In recent weeks, the Nepalese government has stepped up attacks on free media, targeting those who have openly criticized the actions of the King and the security forces. Usually, shutting down media offices and taking copies of newspapers and magazines out of circulation while controlling TV and radio waves works. Arresting journalists is also a way to discourage open criticism of government, and Nepal seems to be leading the way in that category. But the reality is that it is not working. How can journalists in Nepal voice their opinions despite tight freedom of speech restrictions put in place by King Gyanendra? Welcome the 21st century and the power of the Internet:
In Nepal, a group of journalists is using the Internet to sidestep tight censorship imposed after King Gyanendra took power and proclaimed an emergency last month. Several outspoken Web pages have sprung up in the tiny Himalayan country where civil liberties including freedom of expression have been suspended…
A group of journalists started the Radio Free Nepal Web site a week after the king ousted the former cabinet and took power. Around the same time, the Web log “United We Blog” began carrying political stories. It has run articles about an anti-monarchy student demonstration, on an editor being questioned by authorities, and on communist rebels extorting money from villagers.
Some may question the impact of these sites, especially due to technological challenges of Nepal, but, nonetheless, these independent news sources
…make a valuable contribution, and are being widely quoted both inside and outside the country as a source of uncensored information. Their articles have been picked up by scores of other similar sites around the world. The hits at “United We Blog” rose to more than 80,000 in March from 13,000 in January.
This piece is dated February 2006 although the copyright notice on the bottom dates back to 2003. Having statistics published for March is also a bit confusing. My take on it is that its a typo and these are the stats for February not March.
In either case, check out the impressive Radio Free Nepal and United We Blog.
I have the utmost respect for these journalists, who risk their freedom and lives every day to tell the truth. We’ve come to take access to information for granted – while forgetting that it is not that easy in some parts of the world. I am also amazed by the spread of technology and the opportunities it provides. Something like this would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Where will we find ourselves a decade from now? Will media control become a thing of the past?
Published Date: February 20, 2006