Maoist threat shuts down FM radio

POKHARA, April 24: Radio Parbat, the only community FM radio in Parbat district, has been shut down indefinitely from Thursday evening due to threats by Maoists cadres. The FM went off air at 8:30 pm Thursday after cadres of the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) threatened to detonate bomb. A group of youths vandalized the main door of the radio´s office and also warned of serious consequences soon after the Maoists staged a torch rally in front of the radio office.



“They phoned us and threatened to bomb our office if we did not stop broadcast,” said Tulasi Ram Sharma, Vice Chairman of Rural Awareness Society that runs the radio. Sharma said Maoists have been issuing threats against them alleging that they dismissed employees and did not provide them remuneration.



The Maoists have alleged that the radio management forcibly sacked its station manager Yaman Prasad Poudel and accountant Shanti Subedi. However, Maoist district secretariat member Bishnu Lamichhane denied having shut down the radio.

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