Refugee journalists face death threats

Cadres of the Communist Party of Bhutan (Marxist Leninist Maoist) threatened to kill associate editor of Bhutan News Service Ichha Poudel, a Bhutanese refugee organisation said.

According to a statement by Association of Press Freedom Activists (APFA) Bhutan, Poudel who was invited to a program organised by party in Beldangi I Bhutanese refugee camp, was threatened for his life alleging him of recording the speech delivered in the function and taking pictures.

Poudel said he had only mobile phone, neither voice recorder nor camera.

The association further said, the party cadres forcefully pulled him to stage and asked him to clarify his intention. "After Poudel identified himself as journalist associated with Bhutan News Service, he was again thrashed out of stage alleging him of confiscating the microphone without authority," the statement reads.

Fearing insecurity after the communist cadres followed him after the function, Poudel lived with relatives in another camp.

The communist cadres also threatened another journalist Arjun Pradhan, who had gone to the function along with Poudel.

Several cadres reached the residents of Pradhan and Poudel threatening their family members as well. Both the journalists have been displaced from their workplace after the incident. nepalnews.com ia May 20 08