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Nepal
Security forces
kill journalist
Army is holding at
least 20 more
Magazine editor Padma Raj Dekota, was
killed during a military operation in western Jumla
district. At least give journalists have been arrested
since 1 January 2004. Reporters Without Borders pointed
out that the anti-Maoist struggle can never justify
serious press freedom violations.
Reporters Without
Borders (Reporters sans frontières) called for a full
investigation after security forces killed journalist
Padma Raj Devkota in Jumla district, western Nepal.
The daily Samacharpatra
which reported the 7 February killing said that the
editor of the local bi-weekly Bhurichula and
correspondent for the national magazine Nepal Today, was
killed by the army during a routine military operation.
The authorities said he was killed with a band of six
armed Maoist militants.
The international press
freedom organisation has called on the interior and
defence ministers to carry out a full investigation and
punish the perpetrators.
The journalist's death
comes as security forces have arrested or questioned at
least five journalists in the past few months. Some are
still missing and it is feared they have been tortured
during interrogation. At least 20 journalists are
currently behind bars in Nepal and in most cases the
government has give no information about them.
Reporters Without
Borders pointed out that the struggle against the Maoist
movement, which has led to many press freedom
violations, cannot in any way justify the serious human
rights abuses currently being committed in Nepal. In
particular it condemns the excessive use of the TADA
anti-terrorist law.
Journalist and lawyer,
Jeetaman Basnet, was last seen on 4 February talking to
three people in uniform in Kathmandu. His family
informed the Nepalese Human Rights Commission about his
disappearance.
Two men in plain clothes
arrested reporter Shakti Raj Bhattarai, of the weekly
Sachar Darpan, in Pokhara, western Nepal on 1 February.
Since then his family, who do not know why he was
arrested, have had no news of him.
Security Forces detained
Balbhadra Bharati, correspondent for the national
newspaper Jana Ekta in Surkhet, western Nepal for two
days on 26 January.
Managing editor,
Rabindra Shah, of Biswo Jagaran, was held for one day in
Janakpur, Dhanusha district after the weekly carried an
article about an army officer.
Journalist Maheshwor
Pahari, of the local weekly Rastriya Swabhiman, was
arrested in Khorako Mukh, Kaski district, western Nepal
on 2 January by men in plain clothes The weekly has
ceased publication since the Maoist ceasefire was broken
in August 2003. Amnesty International has reported that
the 28-year-old journalist is being held in the Phulbari
barracks near Pokhara. Suspected of being a Maoist
supporter, he already spent 13 months in prison in 2001
and 2002.
Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned journalists
and press freedom throughout the world, as well as the
right to inform the public and to be informed, in
accordance with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. Reporters Without borders has nine
national sections (in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany,
Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United
Kingdom), representatives in Abidjan, Bangkok, Buenos
Aires, Istanbul, Montreal, Moscow, New York, Tokyo and
Washington and more than a hundred correspondents
worldwide.
©
Reporters Without Borders 2002
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