The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed
at the growing catalogue of attacks on journalists by political agents in Nepal. These
attacks invariably are provoked by grievances related to media content.
In the latest attack,
the IFJ is informed by its affiliate,
the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ),
that two journalists were forced to flee their home district after being
threatened with death by cadre of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), until recently the leading constituent of the
coalition that governed the country.
The journalists are Labadev Dhungana,
former President of the FNJ Panchthar district chapter,
and Kumar Ojha. They reportedly left the district on July 4 after being
threatened over a news item published in the Nepali language daily Kantipur.
“The IFJ is disturbed to hear that the Panchthar district
administration failed to register the complaint of the two journalists who had
reason to fear that their lives were in imminent danger. This must count as a
serious abdication of responsibility by the authorities,”
IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline
Park said.
The IFJ calls on the leadership of the Maoists and all other
political parties in Nepal
to make a clear statement that they will not tolerate coercive methods of addressing
grievances about media content.
“Nepal’s
evolving democracy has instituted credible institutions for dealing with issues
connected to media content,” Park said.
“We call upon all parties to respect these processes and institutions and to help
strengthen them.”
For further
information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919
The IFJ
represents over 600,000 journalists in
120 countries worldwide