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Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, October 29:
A group of journalists today burned copies of the media ordinance, promulgated by the government recently. They also held a protest programme at Ratnapark, which the government has termed as prohibited area.
Sixteen journalists were arrested in the police action that ensued after their burning of the ordinance’s copies this afternoon. They were, however, released in the evening. Undeterred by the arrests, another group of journalists assembled there and burnt copies of the ordinance and also held a protest programme at Bhotahity.
Addressing the programme, senior journalist Harihar Birahi said the ordinance would not only prohibit journalists from reporting the truth without barriers, it would also curb the right of citizens to get correct information about the country. “We will keep defying the ordinance until it is annulled,” he said.
Mahendra Bista, general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, condemned the police action against the protesting journalists and demanded the government withdraw the ordinance. Rishi Dhamala of Reporters’ Club, Kiran Pokhrel of Nepal Press Union and others were among other speakers at the programme.
Balkrishna Chapagai, chairman of Press Chautari, who is among those arrested, said from Mahendra Police Club that the arrest of the journalists was a proof of the government’s intention to curb the press freedom. “Arrests and police action will only accelerate the protests, the government should know this,” he said.
Aside from Chapagai, those arrested are Bharat Raj Paudel, Gagan Bista, Bhimsen Rajbahak, Kishor Shrestha, Rajendra Aryal, Rohit Dahal, Gopal Khanal, Ranhari Silwal, Chetnath Dhamala, Govinda Chaulagai, Prakash Silwal, Bishwa Mani Subedi and Janmadev Jaishi. Mediapersons also staged a protest rally in Pokhara against the ordinance.
The rally started from Prithvi Narayan Chowk at 8:30 am, passed through Nayabazaar, Mahendra Pul and culminated as a street corner meeting after reaching Chipledhunga. A copy of the ordinance was also burnt on the occasion.
Addressing the meeting central vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Ganga Dhar Parajuli said the ordinance had robbed people of their right to information.
Central member of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Bharat Mohan Adhikari said the ordinance was unconstitutional and that it was promulgated to suppress democracy. Adhikari said that the political parties would help in the anti-ordinance movement and urged journalists to intensify their stir.
Chairman of the Broadcasting Association, Shiva Lal Malla claimed that hundreds of journalists working in FM Stations had lost their jobs because of the ordinance.

Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, October 28:

Media expert Dr Ram Krishna Regmi today said that the recently promulgated media ordinance will cast a long-lasting impact on the development of media in Nepal.
Addressing a talk programme, organized by the Nepal Journalism Students’ Organisation, Regmi said that the ordinance has closed all doors for Nepal to be called a country having press freedom, “It will also leave the teachers embarrassed when they try to teach the young generation what kind of press freedom the state has granted to the people.”
Regmi added that the ordinance has surely been drafted or promulgated by those who want to kill press freedom and get benefits by blocking information that should reach the people. “The government’s only motive, it is now proved, is to terrorize the presse way,” he said.
Regmi said that news is aired by FM stations in some countries but not in others. “In the context of Nepal, it is cheap and easily accessible. Hence, it should be allowed. Discontinuing news on FM station will deprive the people of their right to information,” he said. Regime also said that the proposed monopoly of Rashtriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) in distribution of news will make Nepal a country where people would remain in the dark about the whereabouts of detained political leaders for years. “RSS is only a government news agency, it is not a national news agency. If it becomes the sole agency, people will miss hundreds of news items everyday because most of the news that we read is not covered by it,” he said.
Bishnu Nisthuri, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, said the journalists would launch a bigger movement to compel the government to withdraw the ordinance. “The ordinance has already invited international criticism and is a matter of shame for the whole nation in the international arena,” he said.
In another interaction on the ordinance, organised by the Editors’ Society of Nepal (ESN), speakers focussed on the need for open dialogue to resolve the ongoing controversy over it.
Govinda Biyogi of ESN stressed the need for discussion and finding common ground for combating the media ordinance.
Srish Samshere Rana, a senior journalist, said the ordinance is incomplete and may require some changes but the solution could not be found in street movements. “Let’s wait until the Supreme Court gives a verdict. Alternatively, let’s sit together for better results,” he said.
Hari Lamsal, editor of Rashtra Vani weekly, said it was still possible to hold talks with the government regarding any problem or flaw in the ordinance.

Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, October 26:

Sachchit Shamsher Rana, a member of the Rajparishad Standing Committe, today said the ongoing talks between the seven politial parties and the Maoists should be fruitful in resolving instability and harbinging national unity.
The ministers and other pro-palace leaders earlier had expressed dissatisfaction on the issue of the talks, saying that those who approached the Maoists for talks could be termed terrorists.
“It could be a good opportunity if the talks, said to be going on between the parties and the Maoists, bring peace. The parties should bring the Maoists into the mainstream and prepare them for talks with the government,” he said while addressing an interaction at the Nepal Intellectual Forum.
He added it would be counterproductive if the parties held talks with the Maoists only for their vested interest and for lenghtening political instability. “I don’t think such manner of talks will fetch good results,” he said. Rana said the parties had evaded when the King had repeatedly urged them to hold talks for the sake of national interest.
Khemraj Pandit, assistant general secretary of RPP, said, “Mediation should be sought for holding talks between the King and the parties.” He also urged the ministers not to widen the distance between the parties and other forces.
Ex-minister Shailendra Kumar Upadhyaya said he would appreciate attempts by the seven parties to bring the Maoists to talks table. “The parties deserve gratitude if they convince Maoists to join the mainstream,” he said.
Amrita Agrahari of Nepal Sadbhawana Party said if the talks aim at solving political problems, no one should oppose it. “If the aims are clear, one should not comment where and who is holding talks with whom,” she said.

Kathmandu, October 23:
The Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC) today called officials of FM stations of the Kathmandu Valley for a special meeting and directed them not to air news-based programmes. But the Kantipur FM and Nepal FM told this daily they would continue airing
of news.
The ministry officials reminded the FM station officials of the recently promulgated media ordinance and ordered all to comply with it.
Spokesperson of MoIC Ratna Raj Pandey said the ministry briefed the FM station officials of the ordinance and requested them to follow the restrictions.
“It was an interactive meeting and most of the FM officials of the Kathmandu Valley participated in,” he said.
On behalf of the ministry, an acting secretary, spokesperson and a legal officer participated in the meeting. Prabhat Rimal, station manager of Kantipur FM, said that the officials told the FM stations not to air any news and news-based programmes, and not to add political information in any news.
“The ministry officials ordered us not to air any news-based programmes or they would take action on the basis of the ordinance, without telling us what kind of action they would take,” he said, adding that Kantipur FM will, however, continue its usual “Kantipur Dairy” programme .
Yagya Badal, the station manager of Metro FM, said that the meeting discussed the recent media ordinance .”We had a friendly discussion,”he said.
Metro FM will also continue its local news-based programmes, he added. However, no invitation was sent to Nepal FM and there was no participation from it. Editor of Nepal FM said that the ministry may call any FM for meeting or for other instructions “but it cannot stop us from airing news as our case is sub-judice”.

Kathmandu, October 23:

Constitutional experts today said holding election to a Constituent Assembly is the sole way out of the current political mess.
One of the drafters of the Constitution of 1990, Daman Nath Dhungana, said people should start planning something that would compel the ‘autocratic government’ to listen instead of complaining about what it has been doing. He was speaking at an interaction on ‘right to information and organisation,’ organised by the NGO Federation of Nepal and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists.
“The political parties and civil society should jointly issue an ultimatum to the king telling him that a massive protest programme would be launched if he fails to announce elections to a Constituent Assembly,” he said. According to him, civic society and the political parties have agreed to the demand of a Constituent Assembly, a demand also made by the Maoists. “The king may not agree to it, so pressure should be mounted on him,” he said, adding that an international mediation might be necessary for it.
Laxman Aryal, another drafter of the constitution and former justice of the Supreme Court, said the government has shown its ‘autocratic’ character by attacking a private company. “The attack on Kantipur FM has made me feel that statelessness is at its worst. So why cannot we say that we have only gangsters in the government?” he said. He added that the government has done a lot to prove that it is a failed state instead of some international authority declaring the country so.
He also said the king is issuing new ordinances very frequently though the constitution has given him no right to issue them. “All the ordinances are unconstitutional and illegal.”
Former law minister Nilambar Acharya said the constitution clearly mentions that no ordinance should be issued against the statute, but could be promulgated only to implement the constitution’s provisions.
“The king is issuing ordinances just like the British King Henry the VIIIth used to issue verbal laws in the 16th century,” he said, adding that each ordinance kills the existing laws in the country.
Editor of Kantipur Daily Narayan Wagle said the government took action on the Kantipur FM station in a “hunting-style.” It waited for the appropriate time and attacked,” he said.
The publisher of Himal Newsmaganize, Kanakmani Dixit, said, “We are yet to see what the NGO activists will do to bring back democracy.”
Chairman of Nepal Bar Association, Shambhu Thapa, said the people should fight against the king to save “Constitutionalism” and “Populism”. The chairman of NGO Federation, Dr Arjun Karki, said the government is trying to curtail rights of the NGOs by issuing a Code of Cond