Recent positive political developments have opened door for a new democratic process in Nepal. The mass movement of April 2006 led King Gyanandra to forgo absolute power and to reopen the Parliament. The November 2006 Peace Accord has ended a decade of civil war and a Constituent Assembly election is now under way. Freedom of expression and information is a cornerstone for democratic societies and a free professional media is considered to be the pillar of a modern democratic state. The establishment of a free and independent press encourages an environment where true dialogue is fostered; thus enabling people to think for themselves and base their opinions on facts. In relation to the World Press Freedom Day 2007 under the global theme Press Freedom, Safety of Journalists and Impunity, the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu asked the Forum of Development Journalists (FoDeJ) to undertake a ‘reality check’ on press freedom in post-conflict Nepal. In order to give a voice to journalists working outside the Kathmandu valley, FoDeJ undertook a series of case studies in mountains, hilly areas, and the plains, covering all the development regions of Nepal.
This booklet portrays and illustrates their findings, which unfortunately are quite disturbing: “Statistics and stories portray a Nepal in which journalists are still abducted, arrested, threatened, physically assaulted and obstructed in carrying out their professional duty across the country. Many media practitioners are still displaced away from their families. Media houses have been vandalized and forced to shut down and transports of newspapers have been vandalized.”
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Publisher:
UNESCO
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(2007
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Type / Script:
Press Release
in English
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Keywords:
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, FREEDOM OF OPINION, VANDALIZE, PRESS LAW, ABDUCT, REALITY CHECK, PRESS SECURITY, PROFESSIONAL DUTY, THREATENED, PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED, SAFETY, IMPUNITY, DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, PLIGHT, RAISING AWARNESS, HUMAN RIGHTS, PEACEFUL SOCIETY, FREEDOM OF INFORMATION, CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ELECTION, FREE PROFESSIONAL MEDIA, DEMOCRATIC SOCIETIES, JOURNALISTS, PRESS, INTERNATIONAL PRESS DAY, TESTIMONIES, FREEDOM OF PROFESSION, MASS MOVEMENT, FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, PARLIAMENT, ABSOLUTE POWER
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Thematic Group:
UNESCO
:
Educational, Scientific and Cultural
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Thesaurus:
14.02.02
- Human Rights
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Reference Link:
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