Reporter with the Nagarik daily from Dailekh district, Govinda KC, has been honoured with the Courageous Journalism Award on Thursday.

Acting Chief Justice Damodar Prasad Sharma conferred the award on journalist KC amidst a programme organized jointly by the Freedom Forum and International Press Institute (IPI) Nepal Chapter in the capital.

Also the publisher and editor of a local Teshro Ankha vernacular daily, KC was honoured with the award in recognition of his contribution to fostering press freedom and curbing impunity despite facing life threats especially in reporting about the murder of journalist Dekendra Thapa.

KC untiringly and dauntlessly reported about the murder-accused of journalist Thapa in the local and the national newspaper from his district, which in a way created pressure on the authority to initiate action against the murder-accused who were living scot free.

But, he along with his 22 friends were forced to leave from their work station in Dailekh after receiving continuous death threats from the leaders and cadres of the UCPN-Maoist, CPN-Maoist, taking over the news reporting on the arrest of the Dekendra's murder.

At the same programme, Acting Chief Justice Sharma released a book published by the Freedom Forum named, 'Compilation of Supreme Court Decisions on Media and Information'. The book has compiled as many as 134 SC decisions from 2008BS to 2069 BS.

Speaking on the occasion, Acting CJ Sharma said free press was not only important for independent judiciary but also for the protection of human rights.

The Supreme Court is committed to making the court media friendly, he added.

Similarly, Member of the National Human Rights Commission Gauri Pradhan said Nepal witnessed disappointing time in terms of free press this year.

Administrative Court Chair Kashiraj Dahal said democratic values would be jeopardized in the absence of free press.

Senior journalist Harihar Birahi said court needs to become friendly to the press in order to respect people's rights. Free press is not only for journalists but for the empowerment of people and their freedom of expression, he added.

Freedom Forum Chairman Taranath Dahal said the governments in the recent years have been indifferent to the free press.

Award recipient KC said the award has encouraged him to continue his fight for citizen's right and press freedom.
 

A three-day training on Right to Information for Information Officers of Nepal government at central public agencies kicked off at Lapsiphedi, Kathmandu today (Wednesday, 3 April, 2013).
 
Organized by Freedom Forum in collaboration with Society of Information Officers Nepal (SION), the training cum workshop will provide skills and knowledge to the participants as how RTI could be used by the supply side of governance.
 
Inaugurating the programme, Acting Chief Information Commissioner at National Information Commission (NIC) Shree Acharya said the public information officers should commit themselves to promote culture of disclosing information of public importance.
 
On the occasion, Freedom Forum Chairperson Taranath Dahal said the event was organized to rope information officers in creating informed citizenry and expedite the effective implementation of RTI laws.

RTI activists including Kashiraj Dahal, Dr Ram Krishna Timilsina, Binaya Kasajoo, Dharmendra Jha, Sabita Baral and Shree Ram Panta will lead different sessions at the event.
 
Twenty-three information officers from different ministries, the Prime Minister's Office, Nepal Police, National Vigilance Centre are participating in the event.
 

On March 18, 2013, Freedom Forum Chairman Taranath Dahal, in line with the RTI Act 2007, demanded the following information with different seven ministries:

•    Certified copies of the allocated budget on current expenditure, capital expenditure, and financial

     management in the concerned ministry for the fiscal year 2012/2013.

•    Detailed information of different headings  and certified copy of the budget allocated under the

     headings,

•   Detailed information about the P1, P2 and P3 to be conducted within this fiscal year and of all programs being implemented in the district and local level, and the certified copy of the allocated budget  

The public agencies where the above information is sought are Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Physical Planning and Transport Management, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information and Communication, Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, and Ministry of Irrigation.

It is worth noting that the Freedom Forum has continued its campaign for making the public agencies transparent and accountable by seeking information.
 

Yet again, the Nepal Army Headquarters has written to the Ministry of Information and Communications urging it to ban the screening of a fact-based Nepali film, Badhshala.

Freedom Forum is deeply concerned over the NA's efforts to ban the screening of the feature film.

Merely with the reason that the film would impact negatively on people, the NA has made such urge to the Ministry which is against the existing laws on freedom of expression, Interim Constitution, and the Right to Information Act.

The government led by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (UCPN-Maoist) has time and again emerged hostile to media freedom and freedom of expression. The NA's attempt of late to ban the film is therefore a latest series of the suppression of freedom of speech and expression.

