Bhutan paper appeals for aid
A newspaper run by refugees in Nepal seeks overseas assistance to keep going.
The newspaper is uploaded on to the internet but the majority of refugees in the camps are not able to get it because they are not online.
Access to information
TP Mishra, the paper’s editor, said publishing hard copies of the newspaper was the best way to reach its target audience.
| Bhutan: The ancient kingdom |
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Located between China and India
About 100,000 Bhutanese live in seven UN Refugees camps in Nepal.
Many are ethnic Nepali who had migrated to Bhutan but were then forced out, leaving them stateless and stranded for nearly 20 years
One government newspaper, The Kuensel, and two private papers, one government-owned television station and several radio stations. |
A 1989 royal decree mandated that antennas be dismantled, in effect blocking foreign television.
“We need to find a way to ensure
that the people living in the refugee camps, especially those who do not have internet access, can still exercise their right to information.”
He said it was important the paper survived.
“The media situation inside Bhutan is strictly under government threat.
“Organisations like APFA-Bhutan, established in the refugee camps, are trying to bring Bhutan‘s suppressed media in the international arena.”
Staff members at the paper say that 2,000 Nepalese rupees would be enough to ensure the paper continues to print each month while 14,000 rupees could turn it into a weekly publication.
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