MEDIA: Nepali Journalists "Living in Fear"

By Deepak Adhikari     

Publishers and editors of Kantipur Publications in Nepal have been told to stop reporting on the circumstances surrounding the murder on Feb. 7 of Nepali media entrepreneur Jamim Shah, who was assassinated in the Nepali capital, Kathmandu.

Kailash Sirohiya, the publisher and managing director of Kantipur Publications, Nepal's largest media conglomerate, says he received a threatening email in which he was warned that he must stop the coverage of Jamim Shah's murder or face the consequences.

Sudheer Sharma, the editor of 'Kantipur Daily', Nepal's largest circulation newspaper and Ahilesh Upadhyay, the editor of 'The Kathmandu Post', received phone calls in their offices in which a male caller with an Indian accent threatened to take action against them and their publications.

The threats have caused concern for journalists working in the country where violence against the media is on the rise. As a result, there is now an atmosphere of fear in many of the country’s newsrooms.

Dharmendra Jha, president of Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) said the threats are an attempt to stifle the press and must stop.

"We strongly urge the government to investigate and find out who is behind these threats and take action. The government must ensure that all working in the Nepali media are able to operate in conditions where press freedom is guaranteed."

Jha called on journalists not to be deterred by the threats. We should continue to work with enthusiasm, because we are the ones who can make the state accountable," he said.

The FNJ has staged protests following the threats, and Jha has taken his concerns to the Information Minister Shankar Pokharel.

According to Jha, the minister pledged to do all he could to investigate the threats, and agreed to the release of a public service announcement over radio and television ensuring the safety of journalists.

The FNJ is calling for the support of international media freedom campaigners in their effort to ensure security for journalists operating in Nepal.

*Deepak Adhikari is a reporter with the Kantipur Daily. He compiled this report for Media Helping Media using a number of sources and having spoken to the Federation of Nepali Journalists. For more, go to: http://www.mediahelpingmedia.org/content/view/559/1/.