Free expression groups express concerns at Nepal situation

February 26, 2006
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Over 100 free expression activists from around the world, who took part in the annual general meeting of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) in Brussels, have expressed extreme concerns towards the press freedom and freedom of expression situation in Nepal since the royal takeover on February 1, 2005.

Adopting a resolution on Nepal, the four-day conference (Feb. 20-24) noted with concern what it called the incidences of on-going attacks, threats and detention of Nepali journalists and free expression activists in the country over the last one year.

Free expression activists staging a protest in front of the Council of European Union protesting against on-going attacks against media around the world (Photo courtesy: www.ifex.org)

Free expression activists staging a protest in front of the Council of European Union protesting against on-going attacks against media around the world (Photo courtesy: www.ifex.org)
Hundreds of journalists were detained last year by the government for protesting the royal regime and demanding for press freedom and freedom of expression in the country, the conference said. The authorities imposed strict censor during the three-month-long state of emergency (Feb-April 2005) and there was no marked improvement in the situation even after the state of emergency was lifted, it noted.

Expressing its wholehearted solidarity with Nepali journalists and free expression activists in their fight for democracy, human rights and freedom of expression in the country, IFEX has called upon the royal government to lift all types of restrictions on media including ban on airing of news from FM radio stations. Similarly, the IFEX has called upon the Nepal government to cease all direct and indirect forms of censorship on media, instruct security personnel, especially the Royal Nepalese Army, in clear words to respect freedom of expression and press freedom across the country, immediately abrogate the controversial Media Ordinance and not to draft or promulgate any new legislation including Broadcasting Authority or Media Council through ordinances so as to further limit press freedom and freedom of expression.

We hold the view that the royal government doesn’t have any right to issue new legislations through ordinances at a time when the parliament remains dissolved, the statement said.

Similarly, the gathering also called upon the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) rebels to respect pluralism and freedom of expression and not to target media personnel and free expression activists under any pretext, and not to damage, shut down or remove media facilities and infrastructure. The IFEX has also called upon the international community to reaffirm their support to peaceful pro-democracy movement in Nepal and pressurize the royal government to respect people’s right to peaceful assembly and other fundamental rights and return to broad-based and inclusive democracy at the earliest.

Hosted by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the conference welcomed the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) as new member of the IFEX. The Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES)—a Kathmandu-based freedom of expression monitoring group, which is already an IFEX member—was elected as the council member.

General Secretary of the FNJ, Mahendra Bista, and vice chairperson of CEHURDES, Khadga Sen Oli, took part in the conference and also presented a paper on the challenges to press freedom and freedom of expression in Nepal.

Leading free expression groups around the world are members of the IFEX.