![[Nepal] Radio Sagarmatha - one of the most popular in the Kathmandu valley - has been prohibited from carrying news since the state of emergency was declared on 1st February.](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/20053147.jpg.webp?itok=ZGjl_wbB "Radio Sagarmatha, one of Nepal's most popular independent radio stations, all FM radio stations have been prohibited from broadcasting news")
Despite a ceasefire and peace talks between Maoist rebels and the new interim government to end Nepal’s decade-long conflict, a new report says journalists in the Himalayan kingdom still face dangers and harassment.
"Journalists still continue to face obstacles while accessing information and reporting in spite of the ongoing democratic and peace process," said Bishnu Nisturi, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), that published the report this week.
According to the report, the FNJ reported more than 30 incidents involving journalists – mainly in rural areas - at the hands of the army, rebels and police over the past six months.
Photo journalist Bhaskar Ojha from the national weekly Samay, claimed he was badly assaulted by Maoist rebels while reporting on the national conference of a pro-Maoist student body in September in the capital, Kathmandu. Samay regularly documents alleged human rights abuses at the hands of the rebels and Ojha suspects he was the victim of their wrath.
During 14 months of direct rule by monarch King Gyanendra which ended in April, security forces suppressed press freedom by closing newspapers and radio stations and harassing, intimidating and assaulting a large number of journalists, the report said.
“Even today, there have been only a few significant steps to institutionalise and positively develop free media in this society," explained Nisturi, who added that the media had a key role to play in the peace process and in building democracy in Nepal.
In October, the rebels closed the office of local newspaper, Mofussil Weekly, in Morang district, 500 km east of Kathmandu, after it reported a case of sexual assault of a minor at the hands of a Maoist rebel.
In another incident, Parshu Ghimire, editor of Tarun Weekly in the capital was threatened by the Crime Investigation Branch of the Nepalese police recently due to a critical story about police investigation methods.
"All these incidents and many others clearly prove that even after the restoration of democracy, journalists have not achieved complete press freedom and the problems of Nepalese press and journalists are still pervasively existent," the report read.
Many journalists said that the lack of transparency and information sharing was another major impediment to press freedom.
"Lack of a culture of information sharing among government authorities and the Maoists is still prevalent, despite their public commitments toward freedom of speech and expression," explained Nisturi.
He added that the rebels need to learn to accept criticism and should abstain from exerting psychological pressure and making threats to prevent the publication of news critical of their activities and leaders.
nn/sc/ds
"Journalists still continue to face obstacles while accessing information and reporting in spite of the ongoing democratic and peace process," said Bishnu Nisturi, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), that published the report this week.
According to the report, the FNJ reported more than 30 incidents involving journalists – mainly in rural areas - at the hands of the army, rebels and police over the past six months.
Photo journalist Bhaskar Ojha from the national weekly Samay, claimed he was badly assaulted by Maoist rebels while reporting on the national conference of a pro-Maoist student body in September in the capital, Kathmandu. Samay regularly documents alleged human rights abuses at the hands of the rebels and Ojha suspects he was the victim of their wrath.
During 14 months of direct rule by monarch King Gyanendra which ended in April, security forces suppressed press freedom by closing newspapers and radio stations and harassing, intimidating and assaulting a large number of journalists, the report said.
“Even today, there have been only a few significant steps to institutionalise and positively develop free media in this society," explained Nisturi, who added that the media had a key role to play in the peace process and in building democracy in Nepal.
In October, the rebels closed the office of local newspaper, Mofussil Weekly, in Morang district, 500 km east of Kathmandu, after it reported a case of sexual assault of a minor at the hands of a Maoist rebel.
In another incident, Parshu Ghimire, editor of Tarun Weekly in the capital was threatened by the Crime Investigation Branch of the Nepalese police recently due to a critical story about police investigation methods.
"All these incidents and many others clearly prove that even after the restoration of democracy, journalists have not achieved complete press freedom and the problems of Nepalese press and journalists are still pervasively existent," the report read.
Many journalists said that the lack of transparency and information sharing was another major impediment to press freedom.
"Lack of a culture of information sharing among government authorities and the Maoists is still prevalent, despite their public commitments toward freedom of speech and expression," explained Nisturi.
He added that the rebels need to learn to accept criticism and should abstain from exerting psychological pressure and making threats to prevent the publication of news critical of their activities and leaders.
nn/sc/ds
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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