For Online Newsportal: Nabin Adhikari and Barsha Shah
A team of photojournalists namely, Ratna Krishna Shrestha and Ramesh Giri with the National News Agency (RSS), and Leela Shrestha from Kantipur daily, Sudip Kumar Poudel from Medianp news portal and Nabin Adhikari from Online khabar news portal and Barsha Shah with the currentnewsnepal news portal were manhandled on June 10 by the locals while collecting news about the diversion of Hanumante River flowing through Madhyapur Thimi municipality-3 and Suryabinayak Municipality 3 on 10 June. Madhyapur Thimi is in the Kathmandu Valley.
A group of local people manhandled the photojournalists while they were taking photographs of the local people's efforts to change the course of the River.
During a conversation with Freedom Forum, journalist Ratna Shrestha said, "While we were capturing the pictures of river diversion, a group came approached us, manhandled and spoke foul words. They even asked who we were. They even threatened us saying, if the news story was published then they would be responsible for the further circumstances."
Freedom Forum condemns the misbehavior meted out and threat issued against the journalists. Such treatment with the journalists merely because of their profession even in the presence of security persons in the capital city draws a serious concern. It is a sheer violation of press freedom. The local people must be aware the media persons have the right to free reporting and it should not be obstructed.
For More Information
Freedom Forum
Thapathali, Kathmandu
4102030, 4102022
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
www.nepalpressfreedom.org
www.freedomforum.org.np