Freedom Forum has been concerned over an incident of press freedom violation occurred in Okhaldhunga, a hilly district in the eastern region of Nepal on December 22, 2012.
District reporter with the Annapurna Post daily, Jivan Sharma, was issued threat of physical action initially by Dipak Phuyal, District Chairperson of All Nepal National Free Student Union, a student wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) over the news, 'extortion from students by threatening teachers' which was published in the daily on December 20.
Talking to Freedom Forum's media monitoring desk, Sharma said, "Also an unidentified person, on the night of December 23, threatened me of life saying- I will finish you within a day despite security you have demanded from the administration."
According to him, the threat call came over the mobile number 9803545152.
He claimed that he made the news based on the views of the students extorted.
After the District Police Office (DPO) and the District Administration Office were apprised of the situation, the DPO has provided security to reporter Sharma which is laudable initiative of the security and administration.
However, the Freedom Forum strongly urges the CPN-UML to teach its cadres the value of free press and citizen's right to information.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022