Nepal Media Society and Advertising Association of Nepal have said that their attention has been drawn to the protests being organised in the name of Kantipur Joint Struggle Committee on the premises of Kantipur Publications.

Issuing a joint press statement on Monday, the two umbrella organisations said that although it is natural for workers and employees to present their demands to the company management, it is as important to make their demands in a civilised, polite and disciplined manner.

“The fair demands must also be addressed by the company management in accordance with its resources and laws,” reads the statement.

The two bodies also warned those involved in the protest not to engage in lawless activities including issuing threats and mobilising mobs and activities that defame the media sector.

“The entire media sector is saddened by the fact that the workers and employees working in Kantipur Publications, who have been operating for nearly three decades in the private sector, were involved in objectionable activities including the obstruction of sales and distribution of the publication in the guise of putting forth their demands,” reads the statement.

The organisations said that such an act is indubitably against the rule of law and press freedom.

“No one should be a silent spectator to such activities against press freedom and media business operations. We want to caution all those involved in the protest not to engage in lawless activities including issuing threats and mobilising mobs and activities that defame the media sector,” the statement reads.

The organisations, through the statement, said that the objectionable activities of the protesters will only increase mistrust and discord between the management and the agitating parties.

“In today’s open environment, it is an obvious course of action for the aggrieved party to seek legal treatment if they fail to resolve their differences through talks after presenting their demands,” reads the statement. “But physically obstructing the distribution of publications, tearing them, taking them to their own houses, and piling them up to publicly defame the organisation, creates more mistrust and discord between the management and the agitating parties.”

The two organisations also stated that any involvement of unrelated parties in a problem within a media house can’t be tolerated.

“We request the Government of Nepal and the agencies in charge of peace and security to be vigilant of the tendencies and parties that mobilise mobs at media houses, subvert the natural rights of the citizens, issue threats, and become violent,” reads the statement.

The organisations have suggested that Kantipur Publications and the agitating parties adopt practical and legal ways to resolve the problem.

“We request both parties to re-negotiate, discuss and find an agreement on the legal issues considering the current difficult economic environment,” the statement reads.