( CNN ) -- The body of a journalist who was hacked to death in southeastern Nepal was cremated Tuesday as businesses and public transportation in the town of Janakpur remained shut for a second day to protest the killing . Uma Singh , who was murdered in Nepal Sunday , had talked about the difficulties of practicing journalism . Authorities said they arrested four people in connection with the death of Uma Singh , but they did not release the suspects ' names or possible motive , said Damakant Jayashi , associate editor of the online news Web site , myrepublica.com . `` Journalists and human rights groups have descended on the town , and shops are shuttered in what almost seems like a spontaneous protest , '' Jayashi said . `` Journalists are all wearing black bands on their arms . And the FM stations in the city , all day yesterday , they played mourning tunes instead of their regular programs . '' The killing of Singh , 26 , is the latest in a `` troubling trend '' of attacks on reporters , the United Nations ' human rights office in the country said . It asked the government to investigate the case and prosecute death threats against other journalists . `` Doing so will send a strong message that there will be no impunity for attacks against the media , nor for any serious crimes , '' the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal said . Singh wrote for a daily newspaper and reported for a radio station in Janakpur , about 240 km ( 150 miles ) southeast of the capital city , Kathmandu . When she got home from work Sunday night , a group of about 15 men barged into the room she rented at a house and hacked her with `` khukhuris '' -- curved knives traditional to Nepal -- in full view of other boarders , authorities said . `` I am very very shocked , '' said Dharmendra Jha , president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists , which is leading the protests . `` If the government is not ready to provide any kind of security to journalists , it will be very difficult to do journalism in a free mode . '' The group said it will announce a new phase of protests Wednesday . Authorities do not have a motive for the killing . In some of her articles , Singh spoke out against the dowry system , where a bride 's family is forced to give cash and property to the groom 's family before the wedding . Also Sunday , a group of men ransacked the house of another journalist in the same region , leaving a cross on her door and telling her it was her turn next , media groups said . Police do not know if the two incidents are related . In recent months , the number of attacks on journalists in Nepal have shot up . The federation released a year-end report , recording 284 incidents -- including three deaths and a kidnapping . Some of the assailants have ties to the Communist Party of Nepal , the largest party in Nepal 's coalition government , according to New York-based Human Rights Watch . The party is led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal , or Prachanda -- a man who led a decade-long bloody insurgency before being sown in as prime minister . During the decade-long civil war , Maoist forces under him carried out numerous attacks on journalists they believed were opposed to their cause , Human Rights Watch said . And after he became prime minister , Prachanda issued a public warning to journalists while addressing a massive crowd in Kathmandu : `` Now we will no longer tolerate criticism as we have already been elected by the people . '' Three years ago , Singh 's father and elder brother disappeared . Her family has all along accused local Maoist leaders of being behind the disappearances , Jayashi said . Singh , herself , talked about the difficulties of practicing journalism in an interview with the United Nations last year . `` Various armed groups that are mushrooming have been a major challenge for us . We have been compelled to dance to their tunes . ... This makes us helpless , '' she said in the interview . `` What do we do ? If we do n't air the news of their choice , they threaten to kill us . Things have become very , very difficult for us . ''
Nepalese journalist who reported on women 's rights hacked to Google Sunday . Ms Singh said before her death : ` ` Things have become very , very difficult for us '' U.N. asks Govt . to investigate , monitor and act against other journalists . Journalists group : 284 incidents against journalists in 2008 , including 3 deaths .