ARTICLE 19, FNJ and FF urged the Government of Nepal to drop this idea and, instead, to take the necessary steps to protect journalists from attacks by unidentified armed groups.
"The Government’s plan is opportunistic and irresponsible," said Dharmendra Jha, Chairperson of FNJ. "Threats and attacks against, and even murders of, journalists are rampant in Nepal and to propose to use journalists as informants is at best grossly negligent," he added.
Key problems with involving journalists in the Special Security Plan include:
– This would seriously undermine the role of an independent media in a democracy.
– It would also undermine the independence and professionalism of individual journalists.
– It would seriously increase the risk of attacks against journalists and media outlets, whereas there is an imperative need to take action to reduce this risk.
Recommendation No. 24 of the Agenda for Change states, in part: "The government should be more proactive in fulfilling its obligation to protect journalists and media property, including by allocating greater resources and attention to this, particularly in conflict areas." Attempting to use journalists as security informants is also a breach of the code of conduct issued by the Nepal Press Council.
ARTICLE 19, FNJ and FF urge the Nepali authorities to withdraw immediately any proposal to use journalists as informants to execute the Special Security Plan. We also call on the authorities to take all reasonable measures to promote the safety and security of journalists and media outlets.
According to Wednesday’s nepalnews.com report, the Home Ministry has proposed to keep journalists on its pay-roll both in the center as well as in the districts for the special security campaign.
It plans to include journalists in sub-committees to be formed in the center and the districts led by a Home Ministry official and a National Investigation Department officer, respectively.
