ISLAMABAD, Feb 8: The South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) has condemned the arrest of journalists, take over of newspapers by the military authorities and imposition of blanket censorship on the media in Nepal.

A statement issued by the Safma on Tuesday said the closing down and confiscation of the copies of the newspapers that tried to use their right to expression was highly disturbing.

The Safma said the newsrooms and offices were taken over by the military personnel, who imposed a blanket censorship that forced the newspapers to appear with empty columns or no news stories.

With the blackout of media from outside Kathmandu, several newspapers, such as Mechi Kali, Daily Lumbini, Jana Sangharsa and Naya Disha, had to stop publishing. Satahik Bimarsh, a weekly that went out with an empty space on its editorial page, was forced to stop publication. Editor Yubhraj Ghimrie's weekly, Samay, was confiscated.

The whole media is put under the surveillance of censorship and those who tried to protest against the draconian measures were being persecuted, said the association.

The Safma deplored the harassment of leaders of Federation of Nepalese Journalists, president Tara Nath Dahal, general secretary Bishnu Nisthuri and other leading journalists, including columnist Khagendra Sangraula, Safma General Secretary and Editor of Drishti weekly Shambhu Shreshta.

Safma Secretary-General Imtiaz Alam asked the association's national chapters to hand over letters of protest to the ambassador of Nepal in each country and called upon human rights activists and journalists to express solidarity with their Nepalese colleagues.

On behalf of the journalist community of South Asia, Mr Alam asked the government of Nepal and King Gyanendra to immediately release all the journalists, lift all curbs on freedom of media, restore communication links and allow access to and free flow of information.