Advocacy groups slam Nepal's 'attacks' vs journalists

International media watchdogs and human rights groups on Thursday called upon the Nepalese government to end its alleged aggression against journalists covering the state crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. In separate statements, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) expressed voiced alarm over the alleged intimidation against news coverage teams. Nepalese authorities have reportedly detained about 100 journalists within the recent days. IFJ president Christopher Warren said, "The IFJ is seriously concerned at the significant escalation in violent attacks on journalists and the media in Nepal over the past few days. The blatant disregard that the Nepalese authorities are showing for the work of the media is abhorrent." Nepalese law enforcers launched mass arrests after Nepal's Seven Party Alliance (SPA) called a four-day general strike and sparked a mass democratic movement last April 6. Authorities introduced a dawn-till-dusk curfew in an attempt to thwart the pro-democracy rallies. Warren added that the IFJ is "sickened at the beatings and assaults on our colleagues." Journalists should be given the right to free movement, Warren said, despite the imposition of a curfew. He said journalists should be allowed to report accurately and comprehensively on developments in Nepal. For its part, AHRC condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of journalists, along with the violation of the rights to freedom of assembly and peaceful protest The group bemoaned what they called was a collapse of the rule of law in Nepal. AHRC said over 50 people have been seriously wounded in the Kathmandu capital. Doctors have been quoted as saying that Nepalese authorities used live bullets to deal with the street marchers. "Though the demonstrations were due to end on Sunday, now that people have defied the government-clamped curfew and taken to the streets, it is believed that the protests may go on indefinitely," it said. AHRC also sought the immediate release of 29 journalists from Bhirkutimandap. THe media practitioners are now being detained in Singha Darbar Ward Police Station. These journalists include Mahendra Bista, Nirmala Thapa, Ramjee Dahal, Binod Pahadi, Kapil Kafle, Kishor Shrestha, Shyam Basnet, Punya Bhandari, Ishwori Neupane, Ishwori Wagle; Dambar Giri, Deepak Acharya, Ambar Nath Dhakal, Chenath Dhamala, Shree Babu Karki, Namaraj Sharma, Sapta Acharya, Sitaram Baral, Damodar Prasad Dawadi, Rohit Dahal; Surya Prasad Neupane, Devraj Rimal, Bharat Khadka, Santosh Kandel, Nandarishi Neupane, Bharat Pokharel, Krishna Humagain, Shiva Devkota, and Rajendra Aryal. Among the 29 journalists, AHRC said Dawadi, Neupane, Dhakal, Acharya, and Bhandari were injured when the police charged them with batons. The five alleged that they were kicked and punched after they were thrown into detention.-GMANews.TV