A group of reporters were initimidated while covering news in Ranisain, Bajura. Bajura lies in Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal.
Reporters Umesh Bahadur Shahi (Janata TV), Janak Bohora (Image TV), Anil Shahi (Radio Budinanda) and Jeetjung Kattel (Radio Api) were harassed and had to delete their reportings in the incident on May 18.
Reporter Bohora shared with Freedom Forum that they had gone to Ranisain to promote the place as a tourism destination because of its scenic beauty. But the place is also lately under conflict due to its geographical dispute between two provinces- Karnali and Sudurpaschim.
Bohora said, "On May 17, locals from Humla, karnali Province, had attacked a ward member in Lampata. we informed aboaut the incident to CDO of Bajura. Then on May 18, as we reached Lampata we were first stopped by three people threatening not to move forward and return back home. As we continued, we were recording pictures and videos of the place with our mobile phones and camera, around 250-300 people approached us and asked us to delete all the recordings. They also forcefully seized mobile phones but returned back after deleting the reportings.
In a separate incident, the locals seized reporter Umesh Shahi's drone camera and destroyed it while he was covering in the same place.
This incident should be raised as national issue and our safety must be ensured, pledged Bohora.
Freedom Forum condemns the incident.
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