The sixth central executive committee meeting of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists FNJ) has demanded that the government release all detained journalists and pay compensation to those injured and detained for a long time.
The umbrella organization of Nepalese journalists has further demanded reinstatement of journalists of both private and government media who were sacked in the aftermath of February 1, along with compensation for the losses they suffered.
The FNJ has demanded to scrap all ordinances, orders, policies and circulars issued by the previous government.
The FNJ also urged the new government to make public details of expenses made during the distribution of advertisements through the one-door policy and expenses incurred while giving out Dashain bonus.
The meeting also demanded the resignation of Chairman of the Press Council Mathbar Singh Basnet for misuse of the council against established rules and norms of the press, the scrapping of discriminatory newspaper classification and rewriting of the council’s report.
Saying that private media were barred from covering important events in the past, the FNJ called upon the government to privatise government-owned media.
The media body has urged the government to waive renewal charge for FM stations, taking into account their existing condition and the role they have played. FNJ also demanded withdrawl of increment in postal charge.
FNJ has decided to honor senior journalists Harihar Birahi, Gopal Thapaliya and Keshav Raj Parajuli as fighters for press freedom in Nepal.