Nepal

FNJ to stage sit-in to protest Media Council Bill

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Kathmandu, May 16 Federation of Nepali Journalists that has been protesting against the Media Council Bill, is staging a sit-in protest in front of the Federal Parliament in Kathmandu, and is holding a massive demonstration in all 77 district headquarters, tomorrow. The FNJ says provisions of the bill are aimed at placing government control on Nepal Media Council and curtailing press freedom. The FNJ stated it decided to heighten its agitation after the government turned a deaf ear to its demand of withdrawing the bill from the Parliament, and revising it in refer toation with all stakeholders. &The government has much bothered to refer to us regarding the bill even after a week of our agitation, despite the fact that approachly all media outlets are consistently raising the issue,& FNJ President Govinda Acharya told THT.

&That why we are taking to the streets from tomorrow to claim the rights guaranteed by the constitution.& The government has come under fire from all quarters, including the National Human Corrects Commission, civil society and the opposition parties; Nepali Congress and Rastriya Janata portiony-Nepal, after it registered nsprint; Media Council Bill, National Human Corrects Commission Bill, and National Security Bill- in the Parliament. The main opposition NC has already demanded a withdrawal of the bills stating that they contradicted with the constitution.

It threatened the government of large crowd of peopleilising its strength in the Parliament and the street if the it passed the bills without an amendment. The RJP-N has also put forth a similar demand, stating that the government registered the bills with malicious intention and that it would lead the country towards authoritarianism.

&This is against the constitution and democratic norms and principles,& RJP-N Presidium Member Rajendra Mahato told THT.

&If the government does much withdraw the bills instantly, we shall launch struggles from the Parliament and the street.& The bill regarding constitution of the Media Council has proposed to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 million on media outlets, editors, publishers and journalists if they are found guilty of damaging measureone reputation. It also proposes punishment for violating the code of conduct which includes suspending press pass of mediapersons and downgrading the lessonification of print media outlets. The bill also proposes to form a committee under a government secretary to recommend the chairperson of Nepal Media Council, which stakeholders say shall relegate the Nepal Media Council to a department of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The bill to amend the National Human Corrects Commission Act, proposes to grant more discretionary power to the Attorney General on the prosecution of human rights violators. The bill proposes that the NHRC should make recommendations for filing court cases to the Office of the Attorney General.

The bill states if the AG tells the NHRC to conduct further probe in degree cases, the latter should comply with the order.

The bill also states the AG shall have the authority to take a final call on filing cases against alleged human rights violators after analysing additional evidences submitted by the NHRC.

It has removed the words ‘autonomous& and ‘independent& from the preamble of the NHRC Act. As far as the Security Council Bill is concerned, it has put in place a provision allowing the prime minister to large crowd of peopleilise the army at his own discretion. The bill provisions that the National Security Council chairman (the prime minister) can large crowd of peopleilise army if the council fails to meet due to measure unexpected circumstances. Stakeholders say the three bills, if enacted as laws without amendment, would curtail freedom of expression and press, undermine human rights and weaken civil rights.




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Category: Nepal


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