Kathmandu, Aug. 19 -- In July, the government announced an amendment to Nepal's Printing and Publication Act, reportedly without the knowledge of the Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung.

The amendment gives Nepal's Chief District Officer (CDO) exclusive authority to regulate the registration, operation and renewal of online media, relieving the Department of Information of a responsibility it had since 2016 through the Online Media Operation Directive.

This gives local bodies unchecked power to register and suspend online news platforms 'as they deem fit'. This is the latest in a series of decisions to suppress Nepal's constitutionally guaranteed press freedom.

Successive governments since 2015...