A van belonging to weekly newspaper, The Journalist, published from Thimphu was vandalized by unknown attackers on mid night May 12.
The van was returning office after dropping home one of the paper’s IT staffs, when it was hit at around 12.45 pm, as it passed the road above the golf course area in Thimphu, near Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) building.
Suspected to be hit by stone, vehicle’s left window at the back seat and the rear window are badly shattered, pieces of which fell inside the car. Driver and another staff in the car remain safe. They immediately informed the police for investigation.
Newspaper editor Gopilal Acharya, however, suspects a stray bullet might have hit the van though police say it is not.
Acharya is also the president of Journalists Association of Bhutan (JAB).
It is the first incident of attack on press in the country. The Journalist weekly is being published by the journalists who left Bhutan Times in mass last year alleging managerial interference into the editorial matters.
Association of Press Freedom Activist is very much concerned with the latest incident on media. The attack would not only derail the morality of the journalists, but also curtails their safety and the right to information of the Bhutanese people.
The government must investigate the incident thoroughly and punish those involved in the attack. The government must also ensure safety and security of the media persons.
I. P. Adhikari
President
Date: May 14, 2020
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