…because of the Maoist disruption in the production of the newspaper. UWB reproduces the full text of a notice issued by the Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post (published in today’s edition of Kantipur and the Kathmandu Post):
YCL Threat to Kantipur Journalist: Hari Bahadur Thapa, Chief Reporter at Kantipur, nation’s largest and most influential newspaper, said that he received threat on phone today morning “from a person who didn’t identify himself but warned me not to publish anything negative about YCL” (Young Communist League), the youth wing of CPN Maoist that is involved in intimidation through Nepal in recent months. “You have been maligning YCL,” the person told Thapa. “Completely stop this act.”
“Please come to our office and tell which news report you find objectionable,” Thapa told the person.
“Yes, we will come to the office but in a different form,” said the person and slammed down the phone.
Thapa called back at the number but found out that the phone belonged to a shop in the city and the shopkeeper said he couldn’t identify the person.
This threat comes at a time when senior Maoist leaders are expressing against the professionally run independent newspapers in the country that they say are trying to spread rumor or malign the Maoist party and not writing for the poor.
YCL tries to abduct reporter: Meanwhile, Drishti, a pro-leftist vernacular weekly, has issued a press statement a while ago saying that a group of about 18 YCL members reached the weekly’s office at 1 PM today and tried to abduct its reporter Madhav Basnet. The group first surrounded the office as they tried to take away journalist Basent. “This kind of act that has been coming against the journalists and media houses recently from the Maoist is a mocks our press freedom,” said the statement.
Notice Issued In Public Interest
This is to update all our valued readers, advertisers and society at large on the recent developments with regard to the disruption in the production and distribution of the newspapers, The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post.
The latest Chronology of events is as follows:
9th August 2007 (Thursday): A petition was filed by APCA Nepal against the office bearers of the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Communication and Printing Publication Workers’ Union (ANCPPWU) which had threatened to disrupt the distribution of the two newspapers from Saturday. APCA sought a stay order against the defendants as their activities violated rights guaranteed under Caluse 6 (6) and 9 of the Citizens Rights act 2012 BS.
10th August 2007 (Friday): A single bench of Justice Buddhi Prasad Regmi summoned the defendants to appear in court on 13th August (Monday) when the bench was to conduct a hearing and decide on whether or not to issue a stay order. The defendants refused to accept the Patan Appellate Court’s summons.
Arjun Kumar Gautam of ANCPPWU entered the editorial floor of Annapurna Post and threatened the reporters working on the story on the Patan Appellate Court’s summons to the office bearers of ANCPPWU and warned the management that they would not let the copies of the newspapers leave the press if the news was carried.
11th August 2007 (Saturday): The union members did not allow the newspapers to leave the printing press located at Bhainsepati as the Saturday edition carried a news report on the case by APCA Nepal against the office bearers of the union and their refusal to accept the Patan Appellate Court’s summons.
12th August 2007 (Sunday): The union members surrounded the press at Bhainsepati and disrupted the printing of the two newspapers.
13th August 2007 (Monday): The union members prohibited the staff from entering the press premises hence the newspapers could not be printed for the second consecutive day.
We would also like to inform that no cycle boy has collected his appointment letter from the concerned distribution agent in the last 20 days. This is a violation of the agreement reached in the meeting organized by Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) on 25th July 2007 in the presence of Minister of Information and Communication, Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Maoist Trade Union leader and Member of Parliament, Shalikram Jammakatte.
Issued by APCA Nepal
Exclusive marketer for The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post.
UWB Update (14th August 2007):
ANCPPWU workers today disrupted the printing and distribution of The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post for the third consecutive day. They also prevented the printing and dispatch staff from entering the office premises in Bhaisepati this morning. This morning again, around 30 protesting Maoist aligned union workers organized a corner meeting at APCA House in Anam Nagar and threatened to shut down the two dailies. They also did not allow staffers from entering the office for two hours. They were later arrested by the police. (Source and more: THT website.)
Related Blogs:
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Comments
39 responses to “A Notice That Wasn't Printed in the Himalayan Times….”
Oi..GPK and Slimy Sitaula…what are you doing to protect the free press? This is disagraceful the way you guys are doing nothing about this Maoist atrocity.
While these activities on the part of the Maoists are not supportable, it is interesting that the Newspapers involved feel that they have every right to use their position as a newspaper to print negative stories about defendants in a court case they are directly involved in.
Dear Neil, had you read the news or are u just making comments based on hearsays? I suggest you to read the news first before making any comments on it. Read it. It is available in the concerned newspaper’s web archieve. What I found is the news carries only the news, not negative stories. It reports only about the court’s summon to the defendant in the case concerned. The news nowhere has made any comment on Maoist thugs except reporting the facts.
Oh dear…Neil…you appear to be quite brainwashed…can’t even call a spade a spade anymore? You should take a nice long break.
