Manipur: TV channels and newspapers cease work to protest militant threats

This week, TV news channels went off air in Manipur and newspapers stopped publication to protest against threats from militants, the news website Scroll reported. While TV channels ceased broadcasting Tuesday evening, daily newspapers did not go to print on November 25 and 26.

According to multiple editors quoted by Scroll, the two warring factions of the secessionist group United National Liberation Front had issued separate statements, and the local media decided to carry both. However, Bijoy Kakchingtabam, president of the All Manipur Working Journalists Union told the news website, “One side did not want us to publish the other side’s news and there were threats to that effect.”

In protest, the editors decided to stop working indefinitely. On Thursday, however, they resumed work. “Our solution is that we will not publish any news about any of the two sides from now on,” Khogendra Khongram, the head of the Manipur Editors Guild, told Scroll.

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