Committee to Protect Journalists - Nepal tag:cpj.org,2008-09-16://1 2012-05-23T21:31:48Z Movable Type 4.34-en Journalists targeted during protests in Nepal tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19912 2012-05-23T21:17:08Z 2012-05-23T21:31:48Z New York, May 23, 2012--Authorities in Nepal must protect journalists seeking to report on developments in the volatile run-up to Sunday's deadline for a new constitution, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Dozens of journalists were reportedly attacked by ethnic activists during a three-day general strike that began... Committee to Protect Journalists Protesters set fire to a motorcycle during the three-day strike in Nepal. (Reuters/Navesh Chitrakar)

New York, May 23, 2012--Authorities in Nepal must protect journalists seeking to report on developments in the volatile run-up to Sunday's deadline for a new constitution, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Dozens of journalists were reportedly attacked by ethnic activists during a three-day general strike that began Sunday, according to news reports.

]]> CPJ urges Nepal to adopt free press recommendations tag:cpj.org,2012://1.19011 2012-04-06T16:08:22Z 2012-04-06T16:21:25Z Dear Prime Minister: The International Fact Finding and Advocacy Media Mission to Nepal that met with you in February has finished its review of specific provisions from the country's draft constitution that the Constituent Assembly will finalize by May 28. As one of the groups on the mission, the Committee to Protect Journalists urges you to encourage the assembly to incorporate the group's recommended changes before the constitution is finalized. The review and recommendations pertain to freedom of expression, the right to information, and freedom of the press. Committee to Protect Journalists April 6, 2012

Dr. Baburam Bhattarai
Prime Minister of Nepal
The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
Singhadurbar

By facsimile: + 977 1 4211 086

Dear Prime Minister:

The International Fact Finding and Advocacy Media Mission to Nepal that met with you in February has finished its review of specific provisions from the country's draft constitution that the Constituent Assembly will finalize by May 28. As one of the groups on the mission, the Committee to Protect Journalists urges you to encourage the assembly to incorporate the group's recommended changes before the constitution is finalized. The review and recommendations pertain to freedom of expression, the right to information, and freedom of the press.

In a 2011 analysis on Nepal, CPJ noted that political in-fighting has encouraged anti-media attacks, and that a failure to address violence against journalists both before and after the 2006 peace accord has established a deeply entrenched culture of impunity in the country. On the mission, we were encouraged by our interactions with representatives of Nepal's vibrant press, and by your own express wish to ensure that the constitution holds the strongest possible protections for journalists' rights.

We also welcome the explicit guarantees of media freedom already included in Article 4 of the draft constitution. However, in its current form, the draft allows potential legal restrictions on the mass media, including censorship of expressions deemed to be treasonous, according to the mission's review of the draft. CPJ believes these grounds are vague and open to abuse, and we support the mission's recommendation that the constitution be amended to ban all kinds of censorship. "International law regards any form of prior censorship with the greatest suspicion," the mission's review noted (original emphasis).

We urge you, along with party leaders and members of the Constituent Assembly, to comply with the mission's suggestions for revising these provisions, and thereby strengthen the guarantee of media freedom in accordance with international standards. We further support the mission's recommendations on freedom of expression and the right to information and believe that adopting all of these changes will create a more transparent environment for the media as well as for Nepal's fledgling democracy.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Joel Simon
Executive Director

]]> Journalist murdered in eastern Nepal tag:cpj.org,2012://1.18998 2012-04-04T19:29:39Z 2012-04-04T19:31:15Z Committee to Protect Journalists New York, April 4, 2012--Police in eastern Nepal must fully investigate Tuesday night's murder of a TV and newspaper reporter and determine whether the motive was related to his journalism, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. 

]]> Attacks on the Press in 2011: Nepal tag:cpj.org,2012://1.17579 2012-02-21T05:19:00Z 2012-02-20T14:51:26Z Anti-media attacks and harassment flourished in a power vacuum left by the ruling coalition's political struggles. Baburam Bhattarai of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) became prime minister in August, securing support with his proposal to offer amnesty for war crimes, including journalist murders. Four assailants were convicted... Committee to Protect Journalists Anti-media attacks and harassment flourished in a power vacuum left by the ruling coalition's political struggles. Baburam Bhattarai of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) became prime minister in August, securing support with his proposal to offer amnesty for war crimes, including journalist murders. Four assailants were convicted in two separate journalist slayings, but masterminds remained unpunished as authorities struggled to address the nation's entrenched culture of impunity. Of several assaults on journalists, at least one caused life-threatening injuries. Journalists received threats nationwide for their reporting, many from politicians or political youth groups. Assailants targeted at least six newspaper offices and burned hundreds of newspapers to limit distribution.

