UM intern in Nepal records historic day

By Allison Kwesell
J-School Web Reporter

Kathmandu – On Nov. 21, 2006, I witnessed Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist Chairman Prachanda sign the Comprehensive Peace Agreement here, officially ending 11 years of war that resulted in the deaths of more than 13,000 people in Nepal.

As a photojournalism intern at the Kathmandu Post and Kantipur Daily, I was assigned to shoot the signing of the peace agreement.

“A country ravaged and ridden by war and teetering on the brink of failed state status has salvaged itself, heralding a new dawn of peace, progress and prosperity,” said Prateek Pradham, editor of the Kathmandu Post.

The mood was tense at the International Conference Hall as the signing was delayed for nearly two hours. As the agreement was read aloud in Nepali, I regretted not being able to understand. But when Prime Minister Koirala and Chairman Prachanda exchanged smiles and picked up their pens, their body language spoke loud, reminding me that I was reporting on one of the most historic and positive days for this nation.

At war since 1996

The fighting in Nepal began in February 1996 when Nepal’s underground communist party, the Maoists, declared a civil war against the nation’s fumbling constitutional monarchy.

On June 1, 2001, the king, his immediate family and several relatives were killed in a shooting spree by the drunken Crown Prince Dipendra, who then shot himself.

Prince Gyanendra was crowned king on June 4, but by November a state of emergency was declared after 100 people were killed in four days of uprisings against the king.

King Gyanendra, a seven-party alliance and the Maoist party fought for power until May of this year when the parliament unanimously voted to deny the king power after an investigation unveiled abuse of his rights.

The seven-party alliance under current Prime Minister Koirala took power and immediately began talks with the Maoist party, which led to the peace agreement.

“People are safer than before”

The director of Nepal Television, the country’s most widely viewed station, is Rajendra Dev Acharya, a recent graduate of the University of Montana’s School of Journalism master’s program. He says he believes that if the accord is honestly carried out, it will be the impetus for positive change politically within the ruling government, for freedom of the press and for security and human rights of all Nepalese citizens.

“What I feel is that the society, the people and the communities who were deterred by this conflict can feel and breath peace and can feel ease,” he said. “People are safer than before."

The assurances of pluralism, democracy and inclusiveness in the peace agreement may mean the media can feel safe, he said.

In 2002 under the state of emergency, the king suspended press freedom and other civil liberties across Nepal, which led to serious repercussions and violence. For four years, the government ruled Kathmandu while the Maoists controlled the countryside.

Sixteen journalists considered Maoist supporters were jailed, and those loyal to the king or working for a government publication were severely threatened, kidnapped, tortured and murdered by Maoists.

Acharya and his family received threats until 2002 when a relative, Dhruba Dev Acharya, was murdered in June that year by Maoists about four hours outside of Kathmandu.

“Working for the media I was threatened many times in many ways by many elements, by those who were against free press,” said Acharya.

Flight to Montana

After the murder, Acharya followed his family’s request and fled to Montana, where his brother was working. Acharya applied to the University of Montana to get another perspective on the media.

When Acharya fled, Nepal Television’s ratings plummeted from 94 percent viewership to less than 20 percent. Upon his return in March 2006, it quickly rose to 87 percent, making it once again the leading broadcast channel in Nepal.

"Media supported by the government, i.e. taxpayers, became merely a notice board for propaganda by the authoritarian government," says Acharya.
After returning to work as director of Nepal Television, Acharya demanded freedom of expression and often disobeyed the king's orders and urged his reporters to write on controversial issues covering more than the government's side of the story. This began a popular movement for all of Nepal's press to fight for their freedom of speech.

"The University of Montana has had an important indirect contribution for the changes in Nepal's national media,” Acharya said.

"I am grateful to Professor Clem Work, Dean Jerry Brown and Dean David Strobel because they helped me to understand the importance of free expression, especially in the crisis of a developing nation."

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