24 January 2008
Kathmandu , Nepal
Journalists attacked, mistreated
Maina
Dhital, correspondent of Kantipur Daily, Anjali Subedi reporter of The
Kathmandu Post were beaten up by the demonstrators on 23 January at New
Baneshwor, Kathmandu, capital of
Nepal .
According
to the statement issued by Federation of Nepali Journalists, Kantipur
Chapter, demonstrators attacked the journalists, while they were coming
to office at Tinkune. Demonstrators vandalized Dhital's motorbike, even
she was wearing a yellow jacket with 'press' written on it and had
press stickers both at the front and rear of her bike. Statement
further states that the demonstrators also confiscated her wallet
containing her identity card, driving license and two ATM cards.
Subedi, a pillion rider on Dhital's motorcycle was also harassed.
Similarly,
the protesters also vandalized motorcycles belonging to Kantipur
scribes Bikas Thapa and Ganesh Rai, and Ashwini Koirala of Saptahik, a
weekly paper of Kantipur publications at New Baneshwor.
Issuing
a press statement FNJ says that demonstrators at Ratnapark attacked
journalist Shree Bikram Bhandari and vandalized his motorcycle.
Similarly, Ananta Raj Luintel and Dewan Rai of The Himalayan Times,
Rajan Raj Joshi of Annapurna Post, Madhav Nirdoshi, chairman of
Hatemalo Media Services, Lomus Joshi, reporter of Independent Business
News were attacked by the protesters and their vehicles were
vandalized. Demonstrators also misbehaved with Rishi Dhamala of
Reporters Club and Photo journalists Sabin Tuladhar and the vehicle
belonging to Nepal Samacharpatra is also vandalized in the incident.
The
Kathmandu Post, a national daily, says "demonstrators beat up and
manhandled at least 11 journalists and vandalized eight vehicles used
by scribes during protests in the capital Wednesday against fuel price
hikes".
FNJ in its press statement
condemned the incident and said that it is a total irresponsibility of 'bandh
callers'
to tear up the identity cards of some journalists and used abusive
language against them. It also criticized the government for the poor
security arrangement and demanded the government compensation for the
vandalized vehicles.
Pradeep Kaphle
Nepal