"The NA's letter violates the people's right to freedom of expression, and right to information. Mere reason of the use of Army uniform in the film is not logical enough to ban the screening. It is a suppressive move of the NA," said Taranath Dahal, Chairperson of the Freedom Forum.

Earlier too, the Communications Ministry on January 18, 2013 had written to the Film Development Board asking it not to provide screening license to the Badhshala film merely on the ground that a uniform of Nepal army was used in the film.

It is worth noting here that the Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: 
"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Talking to Freedom Forum, Film Director Manoj Pandit said he had now no option but to knock door of the Supreme Court.

Lately, Nepali film industry has witnessed the production of fact-based films depicting national political problems and human rights violation. But NA's attempt to ban the screening of such film has grossly violated the freedom of expression thereby challenging the democratic norms and values.

For background, please visit
http://www.freedomforum.org.np/content/news-and-events/244-concern-over-govt-attempt-to-ban-screening-of-badhshala-film.html


For More Information
Freedom Forum
Thapathali, Kathmandu
Post Box No: 24292
Phone No. 4102030, 4102022
Website: www.nepalpressfreedom.org; www.freedomforum.org.np
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The Supreme Court on March 3, 2013 issued an interim order in the name of the government, asking it not to implement the new directives it brought as one-door advertisement directives.

A single bench of SC Justice Girish Chandra Lal issued the order after initial hearing and summoned government authorities to attend a hearing on the case on March 13.

The government had endorsed the directives that were to come into effect from March 14.
A group of seven advertising agencies had demanded the SC order that would scrap the directives, reasoning that government issued the directive against Public Procurement Act and Good Governance Act 2007.

In this regard, Freedom Forum holds the opinion that the one-door advertisement directive the government brought seems good in the surface-level but it is practically cumbersome, and prone to non-implementation. It is against the Public Procurement Act too.

Similarly, it aims at administrative control to the advertisement and raises the threat of political misuse.

Therefore, the Court order is a positive step on this.

For More Information
Freedom Forum
Thapathali, Kathmandu
Post Box No: 24292
Phone No. 4102030, 4102022
Website: www.nepalpressfreedom.org; www.freedomforum.org.np
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The police on February 27, 2013 apprehended four Tibetan refugees from the Teaching Hospital area of Kathmandu, violating their rights to freedom of mobility and peaceful gathering.

According to the police, the arrested ones are Sonam Lama, Jimi Lama (men), Yangli Lama and Chhiring Lama (women). Also a case on public offence has been filed against the arrested ones.
It is said the Tibetan refugees had reached the Hospital area for peaceful protest and gathering for a Tibetan monk Doman Dukche who committed self-immolation had died at the Hospital while receiving treatment.

Dukche had committed self-immolation at Bouddha, Kathmandu on February 13, 2013.

Moreover, the police had arrested 47 Tibetans from Patan, Lalitpur, and released in the evening same day.

The Tibetan refugees have been expressing their voices time and again in Nepal demanding free Tibet.

The self-immolation, though a worst form of freedom of expression, may have been caused because of the suppression to the exercise of his human rights which are not bound any frontiers.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states- Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

The FF concludes as the rights of peaceful protest were subdued, it resulted in violent form of expression- self-immolation. The freedom of expression, a boundless issue, therefore needs to be respected.

The FF therefore requests the government to respect the human rights of refugees as per the international standard.

For More Information
Freedom Forum
Thapathali, Kathmandu
Post Box No: 24292
Phone No. 4102030, 4102022
Website: www.nepalpressfreedom.org; www.freedomforum.org.np
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Freedom Forum has been concerned over government's negligence towards the demands raised by the anti-corruption campaigners who are staging fast-onto-death under the leadership of Sharada Bhushal Jha at Shantibatika in the capital.

The police have time and again disrupted the peaceful protest of Bhushal violating their right to freedom of expression.

Today (March 1) is the eighth day of the fast-onto-death begun by the Bhushal's team which had earlier staged protest at the gate of Commission of Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) demanding action against those involved in massive financial irregularities at Banauli Danauli VDC of Mahottari district in the southern plain of Nepal.

They have been in struggle with 11-point demands including the appointments of officials in the CIAA, anti-graft body, investigation into the huge corruptions in the local bodies in various districts of the southern plains in the country.

