EDITORIAL
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Journalists' abduction

- Unfortunately, the CPN (Maoist), which considers itself a political entity, has not renounced abduction and killing. And its commitment to respect press freedom is notable by its breach. For the Maoist cadres, press freedom is like Mao Tse-Tung's law that "preaches power through guns". The relentless attacks on press freedom point to their outright hostility against the media. The situation has reached a critical point for working journalists. Journalist Birendra Sah, correspondent of Nepal FM, Drishti and Avenues Television in Bara, was abducted on October 4. Prakash Thakuri, another mediaperson who was associated with a local newspaper, has been missing for four months. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

The account of the abduction of Journalist Sah gathered by the Parliamentary Probe Committee headed by Urmila Aryal has put the blame on Maoist cadres. Even Maoist lawmaker Pariyar, who was one of the three members of the Parliamentary Probe Committee, admitted last week that Journalist Sah was kidnapped by a trio of Maoists — district president of Tharuwan Mukti Morcha Kundan Faujdar, deputy convener of the Young Communist League Hare Ram Patel and local Maoist activist Ram Ekbal. Now what is surprising is the failure to disclose the whereabouts of Journalists Sah and Thakuri. Senior Maoist leaders have been making conflicting statements on the abductions. Why do they act so? Have both journalists been killed since they were captured? Why do the Maoist top brass deny their connection when a Maoist member of the investigation committee has himself admitted that Maoists were involved in the abduction? Either the Maoists conduct themselves as a responsible party or the government take action against the perpetrators of the abduction. They cannot be allowed to kill innocent persons with impunity as if they were living in a barbaric age. Abduction and killing are for savages.
(Source: The Kathmandu Post)