The IFJ is extremely concerned for the safety of our Nepali colleagues and is calling on all affiliates for urgent help and support for our colleagues in Nepal.
As you know, King Gyanendra of Nepal dismissed the 8-month old Sher Bahadur Deuba government on 1 February 2005 and declared a state of emergency. The king also suspended constitutional rights to freedom of press, speech and expression, to assemble peacefully, to privacy and against preventive detention.
All telephone and mobile phone lines have been cut, flights to the capital have been cancelled and Nepal’s press has been suspended.
Nepalese news sites are inaccessible and all Internet services in Nepal have been suspended. Nepal is completely cut off from the outside world and leaving journalists and others committed to freedom of expression and opinion vulnerable.
The IFJ has been unable to contact any of our affiliates or colleagues in Nepal and we are concerned for their safety.
The IFJ has received unconfirmed reports that journalists have been detained in army camps and have been threatened not to publish articles critical of the King’s action.
The IFJ is calling on all affiliates to urgently act by writing directly to your Foreign Ministers asking them to put pressure on the Nepalese King to ensure the rights, safety and freedom of movement of all journalists and a quick return to democracy in Nepal.
In addition the IFJ is calling on affiliates to protest to the Nepali Embassy in your country calling for an immediate suspension to the state of emergency, reinstatement of all constitutional rights and actions to ensure the safety of journalists.
If anyone has any news from Nepal, can you please urgently contact the IFJ Asia office at ifj@ifj-asia.org
