Monthly Archives: June, 2009
President concerned about media
By Sumaiya Rizvi President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday told Uthayan and Sudar Oli newspapers’ editor-in-chief that he was becoming increasingly concerned about the media industry because of the increasing attacks on … Continue reading
SRI LANKA: Journalists Laying Aside Pens Once Again
By Feizal Samath COLOMBO, Jun 30 (IPS) – Sri Lankan journalists are laying aside their pens once again and bracing for renewed confrontation with President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government after the … Continue reading
Mervin Silva abuses Sirasa journalists
[TamilNet, Monday, 29 June 2009, 04:30 GMT] Sri Lanka Minister of Labour Mervin Silva grabbed the microphone from Sirasa TV station reporters and threw it on the ground at an … Continue reading
Ethnic Tamil nationalist group threatens to kill newspaper staff in northern Sri Lanka
By Krishan Francis – 3 hours ago COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — An ethnic Tamil group has threatened to kill anyone working for or distributing a Tamil nationalist newspaper in northern … Continue reading
Democracy in peril – Sunday Times editorial
For a Government on a tidal wave of popularity, backed by a largely friendly media, the re-activation of the draconian 1973 Press Council Law which has the powers to send … Continue reading
Grave threat to DEMOCRACY – Sunday Times
In 1973 when the draconian Press Council Bill was passed in Parliament an independent English language newspaper headlined it—“ Mephistopheles claims the soul”—referring to the evil spirit to whom Faust … Continue reading
The return of the white van – The Island editorial
The return of the white van, as evidenced by last Wednesday’s ordeal of journalist Krishni Ifham who was bundled into one and driven to Kandy, asked some questions by her … Continue reading
Persecuted- sunday leader editorial
Unlike Lasantha I do not intend to write my last editorial and have it published after my death. I know this is a dramatic statement to make but the need … Continue reading
Lasantha killling – Police again fail to submit report
The police have so far failed to submit the investigation report into the murder of the Editor in Chief of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge. When Wickrematunge’s murder trial was … Continue reading
Repression, thy colour is white!
There seems to be no end to the much dreaded `white van` operations against the media. The latest victim is journalist Krishni Ifham, wife of one of The Island staffers. … Continue reading
A move to gag press, say Sri Lankan media
B. Muralidhar Reddy COLOMBO: The main media organisations in Sri Lanka have urged the government not to re-establish Press Council with powers to fine and imprison print journalists and argued … Continue reading
Dealing with media: Speaker regrets repeal of draconian laws
by Saman Indrajith Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara yesterday said Parliamentarians’ decision to repeal laws necessary to take punitive action against misbehaving journalists had been one of the most foolish … Continue reading
Gloomy predictions irk politicians
Colombo – Sri Lankan police say they have arrested an astrologer after he predicted serious political and economic problems for the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse. Chandrasiri Bandara, who writes … Continue reading
IFJ Condemns Shocking Attack on Tamil Newspapers in Sri Lanka
Media Release: Sri Lanka The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemns an attack on three Tamil newspapers in the northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna on June 24. According … Continue reading
NSLJA Saddened at Newspaper Burning
We note with extreme sadness the burning of newspapers in Jaffna peninsula at a time the government says it makes maximum efforts to restore democracy in the counrty and the … Continue reading
Tamil woman journalist abducted, later released
[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 June 2009, 12:11 GMT] Tamil journalist, Ms Krishni Kandasamy, was abducted by unidentified persons in a white van Wednesday morning from Wattala in Colombo division, and was … Continue reading
Sri Lankan Media Groups Ask Government Not to Re-establish Powerful Media Council
By Anjana Pasricha New Delhi Sri Lankan journalists hold placards carrying a photograph of fellow journalist Poddala Jayantha during protest against attacks on journalists and media suppression in Colombo, 10 … Continue reading
Wholesale attack on Jaffna newspapers
[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 June 2009, 01:36 GMT] All the local newspapers of Jaffna that defied publishing an anonymous and defiling notice against the LTTE came under attack by an armed … Continue reading
Media continues to be under attack – Post-script to the establishment of SL Press Council
With local government elections in the North providing yet another good reason for media bashing, local newspapers published in Jaffna has come under another devastating arson attack, according to reports … Continue reading
A Statutory White Van!
The government has drawn flak from eight media associations including the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka and the Editors` Guild of Sri Lanka over the re-activation of the draconian Sri … Continue reading
