Fresh Concerns About Free Speech in Nepal

By its very nature, Maoism believes in power of the state -- in the philosophy's mind, the people -- over the activities of its citizens, justifying that dissent can pose a threat to the strength of the socialist state. Where Marxist ideologies go, clampdowns on free speech follow: look at China, Vietnam, Cuba, etc. Yet the Nepalese people hated King Gyanendra so much that they voted the Maoists into power. And now, as Al-Jazeera reports, there are serious concerns about free speech eroding under the transition into the Maoist government.

The report centers around the win of the film "The People's War," chronicling the 10-year rebellion that claimed more than 13,000 lives, which swept the state-run National Film Awards earlier this month in Nepal. Additionally, the film was made by the Maoist party under its new People's Cinema production company. Members of the Maoist rebel army, which wreaked so much bloodshed across the country, played themselves in the film.

The country's new communications minister is also Maoist, and anyone in the media knows that the press were targets during the Maoist rebellion. Just last fall, 34-year-old journalist Birendra Shah was kidnapped and killed by Maoists, and Reporters Without Borders has a 2008 report on other myriad attacks. Whereas many Nepalese accused the monarchy of filtering state-run media to its advantage, they should expect no less censorship -- and, likely, even more -- from the Maoists.