Dailekh-based journalists flee to Surkhet after cadres of ruling Maoist threaten to kill them

Journalists in Dailekh, who were forced to flee the district on Thursday night fearing for their lives after cadres of ruling UCPN (Maoist) affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) threatened to kill them, are holding discussion with government authorities, media colleagues and concerned stakeholders regarding their situation in neighboring Surkhet town today.

Altogether 19 local journalists and district correspondents had left the district yesterday night and reached Surkhet after the Maoist YCL cadres threatened them that they will also meet the fate similar to journalist Dekendra Thapa, who was buried alive by Maoist cadres during insurgency period eight years ago despite being a Maoist sympathizer.

The Dailekh-based journalists are demanding that the authorities provide security for them and their loved ones back home as well as temporary accommodations for them in Surkhet until the situation in Dailekh improves and they can return home.

A day after concluding that Dailekh was no longer safe for journalists, the Dailekh district chapter of Federation of Nepalese Journalist (FNJ) has said they would soon decide on the nature of their protest program to be waged from Surkhet to press the government led by UCPN (Maoist) to bring the party’s violent and wayward cadres and leaders under control and facilitate in the prosecution of those involved in the murder of journalist Thapa.

Meanwhile, reports said YCL cadres demolished the office of a local daily on Thursday while two other local daily newspapers have ceased publications for an idefinite period and two FM radio stations have also gone off air fearing possible attacks at their offices and risks to journalists working with them. Nepalnews.com