27th April 2016
Statement on the arrest by Nepal’s Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority of Journalist Kanak Mani Dixit
The Britain-Nepal Academic Council (BNAC) wishes to express its serious concern about the arrest of senior journalist Kanak Mani Dixit and the manner of operation of the Commission for the Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Nepal.
While we support any initiatives against corruption and abuse of authority, we are deeply concerned about the heavy-handedness of the CIAA and the manner in which it has conducted itself in relation to Mr Dixit, who is a highly regarded journalist and a leading civil society figure. If it is the case, as has been reported, that Mr Dixit is being denied access to his lawyer, that is highly regrettable. The CIAA is a crucial body for the future health of Nepal’s institutions, but it should operate within the bounds of the law. It is essential that it be and be seen to be unbiased, transparent, and proportionate in its actions, and, above all, that it be free of all possible accusations of corruption itself.
Professor David Gellner (Chair) (University of Oxford)
Dr Krishna Adhikari (Secretary) (University of Oxford and Centre for Nepal Studies UK)
Dr Celayne Heaton-Shrestha (Treasurer)
Dr Kalyan Bhandari (University of the West of Scotland)
Dr Ben Campbell (University of Durham)
Professor Ian Harper (University of Edinburgh)
Dr Sondra Hausner (University of Oxford)
Professor Michael Hutt (SOAS, University of London)
Dr Feyzi Ismail (SOAS, University of London)
Dr Stefanie Lotter (SOAS, University of London)
Ms Premila van Oomen
Dr Sara Parker (Liverpool John Moores University)
Dr Jeevan Sharma (University of Edinburgh)
Professor Surya Subedi OBE (University of Leeds)
(Executive Committee members of the Britain-Nepal Academic Council)
General Secretary
Britain Nepal Academic Council (BNAC)
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