AMARC denounces attack on community radio broadcasters in Nepal September 30, 2009, Kathmandu. The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters AMARC denounces the attack on the reporter of community radio station Radio Kailash in Humla in West Nepal. The attack was carried out by a group of locals led by member of Constitution Assembly of the United Nepal Communist Party Maoist.
On 24th of September 2009, Radio Kailash reported that distribution of food grain in the food starved Humla district was being unfairly influenced by Maoist assembly members and that party members were being favored to receive the state food aid. Following the broadcast, a group of local persons arrived and padlocked the station. It then forcefully tried to take the reporter of the station Post Bohora to the Maoist party office and was severely beaten when he resisted. An assembly member of the Maoist party is believed to have led the aggressors. AMARC Vice President for South Asia Raghu Mainali has expressed deep anguish and objection over the incident. "This is a serious breach of freedom of expression and safety of a broadcaster and is highly condemnable. No one has the right to lock up a radio station or beat up a broadcaster. There are civilized and legal ways of making protest if one does not agree with content of broadcast," he said. Raghu pointed to the fact that earlier incidents of violence against community radio stations in Nepal too were mostly perpetrated by members of the Maoists party and that the party ought to correct its ways should it genuinely care about the rights of the common people. - End- AMARC is an international non-governmental organization serving the community radio movement in over 110 countries, and advocating for the right to communicate at the international, national, local and neighbourhood levels. AMARC has an International Secretariat in Montreal. It has regional sections in Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific and offices in Johannesburg, Buenos Aires and Kathmandu.For more information, please visit htttp://www.amarc.org or contact amar...@wlink.com.np _______________________________________________ cr-india mailing list cr-india@sarai.net https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/cr-india
