As we all know there is no freedom of expression in Nepal. Pro-democratic activists are detained and regularly harassed. Police kicked pro-democratic students from their offices yesterday. Later in the evening, they organized a press conference. Participating in that semi-underground press conference was an interesting experience for journalist Jeetendra Sah.
Terrified students just ousted from their offices in Rato Ghar were trying to organize a press conference to make their view public. Activists of All Nepal National Federation of Free Student Union (ANNFSU) planned a press meet in a Baghbazaar hotel. When Jeetendra, sporting a short hair and clean shaved face, reached the venue for reporting purpose, he found no one from organizer’s side. The crime reporter of Kantipur daily was utterly surprised. He asked about the program at the hotel reception. Their reply was unexpectedly strange.
But he quickly discovered that his hairstyle was playing a surprising role. Short hair. Police/Army cut. Huh…It is not unusual here in Kathmandu for plaincloth police to arrest students from programs and press meets. Students couldn’t stop their laugh after knowing Jeetendra’s identity. What at interesting story. Read that in United We Blog! in Nepali.
16 Comments »
Ousting the King will make us like Afghanis in opium trade to survive. The situation has greatly improved post Feb. 1st why should we oust him and oust ourselves from our own country?
Comment by Sujan Rajbhandary — 5/11/2005 @ 7:06 pm
Sujan might be day dreaming. You are surviving under maoist and state terror. How do you say situation has improved? You must have been grown in a slavish family and society who can defferenciate between terror and democracy.
Thanks
Comment by Ghanendra — 5/11/2005 @ 8:51 pm
Why you guys have to go underground like theives?
Learn to respect laws before you pretend to be a journalist.
Article says: “Police kicked pro-democratic students from their offices yesterday….”. Did Rato Ghar lawfully belonged to the Union? Just because you supported the corrupt political party in an election you can illegally occupy any building and make it your office? YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN KICKED OUT LONG TIME AGO.
Comment by Bishnu Thapa — 5/11/2005 @ 10:14 pm
Hello.
It’s my first visit. I discover.
I’m sincerely with you. Good courage.
From Belgium,
le Râleur.na
Comment by le Râleur.na — 5/11/2005 @ 10:18 pm
This report is so telling of the massive repression being waged by this government. A press conference organised by students has to be self censored in case a planclothes policeman appears to arrest them for no reason—-and before the rest of you jump on this —-yes, there was no reason to evict these students from the building they have occupied all these years – the supporters of the Panchayat had the same priviliges while that government was in power all those years.
As far as the comment about journalists needing to tow the official line is concerned—what on earth are you talking about? The essence of a journalist is to be objective–it is the duty of a journalist to present both sides of the story–not just the state sanctioned propoganda that that king and his croonies want the people to know about.
I know it’s a horribly repressive and threatning time for journalists as well as larger Nepali society–best of luck with all your endeavours–God knows, the people of this country deserve to know the truth!
Comment by Uma — 5/12/2005 @ 1:25 am
Sujan- Take a bus ride (or fly) outside of Kathmandu and have a look. Kathmandu is completely shielded from whats really happening in rest of Nepal. Just because few things appear to have got better at this stage does not portray the overall situation in Nepal. This is not about Monarchy or Republic- it’s about accepting the situation as it is and taking positive steps to fix it. Press censorship, detention, suspension of civil liberties, increase in military activities are NOT positive steps.
Comment by sameer — 5/12/2005 @ 9:52 am
I think the journalists are the ones the blame for all the chaos and political instability in nepal.
Comment by b — 5/12/2005 @ 10:03 am
I suppose, b, that you have nothing to say about journalists being the main targets of both Government and Maoists?
Comment by sameer — 5/12/2005 @ 10:41 am
If Sujan believes that peace emanates from gagging voices and obliterating traces of dissent, he is mistaken. Freedom is the sine qua non of dignity; dancing to the tunes of a reprehensible and outdated doctrine and their musketeers can hardly be termed freedom; dancing is good for those who oblige voluntarily but how about those who are forced to?
