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Madhav Aryal/Dinesh Regmi

POKHARA, March 23 -The International Advocacy Mission for Press Freedom in Nepal that is currently here to assess the situation of press freedom has met Maoist leaders in a village in Palpa district and discussed the problems faced by journalists from the rebels.

The media mission met "western region deputy commander" of the Maoists, Prabhakar and their "Fifth Brigade Commissar" Sudarshan, and held discussions with them for three hours on Wednesday night.

Vincent Brossel of the Reporters Sans Frontiers, Sadaf Arshad of the South Asian Press Commission, Ashis Sen of AMARC, from the media mission and journalists Purushottam Dahal, Gangadhar Parajuli, Purna Basnet, Durga Karki and local journalists of Palpa, Bhagwan Bhandari and Madhav Aryal were involved in the discussions with the Maoists.

According to Purna Basnet, the mission sought clarification from the Maoists on several issues including the different difficulties the Maoists create for journalists, the Maoist pressure to government media personnel to quit jobs and write news in favour of the rebels and the Maoist threat to close the Ghoda Ghodi FM.

In response, regional Maoist leader, Prabhakar, conceding "some mistakes" in the past, expressed commitment not to repeat those mistakes. "The Maoist party is totally committed to press freedom. We will rectify past mistakes and will not repeat them," Prabhakar told the mission.

The members of the media mission reached the western town of Butwal on Thursday and held discussion with security officials regarding the arrest of two local journalists, Hom Prasad Basyal and Dipak BK who are currently in police custody.

SOURCE: Kantipur Online