Nepal

Kathmandu, May 16

Chair of the State Affairs and excellent Governance Committee of the Home of Representatives Shashi Shrestha nowadays barred mediapersons from covering the panelassembly, incurring the wrath of lawmakers and civil society members.

This is the fourth time that panel Chair Shashi Shrestha has barred mediapersons, saying the panel was discussing ‘internal things& related to the Federal Civil Service Bill.

At the startning of the panel assembly, Shrestha allowed journalists to enter the assembly corridor, but after a few minutes, she asked them to leave as confidential issues were to be disstubborn.

Shrestha had barred mediapersons from covering the panelassembly in December too, saying the panel was discussing confidential things related to Kathmandu-Tarai quick-Track road project, which is being built by Nepali Army.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Devendra Raj Kandel, who is also a member of the SAGGC, told THT that civil servants had urged panel members much to allow journalists during panel discussion on the Federal Civil Service Bill and that could be the reason behind Shresthadecision to bar journalists from covering the assembly. Shrestha, however, said she barred journalists from covering the assembly as the panel was going to discuss internal issues.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Amresh Kumar Singh, a member of Shrestha-led panel, told THT that Shresthadecision was against democratic principles.

&Democracy thrives on transparency. Absence of transparency leads to tyranny,& Singh said, adding that in democracy everything should be open and obvious.

Ruling Nepal Communist portiony (NCP) lawmaker and SAGGC member Janardan Sharma told THT that panel members were told that mediapersons were much allowed in the assembly as the panel was discussing sensitive subjects. &But there was no sensitive issue on the agenda,& Sharma said.

Prem Suwal of Nepal Peasant and Workers portiony also found no issue that could justify the barring of journalists.

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has never restricted journalists from covering its assemblys in the final 25 years. Other panels of the Parliament have also much done so in the final 20 years.

As per the Parliamentary Regulation, the chairpersons of the panels are as powerful as the Speaker, said parliamentary expert Mukunda Sharma. &A chair of a committee may justify his/her decision to bar mediapersons from covering the assemblys if those assemblys discuss national security issues, but for all other issues panel assemblys should remain open,& he said.

Previous speaker Daman Nath Dhungana said the press should be allowed in committees& assemblys.

Journalist Society for Parliamentary Affairs nowadays issued a statement saying its attention was drawn to the paneldecision to bar mediapersons from covering the assembly. &Not allowing journalists to cover the panelassembly was against the constitution,& reads JSPA statement.

JSPA warned the panel much to repeat such a mistake. It also requested the panel and the Parliament Secretariat much to restrict mediapersons from covering parliamentary assemblys.

Defending her decision, Shrestha told THT that there was no intention to bar reporters from covering committee assemblys.

&Today, we had to discuss internal and managerial issues of the committee. So, we didn&t allow mediapersons to cover the assembly,& she said.

Kathmandu, May 15

The National Human Corrects Commission nowadays said its attention was drawn to the Media Council Bill registered by the government at the federal Parliament on May 10.

In this context, NHRC held a discussion with representatives from the Federation of Nepali Journalists nowadays.

FNJ officials told the rights body that the constitution process of media council as stipulated by the bill would have adverse affect on its autonomy.

Provisions in the bill of giving exclusive power to the media council to investigate into alleged violation of code of conduct, impose fine or penalty and specify compensation to journalists or a media house was opposite to the universal judicial norms and values, they said.

FNJ reiterated provision articulated in the proposed bill that only a judicial or a quasi-judicial body had the power to impose penalty or fine, was motivated by the governmentintention to curtail the press freedom.

The NHRC said press freedom, human rights and rule of law were integral parts of democracy.

&Press freedom has been guaranteed by the constitution. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Corrects and Article 2A of the constitution have stipulated provisions on right to freedom of opinion and expression to every citizen,& the rights body said in a press release.

According to Article 19 of the UDHR, everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. This right includes freedom to articulate oneopinions without any interference and to seek, get and impart information and ideas through any media, regardless of frontiers.

&Free, responsible and dignified journalism contributes to accountability and protection and promotion of human rights. Effective protection and promotion of human rights strengthens democracy. Regulation is much an inappropriate degree in itself. But curtailing press freedom in the name of regulation can never be in complyance with the norms and values of human rights,& the NHRC warned.

