National 5 (Spotlight Weekly)

Terrible News

Last year proved to be nightmarish for Nepalese journalists due to raging violence

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Eight journalists were killed and scores of others were detained in 2059 B.S. (April 2002-April 2003), according to the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ).

The seven-year-old Maoist conflict has taken its toll on the media, among other sectors. The increasing levels of violence and armed conflicts between government forces and Maoist rebels have directly or indirectly affected the media sector. Threats, intimidation and even physical harm have forced the media into a tight spot.

Different newspapers and magazines in shop : Growth in numbers

"We have been sandwiched between the atrocities by both the warring parties," said Taranath Dahal, president of the FNJ. Dahal said that though the Nepalese media have gained qualitative as well as quantitative expertise, there were still many loopholes.

According to the Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES), an NGO that has been monitoring the state of press freedom in the country for the last six years, nine journalists lost their lives, more than 180 were detained and three are missing since the battle between the government and the insurgents flared up in November 2001 after the collapse of peace talks.

The editor of pro-Maoist weekly Janadesh Krishna Sen, a reporter of Jana Aastha weekly Ambika Timilsina and editor of a regional paper published from north-west Nabaraj Sharma Basanta were among those killed in the last year. While Sen reportedly was killed after immense torture in custody, a charge the authorities deny, Sharma and Timilsina were killed after the Maoist rebels abducted them.

Hundreds of journalists were subsequently arrested by the government, most of them reportedly belonging to radical newspapers. Cases of abduction of journalists by the rebels, too, abounded in the period.

"At present, however, there is not a single journalist in government custody. But recently one journalist has been abducted by the rebels," said Dahal. Dhan Bahadur Roka, a journalist working with Radio Nepal in the mid-west region, is missing since he was abducted some time ago.

"The state and rebels have both targeted the media persons who have been at an increasing risk ever since the conflict started in February 1996," said Pradeep Ghimire, secretary of the CEHURDES.

"There is no doubt that the number of cases of violation of media freedom and abuses against journalists have sharply increased with the emergence of Maoist movement launched by Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) since February 1996," wrote Shobhakar Budhathoki, general secretary of CEHURDES in the report titled "Status of Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Nepal Report 2002".

"After the government on November 26 2001 declared the party terrorist organization and mobilized military to control the insurgency, the media workers have been caught between the state force and the Maoist rebels. They are frequently denied the rights for independent news reporting from the both sides. In some cases, they were forced to carry out news reports whether in favor of the authorities and security forces or the Maoist rebels. Otherwise, they might attract serious charges whether being in close connection with the Maoists by the authorities or spy of government by the Maoists," the report said.

"The movement of journalists were restricted several times by both sides after the declaration of emergency state. It means, the media workers and rights activists have lost complete freedom of movement and rights to carry out impartial news reporting from the field," Budhathoki wrote. CEHURDES has been bringing out such annual reports since 1997.

Things came to such a pass that Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF) termed Nepal as world's largest jailhouse for journalists. Vincent Brossel, from RSF-Asia Pacific desk, made an inspection visit to Nepal in March 2002 and appealed the government to release journalists in its custody.

The state of press freedom is more vulnerable in areas outside the Kathmandu valley. "Although there were no direct threats to us, there was an environment where one had to fear writing complete truths and facts," said Bhoj Raj Joshi, a former reporter for Abhiyan daily, a paper that is published from far-western town of Mahendranagar.

Joshi resigned from the paper six months ago and came to capital to engage in further studies as he saw no future working there. "Especially in mid-western areas, some journalists had to migrate due to threats from government forces and at times, also from the rebels," he said.

Dahal said that journalists in the country were currently in a state of terror and surrounded by fear psychosis due to which "the basic right to bring out truths and facts has been infringed upon". He blames both Maoists and government forces for the prevalence of such "fear psychosis" and added that an element of "self-censorship", too, has been added in this dimension.

Meanwhile, due to the cease-fire, the threats to journalists and press freedom have subsided. Dahal hopes that in the coming days Nepalese journalists will prosper in a democratic and peaceful atmosphere.

Media in Nepal flourished after the restoration of democracy in 1990 and promulgation of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990, which guarantees right to information and right to press freedom. According to latest report by Nepal Press Council, 248 dailies, 21 bi-weeklies, 1,234 weeklies and 253 fortnightlies are registered in the different parts of the country.