[Reader-list] Fwd: Nepal: Govt closes down Radio Sagarmatha, arrests journalists

[Eric Kluitenberg]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: <incom> Nepal: Govt closes down Radio Sagarmatha,	arrests
journalists
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 06:23:41 -0500
From: partha <partha at bytesforall.org>


http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=58346   KOL Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 27 - In what looks like yet another brazen assault on the
free press, the government closed down Radio Sagarmatha, the first
community radio in South Asia, Sunday night, arresting five employees
including journalists and technicians

A police team led by Inspector Bishwa Khadka stormed into the Master
Control Room of the radio station at around 8:55 p.m. today, forcefully
seizing transmission equipment and detaining Durga Karki, Rajendra Rijal,
Dipak Babu Aryal, Deepak Raj Pandey and Punya Bhandari.

They were taken to the District Police Office, Lalitpur.

Police, however, released Durga Karki at around 10:30 p.m.

It is learnt that the government raided Radio Sagarmatha for "attempting to
carry a BBC Nepali service relay broadcast that included the interview of
Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda."

The interview with Prachanda dealt with the recent understanding between
the political parties and the Maoist rebels to work towards the resolution
of the conflict in the country.

Radio Sagarmatha, however, did not carry the interview.

The police team left two separate letters from the Ministry of Information
and Communications at the radio station, one asking the radio station to
stop operation until further notice and the other asking to hand over
transmission equipment.

In one of the letters, the government has accused the radio station of
"airing programmes that encourage terrorists and terrorism against Section
15 (d) and (i) of the National Broadcasting Act- 2049 BS and the licence
provided to the radio station."

Chairman of the radio station, Laxman Upreti has termed the government
action as "a dagger to the heart of the radio revolution in Nepal."

"Nepal has been the South Asian country pioneering the role of FM radio in
informing the public and Radio Sagarmatha has been the vanguard of this
movement. The action by the government is a dagger to the heart of our
radio revolution," he said in a statement issued by the radio station.

"At this point, we are on the lookout for our staff taken in by the
authorities. At this hour of crisis, we seek the support of all who value
freedom of speech and expression in Nepal," the statement further quoted
Upreti as saying.

BBC relay transmission suspended on Radio Nepal

Meanwhile, the government has also stopped airing the relay transmission of
BBC World Service from Radio Nepal.

Authorities have furnished no reason for the action.

"According to our information, seven other radio stations around the
country were also prevented from carrying the BBC Nepali Service feed by
the security forces," the statement further said.

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