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Friday, Feb 04, 2005

International

International

Media blackout in Nepal

KATHMANDU, FEB. 3. Days after seizing power, King Gyanendra moved on Thursday to tighten his grip over Nepal by clamping down on the media — issuing a ban on independent news broadcasts and threatening to punish newspapers for reports that run counter to the official monarchist line.

A government edict, printed in the state-run newspaper Gorkhapatra, said any news outlet publishing reports critical of ``the spirit of the royal proclamation'' would be met with punishment. The order, which also bans news reports seen as supporting the rebels, will remain in effect for six months. A similar announcement on state radio said private radio stations would no longer be allowed to broadcast any news or opinion. All broadcasts were to remain ``purely entertainment,'' the statement said.

The news blackout and a cut in Internet and phone services that accompanied Tuesday's declaration of a state of emergency apparently thwarted a call by Maoist rebels for a nationwide strike on Thursday, with most people saying they were not aware of the announcement.

Worried its opponents might try to marshal support for protests against the King, soldiers have been dispatched to many newspapers and TV stations to censor news reports.

Demonstrations

Despite the clampdown, a few small demonstrations sprang up on Thursday in Kathmandu. Several groups of 20 or so protesters gathered to shout slogans protesting the King's power grab. For the most part, though, life appears normal in Kathmandu.

Rebel demands for a general strike usually bring the country to a near shutdown, with residents staying home out of fear of reprisals by guerillas. But while traffic was lighter than normal in this crowded city, cars still filled the streets and most shops were open.

While news was not available from the rest of the country, long-distance bus drivers said at least one highway — the main road from Kathmandu towards China — had been blocked by the guerillas. — AP

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