Why everybody is worried about a RAW enterprise but nobody is concerned with its Nepalese employees?
scope,
you think the maoists are bothered about the employees? Thery could’nt care less – it’s all a show. The maoists have’nt even paid the money given by the taxpayers to pay it’s PLA in camps and you talk of other companies and their employess. Besides these people are’nt even employed by the papers, they are employed by the distributers. In any case who are the maoists to lecture on fare employment practices when even money given free (sorry at the cost of the taxpayers) is not given to their PLA?
Now Dabur is leaving Nepal, a company which was a great employer and one of the biggest taxpayers. No thanks to you thugs, who have no clue as to how these things should work as long as you can fill your pockets and try and get a vote – with coercein and threats of course.
His Excellency Shiv Shankar Mukherji should immediately get a promotion for successfully killing a newspaper with Indian investment by helping the Maoists enter the “mainstream.” There are very rare cases of such astounding success of MEA senior officers around the world in which they have shown extraordinary judgement and wisdom to promote India’s interests in such a short span of time. Within one year of Prachanda getting the invite from the MEA to be together with Sonia Gandhi at the Hindustan Times Gala Summit, the YCL has torn down a grand conspiracy to dis-inform the Nepali people through the Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post. The next in line is this nonsense called the “Nepal One” t.v. in which a tyrannical absolute ruler Ms. Nalini Singh must be taught a good lesson not to interfere in the domestics of Nepal and not to treat journalists like her servants. The King failed, the parties failed, but the YCL is doing it. Bravo! Congratulations Mr. Mukherji.
scope…hope you are enjoying the slow but sure death of the Maoists as a credible force in Nepalese politics. It’s clear to all now that you lot have no democratic credentials and are just a bunch of glorified hooligans. enjoy while it lasts…
I did take a nice long break. A newspaper should not wright ANYTHING about a case it’s a party to without a nice big disclaimer saying “We are a party to this case.” Why did they even report on it? Is it news if Maoists don’t show up for court dates? Nobody shows up for court dates here. Owning a newspaper is not a license to convict political and business rivals in the court of public opinion.
Thats not to say that what the Maoists are doing is “Good.” They are just doing what everybody else does here. They’re using the parts of society under their control as levers of power. A bunch of political interests have the Business associations and the papers. Others have the police and the gangs. The Maoists have the YCL and most of the Unions. Everybody is threatening and blackmailing everybody else in this country and nothing gets done until someone gets a good thrashing. Right now the negative focus is on the Maoists, but if the Maoists get enough power, then the focus will be on someone else (just like in Gorkapatra).
Living here has made me thoroughly cynical. Society is rotten to the Core. The Maoists are not going to be good if they ever get enough power. But, I’ll tell you one thing: If all the status quoists in this country weasel their way through the elections and write the new constitution, this country will disintegrate within a few years. It literally can’t continue the way it has been going, The marginalized groups will rip it apart.
Thats your spade. Find somewhere to stick it.
Neil,
Thanks for your really insightful two pence worth in pointing out all the wrongs with this nation. Now take another long break.
Two cents. I’m from the U.S.
hey horny,
u back? where have u been?
and hows ur god father prachanda, god mother baburam and other god uncles?
I though you failed on 2nd round verification by UNMIN? Did you qualify? Really..
Could stick the spade up your cynical…forget it.
Welcome to the real world Neil! Don’t worry it’s the same in your US of A too…the politics and the media. Difference is you lot have had democracy for a lot longer so certain practices and institutions have sprung up to safeguard it better. We’ve hardly had it for 25 yrs and the illiteracy and poverty hasn’t help. You finally realise now that the Maoists are the same corrupt politicos that the rest of the SPA are except that the Maoists have no hesitation using thugs and their strong arm tactics while the others do it much more sparingly. So what’s their relevance for Nepal now? These guys have run out of the little steam they had and that is a good thing.
The Maoists and their sympathizers, just like the God-King and his worshippers are dinosaurs caught in a time warp in this poor, god-forsaken country…their dead weight, weighing it down. It would be only good if both types were consigned to the dustbin of history.
two cents then, better as it has depreciated and is worth once pence.
Reply to Rambir: It is interesting to know why the Indian Embassy hasn’t issued a statement on the stalling of the THT and the AP by Maoist affiliated boys. The U.S. and the Brits have already done so. Probably the Indians now feel cheated and betrayed by the Maoists. Well, after the assasination of Rajiv Gandhi by the same people that they trained and financed, they must have felt the same. Lord Krishna says in the Gita: If you commit a sin and do harm to others, I will show you the consequence in your own lifetime. I agree that the Maoists should now focus on the Nepal One t.v. which is directly up-linked from New Delhi.
these people at himalayan times are royalists and crooks. investigate
Some people feel destruction of Nepal is to be stopped.
Like I said way back- what goes around comes around. It heartens me to hear Neil making a right assesment of the ground reality although his lean to the left is quite “hip hop.”
