The five-day International Fact Finding and Advocacy Media Mission is Nepal is holding discussion and interactions with journalists, civil society members, political parties and leaders about media situation. The Fact Finding Mission has visited different cities across the country and garnered the situation of press freedom1 and security to Nepali journalists. In this course, the Mission visited Janakpur and Biratnagar on February 25, 2012 and collected information about the media situation and journalists' security by holding interaction with journalists, and representatives of the political parties. Same day, the Mission met with top leaders of the major political parties and showed concern over the attacks and threats on journalists by the cadres of the respective parties. While meeting with UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Mission urged Chairman Dahal to immediately create environment to mete out action on the party cadres who attacked and killed journalist Birendra Saha of Bara district and journalist Prakash Thakuri of the far western region. Similarly, CPN-UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal was urged to take action on the party cadres who attacked brutally on journalist Khilanath Dhakal of Biratnagar. On the occasions, chairmen of the parties said their parties were committed to the press freedom1 and journalists' right. Also the Mission met with the United Democratic Madhesi Front and acquired its stance on press freedom1. The mission arrived in Nepal on 23 February stays till 27, 2012 to study about Nepal's press freedom1 situation and journalist's rights. Among the partners in Mission are international organizations such as International Media Support (IMS), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Article 19, AMARC, Center for Law and Democracy (CLD), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International News Safety Institute (INSI), International Press Institute (IPI), Internews, and South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA).
Freedom Forum is a prominent non-governmental organization in Nepal dedicated to institutionalizing democracy, protecting and promoting human rights, press freedom, freedom of expression, right to information, promoting audit accountability, open and accountable budget, public finance reforms, citizen engagement in public finance management and citizen participation in audit. Established in February 2005, the organization emerged in response to the political turmoil following Former King Gyanendra’s coup dated February 1, 2005, which imposed severe restrictions on media and democratic rights. A group of media professionals, legal experts, and academics founded Freedom Forum to safeguard Nepal’s hard-earned democratic freedoms during this repressive period.