In course of the peaceful protest, Bhushal and her team were detained by the police thereby suppressing the right to peaceful protest.

The peaceful protest launched by Bhusal's team is very relevant and pious at a time the local bodies have been corrupt all across the country and foiling the atmosphere for good government.

Freedom Forum condemns the arrest of the team and express solidarity to the peaceful protest.

It is worth mentioning here that Bhusal and her team had staged similar protests in Mahottari district in the previous year too.
 

Freedom Forum has been deeply concerned over the government's efforts to ban the screening of a Nepali feature film named Badhshala.

The government led by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (UCPN-Maoist) has time and again emerged hostile to media freedom and freedom of expression. The Ministry of Information and Communication's attempt of late to ban the film is therefore a latest series of the suppression on freedom of speech and expression.

The Communications Ministry on January 18, 2013 wrote to the Film Development Board asking it not to provide screening license to the Badhshala film merely on the ground that a uniform of Nepal army was used in the film.

"The use of army uniform is an art which does not affect the security. But in the name of security, Ministry's directive to ban the screening of film breaches the international norms of freedom of expression and human rights," says Taranath Dahal, Chairperson of the Freedom Forum.

It is worth noting that the Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:  "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Meanwhile, Talking to Freedom Forum, Director of the film Badhshala, Manoj Pandit says, "I've depicted the growing impunity based on the facts. How can't I produce the film that features the serious human rights violation? Government's move has breached the democratic norm thereby dampening the future of Nepali film. It is time to see the film not merely as the source of entertainment but for information."

According to him, the script of the film was already permitted and all legal permissions were sought under the one-door policy of the Film Development Board- a state agency to monitor the film.

Lately, Nepali film industry has witnessed the production of fact-based films depicting national political problems and human rights violation. But the government's attempt to ban the screening of such film has grossly violated the freedom of expression thereby running the democratic norms and values.

Therefore, Freedom Forum condemns the government move and urges the Communications Ministry to withdraw its directive so as to respect citizen's right to freedom of expression and right to information.
 

The cine artists staging peaceful struggle for about a month at the Film Development Board- a state agency to oversee the film- have been further angered and agitated after the government's decision to appoint Dharmendra Kumar Marbaita popularly known as Pappu as the Chairman of the Board.

Pappu is a cadre of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Republic) headed by the Minister for Information and Communication.

Artistes have been demanding to immediately cancel the decision and appoint a related expert who knows well the problems of Nepal's film industry and takes initiative for the solution of the problem.
Freedom Forum condemns the government decision to appoint Pappu because it the government's highhandedness and a move to control the Board which needs to be autonomous. Appointment of a political cadre is the politicization of the state agency which is in need of autonomy. Moreover, Pappu is an inexperienced person in the film sector.

Therefore, Freedom Forum expresses solidarity to the views and protests of the cine artists who have been demanding a clean and expert in the chairmanship of the Board. The government must address the genuine demands of the cine artists for the independence of the Board.

For weeks, the film producers and cine artists have been staging peaceful protest with various demands as autonomy of the Board, appointment of film experts in the Board, cancellation of censor on film or setting a code for this, formulation of the working cine artists' act, establishment of box office framework and classification of the film halls.

 

Freedom Forum has been seriously concerned over the government decision on January 25 to appoint former Justice at the Supreme Court Avadesh Kumar Yadav as Chairman of Nepal Press Council which violates the provision of Article 106 (2) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007.

Yadav while being a Justice at the Supreme Court was dragged into controversy following his decision in the case of a murder accused then Constituent Assembly member of the Unified Community Party of Nepal Maoist, Keshav Rai, in 2010. He had issued the order to prevent the prosecution of a war-era criminal case.

He therefore stayed the prosecution against Rai in a case related to the murder of Padam Bahadur Tamang in Okhaldhunga, citing that the to-be-formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission would deal with all the conflict-time cases.

The order had blatantly violated the human rights.

"The appointment is a proof that the government is rewarding the people who supported the human rights violations," said Taranath Dahal, Chairperson of Freedom Forum.

It is therefore doubtful that Yadav would deliver justice to the victims. His previous activities proved that he was for promoting impunity. So, Freedom Forum protests government decision and urges for the withdrawal of the appointment, or to appoint clean and competent person in the post.