Nepal reporters in protest march

King Gyanendra assumed direct control of Nepal on 1 February

Up to 200 journalists have marched through Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, to protest against the government's closure of a radio production company.

The journalists demanded the lifting of Saturday's closure order on the Communication Corner company and vowed to take the issue to the Supreme Court.

Police did not intervene and no arrests were made.

King Gyanendra has imposed strict media controls since taking direct power of Nepal on 1 February.

He said he took power because politicians had failed to tackle the country's 10-year Maoist insurgency that has cost almost 12,000 lives.

Court move

The journalists, some wearing black, carried banners reading "Withdraw the illegal order - lift the ban on radio news" as they marched through the capital on Sunday.

Bishnu Nisthuri, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, said the closure was "yet another attempt by the government to scare journalists who are standing for press freedom".

"There is a conspiracy against the media and we must openly protest the move," he said.

Unlike the government, we believe in the rule of law Gopal Guragain, Communication Corner

The government's information ministry ordered Communication Corner to shut following what it said were complaints that it was being run illegally.

Private FM stations in Nepal have been forbidden to broadcast news since the royal takeover.

However Communication Corner had switched its output to issues like health, development and religion, supplying such programmes to 14 stations across the country.

Its managing director, Gopal Guragain, said it was doing nothing illegal and vowed to defy the order, which has cost hundreds of FM news journalists their jobs.

"We will not obey the government's order and we will challenge it in the Supreme Court," he said.

"Unlike the government, we believe in the rule of law. The order has made it clear that rule of law has ended in the country."

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ordered the government to justify its FM news ban within 14 days but there is no sign of any plans to ease censorship.

A new press law approved by the cabinet but not yet by the king proposes new restrictions on cross-media ownership and steep rises in punishments for reporting deemed to be out of line.

The journalists' federation says a number of reporters are still in jail following the royal takeover and that more than 2,000 reporters have lost their jobs.