Three journalists arrested for 'sedition, treason'

Three Nepali journalists were arrested yesterday on charges of "sedition and treason" against the monarch for publishing an article by underground communist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai which called on the army to rise against the new king.

In a move that many here say smacks of the preceding Panchayati era and the high-handedness of the partyless system that was prevalent in Nepal before the slain King Birendra brought in multi-party democracy, the police arrested Yubaraj Ghimire, the Editor of the largest-selling Nepali language daily Kantipur on charges of sedition.

Police also arrested Kailash Sirohiya and Binod Raj Gyawali, managing director and director of Kantipur Publications, respectively on the same charges.

Three plainclothesmen took the three away in a private vehicle. One of the policemen said it was due to the article but said that he knew nothing further and they "were arresting the three due to the orders from the above".

This was understood to mean the Chief District Officer under the Home Ministry. However, a ministry spokesperson when asked for his reaction, expressed his ignorance of the whole affair. The arrests were made due to an article by Dr Bhattarai, a top Maoist leader that was published on the opinion page of the daily.

Among other things, the article accused Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala of working hand-in-glove with the then Prince Gyanendra (now king) to wipe out the late King Birendra and his family with the tacit approval of India.

The article referred to the Indian "grand design" aimed at making Nepal one of the states of India. The Maoists have been waging a guerilla war against the state for the past six years. One of their primary objectives is to establish Nepal as a republic.

However, Bhattarai's article spoke of an "understanding" the Maoists had with King Birendra on many of the issues facing the country. Bhattarai, though underground since the launching of the armed insurrection since February 1996, has been a regular contributor to the Kantipur's columns, and his piece yesterday was titled ''Nyan kotarparvalai manyata dinu hindaina (Do not recognise the new kot killings)''.

While Gyawali and Sirohiya were in Kathmandu as the palace tragedy unfolded, Ghimire returned to the country on Monday from South Korea where he had attended a seminar. The trio are currently lodged in the Hanuman Dhoka prison.