To present itself as the non-violator of the human rights and prove the political leaders are arrested just for a time being in the 61st session of International Conference on Human Rights, the King-led government freed ex-Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and some other political leaders. Deuba quickly arranged a press conference and hit hard on the King’s motive while calling for the unity among political parties.
Newspapers, all dailies, received a phone call from an official of the communication secretary directing ‘not to cover the press conference.’ The newspaper asked for the written directives and when the ministry failed to fax one, the news was carried (although played down heavily). Only two – The Kathmandu Post and vernacular Kantipur placed the news as the main story of the front page while other ‘didn’t missed’ the story but had to be look through to find.
The King, while meeting with the editors of the dailies told the them that the press censorship will apply only for the news of the terrorists, but failed to live up with his words. The directing phone call from the ministry on Saturday is an attempt to use the media as a propaganda machine so that the people read no word against the King.
What did Deuba said? His press release reads (unofficial translation of important parts):
The King’s move to dismiss multiparty government and fully suspends fundamental rights of the sovereign Nepali people on February 1, 2005 is a direct intervention and anti-democracy step. I and my party [Nepali Congress (Democratic)] had protested against it at that time which will continue until the restoration of democracy and fundamental rights of the people.
……
The Feb 1 step has weakened the campaign for the establishment of peace in the country. The life of mass Nepali has become difficult and terrorized.
There is a necessity to end the crisis due to the Feb 1 step immediately. There is need to restoration of democracy. It is also necessary to take the protest at a fast pace in the situation when the constitutional and democratic rights have been hijacked. For this Nepali Congress (Democratic) has consented to work along with other parties and put forward the initial protest programs. ….
…..
Deuba has also asked the terrorists to come into mainstream politics for the re-establishment of the democracy and demanded for the immediate release of the political leaders and others from arrest or house-arrest.
“I have made my press release very soft because you can’t publish everything,” Deuba told the press adding that he had in past indicated towards the situation.
In the question-answer session, Deuba presented himself aggressively denouncing the King’s move and accusing him of unfair play. “I was removed in six months [for not being able to bring peace in the country and hold elections], and for the same he wants three years,” he said.
Answering to a question Deuba said: “I did what the army asked for. Bought them helicopters, increased their budget and allowed to recruit 11000 more. I was in dilemma: fulfilling army’s demand would make the king powerful, not doing so, terrorism would grow.”
A through look at the press release and his answer to questions doesn’t give an impression that he was totally against the monarch. Rather he reiterated that he wanted the wellbeing of the king. But the authority tried to pressure the press by their orders. It’s good that more or less media didn’t obey it.
Special note on this entry:Radio Free Nepal was a blog that ran during ex-King Gyanendra’s direct rule of Nepal defying the tight censorship and was instrumental in getting out information out of Nepal. The blog was at freenepal.blogspot.com which has now been closed.
The banner reads: King Gyandendra of Nepal has issued a ban on independent news broadcasts and has threatened to punish newspapers for reports that run counter to the official monarchist line. Given that any person in Nepal publishing reports critical of “the spirit of the royal proclamation” is subject to punishment and/or imprisonment, contributors to this blog will publish their reports from Nepal anonymously.
