AUGUST 6, 2005
Posted: August 17, 2005
Blast Times Daily
CENSORED
The Communist Party of Nepal banned the vernacular daily in the eastern Ilam district of eastern Nepal. The Blast Times Daily is published out of Dharan, a nearby city.
In a press statement released on August 1, Maoists charged the newspaper with printing false reports about former Maoist District Secretary of Ilam, Sushil, as part of a drive to discredit the rebel leadership.
The Maoists are a rebel organization known for their potent brand of revolutionary communism. The Nepalese Press is a frequent victim in the decade-long, ongoing struggle between the ruling monarchy and the radicals. In 2002 a Blast Times Daily journalist was abducted and tortured by security forces.
The Ilam district branch of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) condemned the latest attack. In a press statement, the journalist group expressed deep dismay over the prohibition order and asked that it be repealed. “This is an indication of dictatorial rule of the Maoists,” the FNJ said. “It shows that they are against free press and flow of opinions.”