Uma Singh, a 26-year-old Nepali journalist, is the latest in a long list of journalists who have been killed in South Asia over the last few years. Singh, a radio journalist, died in a particularly gruesome way. From the BBC report by Charles Haviland:
Uma Singh, a radio journalist in her 20s, was hacked to death by between 12 and 20 men in her room in the southern city of Janakpur.
Ms Singh is believed to be the first female reporter killed in the country, although journalists have long lived with violence or the threat of it.
A friend and fellow journalist told the BBC there was no part of her body that was not covered with blood.
She died on the way to the capital after attempts locally to help her failed.
According to the English daily Republica, police have arrested four men in suspicion of Singh’s murder, which took place Jan. 11. However, their names have not been released citing ongoing investigation.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the attack and asked the authorities to take actions.
"This tragedy should galvanize those responsible for protection of media freedom to take the necessary action to ensure the security of journalists," the head of the office, Richard Bennett, said.
Singh worked for the Janakpur Today Radio and reported on women’s rights, against caste system and political issues.
Singh’s murder is the latest in the series against targeting journalists in Nepal. In December, one of the country’s leading publications, Himalmedia, was attacked and journalists beaten.
Singh talked about hardships of working as a journalist in this 2008 video of United Nations' Mission to Nepal:
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