KATHMANDU: The law provides for freedom of speech and the press; however, in practice, there were constraints on such practices, a report released by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, said today. According to the ‘Report on Human Rights Practices 2009: Nepal,’ armed groups and political parties deliberately targeted media workers and journalists throughout the country. “Printing presses and journalists were attacked by the Maoists and their youth wing and by other small armed groups. The government promised action against those targeting journalists, although there were few instances where the government punished the perpetrators,” said the report. “Impunity encouraged others to resort to threats and violence to silence journalists. The Maoists also influenced media outlets through their powerful trade unions”. In the Tarai and the eastern hills, armed groups coerced journalists, resulting in self-censorship and fear of personal safety. Armed groups and political parties burned newspapers that they found objectionable, the report added. It said that during the year, one journalist was killed, one survived a gun attack and approximately 50 others were either attacked or threatened by various non-state groups, and in a few instances, by security personnel. Police reportedly arrested three journalists, according to the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ). “Three armed groups — Kirant Janawadi Workers’ Party, Limbuwan, and Khumbuwan — extorted money from journalists as reported by FNJ, although victims didn’t report these cases to police due to security concerns,” said the report distributed to media persons in a programme here. “Female journalists came under particular and increasing threat. On January 11, a group of unidentified assailants killed Uma Singh, an investigative journalist bas-ed in Janakpur. A district level Maoist leader and a relative were suspects, but no progress was reported on the investigation”. On January 22, in Kathmandu, a group of masked men entered the apartment of Yasodha Timsina, who reportedly was investigating the killing of Uma Singh. When they found Timsina was not at home, they threatened her housekeeper. Maoist activists allegedly seized and destroyed newspapers that published content they disagreed with, although they denied the allegations during the period. On July 22, protesters burned the copies of The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post. The report has highlighted more than 20 cases of attack on press freedom, academic freedom and cultural events, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and societal abuses and discrimination. Addressing the function, Donald A Camp, Charge d’ Affaires at the US Embassy in Nepal, called on the state and non-state parties to abide by the norms and values of human rights in Nepal. Journalist Yubaraj Ghimire and FNJ General Secretary Poshan KC were among others speaking for press freedom and human rights on the occasion.