Nepal 'abusing' press freedoms

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed concern at press freedom in Nepal.

Following a fact-finding tour of the kingdom, CPJ officials said the media had suffered greatly under the state of emergency the government imposed six months ago to tackle Maoist rebels.

More than 100 journalists had been arrested, most of them illegally, since November, the CPJ team told reporters in the capital, Kathmandu, on Thursday. Some were still in prison.

The arrests had created a climate of fear and self-censorship.

Top-level talks

The CPJ's two-member team, led by Josh Friedman, met Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other senior officials to raise their concerns at abuses of press freedoms.

They urged them to facilitate media access to the conflict areas and hold military briefings.

The CPJ said that Mr Deuba had pledged to look into the abuses.

It quoted him as saying that the government had instructed the army and the police not to violate human rights.

Civil war

Many civil liberties including press freedom have been suspended since the emergency was announced.

It is aimed at quelling a Maoist insurgency in which 4,000 people have died over the past six years.

The government says the emergency is needed in order to help crush the guerrillas, who want to topple Nepal's monarchy and establish a communist republic.

Critics say the government has abused its emergency powers.