After Himal, it is THT, AP, Kantipur`s turn

KATHMANDU: Situation in the office of APCA House at Anamnagar in the capital was tense around 6.30 p.m. following a confrontation between the management and CPN (Maoist)-affiliated laborers Monday evening, according to journalists working there. The confrontation was over removing a board bearing Maoist union´s name which the laborers had forcibly placed in front of the reception four days ago. [break]

Meanwhile, another group of Maoist laborers prevented Kantipur newspaper from being distributed in Biratnagar early Monday morning by blocking off the gates of the newspaper´s office there. The printing press is in the office compound.

The laborers have also announced a 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. closure of the Kantipur Publications office in the eastern town on Tuesday. The immediate cause of this attack is not known.

The Maoist laborers´ wrath against the media has increased recently, with top Maoist leadership, including party Chairman and Prime Minister Pushpa

Kamal Dahal, unable to control their cadres. On Sunday, Maoist-affiliated unionists had beaten up journalists and staffers at Himalmedia and vandalized the news and meeting rooms there.

The latest confrontation at the office of the APCA Nepal (Asia Pacific Communication Associates) began Monday evening after the laborers resisted the management´s efforts to remove the board. The laborers said they placed the board in front of the reception since the management did not heed their request to provide them with a room for their union´s office. The APCA management had shut down the reception since then. The laborers also threatened the APCA Nepal staffers of dire consequences if they tried to remove the board.

During today´s scuffle, the laborers manhandled some management staff, said the journalists. Police was called in after which the laborers left. The police force has left after leaving two policemen there.

The management is considering removing the board late evening but there is palpable fear in the office, said Editor of The Himalayan Times (THT) Ajaya Bhadra Khanal.

"Theirs is not a recognized union as per the law and they are not even employees of the publications," Khanal told myrepublica.com. The Maoist-affiliated laborers are dispatchers employed by an outside firm that has been commissioned by the APCA to distribute its newspapers. A case about the status of the union is subjudice at the Supreme Court.

The Maoist unionists had prevented distribution of newspapers – THT and Annapurna Post – and forced a closure of the publications in August last year. They had also stopped work at Kantipur Publications, Nepal Samacharpatra as well as some other newspapers then and prevented distribution of the newspapers.

The Maoist labor union chief Salikram Jammakattel who is also a Constituent Assembly member has been defending the workers, saying they have been victims of media houses´ exploitation and propaganda.