Editorial»
Predators of press
JAN 01 - Security forces have manifested their intention of suppressing democracy by attacking the media. The Kantipur Television’s cameraman Shyam Shrestha is the recent victim. At this moment, if all the pro-democratic forces are not united to condemn the atrocity, it will not take long for the press freedom to become history in this country. We have had enough of the prowler-like attitude of our security forces. The high-ranking officials will now shower excuses for the “inadvertent violation of human rights”; they will even promise to take action against the policemen, who mistreated the journalist/s. If past is any indication, they will not take any prompt action against the security personnel. As usual, they want this episode to be buried, before they prepare for another severe blow to suppress the people’s voice.
The policeman obviously did not assault the cameraman of the Kantipur Television without receiving instructions from his superior. We do not want to guess who or what led the police bosses to opt for such a regressive move. But the incident is not an uncalled-for accident because police scolded and beat Shrestha for taking the footage of police atrocities against the unarmed students. Obviously, they wanted to prevent the public from knowing what was going on in the streets. The recent attack on the mediaperson is a threat to the news freedom in general. Today a cameraman is attacked for taking pictures, tomorrow a reporter may become a victim for writing the truth, then an editor for broadcasting or printing the pictures, and slowly a situation will be created where all institutions advocating people’s right will be crippled.
The attack on Shrestha is not the first incident of its kind. Journalists have been routinely harassed, intimidated, threatened and killed by security forces and Maoists across the country. In remote districts the correspondents of various newspapers have been harassed in the name of inquiry. In many districts the local administration and security forces censure the news before they are faxed to the central office. And the journalists have no choice but to comply as there is no fax machines other than the government’s, thanks to the Maoists for destroying the little infrastructure we had. The atrocities of the Maoists against the press freedom are being exposed to the whole world. Now as both the parties in conflict are locked in an intense war, the press has become a soft target. It is high time authorities concerned felt the pressing need to safeguard the press freedom. The international community, which is sensitive towards democracy and press freedom, should also be concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in Nepal.Posted on: 2004-01-01 02:47
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