU, March 26:As a first step towards materialising the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Nepal and China on implementing a plan that allows outbound Chinese tourists to visit Nepal, the government authorised 78 Nepali travel agencies to operate travel tours today.

The MoU between the two countries was signed on November 26, 2001 by Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur KC and He Guangwei, Chairman of National Tourism Administration of China on behalf of Nepal and China respectively.

Shanker Koirala, Joint Secretary at the Ministry told The Kathmandu Post, today that the list of authorised Nepali travel agencies will be sent to China shortly and then the agencies would manage to bring the Chinese tourists into the country.

He further said that a total of 109 travel agencies had applied for such an approval, but only 78 of then were given authority as the others didn’t qualify for that. China authorized 67 Chinese travel agencies for the same purpose last November.

Though it has raised hopes among the tourism entrepreneurs that they could get some relief with the arrival of the Chinese tourists very soon, they are concerned about the accessibility problems because of limited number of flights between Nepal and various Chinese cities.

"We have to add some more routes to Chinese cities and revise air service agreement with China to allow multiple airline companies to fly," says Joy Dewan, President of Nepal Association of Travel Agents (NATA). He also points out limited access facilities provided for the Chinese tourists which may pose as a major problem.

In the meantime, a high-level government source at the Ministry said today that the government is preparing to make revision in air service agreement with the Chinese government. "However, the date of agreement has not been fixed yet," added the source.

Dewan also points out the need to ease the process of issuing visas to Chinese citizens and the much-touted Rupee-Yuan currency convertibility.

However, Rajeshwor Acharya, Royal Nepali Ambassador to China stated last week that the government is preparing to open new consular office in Shanghai. Tourism entrepreneurs hope that it would help in attracting more Chinese tourists.

Currently Nepal provides visas to Chinese citizens through its embassy in Beijing and the consular office at Lhasa. And the tourism experts have suggested the government to open consular offices in Shanghai, Siyang, Chengdu Guango and Quingmin provinces. They also say that more land entry points should be opened to facilitate the Chinese tourists.

Nepal is the first South Asian country to be enlisted as Chinese outbound tourism destination for its citizens and 19 other countries have received similar tourism status from China.

Tourism entrepreneurs are upbeat with the figures of the Chinese outbound tourists that were around 10.47 million during the previous year out of which 53.77 per cent traveled for private purpose. And they say a fraction of it can make a significant impact in Nepali tourism industry.

Chinese tourists visiting Nepal make less than two per cent of the total number of tourists and after Nepal being enlisted as the Chinese outbound tourism destination, government officials expect a minimum of 50,000 Chinese tourists to visit Nepal.

According to an estimation of the World Bank, China will emerge as a number-one inbound tourist destination and a fourth largest outbound tourist destination by 2020, with an estimated nine million Chinese tourists going abroad annually.

Journo, others released

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KATHMANDU, March 26:After much pressure from national and international individuals and organisations, the government on Tuesday released four persons including Shyam Shrestha, Editor of leftist monthly magazine – Mulyankan, and Gopal Budhathoki, Editor/Publisher of Sanghu Weekly.

The others released today include human rights activist Pramod Kafle and physician Dr. Mahesh Maskey, both of whom along with Editor Shrestha were detained on March 16 at the Tribhuvan International Airport, on their way to New Delhi to take part in a conference on the current conflict between the Nepal government and the Maoists.

The security men had arrested Budhathoki while he was on the way to his home from office on the night of March 3.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post over telephone after being released today, Budhathoki said the security men escorted all four to their homes and handed them over to their families Tuesday evening.

Budhathoki who was confined for 24 days within four chilling walls said the army men did not give him any kind of torture except leaving him completely detached from the outside world. "The behaviour of the guards, commanders and section in-charges was good," he said. "But we were kept blindfolded with our hands tied up except during the meal time."

While the Mulyankan Editor has different story to narrate. He said he along with Kafle and Dr. Maskey were suddenly stopped before boarding the plane in the airport. "Then they (security men) took us to Kalimati," said Shrestha. "They tied our hands and blindfolded us."

"They tried to prove that we were going to participate in a seminar organised by the men of the outlawed People’s War Group (PWG), which the Indian Government has declared terrorist group," Shrestha said.

