From: RSF ASIA <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2005 17:48:53 +0100 Subject: [rsfasie] NEPAL - Crackdown on press freedom could put 1,000 journalists out of work (Eng+Fr)
Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom 9 February 2005 NEPAL Crackdown on press freedom could put 1,000 journalists out of work The Nepalese army is continuing to prevent privately-owned newspapers from appearing normally while around 1,000 journalists, especially those working for the dozens of FM radio stations, could lose their jobs as a result of the crackdown on the news media imposed by the king on 1 February, Reporters Without Borders warned today. The press freedom organization said it was horrified by the impact of the six-month ban on all independent news and information. "The abusive use of the press law is a clear violation of the international undertakings given by Nepal, which has ratified the UN's International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights," it said. The daily Kathmandu Post reported that about 1,000 journalists have had to stop work and could lose their jobs. Nepal has a total of 41 FM stations employing hundreds of journalists and technicians. Stations such as Hits FM and FM Adhyatma Jyoti each have more than 10 reporters. And the biggest stations, such as Kantipur FM, have at least 90 correspondents throughout the country. Some stations such as Kantipur FM and Annapurna FM, which is based in the central town of Pokhara, have already been forced to lay off journalists, while the audio news agency Communication Corner, which distributed programmes to some 14 radio stations, has had to close. The government previously banned news programmes on FM radio stations in January 2001, but the supreme court quashed the order in July of the same year. After communications were reestablished yesterday, fresh reports circulated about the devastating effect of the king's 1 February coup d'etat on press freedom. The army is continuing to close newspapers. On the evening of 7 February, for example, soldiers raided four weekly newspapers in the capital to prevent them coming out. A radio journalist quoted on the BBC News website spoke of "psychological terror" being employed by the army against the news media. A military officer is running the weekly Janaastha. The weeklies Taza Khabar, Samata, Punarjagaran, Drishti and Yugsambad have all reportedly been closed or are under the army's direct control. Voice of America quoted Rajendra Dahal, the editor of a bi-monthly published by the Himal Media press group, as saying, "if our censorship or self-censorship is not sufficient in the eyes of the authorities, we are threatened, accused or arrested." As an ironic protest against the censorship, Himal Media's publications have run editorials on archery and classical dance. The news website nepalnews.com is online again after being blocked for a week but is "publishing no news going against the letter or spirt of the royal proclamation." The site said its "international coverage" section has also been suspended. The army has meanwhile asked 30 ISPs to be more effective in their blocking of Maoist sites based abroad. The family of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) president Tara Nath Dahal is still being harassed by the army. Most members of the FNJ leadership, including Gopal Budhathoki, are in hiding. As a protest against the censorship, Budhathoki earlier this week brought out the weekly Sanghu, which he edits, with a blank editorial page. Many Nepalese human rights activists known for defending imprisoned journalists have been arrested, threatened or placed under house arrest. Reporters Without Borders is particularly concerned about Subodh Raj Pyakurel and the entire team of INSEC, an NGO with which Reporters Without Borders issued a report about torture and arbitrary detention in Nepal in November 2002. NEPAL Pr�s de mille journalistes risquent de perdre leur emploi Alors que l'arm�e continue � emp�cher la presse priv�e de para�tre normalement dans le pays, pr�s d'un millier de professionnels des m�dias, notamment ceux des dizaines de radios FM, risquent de perdre leur travail en raison des mesures impos�es par le roi le 1er f�vrier 2005. Reporters sans fronti�res mesure avec effroi les cons�quences de l'interdiction pendant six mois de toute information ind�pendante. � L'utilisation abusive de la loi sur la presse est une violation manifeste des engagements internationaux du N�pal qui a ratifi� le Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques des Nations unies �, a affirm� l'organisation. Selon le quotidien Katmandu Post, pr�s d'un millier de professionnels de l'information sont sans activit� et risquent de perdre leur travail. Au N�pal, 41 radios FM emploient plusieurs centaines de journalistes et techniciens. Ainsi, Hits FM et FM Adhyatma Jyoti ont d�velopp� des r�dactions compos�es chacune de plus d'une dizaine de reporters. Et les stations les plus importantes, notamment Kantipur FM, disposaient d'au moins 90 correspondants dans le pays. Certaines radios, notamment Annapurna FM diffus�e � Pokhara (Centre) et Kantipur FM, ont �t� contraintes de licencier des journalistes. L'agence de presse sonore Communication Corner qui distribue des programmes � pr�s de 14 radios a �t� oblig�e de fermer. D�j� en janvier 2001, le gouvernement avait interdit les programmes d'information sur les radios FM. La Cour supr�me avait cass�, en juillet de la m�me ann�e, la d�cision gouvernementale. Depuis que les communications ont �t� r�tablies, le 8 f�vrier, de nouvelles informations circulent sur les effets d�vastateurs du coup d'Etat du 1er f�vrier sur la libert� de la presse. L'arm�e continue de fermer des journaux. Ainsi, dans la soir�e du 7 f�vrier, des militaires ont perquisitionn� quatre hebdomadaires de la capitale pour les emp�cher de para�tre. Cit� par le site Internet BBC News, un journaliste radio parle de � terreur psychologique � sur les r�dactions de la part de l'arm�e. Un officier dirige la r�daction de l'hebdomadaire Janaastha. Les hebdomadaires Taza Khabar, Samata, Punarjagaran, Drishti et Yugsambad auraient �galement �t� ferm�s ou mis sous l'autorit� directe de l'arm�e royale. De son c�t�, Rajendra Dahal, directeur d'un bimensuel du groupe de presse Himal Media, cit� par Voice of America, affirme que � si notre censure ou notre autocensure ne sont pas suffisantes aux yeux des autorit�s, nous sommes menac�s, accus�s ou arr�t�s. � Afin de protester contre la censure, des titres de Himal Media ont publi�, de mani�re ironique, des �ditoriaux sur le tir � l'arc ou la danse classique. Le site d'informations nepalnews.com, bloqu� pendant une semaine, est de nouveau en ligne, mais � ne publie aucune information allant contre la lettre et l'esprit de la proclamation royale. � Le site pr�cise �galement que la rubrique � Couverture internationale � a �t� suspendue. Par ailleurs, l'arm�e a demand� aux 30 fournisseurs d'acc�s � Internet de bloquer de mani�re plus efficace les sites mao�stes bas�s � l'�tranger. La famille du pr�sident de la F�d�ration des journalistes n�palais (FNJ), Tara Nath Dahal, est toujours harcel�e par l'arm�e. La majorit� des membres de la direction de la FNJ, notamment Gopal Budhathoki, vivent dans la clandestinit�. En signe de protestation contre la censure, ce dernier avait publi� cette semaine l'hebdomadaire Sanghu qu'il dirige, avec un blanc � la place de l'�ditorial. Enfin, de nombreux militants des droits de l'homme n�palais, connus pour avoir d�fendu des journalistes emprisonn�s, ont �t� arr�t�s, menac�s ou plac�s en r�sidence surveill�e. Reporters sans fronti�res est particuli�rement pr�occup�e pour Subodh Raj Pyakurel et toute l'�quipe de l'ONG INSEC, avec qui l'organisation avait publi� en novembre 2002, un rapport intitul� : � N�pal. Tortures et d�tentions arbitraires. Les Nations unies doivent intervenir pour prot�ger les droits de l'homme au N�pal. � -- Vincent Brossel Asia - Pacific Desk Reporters Sans Fronti�res 5 rue Geoffroy Marie 75009 Paris 33 1 44 83 84 70 33 1 45 23 11 51 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.rsf.org ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? 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