UNESCO chief deplores killing of Nepalese media owner

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today condemned the murder of Nepalese media owner Arun Singhaniya, while reiterating her concerns over the ongoing threats faced by journalists in the South Asian nation.

Mr. Singhaniya was killed on 1 March in the south-eastern city of Janakpur, the second such murder three weeks. According to local media sources, he was shot by four men on motorbikes, and several armed groups have claimed responsibility for the murder.

He was chairman of Janakpur Today Publications, which publishes Janakpur Today and operates Radio Today. A journalist from the radio station, Uma Singh, was murdered 12 months ago.

“I condemn the murder of Arun Singhaniya, who was fulfilling an important role in the development of a dynamic information service,” UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stated in a news release.

She stressed that in Nepal, as elsewhere in the world, a pluralistic media serves as a vital pillar for freedom of expression, and voiced her conviction that the Nepalese authorities should do everything possible to ensure that this crime does not go unpunished.

Yesterday the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) voiced its deep concern over the killing of Mr. Singhaniya, whose death follows the murder of Jamin Shah, head of satellite TV station Channel Nepal and cable TV company Space Time Network, who was killed in similar circumstances in an attack in the capital, Kathmandu, on 7 February.

“The protection of journalists is of paramount importance in a democratic society and both State and non-State actors must show full respect for press freedom and support a free and independent media,” said Andrew Palmer, Officer-in-Charge of OHCHR-Nepal.