KATHMANDU: At least three prominent news weeklies have been confiscated by the Nepalese government for carrying news on the opposition pro-democracy movement.
The three weeklies are “Bimasha, “Nepali Awaz’’ and ‘Matribhumi” all of whom carried news of the movement.
Mr. Harihar Birahi, executive editor of the weekly “
‘Bimarsha” said his only crime had been that he had printed a letter from the six U.S. Congressmen to King Birendra, a report of the “Asia Watch” and reproduced a photograph of the arrest of Mr. Padma Ratna Tuladhar, communist member of the Rashtriya Panchayat, Mr. Haribol Bhattarai, suspended mayor of Kathmandu town panchayat and Mr Hemant B.C. communist leader of the Varma group.
The paper quoted an unnamed editor as saying that people had turned to the British Broadcasting Corporation Voice of America, All India Radio and foreign papers for details.
However, most Indian papers have been banned since February 18, when the pro-democracy agitation began.
“The motherland” said the banned parties; publicity wing had been bringing out “Jagaran” and other underground papers with information on the movement.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 16, 1990
