Manipur

On 13 October 2002, armed men shot dead television journalist Yambem Meghajit Singh in Imphal, in the north-eastern state of Manipur. The killing came a few days after two other journalists were kidnapped by a separatist group. "We urge you to see to it that police have the means to find those responsible and establish their motives," RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said in a letter to...

In a 23 August 2000 letter to President Kocheril Raman Narayanan, WAN and the World Editors Forum expressed outrage at the murder of newspaper editor Brajamani Singh. According to reports, two gunmen broke into the house of Singh, editor of the English-language "Manipur News", late at night on 20 August, and shot him dead. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the killing, but police say they...

In a 21 August 2000 letter to the chief minister of the Indian State of Manipur, W. Nipamacha Singh, RSF expressed concern over the murder of Thounaojam Brajamani Singh, editor of the daily "Manipur News". The organisation urged the minister to do everything in his power to establish "the exact motives for the murder" and asked to be kept informed of progress in the inquiry. "The journalist had...

In a 20 April 2000 letter to Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh, CPJ noted that it is deeply disturbed by the imprisonment of Nongthonbam Biren, chief editor of the Manipuri-language daily "Naharolgi Thoudang", and Thounaojam Iboyaima, the author of a speech recently published in the newspaper. Biren and Iboyaima were arrested on 14 April in Imphal, the capital of Manipur State, and detained...

In a 19 April 2000 letter to the chief minister of India's Manipur state, W. Nipamacha Singh, RSF protested the arrest of N. Biren Singh, editor of the daily "Naharlogi Thoudang". The organisation called on the minister to "ensure the immediate release of the journalist". RSF believes that a jail sentence would constitute a serious violation of press freedom. In a document dated 18 January 2000...

In a 15 October 1999 letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, RSF expressed its indignation over the murder of N. A. Lalrohlu, editor of the local vernacular newspaper "Shan". RSF asked that "a serious and thorough investigation is conducted to identify and punish the authors of the murder, which seems to be a serious warning to independent journalists in the state of Manipur." RSF also drew...

RSF is protesting the new press censorship decided by the Manipur government. According to RSF, during the first week of October 1998, the government of the state of Manipur (northern India) ordered the local media not to publish or distribute statements by the separatist guerillas. The government's directive says that any newspaper which violates the order will be "severely punished under the...