Call to King of Nepal to end press crackdown
The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and World Editors Forum (WEF) have appealed to the King of Nepal to end his Government’s crackdown on the press.

At least 37 journalists were arrested in Kathmandu on April 5 during a peace rally and a subsequent protest against the arrests.

In addition, newspapers and radio stations have been closed and new laws threaten to criminalize reporting on the Maoist insurgency. “We respectfully call on you to do every thing possible to ensure that your government’s campaign of intimidation of the media is immediately halted and that in the future Nepal fully respects international standards of free expression” said the letter from WAN and the WEF to King Gyanendra.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organization for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 73 national newspaper associations, newspapers and news paper executives in 102 countries, 11 agencies and nine regional and world wide press groups.
The WEF is the organization for editors within the World Association of Newspapers.

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