]]> In Nepal, killers of journalists could go free tag:cpj.org,2011://1.17878 2011-09-15T19:27:58Z 2011-09-15T19:42:12Z Dear Prime Minister Bhattarai: We are alarmed by recent reports regarding the planned amnesty of criminal cases pending from past political violence in Nepal and are writing to express our concern that people convicted of killing journalists could go free based on political decisions made by your government. Committee to Protect Journalists September 15, 2011

Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai

c/o Embassy of Nepal
2131 Leroy Place, NW
Washington, DC 20008

Via facsimile: 202-667-5534

Dear Prime Minister Bhattarai:

We are alarmed by recent reports regarding the planned amnesty of criminal cases pending from past political violence in Nepal and are writing to express our concern that people convicted of killing journalists could go free based on political decisions made by your government.

]]> Nepali journalist assaulted, in critical condition tag:cpj.org,2011://1.17713 2011-08-12T19:12:37Z 2011-08-12T20:33:03Z New York, August 12, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today about a brutal attack on journalist Kishor Budhathoki in eastern Nepal on Thursday night. Budhathoki is vice president of the local chapter of press freedom watchdog the Federation of Nepali Journalists and also reports for sister papers The... Committee to Protect Journalists The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post.

]]> Two sentenced in Nepal journalist's murder tag:cpj.org,2011://1.17448 2011-06-14T20:51:45Z 2011-06-14T21:50:33Z Committee to Protect Journalists A man holds a photo of Singh. (Reuters)New York, June 14, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed today the conviction of two suspects in the 2009 murder of journalist Uma Singh, but called for a continued investigation into the remaining suspects in the attack. 

A court in Dhanusa district sentenced Lalita Singh and Nemlal Paswan to life imprisonment for their involvement in the brutal killing, according to local news reports. A group stabbed the Janakpur Today and Radio Janakpur correspondent to death in her home in Dhanusa, in the southeast near the border with India, in reprisal for her reporting on land grabs, according to CPJ research. News reports at the time said as many as 15 people carried out the fatal assault.
]]> Nepal journalist's killers sentenced to life tag:cpj.org,2011://1.17413 2011-06-06T20:55:23Z 2011-06-06T21:37:06Z New York, June 6, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the life imprisonment of the two men who murdered journalist Birendra Shah. CPJ also calls for the arrest of three local Maoists accused of masterminding the 2007 killing.... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, June 6, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the life imprisonment of the two men who murdered journalist Birendra Shah. CPJ also calls for the arrest of three local Maoists accused of masterminding the 2007 killing.

]]> Attacks on the Press 2010: Asia Analysis tag:cpj.org,2011://1.16567 2011-02-15T05:53:00Z 2011-02-15T14:33:52Z Partisan Journalism and the Cycle of Repression by Bob Dietz and Shawn W. Crispin Lal Wickramatunga's family and publishing house, Leader Publications, have paid dearly in Sri Lanka's highly charged political climate. While Leader's newspapers, including the weekly Sunday Leader, are widely known for tough, independent reporting, they have... Committee to Protect Journalists Partisan Journalism and the Cycle of Repression With journalists in their midst, police and protesters clash in Bangkok. (Reuters/Chaiwat Subprasom)

by Bob Dietz and Shawn W. Crispin

Lal Wickramatunga's family and publishing house, Leader Publications, have paid dearly in Sri Lanka's highly charged political climate. While Leader's newspapers, including the weekly Sunday Leader, are widely known for tough, independent reporting, they have been caught up in a partisan media environment, one filled with violence and censorship. Wickramatunga's brother has been murdered, his company has been sued, and his journalists face intimidation.

