Editors arrested for writing nothing
Kathmandu District Administration Office summoned the editors of five weekly newspapers, seeking clarification on why they had left the editorial space on their newspapers blank.
The editors were Rajendra Baidhya, chief editor of Bimarsha; Kabir Rana, chief editor of Deshantar; Gopal Budhathoki, publisher and editor of Sanghu; Nawaraj Timilsina, editor of Prakash; and Shashidhar Bhandari, editor of Hank.
The editors were questioned by officials from the Chief District Office, a powerful body in charge of all security issues in the Kathmandu Valley.
“The press too should act in a disciplined and responsible manner in this time of emergency,” Chief District Officer Baman Prasad Neupane told the media.
After questioning Baidhya and Rana, the authorities told them to present themselves at the DAO whenever asked. Budhathoki, Timilsina and Bhandari were asked to return to the DAO to face questioning on the following day.
A weird hat is better than no hat, but no editorial is worse than a critical one, believes King Gyanendra of Nepal
The move came after a long period of political turmoil in the fight between Nepal’s government and Maoist rebels.
Six journalists have been put in detention since the King’s takeover, including the general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Bishnu Nisthuri.
More about the repressive kingdom of Nepal.
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By the way, why are all newspapers online in Nepal subs of the same domain? (Nepalnews.com)
Comment by Hans Henrik Lichtenberg — February 25, 2005 @ 12:26 am