Noone knows the real picture and whats going on- the crux is this for us but a boon for clueless SPA. I cannot afford potatoe or any greens, just too expensive but few still believe in glory of loktrantra that never was or is.
We are famous for rue and cry, looking for hindsight-it only shows us as fools served on a platter by India induced unholy alliance called SPAM.
The disastrous consequences of supporting the Andolan II for media. They were so jubiliant and euphoric in maoists backed uprising. Media was one of the reason the uprising was successful(?) in short period of time. So , now when your own dog comes to bite you why all these hue and cry?? When you wanted terrorist to become your own government minister and you have dedicated tonnes of articles in praise of these people, why should people even listen to your outbursts?? Isn’t that the matter between two of you former allies??
Having said that the incident must be condemned in the strongest term. But media has it’s hands in blood too!!
Give a man a fish and he will not go hungry for the day, teach a man how to fish and he won’t go hungry again.
If you understand the above you will understand why this short term pain (of learning how to fish) is necessary for us Nepali folk. Longing for short term fixes i.e. looking for heroes (like a benevolent dictator) is not in our interests in the long term.
Kirat and his SPA fathers should be consigned to Gallows of death. It’s not the Maoists or YCL who are the problem. It’s the SPA!
noname-take your pick: SPA/Maoists/Monarch. There are no other options right now (i know who you prefer!).
Neil – it amazes me why you call yourself cynical when you invariably support Maoists all the time. When you infer that its fair to use whatever means possible whats the point of coming up with a defence. Admit it – you believe if theres anyone its the Maoists who are best positioned to save this country. Isnt this speculation too wild for someone who thinks hes spent enough time in this country?
For me, I dont have any affiliation to any power center and am willing to give a chance to anyone who can demonstrate the ability to save the day. I have seen monarchy screw it and maoists screw it. I equally despise SPA but since they’re the closest thing to democracy, I’m willing to bet my hat on them. Thats what makes me a cynic. The point is Neil, too much has been happening in this country that no one seems to be sure what is the solution. And your unbridled faith in Maoists hardly make you a cynic like you claim.
Well, patriot the only reason there seems to be no solution is because the SPA are hell bent on not finding one.
Maoists are closer to democracy than SPA. Anarchy does not mean democracy and that is what the SPA has been offering for the past 15 years
Full comments later……………
For the time being, Maoists are turning to be another autocrats, They must be defeated in coming CA Election. Press freedom must exist there and all the journalists should be very brave.
If you are interested, see my photo blog:http://travelindiaphoto.blogspot.com/
To Site Admin,
Your website is down so many times. sometimes it opens, sometimes completely off! Why? R there any Y Criminal L involved to shut down your server?
the maoist will hardly get 10% vote in CA election.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing that’s all…
One time a great supporter of maoists, I wish, they get 3-4% vote in Election.
“the maoist will hardly get 10% vote in CA election.”
If Maoists get 10 perecnt votes, royalists will get less than 1 percent!
scope:
If Maoists get 10 perecnt votes, royalists will get less than 1 percent!
Are there that much royalists in Nepal?? What is your source??
Horning’s at it again. A newspaper has the right to publish news. If its news that Maoists didn’t show up ( or whatever, as I’m not familiar with the details ), then its fit to print, and should be.
With YCL thugs roaming the streets with impunity, Horning’s more worried about the supposed bias in a newspaper’s attempting to lay out the full facts of a case. Even if it was not journalistically proper for the paper to do it, that’s hardly the most pressing issue here.
As for this noname character, he needs to check into a mental asylum. I suggest that UWB kick this idiot out once and for all. Why don’t these royalists have their own blog?
Because no one would ever go there.
By the way, what is the reason of citing that Citizens Rights Act and that too of 2012 BS. I really doubt what kind of rights can it grant when it was formulated so many years back. Hopefully, amendments must have been carried out time and again but I guess, we have constitution also, right? It must guarantee right to freedom of speech and expression as well. I think by quoting this article and the arguments that the constitutional rights have been violated must have had greater force to convince the judges.
Neil, sod off, please enough is enough, be careful that JTTM does not recognize your white skin anywhere in KTM or terai. Remember the pics of u in the blog where you proudly interviewed and attended a Maoist army scenery.
manan,
I’m afraid maybe this is your dreaded royalist blog even though the blog owner is clearly a republican.
Maybe you republicans prefer not to have any sense talked into to you and would rather remain smug and blind with compliments given to each other. Then maybe you should make a republican blog and we will not enter it.
Here’s a piece of advice – vote for a monarchy otherwise you will regret it later. Also don’t be too quick to pounce on Mr. Horning, at least he has a clear agenda -the maoist agenda, but you republicans who aren’t maoists really don’t have a clue.
Who the hell says royalist wont get vote.Let the royalist move among the people they will win if not also they will get more than of maoist.Maoist will win only 3 seats.poor mr dahal and bhattarai will have to loose election.It is better not to be candidate for these two.They will again have to return to jungle as they had done after 2051 generel election.
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