BBC NEWS | South Asia | Nepal Maoists abduct journalist

The rebels have abducted several journalists in the past
Maoist rebels in Nepal have abducted a journalist, Bikram Giri, a Nepalese newspaper says.

The Kantipur newspaper says Mr Giri was on a reporting assignment last week when he was taken from a remote village near the Indian border.

There has been no reaction from the rebels as yet.

But correspondents say the rebels have abducted several journalists in the past, on the suspicion that they were spying for government forces.

Kantipur editor Narayan Wagle says Mr Giri has been out of touch ever since he left for his trip.

Bishnu Nisthuri, president of the Federation of Nepalese journalists, said the rebels publicly pledge to respect media freedom but rarely live up to their commitment.

'We demand that the rebels immediately free the abducted journalist and respect rights of the media,' he is quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

Media under pressure

The report of the abduction comes a day after the government freed more than 50 journalist detained a day earlier while demonstrating against curbs on press freedom.

King Gyanendra introduced restrictions on reporting after assuming direct control of the country in February.

Under the new guidelines, criticism of the king, the government and the security forces is banned.

Around 12,000 people have died since the rebels launched an armed struggle 10 years ago to establish a communist state in the world's only Hindu kingdom." Sphere: Related Content