The IFJ have protested to the Government of Nepal in the following letter:
9 September 2003
Right Hon. Surya Bahadur Thapa
Prime Minister
Prime Minister’s Office
Singh Dubar
Kathmandu
Kingdom of Nepal
VIA FACSIMILE: 0015 977 1227 286
CC. Kamal Thapa.
Minister for Information and Communication
Your Excellency,
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest journalists’ organisation representing over 500,000 journalists worldwide, is deeply concerned over the murder of journalist Gyanendra Khadka by the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-Maoist) rebels in the Sindhupalchowk district of Nepal.
According to our information, at 4pm Maoists entered a school in Jyamire where Khadka was attending a parents meeting. Khada was forced outside by rebels, and taken to Devisthan Khelmaidan, a short distance from the school where he was tied to a volleyball pole. There the rebels slit his throat.
Khadka has been working as a reporter for the National news Agency (Rastriya Samachar Samiti, RSS) and has also taught at the Janata Secondary School in Jyamire.
The IFJ condemns this latest attack against a journalist in Nepal, and requests the Government of Nepal to launch a full investigation into the murder of Khada
The murder of Gyanendra Khadka comes after death threats received by journalist Resham Birahi on 28 August and the abduction of journalist Ram Hari Chaulagain occurring on 28 August. Earlier this year Amar Lama, managing editor of the weekly newspaper Tajakhabar in Naya Bazar, Kritipur town was murdered on 27 July 2003. Bringing the death toll of Nepal journalists to two this year.
To date no arrests have been made in connection to these incidents. The IFJ calls upon the Government of Nepal to make a commitment to press freedom and the safety of all journalists working in Nepal by launching full investigations into these incidents and ensuring those responsible are brought to justice.
Yours sincerely,
Christopher Warren
President, IFJ
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Right Hon. Surya Bahadur Thapa
Prime Minister
Prime Minister’s Office
Singh Dubar
Kathmandu
Kingdom of Nepal
VIA FACSIMILE: 0015 977 1227 286
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