Freedom of Press is such a dear and dreaded issue in South Asian democracies. Freedom of Press at the moment is not only an issue in Bhutan and Nepal, but across South Asia.
An Editor in Sri Lanka gets killed. Journalists in Nepal and across the border in Bangladesh get beaten up. And out of intimidation and compulsion there is self-censorship in the practice of journalism and the press.
But despite the dismal situation, there is a need for Press Freedom in our countries of South Asia for deep rooting democracies.
Truth hurts and hounds. But for Press Freedom there has to be nothing but ‘Freedom for Truth’. (My speech on the release of a book on journalist in exile by a Bhutanese refugee journalist in Nepal; 31|03|2009; the book can be downloaded at www.apfanews.com).
