Nepal: Media Under Siege

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, leading journalists and media executives in over 112 countries, condemns in the strongest possible terms the severe restrictions on press freedom included in the "Ordinance Amending some of the Nepal Act related to Media, 2062," promulgated by King Gyanendra on 9 October. The ordinance will strengthen the state's legislative...

ARTICLE 19 condemns the recent promulgation of an Ordinance by King Gyanendra, which ushers in further draconian measures against an already tightly controlled media. The new ordinance constitutes yet another move towards muzzling independent voices in the country, and granting the Monarchy absolute power, a process initiated in February when the King declared a state of emergency. The Ordinance...

KATHMANDU, Oct. 10: The Ordinance Amending Some Nepal Acts Related to Communication-2062 that has been promulgated by His Majesty the King is oriented towards curtailing monopoly of the media while letting it to abide by democratic norms and values. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, the ordinance also prohibits dissemination and broadcast of any information that is...

KATHMANDU, Oct 10 - Journalist bodies Monday slammed the government for introducing the press ordinance aimed at imposing restrictions on the media. King Gyanendra promulgated the new ordinance named "Ordinance amending some Nepal Acts related to Media-2062" on Sunday causing many to fear that the government is tightening its grip on the free press. "We strongly condemn the government's ill...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the global organisation representing more than 500,000 journalists in over 110 countries, has condemned the intentional neglect and mistreatment of an imprisoned Nepali journalist that lead to the journalist's death. On October 4, Nepali journalist Maheshwor Pahari, died from tuberculosis after authorities repeatedly refused Pahari’s pleas for...

New York, October 5, 2005 – The Committee to Protect Journalists today held the Nepalese authorities responsible for the death of an imprisoned reporter who died after being denied proper medical treatment. Maheshwar Pahari, 30, who worked for the weekly Rastriya Swabhiman, died of tuberculosis on Tuesday, according to local journalist groups. Pahari died in a hospital in Pokhara, 80 miles (130...

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has condemned a series of recent measures by King Gyanendra's government that discriminate against the independent press, especially new directives determining how state advertising will be allocated to the media. "Nepal's independent media have in turn been the victims of threats, discrimination and repression, but they have continued to resist all of the government's arbitrary...

Irked by the partial classification of newspapers, a group of publishers, editors and journalists on Friday, forced the Chairman of Press Council Nepal (PCN) Mathvar Singh Basnet off his chair and locked his office protesting against PCN's "unfair and biased" classification of newspapers, reports on Saturday said. Journalists from Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, who had reached the PCN office...

KATHMNANDU, Sept. 23: About 2,881 newspapers and journals have been registered in the country during the fiscal year 061-062. Out of this, only 557 newspapers are published. And only 322 of them are said to be regular, it is stated in the 30th annual report of the Nepal Press Council. The Council has been issuing the annual report every year. Among the newspapers, those in ‘A’ category are...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the global organisation representing more than 500,000 journalists in over 110 countries, has welcomed the release of journalist Harihar Singh Rathour, but is deeply concerned for the safety of journalists in the Dailekh district. On September 21, journalist Harihar Singh Rathour was released from police custody in Dailekh District after being...