Security forces kill journalist

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières) called for a full investigation after security forces killed journalist Padma Raj Devkota in Jumla district, western Nepal. The daily Samacharpatra which reported the 7 February killing said that the editor of the local bi-weekly Bhurichula and correspondent for the national magazine Nepal Today, was killed by the army during a routine military operation. The authorities said he was killed with a band of six armed Maoist militants. The international press freedom organisation has called on the interior and defence ministers to carry out a full investigation and punish the perpetrators. The journalist's death comes as security forces have arrested or questioned at least five journalists in the past few months. Some are still missing and it is feared they have been tortured during interrogation. At least 20 journalists are currently behind bars in Nepal and in most cases the government has give no information about them. Reporters Without Borders pointed out that the struggle against the Maoist movement, which has led to many press freedom violations, cannot in any way justify the serious human rights abuses currently being committed in Nepal. In particular it condemns the excessive use of the TADA anti-terrorist law. Journalist and lawyer, Jeetaman Basnet, was last seen on 4 February talking to three people in uniform in Kathmandu. His family informed the Nepalese Human Rights Commission about his disappearance. Two men in plain clothes arrested reporter Shakti Raj Bhattarai, of the weekly Sachar Darpan, in Pokhara, western Nepal on 1 February. Since then his family, who do not know why he was arrested, have had no news of him. Security Forces detained Balbhadra Bharati, correspondent for the national newspaper Jana Ekta in Surkhet, western Nepal for two days on 26 January. Managing editor, Rabindra Shah, of Biswo Jagaran, was held for one day in Janakpur, Dhanusha district after the weekly carried an article about an army officer. Journalist Maheshwor Pahari, of the local weekly Rastriya Swabhiman, was arrested in Khorako Mukh, Kaski district, western Nepal on 2 January by men in plain clothes The weekly has ceased publication since the Maoist ceasefire was broken in August 2003. Amnesty International has reported that the 28-year-old journalist is being held in the Phulbari barracks near Pokhara. Suspected of being a Maoist supporter, he already spent 13 months in prison in 2001 and 2002.