]]> Attacks on the Press 2010: Nepal tag:cpj.org,2011://1.16572 2011-02-15T05:23:00Z 2011-01-24T17:22:29Z h7 {float:none;width:auto;height:auto;font-family:sans-serif;font-weight:normal; margins:5px;} Top Developments • Three media owners slain. Kantipur group faces threats, obstruction. • Maoist cadres burn copies of two Kathmandu newspapers. Key Statistic 7th: Ranking on CPJ's Impunity Index, reflecting one of the world's worst records in solving press murders. The repeated failure to elect a... Committee to Protect Journalists Top Developments
• Three media owners slain. Kantipur group faces threats, obstruction.
• Maoist cadres burn copies of two Kathmandu newspapers.

Key Statistic
7th: Ranking on CPJ's Impunity Index, reflecting one of the world's worst records in solving press murders.

The repeated failure to elect a leader cast doubt on the success of Nepal's transition from a monarchy enmeshed in civil war to a democratic republic. While a coalition government was elected in 2008, two prime ministers have since resigned, leaving a power vacuum that India and China have been accused of exploiting. Law and order suffered as multiple political parties jockeyed for influence. Three prominent media owners were killed for unknown motives. Attacks on working journalists continued throughout the year, and there were reports of political groups torching newspapers to prevent distribution of news they did not like.

]]> CPJ concerned by threats reported by Nepalese journalist tag:cpj.org,2010://1.16349 2010-12-01T22:14:31Z 2010-12-02T14:50:39Z New York, December 1, 2010--The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by a violent attack and continuing threats against Nepalese journalist Shreedeep Rayamajhi in connection with his online reporting.... Committee to Protect Journalists New York, December 1, 2010--The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by a violent attack and continuing threats against Nepalese journalist Shreedeep Rayamajhi in connection with his online reporting.

]]> Third media owner in six months gunned down in Nepal tag:cpj.org,2010://1.14993 2010-07-23T21:03:05Z 2010-07-23T21:12:17Z Committee to Protect Journalists New York, July 23, 2010—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by Thursday’s killing of Devi Prasad Dhital, the chairman of Nepal’s broadcaster Radio Tulsipur FM. His is the third murder of a Nepalese media owner in a less than six months.

]]> Concern over missing Nepal radio reporter tag:cpj.org,2010://1.14857 2010-07-01T14:06:37Z 2010-07-02T04:44:04Z Committee to Protect Journalists New York, July 1, 2010—Authorities in Nepal should act urgently to ensure the safety of radio reporter Keshav Bohara, who was abducted on Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

]]> Second Nepali media owner murdered in a month tag:cpj.org,2010://1.14351 2010-03-03T19:46:48Z 2010-03-17T16:43:05Z New York, March 3, 2010—Police in Nepal must immediately investigate Monday’s fatal shooting of publisher and business owner Arun Singhaniya, the second murder of a media executive in the country in a month, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.... Committee to Protect Journalists Nepalese riot police block journalists during a protest against the killing Arun Simhaniya. (AP/Binod Joshi)

New York, March 3, 2010—Police in Nepal must immediately investigate Monday’s fatal shooting of publisher and business owner Arun Singhaniya, the second murder of a media executive in the country in a month, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

]]> Attacks on the Press 2009: Nepal tag:cpj.org,2010://1.13883 2010-02-16T05:24:00Z 2010-02-15T19:46:27Z h7 {float:none;width:auto;height:auto;font-family:sans-serif;font-weight:normal; margins:5px;} Top Developments• Government fails to investigate press freedom abuses. • Reporter slain after covering Maoist land seizures. Key Statistic 8th: Ranking on CPJ Impunity Index, making it one of world’s worst for press. Nepal’s news media entered 2009 in a state of crisis. Attacks on the... Committee to Protect Journalists http://cpj.org/ Top Developments
• Government fails to investigate press freedom abuses.
• Reporter slain after covering Maoist land seizures.

Key Statistic
8th: Ranking on CPJ Impunity Index, making it one of world’s worst for press.

Nepal’s news media entered 2009 in a state of crisis. Attacks on the press had escalated in late 2008 amid a climate of impunity. The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), a local press freedom group, led weeklong, nationwide demonstrations to raise awareness about the deteriorating environment. On December 28, 2008, Maoist leaders signed a 10-point agreement to address the lawless situation. Clauses included a promise to create a governmental bureau to investigate press freedom violations, local news reports said.

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