Stefan Christou reports for Index on Censorship

It is hoped that the new government will continue to build on steps taken in May by the SPA to reintroduce freedom of expression in the country. These included repealing oppressive media laws, once again giving journalists the protection of government legislation and annulling laws giving local administrators control over the media, and restricting the reporting of ‘sensitive issues’. A law allowing detention of suspected terrorists for up to a year without trial that had been used against journalists was also repealed, and restrictions on advertising policy were relaxed.

Concerns over Maoists´ commitment to peace
When King Gyanendra seized power in February 2005, one if his first decrees was to ban the reporting of news over the radio and to give the authorities the power to close down any media outlet it felt was not conforming to their political agenda.

It remains to be seen how committed to free press Prachanda´s Maoists will be, and some have viewed the recent developments as a cynical move for control on their part. The Maoists have a poor record on human rights, and several human rights organisations have appealed to the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) to discontinue attacks on civilians and journalists. Despite assurances from the CPN following the murder of Dekendra Raj Thapa in 2004 that it was committed to free press and would not interrupt the work of journalists, the last year has been marred by violence. The Maoists have thus far refused to disarm, though they have de-mobilised their fighters.

Scars of conflict remain
But the scars of conflict, such as the firing on protesters during peaceful demonstrations in April this year or the disappearance of at least 49 people at the hands of the Bhairabnath battalion between September and December 2003, will undoubtedly take time to heal. Attacks on journalists are frequent, and the perpetrators reportedly come from all sides of the decade-long conflict; security forces grew accustomed to using force against journalists and civilians during King Gyanendra’s rule.

Journalists are still facing threats, intimidation and violence, working under enormous pressure and in considerable danger, particularly when reporting on issues such as human rights or corruption. Suman Puri, of the daily Udghosh, was assaulted by police on 23 June after reporting on a victim of torture supposedly condoned and possibly perpetrated by the police.

Ground level protection for journalists needed
Founded in 1956 as the Nepalese Journalists Association, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) has played a central role in the struggle for free press in the country. Operating as an umbrella organisation for several organisations, FNJ membership increased in the 1990s in an atmosphere of flourishing media freedom and multi-party democracy brought about by the 1990 constitution.

Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva on 19 June, deputy prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli said that under the new interim government, all incidents of human rights violations will be investigated and all those responsible will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But it is the day-to-day, ground level protection that journalists require the most. How the interim government, and those elected in the forthcoming elections, address these issues will be a telling sign of how easily, and with what speed, the country will re-adjust to democracy.