Nepal pulls the plug on the Internet

By INQUIRER staff: Wednesday 02 February 2005, 18:57

THE DECISION by the king-god of largely Hindu state Nepala to dismiss his government yesterday has meant a clampdown on a number of formerly informative web sites, with little news trickling out of the country because the phones were cut off as well.

King Gyanendra suspended the government of Nepal yesterday and imposed martial law on the country. Normally cheerful Nepalese newspapers, according to reports, carried news dictated by the King, who faces a rebellion by "Maoist" guerillas which has already killed thousands of people.

The King has imposed a virtual news blackout across the state.

It was all a little reminiscent of 1956, when the UK government attempted to impose a news blackout on the Suez crisis, but some brave editors just decided to carry empty white space where stories had been censored.

Indian newspaper The Hindu reported that the country has also cut telephone lines, and suspended a number of elements of the Nepalese constitution, including freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

The UK and the Indian government both expressed concern at the news.

Mind you, we wonder if it's just a coincidence that Nepal has borders with both China and India. Chairman Mao wasn't particularly noted for allowing freedom of the press or speech. What's for sure is that India is not going to sit idly by if Nepal becomes dangerously unstable. There's too much riding on it. Sphere: Related Content