Comment by Samprabhu — 5/12/2005 @ 11:17 am
Like the socalled sudent leader journalists are also illigiment children of the corrupt politician. Jut imagine a weekly news papers in Nepal received more than four million rupee for socalled advertisement from Nepal Oil Corporation. so did the other weekly news papers. Now as this as stoped ! So thir free looting of the pulbic money has stoped. All the Nepal is happy except the one who have been stoped to loot the public money
Comment by Raj — 5/12/2005 @ 3:25 pm
Example of State Terror: 4 Students shot dead in Kabul while protesting against desecration of Kuran by Karzai’s democratically elected government.
Example of Hooliganism: Students illegally occupying “Rato Ghar”. Students should learn to respect laws of our land.
Example of Tolerance: Students were just kicked out of “Rato Ghar” by the police. They deserved more than that for breaking the law.
Putting the hooligans out of the “Rato Ghar” is NOT Police oppression. Students should learn tools that will make them a good citizen, not ways to illegally occupy buildings. Kicking them out of the building is protecing law of Nepal. Learn to respect laws.
Comment by Bishnu Thapa — 5/12/2005 @ 8:02 pm
Bishnu,
I am interested to know what laws of Nepal in particular are being protected in the current anarchy and lawlessness that pervades Nepali society?
How come these very same laws were allowed to be flouted when the Panchayat henchmen had their say and occupied the same very building without them flouting the so called Nepal laws that you proclaim to be protected?
Comment by Kripa — 5/12/2005 @ 9:17 pm
“Anarchy and Lawlessness that pervades in Nepali Society”
What is Lawlessness?
When educated people like University students breaks laws it leads to Lawlessness. Occupying a building that does not belong to you is Lawlessness. Today you forcefully occupy a government building, tommorrow you forcefully occupy your neighbour’s house. Where will this end?
A student has to set an example for others to follow. A law abiding student will make a law abiding citizen that will contribute to our society. Educated people like university students cannot support illegal things.
Please do not promote Lawlessness by illegally occupying “Rato Ghar”.
Comment by Bishnu Thapa — 5/12/2005 @ 9:58 pm
The fish stinks from the head!
The students are just doing what their elders are teaching them. How can you expect students to obey to the law, if you are living in a country, where the Army is not obeying to the orders of an elected parliament, where some people are above the law and cannot be brought to court even for murder.
At first the ones, who have enjoyed the comfort of education in the undemocratic years of Nepal should start to obey to the laws, then the students will easily follow the civilized path.
The new leader is a coward, as he is not proud enough to let himself be criticized. Who wants to follow a coward, who is protecting his criminal son and disrespecting the citizens he should protect.
Poor Nepal, the longer the drama continues, the more likely, that ALL leaders have to be brought to justice.
May courage return to the punished and frightened people of Nepal, King Kong
Comment by King Kong — 5/13/2005 @ 6:42 pm
King Kong says: “where the Army is not obeying to the orders of an elected parliament ….”
Army obeys Chief of the Army in any country. In India too the President is the Chief of the Armed Forces, and it follows his orders, not the parliaments.
“where some people are above the law and cannot be brought to court even for murder….”
In UK too as in other countries, the Royal family have the immunity. This is perfectly normal.
Even the clerk of a foriegn embassy has the diplomatic immunity.
Comment by Bir Ghale — 5/13/2005 @ 8:22 pm
Hello Ghaleji, you say “In UK too as in other countries, the Royal family have the immunity. This is perfectly normal.”
My quesion is: is it also “perfectly” normal to kill people? Is is perfectly normal to go to Discos at mid-night and spray bullets? Is it perfectly normal to train the royal gun at secuirty forces???
Comment by bishwokarma — 5/14/2005 @ 9:14 am
United We Blog 