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Bulletin #37: Post Emergency, Curbs Remain on Press, Politicking

(Source: The Kathmandu Post online, May 1, 2005)

KATHMANDU, April 30 - Though HM King Gyanendra lifted the State of Emergency late Friday evening, curbs on press and political activities in the capital will remain in place.

The government, on Saturday, issued new orders banning political activities in major locations of Kathmandu while it has retained the earlier notification that restricted media coverage.

Kathmandu Chief District Officer (CDO), Baman Prasad Neupane, Saturday, issued orders banning political activities in areas surrounding the Royal Palace, Nirmal Niwas (residence of crown prince Paras), Singha Durbar, Ratna Park, Putalisadak, New Road, Tundikhel, Kantipath, Lainchaur and Lazimpat.

Invoking the Local Administration Act 2028 BS, the CDO has banned political assembly, rallies, gheraos, and other kinds of protest programs in these locations. The notification says such action has been taken to maintain law and order in Kathmandu.

Along with these new restrictions on political activities, the government has also retained the earlier restrictions imposed on the media. The government has not withdrawn its notice issued on February 2 that imposed censorship on newspapers for six months.

The Feb 2 notification, issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications, prohibits publications of interviews, write-ups, news and opinions that go against “the spirit and letter of the Feb 1 royal proclamation and supports and encourages the activities of the terrorists directly or indirectly”.

Senior advocate and one of the draftees of the present constitution, Daman Nath Dhungana, termed the continuation of press censorship notification as illegal. “All the orders and notices issued by the government following the imposition of the emergency should be withdrawn once the emergency is lifted,” he said.

Dhungana argued that the government should now categorically take back its press censorship notice. “Otherwise, the state mechanism will keep on enforcing censorship referring to the notice forever.”

INSN is the International Nepal Solidarity Network, which has activists in over a dozen countries around the world who are working to bring democracy to Nepal. Visit their website for regular updates related to the Nepal crisis.