KATHMANDU, NOV 12 - Maoist rebels have driven out reporters of The Kathmandu Post and Gorkhapatra Daily from their stronghold in northern Gorkha. The reporters had gone there to cover the Maoist insurgency, social issues and tourism business in the Mt. Manaslu region on Saturday.
Ishwori Neupane of The Kathmandu Post and Kishor Jung Thapa of Gorkhapatra Daily were expelled by a group of rebels from Khanibesi, located about four days walking distance north of Gorkha’s district headquarters.
“They prevented us from moving further ahead of Sirdibas, the entry point to the northern areas,” said Neupane. After two hours of heated discussions, the rebels forced them to return from the area under their control, saying that they currently had no plan to entertain media persons. The rebels said that they would allow nobody to travel in the area without permission from the People’s Government.
“From now on, you have to write in favour of Maoist revolution,” the reporter quoted the rebels as saying. Earlier, two rebels at Armala had allowed them to move ahead followed by a brief inquiry. The rebels said they had declared the northern part of the district a restricted area for outsiders, including media persons.Posted on: 2003-11-11 08:40

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