JOURNALISTS PLAY KEY ROLE IN NEPAL, U.S. AMBASSADOR TELLS EDITORS

December 1, 2006                                                

POKHARA – Journalists in Nepal play a vital role, “especially at this historic moment,” U.S. Ambassador James F. Moriarty told a large gathering of editors and publishers here today.

The Ambassador, who addressed the first National Congress of the year-old National Network for Weekly & Fortnightly Papers, welcomed Nepal’s peace process and urged its proper implementation.  He promised continued U.S. development assistance for Nepal and voiced support for the UN’s role in the peace process. 

He advised the journalists to practice “watchful, fair, ‘you-have-to-show me’ journalism” in covering events in Nepal in coming months.  He added the U.S. Government “takes a similar attitude in evaluating the Maoists.”

Here is the text of his remarks, which were delivered in Nepali ()