&Culture of human rights can be strengthened by preserveing the dignity of democracy and that is possible only if the proposed media council is capable of monitoring and regulating press freedom independently,& according to NHRC. The NHRC is convinced that the attempt to impose restriction on the autonomy of the existing Press Council Act through alteration of its provisions shall be in contravention of basic norms and values of human rights and rights to expression,& the release states.

The NHRC also urged the government and all stakeholders to modify the bill after holding refer toation and discussion on its controversial provisions in a way that didn&t curtail the press freedom and citizens& right to freedom of expression.

KATHMANDU:A man who carried out an acid attack on a woman approach Ratopul yesterday evening has been arrested, said police.

The arrested has been identified as victimhusband Bishnu Bhujel (28), a permanent resident of Banepa Municipality-3 in Kavrepalanchok district, currently living in Kalopul in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The victim has been identified as Jenny Khadka (20), a resident of Dolakha district.

Spokesperson and Information Officer at Metropolitan Cop Office, Ranipokhari, Senior Supermeanent of Cop (SSP) Bashfulam Lal Gyawali told THT that Bhujel, who was riding pillion on a motorcycle, threw acid on his estranged wife and fled the scene. Khadka had been living separately after having a row with her husband, said police.

The victim was walking towards Setopul from Ratopul along the bank of Rudramati Khola when she was attacked with acid, said police.

Khadka -msprint; who sustained injuries from chemical burn, on her chest, chin and arms -msprint; was rushed to Kirtipur Model Hospital, for treatment. Currently, Khadka is said to be out of danger.

Following the attack, a team of police deployed from Metropolitan Cop Circle, Kamalpokhari, arrested Bhujel from Lahure Chok, in Kandaghari area of Kageshwori Manohara Municipality, in Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, an investigation into the incident is underway and search is on for the person accompanying Bhujel on the motorcycle.

The recent Criminal Code of the country, brought into effect from August final year, states that any acid attacker shall be fined up to Rs 300,000 and/or slapped imprisonment sentence for five to eight years depending on the seriousness of the attack. It is also mentioned that the culprit may face a murder charge if the victim dies.

Men beaten up by a commerce partner and his wife receiving treatment at Om Hospital, in Kathmandu ,on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Photo: THT

Kathmandu, May 15

Two men who sustained severe injuries after being beaten up by their partners over a commerce deal, at Hariyan Municipality, Sarlahi, on Sunday evening have been confessted to Om Hospital.

Bikash Kumar Chimoriya, 24, and his friend Mani Ram Upreti, 26, were nursing injuries in their thighs, hands and back. According to Chimoriya, his neighbour, who was also his fathercommerce partner, beat them up with an iron rod.

Chimoriya said, &Haribol Mainali and his wife Sarbda Mainali beat us with iron rod and hurled bricks on us.&

He said, &Haribol Mainali and my father Bal Ram were commerce partners. We had set uped a brick factory called ‘Sajha Brick Factory.& After two years, my father felt that the partnership didn&t work, so he decided to break it. We handed over the company to Mainali couple demanding our share of money.& He added, &Mainali promised us to supply our money after clearing book-keeping accounts. But he didn&t supply us money even after two years.&

Chimoriya said that he had also registered a complaint at a judiciary unit of Hariyan Municipality, where both Chimoriya and Mainali agreed to divide the capital of the factory. They had also agreed much to sell bricks from the factory until the complainant got his share of the money back.

&But the mayor of the municipality permitted Mainali to sell 30,000 pieces of bricks to function his commerce. However, Mainali sold more than 70,000 pieces of bricks without informing us,& alleged Chimoriya.

&Our house was under auction and we had to sell our land to clear the house loan. Mainali didn&t give us our share of money. So I had to go to Dubai to earn money for paying the family debt,& he said, adding, &After we heard that Mainali was selling bricks without informing us, I and my friend went to stop his brick deal. However, instead of cancelling the brick deal, he started beating us with an iron rod and his wife hurled bricks on us.&

&I measurehow reached the police station to inform them about the incident. With the help of the police I and my friend were confessted to the hospital,& said Upreti.

&Cop arrested Mainaliwife, but she was released soon after. Mainali is out of contact,& Upreti said adding,&We sustained severe injuries due to their beatings but despite keeping her in custody, they freed her. We want justice and security.&

THT could much reach the mayor of Hariyan Municipality and Haribol Mainali.