Kathmandu, January 14:

US Embassy in Kathmandu today condemned the murder of Janakpur-based journalist Uma Singh.

“The murder of journalist Singh on Sunday night in Janakpur is deeply disturbing.

We call on the government to investigate this crime and prosecute the perpetrators under Nepali law,” the embassy said in a press statement issued here today.

“Whether or not this heinous crime was the latest in the recent wave of attacks aimed at silencing journalists and undermining freedom of expression in Nepal, it was an assault on a basic tenet of democracy — the rule of law,” the embassy stated.

It added, “The growing incidents of violence, many of which target women, underscore the

necessity for the government to improve protection of basic human rights.

Only when these rights are protected, can democracy flourish.”