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The
FNJ was the first group to condemn the monarchy's grab for power in a statement
smuggled out of the country today. The statement demonstrates great courage
by the FNJ leader and prominent Nepali journalist Tara Nath Dahal. It says:
"This
has utterly destroyed the fabric of democracy and has confirmed that the
lives of ordinary citizens as well as national values are in grave danger."
According
to reports from a source in the country, one Nepali language paper, Rajhdani,
has demonstrated extreme courage by publishing the names of people arrested
in the 1 February coup.
The
media are being monitored by army personnel, usually inside the offices
themselves. In the case of one anti-monarch publication, the Jan Ashta
weekly, a colonel is reported to have moved into the building.
The
private media are protesting by not publishing entertainment news or reporting
deliberately on non-issues.
All
local land lines and mobile phones have been cut off so the Nepalese cannot
even talk to each other. Access to the Internet and satellite television
has been blocked.
The
airport was shut and planes turned away. Some limited flights from India
have been resumed, but it is unclear how frequent these will be. Nepal
has an open border with India, but reports suggest that the army and customs
officials are searching all returning Nepalis for any newspapers, magazines
or other published material.
The
only reports coming from inside the country are being smuggled out or broadcast
through the BBC and UN organisations in the country.
There
is information that hundreds of people have already been arrested. Some
are under house arrest, others under police arrest. Other groups are being
held by the army. It is reported that many of those have been arrested
based on video footage of street demonstrations taken by army intelligence.
In
a statement to the BBC, Tara Nath Dahal has also said that the journalists
are organising a protest rally, despite the martial law order that no groups
of more than five people are allowed.
"We
also believe that it is important to fight for this with courage and determination
in order to guarantee the right of the Nepali people to information," said
FNJ President Tara Nath Dahl in his media release.
The
IFJ has documented Nepal's grim history of violating human rights and freedom
of speech. Nepalese journalists have been under intense pressure over the
last three years during the CPN (Maoist) bloody struggle to establish a
"people's republic" and abolish Nepal's constitutional monarchy and the
state's attempt to control the movement.
More
than 100 journalists were arrested during the previous state of emergency
from November 2001 to August 2002 and many of them were subjected to torture.
Eight
journalists and one media worker have been killed since May 2002 and hundreds
more threatened and attacked.
The
IFJ is co-ordinating a global action of all affiliates to protest to their
local Nepalese Embassy and write to their foreign minister condemning the
King's actions. Journalists across South Asia have condemned the media
crackdown and suspension of other basic freedoms in Nepal.
"We
can't know how much of these global protests are known to people like Tara
Nath Dahal fighting for democracy in Nepal," said IFJ President Christopher
Warren.
"But
we can be sure that they're being heard by Gyanendra and the Nepalese Army,"
said Warren.
The
IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 110 countries.
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