Shrestha also revealed that Ram Prasad Mainali, Legal Advisor of the Janadesh, a pro-Maoist weekly, was also kept at the same place where they were confined for over a week. Mainali along with almost a dozen journalists were detained hours before imposing the state of emergency on November 26.

Earlier today, by issuing a joint statement, editors and publishers of different media houses had asked the government to immediately release the detainees. Those issuing the statement were Editor of Kantipur Daily Yubaraj Ghimire, Consulting Editor of Nepal Fortnightly Tirtha Koirala, Chief Editor and Publisher of Nepal Samacharpatra Daily Pushkar Lal Shrestha, Executive Editor of Himalaya Times Daily Kumar Prasad Sapkota, Editor of Himal Monthly Kanak Mani Dixit, Executive Editor of Rajdhani Daily Jivendra Simkhada and Chief Editor of Space Time Daily Dev Prakash Tripathi.

Chronic lung disease rampant in hills: Study

By Tilak Pokharel

KATHMANDU, March 26: A recent study conducted in the Khumbu region has found high incidence of a chronic lung disease caused by excessive smoking and of exposure to smoke.

The study, carried out jointly by local alpine medicine specialist Dr. Buddha Basnyat and Italian medical team led by Dr. Annalisa Cogo, President of Italian Alpine Association, found that locals of Khumbu who were regularly exposed to smoke showed early signs of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) which is deemed incurable.

"Even if they are not smokers, they had symptoms of COPD because of their regular exposure to indoor smoke," Dr. Basnyat told The Kathmandu Post.

The findings were built on a similar study carried out nearly 15 years ago in the western hill districts of Nepal, notably Humla and Jumla, by a team of doctors led by Dr Mrigendra Raj Pandey. That 1988 study also found high incident pulmonary (lung) illnesses among the local population who had been regularly exposed to tobacco and other smoke.

In the hills of Nepal, many women smoke crude tobacco. They also work long hours in the kitchen, where wood and animal dung are commonly used as fuel. The smoke caused by the kitchen fire is extremely harmful, doctors say.

The authors of the Khumbu study also say that COPD is widespread not just in the hills but also other areas of Nepal. They add that more than one-thirds of the patients visiting government hospital in the winter season show signs of the disease.

COPD that includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and chronic asthma is a grave illness, often leading to death after heart failure. Dr Basnyat says that COPD is an irreversible disease. "Once it catches an individual, he/she may have shortness of breath even on mild exertion and the person has no other way out but to wait for death," he said. "But the disease takes 10 to 12 years to develop to its full blown stage."

Dr. Basnyat said COPD is prevalent mostly among people in their 30s and 40s in Humla and Jumla districts of the western Nepal. "The complication of COPD is Cor Pulmonale (heart failure). It is also termed as COPD exacerbation," he said. "Once an individual attains this stage, his or her body starts swelling in and the people after this stage cannot live more than two years." Dr. Basnyat claimed that Cor Pulmonale is probably the most common heart disease in Nepal.

Because of its long incubation period, the disease largely passes unnoticed. But experts say, new cases are emerging in alarming number. In Nepal, unlike in the Western countries, COPD cases among women are more common than in men. "It is because most of the rural women are exposed to in-door smoke during cooking," said Dr Basnyat. "Many of the people don’t know that in-door smoking is equally chronic."

COPD kills by restricting oxygen flow from the lungs to the tissues. Once the sensitive parts like heart and lung don’t get enough oxygen, they get damaged and the irreversible process is set into motion, said Dr. Basnyat. "Finally, the person may die with maximum oxygen deficiency."

Dr. Basnyat suggests two ways to prevent COPD – the first one is by avoiding smoking and the next is by using smokeless stoves (chulo) – in the villages. But with prompt treatment with oxygen and antibiotics people can extend the life span.

New NRB act affects small tea farmers in Mechi

By Milan Mani Sharma and Lila Baral

BIRTAMOD, March 26:The recently enacted Nepal Rastra Bank Act (NRB) 2001 has hit the small farmers of Mechi Zone adversely as Agriculture Development Bank, Nepal (ADB/N) has stopped lending them stating that the new NRB act has tightened the period of reimbursement of the refinanced lending.

The new NRB Act asks the commercial and development banks borrowing money from the NRB under the refinance facility to reimburse within the six months. Earlier the grace period for the reimbursement was 5 to 7 years depending on the type and area of lending.

