Himal Southasian to suspend publication

The Southasia Trust regrets to announce the suspension of publication of Himal Southasian, the pioneering magazine promoting 'cross-border journalism' in the region. A decision to this effect was taken by the Trust's Executive Board on 22 August, due to non-cooperation by regulatory state agencies in Nepal that has made it impossible to continue operations after 29 years of publication.

Reflecting the trend in other parts of Southasia in terms of independent media and civil society organisations, Himal is being silenced not by direct attack or overt censorship but the use of the arms of bureaucracy to paralyse its functioning. Though Nepal has been a leader of free press since the introduction of democracy in 1990, continuous socio-political chaos over two decades has progressively weakened the commitment of the political class to open society.