Nepal: Maoists’ death threat to editor

by salik | March 26, 2007 at 06:37 pm

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Now, Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists have begun threatening media persons and journalists as well. Although the top brass of the Maoists would go on denying such charges, while they will order their cadres to carry out the heinous activities such as this.

The Maoists have threatened to kill Khem Bhandari, the editor of Abhiyan daily, which is published from Mahendranagar. He was threatened over telephone after his newspaper carried a news item, “Maoists trying to squeeze lakhs from contractor, Doda bridge construction likely to be delayed.”

Bhandari has written to different authorities, asking for security. An OHCHR official from its regional office will visit here tomorrow to investigate the matter. The team will also visit the newspaper’s Dhangadhi-based office, the OHCHR office based there stated.

The Maoists have alleged Bhandari is helping regressive forces. Maoist cadre Prem used mobile number 9858750432 to issue the warning to Bhandari. He also spoke rudely to a sub-editor of the newspaper Keshav Sawad, Bhandari said.

Maoist district secretary Anu said the number is owned by the Young Communist League’s Kanchanpur commander Prem.

Meanwhile, general secretary of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists Mahendra Bista and central vice-chairman DR Pant, in separate press releases, flayed the incident.