Local newspapers published blank editorials with ´Stop attack on press, provide security guarantee" written in the space instead. The move was taken at the call of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Chitwan. National dailies like Kayakairan, Paradarshi, Chitwan Post, Loktantra and a few weeklies gave prominent space to the incident making it a main news on their front pages. [break]
Seven radio stations in the district went silent for a minute at 7 am calling to protest the attack on the free press.
Chitwan President of Nepali Congress Ram Krishna Ghimire said such incidents have further showed the true face of the Maoists while Young Communist League (YCL), Chitwan, claimed no involvement of the party in the incident. Likewise, Rastriya Janamorcha, Chitwan, also asked punishment for those setting the van, with men inside, ablaze issuing a press statement.
Maoists had set a pickup van carrying the newspapers ablaze in Ramnagar at 8:45 on Saturday morning with its driver and his 7-year-old nephew inside the vehicle. A day before, Maoists had torched the two dailies across the country for carrying a news related to Maoist involvement in Dr Bhakta Man Shrestha´s abduction.
The FNJ Chitwan has slammed the Maoists and called the incident not just an attack on the free press but also on humanity. It has also asked strict action against the guilty and urged the UCPN (Maoist) to make its view on the subject public.
Similarly, around a dozen human rights organizations in Chitwan also demanded stern action against the perpetrators of the crime.
Meanwhile, all political parties, in coordination with the Save Dr Bhakta Man Campaign, shut down Chitwan on Sunday demanding safe release of Dr Shrestha who is missing since May 18. Maoist cadres were more actively involved in enforcing the strike.
Vehicular movement came to a halt while factories and schools have also remained closed. The strike, however, did not affect examinations.
Meanwhile, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has slammed the torching of Republica van. NHRC said the attack looked like a well-planned attack aimed at terrorizing the Fourth Estate and reminded the media of its duty to disseminate news only after verifying the facts.
“The atrocities carried out by taking the law into own hands when there is enough scope for legal remedy in case of disagreements over the news can never be accepted,” an NHRC press statement stated.
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