Reporters Without Borders today roundly condemned a government ordinance issued at King Gyanendra’s behest on 9 October that imposes drastic new curbs on the Nepalese news media.
The ordinance bans all news broadcasts, criminalizes all press offences, imposes a ten-fold increase in fines for press law violations, and forbids the news media to cover "subjects that could have negative effects for political parties" or "which have as an aim a revolt against the government making use of violence."
Referred to by the authorities as "Ordinance 2062 amending various acts concerning the news media," it also bans any individual or organisation from obtaining a new licence to operate print, broadcast or Internet media.
It amends six press laws that took effect in May : the Radio Act, the National News Agency Act, the Press and Publication Act, the Press Council Act, the National Broadcasting Act and the Defamation Act.
The ordinance has been widely criticised by media watchdog groups including the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and the Save Independent Radio Movement, and an appeal against it has been lodged with the supreme court.