The ADB/N officials say that they have stopped sanctioning new loans after the enforcement of the new NRB Act. Madhav Prasad Upadhyaya, Acting General Manager of the ADB/N said that the bank has been forced to stop its loans to tea sector, as it cannot collect it back within the period, following the new NRB regulations.

"The loans going into the tea sector is a long term loan and knowing the sector where the invested is made, the bank cannot force the farmers to pay back their loans in six months," he said.

With this, the government’s efforts to promote commercial tea farming in the area, especially among the small farmers has been affected greatly. It may be noted that the government had reduced the interest rates on loans for tea farming to 10 percent from earlier 12 per cent to promote it.

Purna Kumar Sharma, Chairman of the Himalayan Orthodox Tea Producers Association (HOTPA) said that the small farmers are discouraged to go for the commercial tea plantation owing to the ADB/N’s current approach.

The ongoing mess has hit more than 300 small farmers, mostly of Jhapa and also from Illam and Panchthar who are seeking loans that amounts to Rs 10 million, says Prasiddha Suwal, Branch Manager ADB/N Tea Branch.

The stoppage has come at a time when the demand for loans is at the peak, owing to the season for plantation in the area. While the season for plantation (and hence the demand for loans) is at the top in current month in Terai region, the same is in the month of May in hilly areas, according to Suwal.

Furthermore, the stoppage of lending has affected the lending targets of the ADB/N as well. "The bank had targeted to flow loans of Rs 90 million by mid-April. But, it has lent just over Rs 60 million by mid-March," Suwal stated.

Highly placed officials at the ADB/N held that unless the reimbursement-span stipulated in the central bank Act, is amended the ADB/N has no option but to stop the lending. However, they added that the issue was being discussed with the central bank.

Meanwhile, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mahesh Acharya urged the ADB/N and the NRB to resolve the problem and to resume its lending to the tea producers. Speaking at an inauguration of a three-day tea fair that commenced here today, Acharya added that he would take personal initiatives to solve the problem.

CPJ shows concern over journo arrest in Nepal

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KATHMANDU, March 26:A total of 37 journalists were killed world-wide as a direct result of their work in 2001, a sharp increase from 2000 when 24 were killed, said the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), in its annual report released Tuesday.

The dramatic rise is mainly due to the war in Afghanistan, where eight journalists were killed in the line of duty covering the US-led military campaign, according to the annual survey freedom conditions around the world, a summary of which was issued to the press.

CPJ said that after four years of steady decline, the number of journalists in prison jumped nearly 50 percent—from 81 in 2000 to 118 in 2001. More than two-thirds of last year’s increase came from little noticed crackdowns in Eritrea and Nepal, carried out after September 11.

"The September 11 attacks and subsequent "war on terrorism" precipitated a press freedom crisis that was global in scope," the CPJ release said.

In Nepal, it said, a year of extraordinary violence and political upheaval severely strained Nepal’s young democracy and posed profound challenges for the country’s media. "The first major crisis for the press in 2001 began on June 1, when Crown Prince Dipendra shot and killed his parents, King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, and seven other relatives before turning the gun on himself."

During the uncertain days following the palace massacre, the CPJ release said, government attempts to squelch the rumours included arresting three journalists from Nepal’s leading daily, Kantipur, on charges of treason. "Authorities arrested them on June 6, after the paper published a column by Baburam Bhattarai, a senior leader of Nepal’s Maoist rebels, suggesting that the royal murders were the result of an international conspiracy."

It, however, said that after strenuous protests from local and international groups, including CPJ, the government dropped the case. "Since 1990, when King Birendra transformed Nepal from an absolute monarchy in response to pro-democracy demonstrations, the press has stoutly defended its freedoms against occasional government interference."

Dangers to journalists in Nepal, CPJ said, increased sharply after November, when the state of emergency was declared.

According to CPJ, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists reported that more than 50 media workers were detained in the weeks following the declaration of emergency regulations. "CPJ confirmed that 17 remained in jail as of December 31."

"These releases are powerful evidence that even the most hard-line opponents of a free press are not immune to international pressure," the release quoted CPJ executive director Ann Cooper as saying. "At the same time, a truly global press freedom crisis affected journalists from China to Benin to the West Bank making it more difficult to safely and freely report the news."