His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Narayanhity Royal Palace
Kathmandu
Nepal
E-mail: [email protected]
Vienna, 7 March 2005
Your Excellency,
The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, is extremely concerned at the continuing problems for journalists in Nepal.
Over the last few days, the editor of the pro-UML (Unified Marxist-Leninist party) Budhabar weekly, Surya Thapa, was summoned by Kathmandu Chief District Officer (CDO), Baman Prasad Neupane, to explain an article titled, “Five Parties Unite Against Authoritarianism”, published in the 2 March issue of Budhabar.
In a statement to Nepalnews on 7 March, Thapa said that in his four-hour long deposition at the District Administration Office (DAO) on 4 March, he said that his paper had only exercised its constitutional rights and that he personally did not have any intention of going against the letter and spirit of the royal proclamation of 1 February 2005.
CDO Neupane is expected to pass a verdict on 7 March. According to lawyers, if found guilty, Thapa faces a fine of Rs 10,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to one year in accordance with the Printing and Publication Act 2046 B. S.
IPI believes that jail sentences against journalists are gross violations of everyone’s right “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers,” as guaranteed by Article 19 of the UN International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (CCPR), which is binding on Nepal.
Furthermore, Your Excellency justified to the UN the 1 February decision to dismiss the government and declare a state of emergency as necessary to provide security and bring peace to the country. However, as the UN has pointed out, press freedom is fundamental in the fight against terrorism, and, in the case of Nepal, in the fight against the Maoist movement.
We would like to remind you that in a recent meeting with ten senior journalists, including members of the IPI National Committee in Nepal, you gave your assurances that no restrictions would be imposed on the press, except with regard to issues related to terrorism. Despite this promise, censorship of the media in Nepal over the past month has gone much further.
Limiting press freedom and other basic human rights will only prevent your government’s ability to ensure security and peace. According to IPI’s sources, since the imposition of the emergency rule, an estimated 229 people have been killed: 55 by Maoist forces and 174 by government forces.
IPI therefore urges Your Excellency to do everything in your power to ensure that neither Surya Thapa nor any other journalist in the country is punished for practicing their profession, and that all rights granted by Nepal’s Constitution are restored.
We thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Johann P. Fritz
Director
cc: Royal Nepalese Embassy
Guerickestrasse 27
10587 Berlin-Charlottenburg
Federal Republic of Germany
Fax: 004930-343 59 906
E-mail: [email protected]
